Celebrated and graphic Iraq War veteran photography exhibit comes to Voorheesville High School
Students in the Voorheesville High School were in elementary school when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.
For these youngsters, a post-9/11 world is more of a constant that a new way of being. Still, despite living in an era of instant communications, in Voorheesville, like the rest of the country, conflicts overseas seem distant and unrelatable.
But from now through March 18, students at the high school and middle school have at their fingertips a world-renowned photography exhibition that aims to humanize the impacts of modern warfare. `Purple Hearts,` by Nina Berman, is on display in the Performing Arts Center lobby and is open to the public.
The exhibit was arranged by Robert Alft, a Voorheesville resident and Vietnam-era veteran. He saw `Purple Hearts` at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy and was moved by it.
`After it was over, Nina offered us the photographs that were used in the exhibit to put in local schools, high schools, community centers, things like that,` Alft said. `She really wanted someone that was involved in the community to get these images closer to where people go, rather than in a gallery.`
Voorheesville High is the first of what Alft hopes will be many places the remarkable work goes on display. `Purple Hearts` has been shown all over the country and been featured in the like of the New York Times.
It’s easy to see why. The exhibit is a series of photographs of soldiers who have come home from the Iraq War badly wounded. Some of the images are graphic, like those of soldier scarred by their burns. One particularly moving image is `Marine Wedding,` a photo of a Marine and his bride on their wedding day. The groom is blank and featureless, his injuries so extensive his face is erased.
The decision to allow such an intense, graphic exhibit into the school was not one that was arrived at lightly, said High School Principal Imran Abbasi. District Superintendent Teresa Thayer Snyder put it best, he said.
`She said, ‘Our kids are going to see one of these guys in the grocery store.’ It’s reality…I think some things are there and they’re out there,` Abbasi said. `It’s thought provoking and it will make them ask questionsthen they make their own decisions and judgments.`
Art teacher Marie Triller, who manages the gallery space, said it’s a great opportunity to have not only world-renowned work in the school, but also work that encourages students to think about the world around them.
`Overall, it’s been very positive,` she said of student reaction. `They’re very moved by it.`
High school student Anna Mae Lanahan said with two cousins serving overseas, the images touch close to home.
`I think it’s good for people to see what it’s like there,` she said. `They’re sacrificing their lives for others.`
Though many might expect `Purple Hearts` to carry an anti-war bent, Berman did her best to keep the work removed. She interviewed the soldiers during the photography sessions, and their thoughts are reflected in captions posted with the images. They run the gamut, much as public opinion towards the war might be varied in civilian circles.
`I spent a lot of time with guys fresh back from Vietnam that still had time to serve. And all the things they experienced, we talked about,` said Alft, who was stationed in Louisiana. `I see these returning Iraq War veterans and it’s a lot of the same stories It’s honest, it’s what they really felt, and I think that’s what shines through, is the truth.`
`Purple Hearts` is open to the public and free to view. Those who wish to stop by during school hours should make sure to sign in at the main office.“
