A small child sits in an old, rusty, military truck holding a grenade that did not detonate. He is young from an American stand point. However, in his society, he would already be considered a man. There is a sense of loss in his eyes. The object in his hand shows no sign of fearful shaking. Next to the image is a quote that reads that “the growing tourism industry is exploiting the remnants of war for profit.” Such is the aftermath of conflict.
This image was taken by Andrew Stanbridge in an effort to depict Laos where natives are taking the remains of the war and selling them for profit. This is a manner in which Laotians cope with post war. Through the first week of January, the Gage Gallery, located at 18 S. Michigan in Chicago, is playing host to The Aftermath project. The Aftermath project was founded by Sarah Terry as an effort to capture reconstruction after hostilities have occurred.
The Aftermath project includes a display of Terry’s work in Bosnia as well as the photography of Andrew Stanbridge, Asim Rafiqui, and Paula Luttringer. Whether it is Stanbridge’s work with the landscape and people of Laos, or Rafiqui’s violence and oppression in Haiti, all of the images available for viewing have one theme in common. What happens after the fighting stops? “The end of war,” Terry says, “does not mean peace. It merely means the end of war.”
Terry believes that when the media leaves the aftermath begins. When reporters leave, organizations like the Aftermath project step in to show both the sadness in reconstruction and also the sense of possible positive change. The art show depicts a concept that is not always shown as the main story of a news broadcast: a society after the devastation.
On September 11, Terry gave a presentation about what the Aftermath Project means to her through her own work in Bosnia. It is difficult to describe Terry’s passion for the project and her own work. She shows images that are not always on the front pages of newspapers. Rather, they are concepts that can only be captured through the art of photography. Not every picture is planned, nor is every image set up. But rather, as Terry describes, it is about being patient and watching.
Terry believes that one of the images that truly captures this concept is one of her photographs of a Bosnian on his bike. Holes made by bombings often resemble roses. Terry took a picture of one of these “roses.” Little did she know that on the bicyclist’s jacket it was the word, “pretty,” or that the red chairs in the background were disheveled much like they would have been if a bomb just hit. Sometimes magic through a camera just happens much like life just happens. On the Aftermath website is a quote by Polish Noble Peace Prize winner, Wislawa Szmborska, which reads “Reality demands that we mention this: Life goes on.” Terry believes that life does in fact go on even after events happen and even after a country is destroyed.
Throughout the academic year, the Gage gallery will be hosting several art shows and exhibits that show exactly what the impact of conflicts can be. Michael Ensdorf, the director of the Gage Gallery, said that he was inspired to do these projects because it is an election year. The present conflicts and the opposition to them are readily observable a few blocks down from the gallery with protesters voicing their opinions on the current conflicts in the Middle East.
So, what happens after the fighting stops? The answer is rebuilding. A society must deal with the remains of broken buildings, of empty bullet shells, and of broken lives. Terry’s project shows that process in a simple yet complex manner. She shows it through the lens of a camera. Years from now when the fighting stops in Iraq or Afghanistan, will photographers be doing the same? Will the media cover the work in the Middle East or will it be up to organizations such as the Aftermath project? Like the enchantment of photography, the world must watch patiently and wait for life to go on.
