Art Reflects Humanity with Mirror of Our Times

Riverhead, NY (July 26, 2007)—The East End Arts Council is proud to present Mirror of Our Times, a photography show juried by renowned author and art critic Amei Wallach, from August 31- October 5, 2007.  Ms Wallach has chosen from among many entries those that display the keenest sense of the world as it is at this very time in history.  In keeping with this theme, we are especially honored to be featuring award-winning photojournalist Kael Alford’s stunning images of Iraq in the gallery’s project room. Meet Ms. Wallach and Ms. Alford at the opening reception, Friday, August 31, from 5-8 p.m. The opening is free and all are welcome.  There will also be a gallery slideshow, discussion and book signing with Kael Alford on September 1st, from 1-3 pm, with an admission of $5. To reserve seating for the slideshow, call: (631)727-0900.

Like W. Eugene Smith’s haunting photo essay of World War II, this work of Kael Alford offers a searing look into the mirror of our times. Ms. Alford, whose heartbreaking images of the Iraq war have been featured in the book Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq (Chelsea Green Publishing 2005), and in the CBC documentary, Beyond Words, gives us a rare glimpse of how the war appears when living and reporting among the Iraqi people.   Hers is not the view from the top of a tank or an armored Humvee, it is a picture of the stark realities of post-invasion Iraq, bearing witness to the human cost of war and the enduring power of independent journalism.
 
Whether she is showing us the ravages of conflict or the fragile existence of Louisiana’s coastal communities, Alford crosses lines, cultural barriers, racial and religious divides and takes us to hidden worlds.  When she holds up her mirror to the devastation of a nation and the quiet deterioration of an American culture and landscape, we cannot look away.  At a gallery appearance and book signing, Alford will offer a slideshow of
additional images giving us an extraordinary first-hand account of the impact of war on the people of Iraq, as well as her insights about the unique cultures and vulnerable position of the communities along the Louisiana Coast and what connects these seemingly unrelated corners of the globe. 

For more information on the exhibit, contact Jane Kirkwood, Gallery Director, at 631-727-0900.
For more information about the Unembedded book see: http://www.chelseagreen.com/2005/items/unembeddedpa, and for information on the traveling exhibiton: www.unembedded.net.

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Media Contact:
Jane Kirkwood,
Gallery Director
631-727-0900