Thursday, October 12, 2006
eyes wide open
a field full of empty soles...
Colorado State Capitol Building, Denver, CO
© 2006 kelly angard
Rows of empty soldier's boots serve as a shocking and painful reminder of the human cost of the Iraq War. I don't know which was more heartbreaking...the boots that looked as if they were well-worn, as if they had marched over miles of rigorous terrain, or the boots that looked brand new, barely out of the box with hardly a mark on them. Waves of utter sadness swept over me while positioning for this shot; the reality of lost lives represented in rows of empty soles...
No matter the differences in our political party or personal opinions about this war, we all have something in common...something larger than ourselves...we are all part of the human race.
Imagine what would happen if each of us would step outside of our opinions, turn down the volume of our personal and political voices for just a few minutes and simply honor those who have lost their lives as well as those who are still living this horror...
I have to believe that a sense of humanity can grow and in turn, affect others. For if waves of fear can spread like wildfire and ravage an entire country, then why can't a giant wave of humanity reach distant shores? We will never know if we don't even try...
to walk a mile...
© 2006 kelly angard
"Eyes Wide Open", a travelling exhibition on the human cost of the Iraq War
www.afsc.org/eyes/ Check out the website for exhibition locations & dates.
Labels: kelly angard, the crafty girl
posted by The Crafty-Girl™ at 10/12/2006
7 Comments:
HOLY COW!! WOW Kelly.....that photo is so powerful!! With my dh being in the Army this really hits home. I am honored to be an American and just seeing all those boots and imagining the paths they have taken....I am overwhelmed right now.
~Sonda
Wow, Kelly, I have seen this or even heard of it before. I'm left a bit speechless. Your photographs are amazing. They really capture the stark realism of the empty boots, in a sense so intimate, worn into shaping the contour of each man's body, but probably military-issued and just like the thousands of others. Did you see the report this weekend of the Navy SEAL who threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow SEALS? Each pair is a story, and a tremendous loss. Thanks for sharing with us.
those are very empowering pictures. love that you did them in black and white. thanks for sharing them!
The photos are incredible - so very powerful - thanks for posting this - really has me thinking.
Wow, Kelly, the photos have been especially riveting ever since your tough experiences this year. Hard times harden resolve, in your case for sure. You never cease to inspire me. Was just realizing the other day that it seems like yesterday we did the NewYears Resolution Swap, huh? This year has flown by....good for the bad parts, bad for the good parts, lol.
Take care,
Aimes
http://artsyamateur.blogspot.com/
Sonda...thank you my sweet friend!!! You can't imagine how overwhelming this was to see in person...
debra...my pleasure to share these photographs. I felt that the only thing I could do to honor these fallen men and women was to post what I saw and write what I felt...it was truly a moving experience.
chacha...thanks girl! hope all is well with you!
dynamomomof2...one of the best compliments I could receive! thank you... :)
aimselee...yes, time has flown! and waaaaay too fast!!! But it's all good...no matter the experiences; always something to learn, even if it's painful! Thanks for your kind words...
Hi,
I came across your photos in the midst of doing a search for news coverage of a local Eyes Wide Open exhibit here in the St. Louis area, and wanted to let you know I was very moved by them. Thanks for sharing your images with the world; I hope many more people will see them.
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