Judith Joy Ross, American (b. 1946). P.F.C. Maria I. Leon, U.S. Army Reserve, On Red Alert, Gulf War, 1990. Gelatin silver print (printed 2006), 9 11/16 x 7 11/16 inches. Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2012.28.5.An exhibition of 50 photographs of American soldiers opens next week at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
An exhibition of 50 photographs of American soldiers opens next week at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
The pictures of servicemen and women date from the Civil War to recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They will be on exhibit from Jan. 23 to June 21.
April M. Watson, curator of exhibition, said in a media release, “These photographs are complex in their portrayals: the subjects suggest vulnerability, fear and loss as well as heroism and strength.”
Showing the pictures from different eras, she said, “might create a fresh, interesting dialogue about the way photographs over time have shaped our perceptions of military personnel and the cultural values they are seen to embody.”
The images from different times and contexts “resonate as valuable reminders that certain aspects of the human experience of war are ongoing,” the media release states.
The exhibition coincides with a city commemoration of the 100th anniversary of World War I.
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