NYAB Event - David Levinthal "I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq"

David Levinthal "I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq"

Stellan Holm Gallery

This event has ended.

"I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq" features seventeen color photographs by renowned photographer, David Levinthal, which seek to examine the way in which our society looks at war. The idea for this series was conceived when Levinthal recognized a flood of figurines and models available to the American consumer, depicting the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through the use of these miniature soldiers, civilians and armored vehicles, Levinthal constructs extremely realistic dioramas that recreate the horrors of contemporary warfare. However, these photographs do not simply recreate scenes from a foreign war. Instead they bring a new perspective to the discourse about war, how it is broadcast in real time and how it relates to American society as a whole. Without interjecting his own prejudgments, David Levinthal asks the viewer to reconsider their own perceptions of reality.

Released by powerHouse Books, the publication, I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq, compiles the entirety of Mr. Levinthal's series of photographs. The book features seventy color photographs along with an introduction by the artist. It is accompanied by a series of writings culled by David Stanford, editor of The Sandbox, an online military blog that posts writings from troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This 'boots-on-the-ground' testimony adds a powerful voice to the compelling and harrowing photographs constructed by Levinthal.

Born in 1949 in San Francisco, CA, David Levinthal has been exploring and confronting various social issues through the playful use of toy figurines since 1972.

[Image: David Levinthal "Untitled from the series Iraq" (2008) archival pigment print on polyester film 42 1/2 x 55 in.]