Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Kael Alford, Thorne Anderson, and Rita Leistner
On display at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music
October 2 - November 28, 2006
Weekdays, 9am - 4pm
Free and open to the public
Reception Thursday, October 19 / 4:30 – 6 pm
Unembedded is a nationally touring exhibition of photographs and works from the authors of the book of the same name, published in 2005 by Chelsea Green. It will be on display at Yale Institute of Sacred Music weekdays from 9 to 4 from October 2 – November 28, 2006.
Through the US military’s embedded journalism program, America has become accustomed to photos made from inside the US military cordon, removed from the day to day realities of Iraq. In sharp contrast to the sound-bite depth of most embedded news coverage, though, independent journalists and photojournalists continue to work in Iraq, running the risks associated with war coverage, spending the time it takes to report without the protection of the military. Now four award-winning photojournalists reveal the efforts of the “unembedded” media in Iraq. Their collected works appear in Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq, released in November 2005 by Chelsea Green.
Unembedded pulls together photographs and statements from photojournalists Kael Alford (New York, USA), Thorne Anderson (Alabama, USA), Rita Leistner (Toronto, Canada), and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad (Baghdad, Iraq). Working independently, they and their lenses report with a depth and eloquence uncommon in the chaotic, fast-paced environment of war.
The images in Unembedded document issues often underreported by mainstream media: the insurgency as seen from inside the separate resistance movements, civilians affected by the violent battles between the U.S. and insurgent forces, growing conservatism and fundamentalism and their effects on women, and the devastating effects of civilian casualties.
The exhibition is presented by Yale Institute of Sacred Music with support from Yale Divinity School.
There will be a reception in honor of the exhibition and the photographers on Thursday, October 19 from 4:30 – 6 in the Great Hall of the Institute at 409 Prospect St. Free parking is available. Both the exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public.
The Spirit of War: A Discussion with Thorne Anderson will take place on Tuesday, October 17 from 4 – 6 in Marquand Chapel. Presented by Yale Divinity School and the Initiative on Religion and Politics at Yale, the discussion is also free and open to the public.