EYE OF THE STORM:
War through the Lens of American Combat Photographers
www.eyeofthestormexhibition.com
 

The Marines of 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6 get some much needed rest in a large room after a long night spent building and fortifying the new Observation Post and Iraqi Police Station in the Sana'ee District of Fallujah, Iraq.

--USMC photograph by Cpl Samuel D. Corum

EYE OF THE STORM:
War through the Lens of American Combat Photographers
www.eyeofthestormexhibition.com
 

"This was taken of Pvt. Zachary McDaniel and Pvt. Shane Irwin of Charlie Company of the 101st Airborne Division as they walked along a contaminated canal outside Sadr City. They were providing security for a U.S. hired forensics archaeology team searching for Saddam-era mass grave sites. Located in a landfill, the water’s unnatural hue is the result of years of pollution from trash, human bodies and animal carcasses.

After returning to camp after a 12 hour day in the fly infested dump, the soldiers headed back to camp for food, fuel and sleep. Several hours later the same soldiers were out on the streets of Sadr city on patrol. Ten minutes later the second truck in our convoy was struck by an EFP. The round entered on the passenger side through 5 inches of armor taking off the legs of the passenger and then the legs of the driver then exiting 5 more inches of armor. The soldiers of the 1-33 reacted very quickly and had the injured back on base within eight minutes. Both of the wounded are still recovering and are medically retired"
 

--Photograph and quote by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Russell Klika

 DANE JENSEN PRESENTS

"EYE OF THE STORM: WAR THROUGH THE LENS OF AMERICAN COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHERS"

Fine Art Photography Exhibition to Benefit
 Wounded Warrior Project

Los Angeles curator, Dane Jensen, announced the opening of “Eye of the Storm: War through the Lens of American Combat Photographers,” a fine art exhibition of photographs taken by professional combat photographers serving in the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The exhibition opens Saturday, May 24, 2008 with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Memorial Day Weekend at the Los Angeles-based Reform Gallery at 816 N. La Cienega Blvd. between Melrose Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd.  Conceived and curated by Jensen, Eye of the Storm (www.eyeofthestormexhibition.com) benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based non-profit organization that provides assistance to injured servicemen and women.

Comprised of more than 25 limited edition prints from nine decorated military photographers, Eye of the Storm is a journey to the front lines and back, capturing raw images of courage, despair, heroism, fear, compassion and myriad other daily challenges that U.S. servicemen and women continue to face in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I have eaten, slept and fought with some of America's finest young men and women while serving in Iraq. This is my opportunity to share their stories,” said Stacy Pearsall, who served three missions in Iraq. “Considering I am military, I have the rare opportunity to peer into the lives of the every-day soldier.  I attempted to convey this uniquely emotional experience in my photographs.”

“These images provide a deeper understanding of what the Armed Forces are encountering in Iraq.  And it’s not all about combat.  It’s day-to-day living in places one would never imagine calling home,” said Andy Dunaway, who received a Bronze Star and served nearly two decades in the U.S. Air Force.  “This exhibition enables the public to get an unadulterated taste of a reality that servicemen and women live and breathe everyday.” 

“Eye of the Storm was born out of the realization that tens of thousands of men and women are returning from the war with serious physical and mental debilitations, and that I could utilize my experience as a curator to pool the best talents and resources to orchestrate an exhibition that raises awareness, funding and support for those in need,” said Jensen, former director of Earl McGrath Gallery in Los Angeles. “The photographs I selected for this exhibition are aesthetically dynamic, as well as psychologically provocative, reflecting the multifaceted nature of war.  The images provide a look at what servicemen and women are seeing everyday – a glimpse into a reality that is usually closed off to the American public. 

“This is a unique opportunity for collectors to obtain work from America’s most accomplished military photographers, while also contributing to a charity that helps those returning from war,” Jensen added.

Eye of the Storm photographers include Jacob Bailey, winner of Military Photographer of the Year and first place winner of Combat Camera Photographer of the Year; Samuel Corum, a U.S. Marine Corps combat photographer;  Russell Klika, a combat photographer since 1990; Jeremy Lock, named Military Photographer of the Year five times in the last decade; Michael Pryor, two-time winner of Photograph of the Year in Field Artillery magazine; Cherie Thurlby, who lead the first all female team into Baghdad and served back to back deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan; and Michael Watkins, who covered special operations missions, including hostage rescues and counter terrorism operation in the Philippines.
 

About Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project seeks to assist those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world. Many of the injuries are traumatic amputations, gunshot wounds, burns and blast injuries that will retire these brave warriors from military service. Through the generous donations of private citizens, organizations and corporations, wounded warriors are provided opportunities that ease the transition to civilian life including care packages to those in military trauma centers, outdoor activities with friends and families, and assistance in reentering the workforce.  For more information, please visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Reform Gallery
Reform Gallery, owned by Gerard O’Brien, focuses on California Modernism and the artist/craftsmen of this movement. Reform showcases the best and often most underappreciated designers of this era, as well as work by renowned designers from across the United States and the world.
Reform first opened its doors in 2003 and moved in 2004 to its present 5,000 square foot location in West Hollywood’s La Cienega Design Quarter.  Recent exhibitions include California Design: A Celebration of California Design from 1956 to 1976 and R.M. Schindler: The Gingold Commissions.

About Dane Jensen

“Eye of the Storm” is Dane Jensen’s sixth independently curated exhibition. In 2007, Jensen curated “$coundrels,” a pop surrealist interpretation of 21^st century big business abuses.  Jensen’s ability to bring political and socio-economic context to his exhibitions has garnered notice from mainstream and industry publications, establishing Jensen as a rising star among West Coast curators.  As Director of Los Angeles-based Earl McGrath Gallery, Jensen’s work received national recognition after the gallery’s collaboration with Ford-Brady, one of Los Angeles’s most notable, new, contemporary design collections.  His charity work includes “Beyond Graffiti,” a 2003 exhibition that benefited Amnesty International in their plight to aid women in Juarez, Mexico.  During the span of his career, Jensen has worked with artworks from photographer’s such as Patrick McMullan and Tim Street-Porter, 20th C. artists Brice Marden and Bruce Nauman,  emerging artists Mark Ryden and Elliot Puckette, and international designers Maarten Baas and Studio Job.  Jensen is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Madison’s department of Art History.  Dane Jensen lives in Los Angeles.

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