WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD TO HAVE HAD A POSSIBILITY TO FEATURE B/W IMAGES OF FAIT SERIES (THAT HAVENT BEEN REPUBLISHED SINCE THE 1992 MONOGRAPHY OF THE SAME TITLE) & IRAQ 2001 TRIPTYCH, TRULY HISTORIC WORKS OF SOPHIE RISTELHUEBER, WHO HAD just WON deutsche borse photography prize. SEE A BIT MORE IN ISSUE002 / THE BLACK BOOK ONLINE VERSION OR SEE EVERYTHING IN ISSUE002 PRINTED EDITION
SOPHIE RISTELHUEBER'S WORK HAS BEEN A GREAT PERSONAL INFLUENCE. HER IMAGES OF INCREDIBLY DEEP BEAUTY CARRY DARK STORIES OF DESTRUCTION & VIOLENCE YET SHE ALWAYS MANAGES TO AVOID THE VULGARITY OF THE DOCUMENTARY WAR PHOTOGRAPHY. THIS IMAGE COMES FROM FAIT, A SERIES SHE HAS SHOT IN KUWAIT JUST AFTER THE IRAQI TROOPS RETIRED LEAVING OIL FIELDS BURN THE DESERT. SOME 20 YEARS AGO SHE HAS SEEN WHAT I WAS TOO YOUNG TO SEE
PHOTOGRAPHY OF IRAQ & ITS KURDISTAN BY EDOUARD BEAU, YOUNG BUT VERY TALENTED & DETERMINED FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER THAT HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE TROUBLED ZONES OF MIDDLE EAST SINCE SEVERAL YEARS THINKING NOT ABOUT THE RISKS HE IS TAKING BUT THE NECESSITY TO DO A WORK THAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK TWICE OF THE CLICHES THEY HAVE IN THEIR HEAD OF WAR & VIOLENCE, OF HAPPINNESS & OF BELIEF