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 In mid-September, 2003, Christopher
Reese ’96 returned to the United States after more than two hundred
days on active duty in the Middle East. A staff sergeant in the U.S.
Marine Corps, Reese’s tour of duty included about fifty days in
Iraq. He faced incoming missile attacks and malaria-carrying
mosquitoes; met generals, Congressmen, and celebrities; took a dozen
flights in CH-46 and CH-53 helicopters and C130 airplanes; and
managed to shoot over three thousand photographs.
Upon his return to his position as a
digital media instructor at the Art
Institute of Washington, he displayed some of his work in a faculty
show. The idea blossomed into a traveling exhibit of his best
images. In May, 2004, the exhibit opened in Washington, D.C., and
has since traveled to Tampa, Los Angeles, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and
York (Pa.).
In November,
2005, Operation Iraqi Freedom: From a Marine’s Eyes was
showcased at the Art Institute of New York City. (Full information
about the exhibit, including photos, can be found at
www.rockyblues.com/oif.)
The focus of the
exhibit was on elements of Operation Iraqi Freedom that most
Americans could not see on television. Reese knew that
the mainstream media outlets leaned towards highlighting the
bullets, bombs, and blood instead of the rebuilding efforts. He
wanted to show that a soldier's experience was about more than just
violence, he said.
The same
week that the exhibit first opened, the Abu Graib prison scandal
broke, with images from this story in every paper and on every
television. Although the exhibit’s photos were actually a positive
outlook on the war, it received little attention from the media.
Reese hopes to change that with the
continuing exhibit. He has connected with other art institutes
around the country and created a buzz about the show. The plan is to
eventually auction the artwork off to raise money for a scholarship
for military personnel who would like to get a degree at the Art
Institute of Washington.
Reese also owns
Reese Productions, a photography, video, and web production company.
Some of Reese’s
photos and the story of his experience in the Middle East and photos
were featured previously in
Web Extra. |
