Suzanne Opton
Soldier
March 1, 2007 - March 31, 2007
In Soldier, Suzanne Opton photographed 90 men and women at Fort Drum army base shortly after their return from Iraq and Afghanistan. Shot in both color and black and white Polaroid film, this series of intimate close-up views of the heads of the soldiers lying on a flat surface explore the impact of war on their lives and the lives of those dear to them. She says of the images, “We all experience strategic moments when we feel most alive. These are the moments we will always remember, be they transcendent or horrific. Afterall, what are we if not our collection of memories? In making these portraits of soldiers, I simply wanted to look in the face of someone who’d seen something unforgettable.” Opton’s work has appeared in a variety of publications including Orion, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and Fortune. Opton teaches at the International Center of Photography and the Cooper Union.