gerda taro nina berman

I think what's interesting about Taro's photographs is that they put you in the midst of war. You see behind the scenes shots of what sometimes seems like stills of cinematic footage. I think what her photographs offer is a glimpse into the humanity of war, and brings it to a level that anyone can identify with. Her images depict people in the midst of war from a behind-the-scenes perspective. They offer quick narratives and have a gritty, genuine feeling to them, which is satisfying to the viewer because they reveal how Taro was willing to risk, what ultimately constituted her life, to capture these images. She is able to strongly convey drama in her pictures, which, in the context, makes poignant political statements. I think its fascinating how she uses her images to address this struggle against Franco and fascism and to put forth what she assumed as a political responsibility as a war photographer.

Berman's photographs are painful to look at, which brings meaning to them for me. Literally its hard for me to sit and look at them, and try and understand the physical and psychological struggle that Iraq has put them through. After they forced me to attempt to comprehend on some miniscule level the pain they have undergone, it makes a profound political statement. I think their shocking nature gives them a great deal of significance, in presenting questions about the war in Iraq. Is the injury and trauma that these individuals have undergone worth what the United States is accomplishing in Iraq. But they aren't accomplishing anything, only making things worse, and disposing of people's lives for their convenience. Berman's pictures are profound and overwhelming at the same time, and really produce a jarring reaction, which I think is incredibly important.