This will surely be one of the Brisbane Powerhouse‘s feature photographic events of the year with images from conflicts around the world by famed photographers such as Sean Flynn, Tim Page and Stephen Dupont.

I’ve interviewed Tim Page and I’ve got a fair idea of his thoughts on war and war photography. He told me once any image of war immediately becomes “anti-war” and that war leaves “victims strewn all over the planet”. Indeed the exhibition is supposed to show some of the impact war has on its victims and will no doubt be confronting, challenging and amazing.

Here’s a snippet from the Powerhouse website:
°South is a collective of dedicated and award-winning Australian documentary photographers who have covered conflicts from Vietnam in ’65 to present day Afghanistan. Often working at great risk to themselves, they have created images that have gone on to influence public opinion, make history and inspire us to find other ways to solve our differences.

War is a haunting journey through the scars inflicted by battle, where the only hope often rests in the power of a photograph to deliver a critical humanistic message.

At present there are 43 conflicts taking place on our planet. Once, the battlefield was the place of devastation, now it is streets, alleyways, schools and places of worship. People and places are no longer protected or sacred and in much of the world it is now safer to be a soldier than an unarmed civilian.

The event runs from May 5-30 but the opening night next Wednesday, May 5, will actually feature some of the photographers with a talk at 6pm. Might see you there!

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Feel free to email Jo at [email protected] with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations.  See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com