As part of our series highlighting the artists of Tours of Duty, we are excited to invite you to an evening with photographer Suzanne Opton. Her series, Many Wars is featured among the other talented artists on the walls of the Griffin.
Join us on December 5th at 4:00pm Eastern time for an evening conversation about Suzanne’s creative path, and her focus on the internal conflicts of war.
The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.
In order to protect your online privacy, and the security of the event, after purchasing your ticket a Zoom link will be sent to your separately from your ticket confirmation.
About Many Wars.
The warrior held a place of honor in society since the time of Sophocles. In making these portraits I wanted to suggest that although weapons may change and the proximity to killing may change, relatively changes little in the realm of how warriors are affected by combat and the struggle to overcome their training. I gave each veteran a piece of fabric. He could be a boy with a cape, a warrior, a king, a homeless person or even a martyr. Here are veterans from five wars. The portraits were primarily made on the day we met in a group therapy room at a VA clinic in Vermont. It was an open-ended collaboration. I am grateful for their trust in me and in the process.
About Suzanne Opton
Suzanne’s work lives on the edge between documentary and conceptual. She often asks a simple performance from her subjects as a means of illustrating their circumstances.
Suzanne Opton is the recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship. Her soldier portraits, icons of the aftermath of the current wars, have been presented as billboards in eight American cities, and have sparked a passionate debate about issues of art and soldiering. The conversation continues on the blog at opens in a new windowSoldiersFace.net
Suzanne’s work lives on the edge between documentary and conceptual. She often asks a simple performance from her subjects as a means of illustrating their circumstances.
Her photographs are included in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Cleveland Museum, Dancing Bear collection, the International Center of Photography, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Library of Congress, Musee de l’Eysee, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Nelson-Atkins Museum, and Portland Art Museum. She has received grants from the NEA, NYFA, and Vermont Council on the Arts. Suzanne lives in New York and teaches at the International Center of Photography.
