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One Vision: Hollywood Soldiers / Wildlife Series, 2003 - 2007

One Vision: Hollywood Soldiers are a series of portraits taken from video stills of mainstream Hollywood War movies.

Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Platoon, Thin Red Line among others, reveal a type cast hat predominates: famous or celebrated Hollywood actors with looks considered by most to be above average.

I question through these portraits how realistic our vision of war is and how war is presented to us by the media. Is this an assumption of what we want to see? Are these visions of wars filtered for us to see? Is it really by Hollywood? Who dictates these choices?

I propose portraits as a vehicle for reflection; the assumptions or the comfort society can display on the unknown, or the common outlets of affection or obsession.

Also from this series Landscapes and Wildlife Series. Through this series I could visualize the general format of these contemporary group of war movies and how formulated it appears to be; the repetition of the same images in different movies or the air brush fill of the landscapes choose.

The result of this series of pictures grouped as a visual essay reminds me of vintage propaganda proposing a vacation to the Caribbean.

One Vision: Hollywood Soldiers
Film stills 35mm and digital photography
10”x 8”each 2003 - 2007

From the movie Thin Red Line, 1998
Directed by Terrence Malick
Actors: Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson, George Clooney, John Cusack, James Ceviezel and Jared Leto.

From the movie Platoon, 1986
Directed by Oliver Stone
Actor: Charlie Sheen, Kevin Dillon, Mark Moses,unknown actor (1).

From the movie Black Hawk Down, 2001
Directed by Ridley Scott
Actor: Josh Hartnett

From the movie Saving Private Ryan, 1986
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Actor: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns and Barry Pepper.

From the movie We Were Soldiers, 2002
Directed by Randall Wallace
Actor: Mel Gibson

From the movie Windtalkers, 2002
Directed by John Woo
Actor: Nicolas Cage, Christian Slater Mark Ruffalo and Ben Yahzee.

From the movie Hamburger Hill, 1987
Directed by John Irvin
Actor: Dylan McDermott, Steven Weber, Michael A. Nickles, Michael Boatman and Tim Quill.

From the movie Tigerland, 2001
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Actors: Colin Farrell and Russell Richardson.

From the movie Under Heavy Fire, 2001
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
Actors: Casper Van Dein, Joseph Griffin

From the movie Jarhead, 2005
Directed by Sam Mendes
Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Fox.

From the movie The Big Red One, 1980
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Actor: Mark Hamill
From the movie Kelly’s Heroes, 1970
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
Actor: Clint Eastwood


Hollywood Landscapes and Wildlife Series:
Stills from mainstream Hollywood War movies,
Film stills 8”x11”
35mm and digital photography
2003 - 2007

From the movie Thin Red Line, 1998
Directed by Terrence Malick

From the movie Platoon, 1986
Directed by Oliver Stone

From the movie Black Hawk Down, 2001
Directed by Ridley Scott

From the movie Saving Private Ryan, 1986
Directed by Steven Spielberg

From the movie We Were Soldiers, 2002
Directed by Randall Wallace

From the movie Windtalkers, 2002
Directed by John Woo

From the movie Hamburger Hill, 1987
Directed by John Irvin

From the movie Tigerland, 2001
Directed by Joel Schumacher

From the movie Under Heavy Fire, 2001
Directed by Sidney J. Furie

From the movie Jarhead, 2005
Directed by Sam Mendes

From the movie The Big Red One, 1980
Directed by Samuel Fuller

From the movie Kelly’s Heroes, 1970
Directed by Brian G. Hutton