In this series of portraits American photographer Melissa Cacciola has captured US Armed Forces women and men in uniform and civilian clothes. Comprising 48 tintype double portraits Cacciola’s series is an exploration of war and self-identity and gives the viewer an insight into the personalities beyond the uniform.
“War and Peace makes visible the present-day faces of those in service, a cross-section of our society that we may not often have the chance to see. Through the tintype, our humanity—epic and small—becomes transfixed by the intrinsic characteristics of one of the earliest photographic processes in our history,” said Cacciola who studied fine art and the historic preservation of art at Columbia University and New York University. Trained by the legendary John Coffer, she specializes in tintype and nineteenth-century photographic processes. Cacciola’s portraits are held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and in private collections.
EXHIBITION
War and Peace
Until 15 July 2013
Venue: Customs House
31 Alfred Street, Sydney
Australia
