GHOSTS OF UKRAINE

September 1, 2022

By Stephen Dupont / Contact Press Images

As photojournalists, we rarely photograph the act of war. We witness it, of course, but a puff of smoke on the horizon or a rapid burst of gunfire doesn't normally offer the kind of insight we're struggling to capture. More often, what we photograph, is the aftermath of war.

These quiet, haunting "afterwar" images by Dupont, offers the viewer an opportunity to reflect. The chance to separate ourselves from the adrenalin fueled chaos of war and find some order, a bit of thoughtful understanding, as we try to wrap our heads around the madness.

Seen here is real loss, loss that is neither sensational or glamorized. These photographs show us what sorrow looks like without having to wander the haunted landscape ourselves. Close enough, I'd say.

- Kenneth Jarecke, Editor in Chief of The Curious Society

Stephen Dupont is an Australian artist who works with photography and documentary film though committed to long term personal projects. Born in Sydney in 1967, he grew up in the western suburbs and Southern Highlands under tough social conditions and displacement, with social worker parents, who worked full-time in state wards. Stephen is recognized around the world for his concerned photography on the human condition, war and climate. His images have received international acclaim for their artistic integrity and valuable insight into the people, culture and communities that are fast disappearing from our world.

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