Nina Berman

artist talk: wednesday august 29th, 6pm-8pm rsvp only fully booked

NEW YORK, NY – Jen Bekman is pleased to present Nina Berman's color photographs from her series entitled Purple Hearts at jen bekman, located at 6 Spring Street, New York, NY. The exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, August 8, 2007 through August 30, 2007.

An opening reception for the artist, along with a book signing, will be held on the evening of Wednesday, August 8 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the gallery.

Purple Hearts is a series of photographic portraits and interviews with American soldiers who were severely wounded in Iraq. These photographs explore the physical and psychological repercussions of the war for individuals who have served in Iraq and returned home. The portraits were taken across the United States in soldiers' homes, in military hospitals, and on Army bases. A monograph, "Purple Hearts -- Back from Iraq", was published by Trolley in 2004. In addition to this solo show, Nina Berman's award-winning portrait of disfigured Iraq veteran Ty Ziegel and his fiancée Renee on their wedding day was shown at jen bekman as part of the Hey, Hot Shot! Spring 2007 Showcase .

"This is an important project, and I'm thrilled to be able to offer a venue for it to be seen," says gallerist Jen Bekman, "It tackles what I consider to be one of the most disturbing, and over-looked, aspects of this war: the stories of those soldiers who have been maimed and the lives they continue to lead once they've come back home."

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Nina Berman was born in New York City and grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey. She received a Bachelors Degree from the University of Chicago in 1982 and a Masters from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1985. Nina has travelled throughout the world as a documentary photographer and her work has appeared in publications including National Geographic, Harper's, Rolling Stone, Fortune, Time, the New York Times Magazine, and the London Sunday Times. In 2007, Nina won a World Press Photo Foundation Award as well as an Award of Excellence in the Pictures of the Year International competition. She is on the faculty of the International Center of Photography in New York City.

Nina Berman
PURPLE HEARTS