Eye of the Storm: War through the Lens of American Combat Photographers May 24, 2008

“Eye of the Storm: War through the Lens of American Combat Photographers,” is a fine art exhibition of photographs taken by professional combat photographers serving tours of in Iraq and Afghanistan in the U.S armed forces.

The exhibition opens Saturday, May 24, 2008 with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Los Angeles-based Reform Gallery at 816 N. La Cienega Blvd. between Melrose Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. Conceived and curated by Jensen, Eye of the Storm (www.eyeofthestormexhibition.com) benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville, FL-based non-profit organization that provides assistance to injured servicemen and women.

Comprised of more than 25 limited edition prints from nine decorated military photographers, Eye of the Storm is a journey to the front lines and back, capturing raw images of courage, despair, heroism, fear, compassion and myriad other daily challenges that U.S. servicemen and women continue to face in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I have eaten, slept and fought with some of America's finest young men and women while serving in Iraq. This is my opportunity to share their stories,” said Stacy Pearsall, who served three missions in Iraq. “Considering I am military, I have the rare opportunity to peer into the lives of the every-day soldier. I attempted to convey this uniquely emotional experience in my photographs.”

“These images provide a deeper understanding of what the Armed Forces are encountering in Iraq. And it’s not all about combat. It’s day-to-day living in places one would never imagine calling home,” said Andy Dunaway, who received a Bronze Star and served nearly two decades in the U.S. Air Force. “This exhibition enables the public to get an unadulterated taste of a reality that servicemen and women live and breathe everyday.”

“Eye of the Storm was born out of the realization that tens of thousands of men and women are returning from the war with serious physical and mental debilitations, and that I could utilize my experience as a curator to pool the best talents and resources to orchestrate an exhibition that raises awareness, funding and support for those in need,” said Jensen, former director of Earl McGrath Gallery in Los Angeles. “The photographs I selected for this exhibition are aesthetically dynamic, as well as psychologically provocative, reflecting the multifaceted nature of war. The images provide a look at what servicemen and women are seeing everyday – a glimpse into a reality that is usually closed off to the American public.

“This is a unique opportunity for collectors to obtain work from America’s most accomplished military photographers, while also contributing to a charity that helps those returning from war,” Jensen added.

Eye of the Storm photographers include Jacob Bailey, winner of Military Photographer of the Year and first place winner of Combat Camera Photographer of the Year; Samuel Corum, a U.S. Marine Corps combat photographer; Russell Klika, a combat photographer since 1990; Jeremy Lock, named Military Photographer of the Year five times in the last decade; Michael Pryor, two-time winner of Photograph of the Year in Field Artillery magazine; Cherie Thurlby, who lead the first all female team into Baghdad and served back to back deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan; and Michael Watkins, who covered special operations missions, including hostage rescues and counter terrorism operation in the Philippines.

Official Website: http://eyeofthestormexhibition.com