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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 44: Collective Nouns (hosted by Michael Puff) >> Exhibition > a suffering of souls
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Kelly Bellis

a suffering of souls






In January 1991 the United States bombed and killed 408 women and children who had sought safety in a bomb shelter in Baghdad, Iraq. Their charred corpses were later laid out, photographed and are shown above in the color photos. The background image of a burnt concrete wall is a photograph taken by Jim Harney when he visited Baghdad in January 2003. The seared walls still tell of that horrible night with the images of the burning victims. The women and children's faces hovering above the scenes after the bombing are from photos that Jim Harney also shot while there. An anguish of hands over the corpses were photographed by Kelly Bellis. This photo collage, entitled, Remember Iraq, and the poem that accompanies it (also shown below) were both created by Kelly Bellis on March 12, 2003, one week prior to the 2nd U.S. led invasion of Iraq.




In the night, in which we betrayed our selves - we took life and broke it. And we gave it to each other saying, this will show the world, we'll make them eat it. Likewise, after we forced them to swallow annihilation, we took what remained of humanity, poured it on the ground and stood upright in the desolation cloaked in a meaningless symbol.



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Guest 23-Jun-2005 18:37
An extremely powerful composition, Kelly. I echo Shu's sentiments. -Michael
Shu19-Jun-2005 14:07
Sorrowful tribute to lives lost. Sobering poetry and photographic composite tell a tragic tale. Your passionate outcry is fully appreciated by this viewer. Shu