Justus Sundermann Gallery
Closing Reception with the Artist

“Over fifty years have passed since I took these photographs in Afghanistan. These landscapes and portraits should be viewed simply for what they are, from a traveler’s viewpoint without any depiction of politics or the presence of a foreign power which have been the lot of this small yet pivotal country since that time. This was a quiet interlude in Afghan history where one could travel freely and without fear in this ancient tribal land. The people here are proud and fiercely independent, even xenophobic, but at the same time welcoming beyond one’s expectations. Their history goes back to the end of the 4th millennium BC, but more recently in 330 BC the area was colonized by Alexander the Great and the Greek language was introduced. By the 3rd century BC the area had already become the crossroads of Asia and to this day one sees the influence of Persian, Indian and Greek ideas. Afghanistan was on the Silk Route, stretching 700 miles from China to Greece, and one sees the Greek influence, (as shown in several photographs included in the exhibit) especially in the two standing Buddhas in Bamian, which itself was on the Silk Route. Subsequently, Bamian was totally destroyed and its entire population put to the sword by Genghis Khan in 1220 AD. So, turbulence is no newcomer to Afghanistan but in spite of it all, one is left with an overwhelming sense of history and culture.” – Richard Boul

Visit Richard Boul online here.