U.S. Casualties in Vietnam... 1967

Al Chang made this photograph, U.S. Casualties in Vietnam..., and, wow, you can feel the weight of what’s being represented in every square inch. The sepia tones give it this historical, almost ghostly feel, like it’s emerging from a distant, painful memory. I can imagine Al Chang, camera in hand, trying to capture something that words just couldn't reach. The composition is, of course, carefully considered, but I wonder if it felt like he was wrestling with the image, trying to find some kind of order in the chaos. The texture feels almost palpable, doesn’t it? Like you could reach out and touch the rough fabric of the body bags. I imagine Chang moving around the scene, trying different angles, each shot a desperate attempt to make sense of the senseless. It reminds me of Goya's Disasters of War, that unflinching look at the brutality of conflict. Artists keep returning to these dark places, trying to understand, to bear witness. Maybe that’s all we can do sometimes, just keep the conversation going. Keep asking questions. Keep feeling.