MARY DAGUE by Michael Stokes

STEPHEN HANDLEY by Michael Stokes

Before seeing Stokes’ photographs one might have a preconceived notion of his work as a gruesome spectacle, yet as soon as you approach his images you are taken aback by the sculptural beauty of his subjects.

It is remarkable how Stokes’ pictures transcend the morbid curiosity of looking at amputees and become an artistic proclamation of the human anatomy. Furthermore, his lens is capable of redeeming the soldiers by acknowledging their honor and sacrifice with a dignifying gaze that humanizes us as spectators, removing the veil of uneasiness and denial which characterizes our behavior when we shy away from confronting suffering.

In a culture where the human body oscillates either from being exploited and objectified or regarded as a source of shame, these images empower the subjects by making them proud protagonists of an artistic mise-en-scène. Their bodies indeed mirror the horrors of war, but at the same time elevate their spirit with creative freedom and beauty.

Although Michael Stokes’ photographic work on wounded veterans does not come across as a manifesto, it does create awareness about the gut-wrenching consequences of war on landmine victims. The improvised explosive devices have caused death and suffering the world over. Whether the victims be American veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, Colombian soldiers or Angolan civilians, the casualties of wars driven by political interests have shattered the lives of many young people.