Concrete Playground

Following Prime Minister Gillard's visit to troops in Afghanistan, the War on Terror has been at the forefront of Australia's political consciousness, and Stephen Dupont's exhibition of refined photographic portraits — Afghanistan: The Perils of Freedom — couldn't be more timely. In a series of black-and-white images, Dupont not only documents the face of a nation effected by war, but conveys something deeper. By haphazardly throwing up a makeshift backdrop, which actually serves to enlarge the background's role in the scene, Dupont isolates the sitter — presenting them as an individual — but also shows they're part of a community, and both must be considered. Particularly poignant are eyes which seem to seek answers from us, the viewer, and the pattern of sitters showing their hands, as if offering part of themselves for inspection.