Arcana:

(VAN KESTEREN, GEERT). van Kesteren, Geert & Michael Hirsh. Foreword by Jan Gruiters. Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS: Artimo, 2004. First Edition. 8vo. Pictorial Wrappers. Photography Monograph. Fine.. np (544pp), 245 color illustrations. Text in English and Arabic. "Why Mister, Why?" is a compelling account from Dutch photojournalist Geert van Kesteren. For the most part of 2003 and into 2004, van Kesteren made these images in a struggling Iraq, intertwining them with his personal experience of the situation in diary-like notes. In that way, this body of work resonates with an honesty found only when the narrator and photographer of a story are one and the same. The situation in Iraq, following the declaration of "mission accomplished," represented a culture clash of rare proportions, and van Kesteren was witness to what went wrong. He saw clouds of sadness coming from the mass graves created by the Saddam regime, while Shi'ites enjoyed their awakening freedom. Embedded within the ranks of US troops, he witnessed disgraceful raids on Iraqi citizens. And these accounts are presented here for the reader to see, feel, and try to understand. In a clear photojournalistic way, van Kesteren outlines why it will take a long time before the Iraqi people can enjoy the semblance of peace. Accompanying the images is an introduction by Newsweek senior editor Michael Hirsh, with whom Van Kesteren shared several tense moments in Iraq". A pristine copy (cited on page 241 of Martin Parr and Gerry Badger's "The Photobook: A History Volume II" and page 45 of "From Fair to Fine 3") of the English and Arabic language edition of this eccentrically bound gem. 90-8546-009-3 Inventory Number: 015220