 |
Visual History Afghanistan 1980–2004. By Ed Grazda.
 |
Photographs by Ed Grazda
I think one of the most important histories of photography is the highly acclaimed trilogy compiled by Gerry Badger and Martin Parr, The Photobook: A History. I have, however, a list of titles that feel like great oversights, books of such originality, insight, and significance that they should have been included in this history but were overlooked. One of those books, on my list, is Ed Grazda’s Afghanistan: 1980-1989, published in Switzerland by Verlag Der Alltag in 1990. For this book, Grazda traveled with and documented mujahideen crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan to fight in the jihad against the Soviet Union, the resulting book being part personal diary and part cultural document. Thus, I was excited to learn that Ed Grazda is making another book about Afghanistan.
His newest book, Afghanistan: A Visual History, produced by Fraglich Publishing (a small publisher in Austria that specializes in photobooks about Central and Southeast Asia), is again equal parts cultural history and personal record. Illustrated with images Grazda collected and produced during his engagement with Afghanistan between 1980-2004, the book reads more like a handmade artist book than it does a traditional history and is composed of image/text collages that provide a tremendous insight into the remarkable complexities of a troubled and difficult nation.
 |
As a cultural history, Grazda presents many of the major turning points in the recent history of Afghanistan — the invasion by the Soviet Union and the start of the jihad against their acts of imperialism; weapons and money pouring into the country through Pakistan, all from Ronald Reagan’s initiatives during the Cold War (“the stinger missiles were a turning point in the war,” we are told); the eventual defeat of the Soviet Union and the resulting collapse of the Soviet Block; the rise of the Taliban and their theocratic state; 9/11, the War on Terror, and the American invasion; a 24 hour newsfeed brought by CNN and the West, produced to provide a mass education in the region and an ongoing documentation of the American military; installing Hamid Karzai to oversee the government and a new political era in Afghanistan; and finally the open elections of 2004. Grazda pieces this all together with photographs made during his travels, a collection of recruitment posters and other materials made by the mujahideen, newspaper clippings, and other visual ephemera, all tied together by short written statements based on his experiences working in the country.
 |
 |
As a personal history, this book details Grazda’s connection with and commitment to Afghanistan for decades. Those familiar with Afghanistan: 1980-1989 will recognize many of the photographs in this most recent book. And like in his first book, Grazda includes a great deal about his relationships and friendships with Afghans, including some of the mujahideen, seen in fragments of letters and conversations held with some of his subjects. This is essential for understanding Grazda’s work and accomplishments. Rather than being just another foreign reporter, Grazda became a sort of colleague, not only making a concerted effort to understand the lives and ambitions of the mujahideen, but to empathize with and even support something of their cause. He developed important, trusting friendships that helped him provide a clear, honest record of a history poorly understood by much of the world. The text includes emails Grazda received from mujahideen fighters (by the basics outlined in the Patriot Act, Grazda must have been tagged by the CIA), newspaper clippings, and his own memories about his time in Afghanistan.
 |
The release of Afghanistan: A Visual History couldn’t have been more well-timed, as suddenly Afghanistan is part of a global discussion again. There are so many important facets to understanding contemporary Afghanistan, and America’s involvement reaches back far deeper than 9/11 and the War on Terror. Grazda isn’t shy about pointing out important and challenging truths, like that time and again the United States has failed Afghanistan. Or that, like it or not, Afghans deserve the right to self-determination, and that they have repeatedly demonstrated a strong will, patience, and tenacity. Grazda’s work brings an important, humane perspective on the subject, and reveals an imperiled nation full of people grappling with ways to make meaning from such a complex and violent history, on both personal and cultural levels. Looking more at Fraglich, they have now published several interesting and important books looking at Afghanistan, including The Disaster of War by Khalid Hadid, the photographic autobiography My Name is Noor Mohammad, and more lightheartedly, Box Camera NOW. Collectively these books have a great vision, highlighting the incredible complexity and resourcefulness found in Afghanistan.
Purchase Book
Read More Book Reviews
 |
 |
