A glimpse into Ukraine: A new exhibition is coming to the National Press Club
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Travelling across the globe for the last 30 years, Canberra photographer Gary Ramage thought he had seen it all. But that all changed when he went to Ukraine.
“I’ve covered many conflicts over my 30-year career, and I thought I had seen it all, but I was badly mistaken. The sheer scale of the devastation the Russian military had inflicted on the civilian population was overwhelming,” says Gary.
“The indiscriminate targeting and slaughter of innocent civilians was extremely confronting. Photos of the Blitz—the World War Two bombing of the UK by Nazi Germany—were what came to mind.”
Gary Ramage
For two months last year, Gary travelled across the war-torn country—now those photos will be on display at the National Press Club for the community to see.
“I went to Ukraine because I wanted to do something to help highlight the war. It was the biggest story in the world, and I felt I could add to the coverage,” explains Gary.
The exhibition will open on Friday 24 February, the first anniversary of the Russian Invasion.
20 black and white prints captured by Gary will be on display, but they are just a handful of thousands of photographs he made during the trip.
“A few images stand out for me and conjure up a visceral response in me even now, nearly a year later. The picture of the young girl walking across the remains of the Bridge at Irpin…”
“…The Ukraine military launching multiple rockets at the Russians in the southeast of the country.”
“…A fresh grave in Kharkiv where a dead soldier’s mother and widow hold each other in their grief.”
“….And an old lady crying after the Russians have left her village.”
Capturing images and sharing global events are two things Gary has a strong passion for.
“I’ve always felt it’s important that people are aware of what is happening in the wider world. Ukraine may be a long way from Australia, but the conflict there affects everyone. If it could happen there, surely it could happen anywhere?” said Gary.
“I play my part in this by making photographs that hopefully tell a story. I believe pictures are so much more powerful than the written word. You do not get the same emotional connection from words as you do from a photograph.”
To quote Swiss photographer Robert Frank; “There is one thing the photo must contain—the humanity of the moment.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Exhibition on the War in Ukraine
Where: National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton
When: Opens Friday 24 February
Web: npc.org.au
All images credited to and supplied by Gary Ramage
