The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
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Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Jan 2015 back issue
by Brian David Stevens
Every Remembrance Sunday, for 10 years, photographer Brian David Stevens visited the Cenotaph to make a series
of portraits of war veterans who gathered as part of the commemorations which are held across the UK in honour of
those who died in wars and conflicts.
The work They That Are Left will be exhibited for the first time at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, UK from 10th
November 2014 – 1st Feb 2015, the work will them travel to The Royal Armouries site at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth 28th
Feb - 31st May 2015.
From Laurence Binyon's The Fallen (first published in The Times, 21st September 1914):
They That Are Left
...They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them...
Brian David Stevens said of his project: "The passing of time is an important part of the project, it is only a 10-day
shoot, but spread over 10 years it becomes something different. Obviously there's a lot more pressure to get it right in
these later years of the project. As the years pass the number of veterans from the World War I has dwindled to
nothing and the number from World War II is steadily reduced, but their places are taken by other veterans from newer
conflicts, who are also included. Though each of those pictured must have a compelling story to tell, Brian has
embraced the concept of the Unknown Soldier. The viewer is given no information just a portrait. These faces then
are as of unknown soldiers, no cap badges, no ribbons of spooling medals, no insignia for military rank. They are faces
only. Each deep-etched with who they are and what they did, that we might look, and think - and thank them."
