Peter Schlesinger: 8 Days in Yemen 1976

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In 1976, Peter Schlesinger visited the Republic of Yemen on a week-long trip with his partner, the photographer Eric Boman, who was on assignment for a French fashion magazine. The country had been closed to foreigners for many years, forgotten to the world. During his visit, Schlesinger took hundreds of photographs, documenting an ancient civilization with its unique architecture and culture. Today, much of the country has tragically been destroyed by political strife and civil war. Schlesinger's photographs encapsulate a moment in Yemen's history, when the influence of its past still found expression in the extraordinary imagination of practising Yemeni craftspeople. 8 Days in Yemen 1976 presents a rare look back in time.

Reviews

Peter's array of artful landscapes - appear in beautifully uniformed fashion. It's quite unlike any of the architecture found in western civilisation, and the scenes of Yemen's locals going about their daily lives only add to the gentle hum of the city life. But sadly, much of what we're observing within these pages have now been left in ruin.--Ayla Angelos "It's Nice That"
There is so much life, color, and beauty recorded in these scenes, which take on additional heft with the realization that many of these remarkable places no longer exist...--Christopher Bollen "Interview"
With a restless eye that surveyed the lofty as well as the modest, Schlesinger, today 72, exalted the rich tapestry of a fabled nation, its spectacular landscapes, its fortified hilltop villages, its vast diversity in architecture, and, most touchingly, Yemenis themselves. At a time when the country is again wracked by war, this collection 45 years in the making is a poignant memento of what once was, and what may be lost yet again.--Bernard Haykel "Town & Country"

Author Bio

Peter Schlesinger was born in Los Angeles and studied art, both there and in London. His sculptures have been exhibited widely and are in the collections of the Parrish Art Museum, The Farnsworth Museum, and Manchester Gallery of Art, England. In addition to sculpting, he has published three books of photography. He currently resides in New York City.