South Korean photographer Kim Jae-Hwan

Have recently been studying the images of South Korean photographer Kim Jae-Hwan. You can see them best on the AFP site (I've put a link at the end of this post). Through thousands of images Kim Jae-Hwan shows us a society entirely prepared and disciplined for war. It is a society on the edge of conflict, and yet not quite tipping over into the fire. Kim Jae-Hwan, through his technical brilliance, conveys the sensation of taut expectation and the sense of enternally waiting for the signal to go. From an anthropological perspective I feel as if I am looking into ancient Sparta.



Above: wargames are a perennial theme - both the actual wargames of the military, and the oblique wargames that permeate the nation's ultra-competitive spirit.



Above: in national costumes physically perfect young women bang the drums of nationalism.



Above: perpetual mobilisation is the ideal.



Above: nature imitating artifice.



Above: a standard marketing shot subverted by a sense of power and a slightly sinister glamour.



Above: a good photographer will use the eyes to convey meaning, but a truly great photographer will focus on the nuances conveyed in the expression of the eyebrows.



Above: what will they do if peace ever comes - they have invested so much effort in defining themselves against the "enemy" (ironically a version of themselves) that if the enemy were to be taken away they would be lost.

More on AFP: http://www.imageforum2.afp.com/ImageForum/AuthFiles/login.aspx

More on ancient Sparta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmOH5f1J1Uc&feature=PlayList&p=BAD7FE50317361AA&playnext=1&index=3