This small, powerful book of photographs pairs children's fantasies of bravery, freedom, and power with the harsh realities of vulnerable, posturing soldiers at the edge of a terrible future. Dear Knights and Dark Horses (powerHouse Books, 2010) is a call to consciousness about the realities of war and, like a short, sharp poem, a lament for lost dreams. --Susan Kismaric, MoMA NY
Dear Knights and Dark Horses takes us right into the armory as citizen-soldiers of the Army National Guard prepare to deploy to Iraq. Their duffel bags and rucksacks are packed, filled with gear. The vehicles stand ready. And at the same time, coin-operated pony rides wait riderless in Brooklyn, frozen in flight. The ponies exist in a landscape that appears to have grown beyond them--just as the soldiers prepare to leave all they have called home. This is a subtle, nuanced collection of images that offers us its contemplation. What do we leave behind, as a nation, when we prepare for war? --Brian Turner
