BOLDTYPE ISSUE #49: Artwork By
Gillian Laub
The cover of this issue of Boldtype is a detail of Tal and Moran, Gillian Laub's 2002 photograph of twin sisters serving in the Israeli army. The image appears in Laub's book Testimony (published by Aperture in 2007 and distributed by D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.) and is the result of many years spent photographing and interviewing Jews and Arabs living in Israel. Pairing intimate portraits with her subjects' personal reflections, Laub exposes the human experience of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with perspectives from both sides.
This image captures the sisters Tal and Moran in Tel Aviv during a weekend away from army duties in May 2002. Service in the Israel Defense Forces is a requirement for young men and women living in Israel, and many like Tal and Moran see it as "a big honor to have the opportunity to give back to our country." Although this patriotism is complicated by the trauma of warfare, which forces them to "become adults in a very short amount of time," the two sisters remain positive about the experience. The image highlights the unnerving discrepancy between the girls' army uniforms and their soft, youthful faces. Catching the girls in a moment between poise and apprehension, Laub employs her studied style of portraiture, honed while photographing her family and celebrities.
The photographs and statements in Testimony vividly convey the personal experiences of an ongoing struggle, giving outside observers a fleeting glimpse of life in the shadow of conflict.
- Bryony Roberts
