Matt Wester: My Occupation May 24, 2008

MATT WESTER: MY OCCUPATION
May 24 – June 15
Reception: Saturday, May 24, 7-10pm

Gallery Hours: M 5-8pm; W-Sa 1-5pm and by appointment

Pump Project is pleased to announce the debut of 25 paintings by Matt Wester, a series focusing on his experiences as an Army photojournalist in Iraq. After September 11, Wester decided to leave his position as a special-education teacher and join the National Guard as a public affairs specialist. Wester was stationed in Iraq 25 miles northwest of Bagdhad from January 2005 to January 2006, serving his brigade of 2,500 as a journalist for military newspapers and as a liaison with civilian media. "I wrote stories about all different kinds of army jobs, from tankers to army nurses to mechanics. I went on missions three to four times a week for a year, and that's where I took the photos," Wester explains.

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