Soldier photo exhibit denied billboard space in Twin Cities on the eve of RNC

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Amy Weiss

On the eve of the Republican convention, Suzanne Opton, the artist behind the Soldier Billboard Project, was informed that her photographs would not be put on billboards in the Twin Cities as planned. The CBS Outdoor billboard company(a division of the CBS Corporation), whose CEO is a contributor to the McCain campaign, allowed one installment of the project to be put up in Denver last week, but have canceled their agreement to put up more in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Miami, and Houston.

Jodi Senese, the CBS Outdoor Executive Vice President of Marketing, told Opton in an e-mail:

The reason we have advised you that we cannot post these as billboards is that out-of-context (neither in a museum setting or website) the images, as stand-alone highway or city billboards, appear to be deceased soldiers. The presentation in this manner could be perceived as being disrespectful to the men and women in our armed forces.

All the photographed soldiers are alive and Opton's press release insisted, "The series simply shows them in a more vulnerable pose than the public is accustomed."

In an exclusive BuzzFlash interview, Opton said she believes the upcoming Republican National Convention was involved in the decision to cancel the billboards, which were to be in very prominent locations including right by the airport.

"They said 'Everybody's very nervous with the RNC coming to town...'" Opton said.

The exhibit's partner in Minneapolis is Forecast Public Art, a public art program that wanted to bring Opton's work to the area.  Her project is displayed in the Brooklyn Museum, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Library of Congress and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Opton said that CBS didn't understand that the billboards were art and thought that they were "suspicious." She said her intent was to capture the humanity and vulnerability of the soldiers and examine what transitioning back from war must be like. She doesn't believe their argument that the photos appear to be dead soldiers is valid.

"Everybody who thinks about war knows that soldiers die," she said. "This is about who they are as human beings."

The mother of one of the soldiers expressed her disappointment with the CBS decision. Gayanne Birkholz said:

Viewing these portraits of soldiers causes one to pause and think of the many sacrifices and efforts these men and women have experienced to protect us and defend this great country. The portraits are a stark reminder of the reality of it all...

For me, looking at their faces serves also as a reminder to remember our service men and women and to thank them for all they do and have done. I am disappointed that the billboards have been canceled, and strongly hope the company will reconsider.

ClearChannel, a media company notorious for right-wing favoritism and censorship, is allowing the project to purchase its billboard space in Atlanta.

CBS Outdoor Chairman and CEO Wally Kelly is a significant campaign contributor, primarily to Republicans and Political Action Committees. He donated $2300 to John McCain for his presidential campaign in March.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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