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| June-July 2011 issue 172 pages 16-23 |
While flicking through this particular Hotshoe magazine I came across the works of photographer Arpad Kurucz and his series 'Military Camp'
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| 'Military Camp' |
In 2004 army conscription ended after a 135 year tradition, so the images have a sense of nostalgic indoctrination in to the history of the Hungarian military traditions, where children can learn whats it like to be soldiers. The military camps for the children ('Military Traditional Association in Moguorod) aim to let the children know how soldiers passed their week days decades ago, allowing them to acquire the knowledge which was taught to the soldiers in their month long basic training.
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| 'Military Camp' |
Some members call themselves National Socialists (which can almost be interpreted in to Nazi's seeing as the images are reminiscent of the Hitler youth).
The military style is not just about the fashion and grandeur as for the extreme right
wing sees it more as a part of mental and physical training.
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| 'Military Camp' |
These images are disturbing scenes innocence and indoctrination, disguised in a form of military nationalism which masquerades as a nostalgic play, with the over sized rifles and helmets which puts in to perspective just a young and small these children our, you can see this most prominently in this in the picture above., not because of the rifles or helmets, but because of the towel hanging on the washing line with the dolphin on it, showing the young impressionable nature of the children, as you wouldn't really see a grown macho soldier with a towel of the same nature, because of this fact i find it rather worrying that children are exposed to such things.
Another photographer who has looked at a similar subject is Craig F. Walker (photojournalist) Walker won the Pukitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his intimate portraiture of teenager Ian Fisher who joins the Army at the
height of insurgent violence in Iraq, who poignantly searches for meaning
and manhood, and I would highly recomend that you all go and check out his work.
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| Craig F. Walker - 'Ian Fisher' |
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