Front Towards Enemy: Photographing the War in Afghanistan (Flash Powder Projects)

“Palu is a rare combination of artist and war photographer, able to stand present for horrific human events and then synthesize those moments into something artful, poetic, and powerful.” – Lenscratch

Front Towards Enemy is a deconstructed photobook showcasing the distinctly different ways award-winning photographer Louie Palu documented the war in Afghanistan over the course of five years. The power of Palu's images extend beyond one specific conflict to make a statement about the chaos of war and the ways media influences our perception of armed conflicts.

Cardboard slipcase with four components: accordion fold image set, soldier portrait cards, newsprint publication, and staple-bound zine. The entire publication can also exist as a pop-up exhibition.

Louie Palu is a 2016 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and a 2016-2017 Harry Ransom Center Research Fellow in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin. Louie is an award winning documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in festivals, publications, and exhibitions internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Grant and is a 2011-12 Bernard L Schwartz Fellow with the New America Foundation. His work examines social political issues such as human rights, conflict, and poverty.