Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Mark Bennington | America 2.0


Photo © Mark Bennington - Courtesy Huffington Post
Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on,” his campaign said in a release. June 28, 2016
I never thought I'd see a fascist running for President of the United States, and win the election on a platform of hatred, misogyny, racism and discrimination...but one did.

I was thrilled to see Mark Bennington's America 2.0 portraits which, as he describes them, are his direct response "to the politicized images of American Muslims depicted as a plagued foreign diaspora". He found it to be the time to start this project that dealt with the aspirations of ordinary people, and give them a voice through his portraits and interviews.

Reading these young and accomplished people's thoughts is an eye-opener. It is what our country is all about : E pluribus unum, the 13-letter traditional motto of the United States of America; the "Out of many, one" which is at the core of our very strength. It's not the febrile election campaign's loose and empty talk from a fascist that can and will ever change that.

The Huffington Post also featured America 2.0 here.

Mark Bennington is a portrait photographer based in New York City who travels for commercial/corporate/editorial assignments and personal projects. He was also an adjunct professor of photography at S.I. Newhouse School. His first book "Living the Dream: The Life of the 'Bollywood' Actor" will release in December 2016 (HarperCollins).

Call Me KIJU

Here are impromptu street portraits of Kiju on Crosby Street in Soho, NYC. Kiju is an alternative rock performer.