Chante Wolf Photography was created out of my desire to get back to doing what it is that I have dreamed of since the sixth grade, photography.
My return to photography came after 13 years of not feeling or seeing anything beautiful in this world after my experiences in the Persian Gulf War. I was pulled into the peace movement after 9/11 by my questions, as a war veteran, about the hurried move to war and the direction of my wonderful nation.
The title of my first work: Chronicles of Our American Conscience.
What appalled me was the censorship happening under the Bush Administration. He paid out $1.6 Billion dollars of our tax money to public relation firms to send out lies about the need to invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/02/14/MNG2JH80H61.DTL
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301897.html
http://www.projectcensored.org/articles/story/us-perpetuates-mass-killings-in-iraq/
The public was not allowed to see the coffins coming home, were not allowed to see or hear Saddam Hussein's testimony during his trial, and those who voiced any concern were called traitors. This alarmed me, as veterans have always been told that their service guaranteed Americans freedoms enjoyed under our democracy. Strangely enough, the censorship included veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was this one reason that I wanted to document the stories of GI's who came home changed like myself, and to show that the public did and does support the troops, just not the phoney wars. So, I purchased a video camera and digital SLR and was off to Ft. Bragg for the 2nd anniversary of our illegal invasion, continued devastation of that country and the stealing of tax payers money for Halliburton, who has received a 600% increase of no-bid contracts.
What I have found over the past 8 years was that the people who are in the streets and stages across the nation are not out of work, filthy pot smoking and ignorant hippies, but rather, very well read and informed, caring American citizens exercising there constitutional right to dissent illegal, and immoral policies for profit, career advancements and power.
Why is all of this important to me as a photographer? Because it is what propelled me out of the abyss and dark place I had been the past 18 years after my own military and war service. It has given me a mission, focus and reopened my heart through creativity and sharing what I continue to experience in the peace movement.
What I have found over the past 8 years was that the people who are in the streets and stages across the nation are not out of work, filthy pot smoking and ignorant hippies, but rather, very well read and informed, caring American citizens exercising there constitutional right to dissent illegal, and immoral policies for profit, career advancements and power.
Why is all of this important to me as a photographer? Because it is what propelled me out of the abyss and dark place I had been the past 18 years after my own military and war service. It has given me a mission, focus and reopened my heart through creativity and sharing what I continue to experience in the peace movement.
In some ways going against popular opinion after 9/11 was harder than my going to war in the first place. Standing on a street corner with a sign for peace is not for sissy's or weak minded and I thank all those who have done this before and continue to do so now -- it takes MORE courage to avoid a fight in principle than to engage in one. I know, cause I have done both.
Peace IS more sustainable than war -- it is time for the weapons industry to to either go out of business or change their products.
