Through October 10th at the Gary Freeburg Gallery at KPC a unique and moving array of photographs by Joe Kashi are on display. The show entitled “Fleeting Images” is a collection of shadows and photographs taken at Dachau by Kashi, “When images reflect a consistent concept and body of work, they support each other. If good images are carefully selected, then the resulting exhibit should convey a coherent overall content and a visual impression that’s stronger than the sum of the separate images. In early 2013, I shot a number of possible images at Nazi Germany’s infamous Dachau concentration camp near Munich. One of our Soldotna Rotary Club members was among the 42nd Division soldiers who liberated Dachau in 1945 and he expressed a willingness to speak to a wider audience about his experiences. Although the Dachau photos suggested a possible theme, my sense was that there were not enough strong images to sustain a complete 20 to 25 image solo exhibit. Matters remained unresolved for several months. By chance, I independently made another photo that slowly grew on me. That photo, of two shadowy figures on a wall. This photo struck me as an appropriate “key” image around which to organize an exhibit, both suggesting and exemplifying the overall emotional experience of the Dachau photos,” said Kashi.
WWII veteran and member of the U.S. Rainbow division liberation front Fred Kehl was present at the opening of the exhibit and shared some of his experiences with the crowd that gathered to meet him and view the images. “Many of the folks came out to honor him and hear of his experiences with those who were in concentration camps during the holocaust and after their liberation, but I felt the selection of images conveyed a similar sense of the fleeting life experiences,” said Kashi. Kehl was presented with a personalized replica of the plaque that hangs in Dachau, Germany and a book of autographs from his fellow Rotarians. “As our shadows brush the walls of eternity, fleeting images.” Haiku written by Joe Kashi to complement his “Fleeting Images” photographic display open during regular college hours at KPC in the Gary Freeburg Gallery.
