Israeli photographer Shai Kremer’s Infected Landscapes

The Separation Wall, Jerusalem 2005 (c) Shai Kremer. Courtesy of the artist and Julie Saul Gallery New York Footprints and markings from a tank trail off into the distance of the dirt pathway. To one side of the trail, a barricade of rocks lay atop a thin streak of green grass. On the other side, a measly patch of grass remains underneath a smattering of rocks. The dirt pathway leads to a few trees next to an ominous towering grey wall. In the center of it all, by chance, the tank tracks and puddles have joined to form the Hebrew word for life, “chai,” drawing the attention away from more disquieting aspects of Israeli photographer Shai Kremer’s “The Separation Wall, Jerusalem.”

Just as “The Separation Wall” hones in on the irony of beauty or “chai,” amidst the ugliness from war, so do many of the other 25 photographs in the Infected Landscapes photography collection of the controversial artist.

The collection is on exhibit at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa through July 17.

Infected Landscapes portrays the effects that the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians have had on the landscape of Israel.

Kremer said he sees his portrayals as neither biased toward the Israeli nor Palestinian side, but instead a commentary against politics and governments that cause war.

But it all depends on the eye of the beholder, as evidenced at a panel discussion presented as part of the exhibit’s opening. Some Jewish critics say Kremer takes an anti-Israeli perspective. They point to the titles of individual the individual pieces and locations he chose as evidenced, such as “Burned Olive Trees and Katyusha Crater, Lebanon War” as well as “Palestinian Olive Trees Beheaded ‘Due to Security Reasons,’ East Jerusalem.” Kremer said that he does not get bothered by these critics, however.

“They are allowed to say whatever they want, it’s okay. I still feel very good with my point of view and my position or else I wouldn’t show it [publicly]”, Kremer said.

Kremer, 36, a native of Tel Aviv, who now splits his time between Tel Aviv and New York, insists the purpose of Infected Landscapes is simply to make people think.

“It’s to raise it to discussion,” said Kremer in regards to his Infected Landscapes collection. “My role in this game is to bring it to discussion and I hope it’s working so far.”

What is most surprising is how uncharacteristic of war Kremer’s photographs are. Kremer steers clear of most images generally associated with war, such as gory, bloody scenes.

Instead, Kremer’s images of Israeli landscape could easily be viewed as beautiful, colorful and aesthetically pleasing if not seen in the proper context.

He depicts the remains of the landscape to push his point across that war, regardless of what side you are on, is wrong.

Kremer’s vantage point varies in this collection of photographs. With an active frame, long, narrow and seemingly endless paths trail off into the distance and leave the mind to wonder what comes next, if anything. Concrete roads and pathways made from soil, grass, or sand appear quiet and peaceful, yet each photograph shows some evidence indicating each scene was once disrupted by men and machinery for the purpose of war, leaving the land less beautiful than it was before.

Conversely, Kremer employs panoramas that overlook an entire area affected by the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Most notably “Urban Warfare Training Center, Panorama, Tze’elim” is shot in a downward angle that overlooks the entire facility as to capture the massive size of it all.

Overall, Kremer said that the Israelis and Palestinians are both right and wrong, and that it just depends on which perspective you choose to take. He feels as though if people could just listen to each other and understand different viewpoints, there would be more peace on earth.

“I think they are both wrong [in] the same way that they are both right, each one in its own narrative,” said Kremer. “If people knew how to listen and how to accept the other, and to have a dialogue and to respect the other narrative, I think we would be in a much different place than what we are now.”

The exhibit was brought to the museum’s attention by Julie Saul Gallery in New York, international representatives of Kremer. Saul is from Tampa. Her sister Linda Saul-Sena is among the exhibit’s sponsors.

Along with Saul-Sena and her husband, Mark Sena, sponsors are Nina and Burton Bernstein; Fraser and Maria Himes; Jane Levin and Robert Lynn; and Charles Schwab, Inc.; with contributions by Maureen and Douglas Cohn and Blossom Liebowitz.

The museum is located at 200 North Tampa St. and is open Tuesday Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $4 per person. Telephone (813) 221-2222, or visit the website: www.FMOPA.org.