Holyland - Ethan Eisenberg

The photographs in this catalogue were made on a series of visits from 1993 to 2007 to the disputed territories of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, including Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Begun just after the signing of the Oslo Accords proposed a resolution to the long-lasting struggle, my plan was to photograph in communities on both sides of the divide and follow the changes occurring as the so-called “Peace Process” progressed. While the promise of that time never materialized, the arc from hope to disillusion and violence comprised a distinct historical period. Returning to the same places over the long term allowed me to follow that narrative, not as a series of news events, but from the more commonplace perspective of the patterns of people’s daily lives. As such, this project is not a comprehensive overview but only a partial and personal view of its subject.