This past month we’ve been wondering ~ and even concerned ~ about the lack of news coming from our media about the war in Ukraine. We see we are not alone. This month, photographer and explorer of urban ruins, Phil Buehler, created a 60-foot-long photograph of Irpin’s car cemetery in Ukraine as a reminder that this war rages on. The mural, entitled ‘Irpin, Ukraine: Please Don’t Forget Us’ is located near the Ukrainian Museum and the St. George Ukrainian Church in the East Village, on view through November, 2023.
The images were taken during the Buehler’s recent trip to Ukraine. The 35 images, showing remains of civilian cars destroyed by Russian forces, are stitched together to create the mural. Clearly in view are the bullet holes.
Buehler said: “Putting a public artwork out there is also an opportunity for me to hear from people, their reactions as well as their stories, and where I put it is a big part of it. This is the perfect place and then also DC is the perfect place.”
Support for Ukraine is surely appreciated. His suggestions, Razom for Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
Buehler, a Brooklyn-based photographer, is currently working on a second piece which will be a large walk-in cyclorama of a bombed apartment block in Borodyanka, a small town about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the capital, that he hopes to bring and display in Washington DC.
Read more about the mural on EV Grieve.
About the artist ~ Philip Buehler has devoted much of his career in capturing what he calls ‘modern ruins’, and most recently, his lens has turned to focusing on front-page news. He lives and works in Brooklyn.
Follow Phil Buehler Art on Instagram.