Orin Langelle is one of the great documentarians of the last several decades of protest. You look at his photos and you cannot forget that power concedes nothing without a struggle…and that this struggle takes place somewhere, somehow, everyday and everywhere. Thank you Orin for your photos and your commitment.
– Jeff Conant, Director, Friends of the Earth’s international forests program
Orin Langelle’s unique work documents hidden and forgotten histories of the resistance against the war on the planet and the majority of its population. His images provide glimpses of possibilities– when ordinary people act collectively to fight imperialism, war and colonialism, and confront ecological devastation, to build a different world. Combining the passionate eye of a seasoned photojournalist, an organizer’s sensibility, and an unwavering anti-capitalist perspective, Langelle’s inspiring photography simultaneously zooms in on the soul of the struggle, and zooms out to take us beyond the image in front of us, willing us to address the root causes at the heart of the matter, rather than offer band-aid solutions.
– Aziz Choudry, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University, Montreal
Few photographers possess the ability to convey the essence of a place with the authority and finesse of Orin Langelle. When I set out in search of an image for the cover of ‘Lives of Straw,’ my collection of poetry which deals with the struggle for survival in Mexico—survival in every sense of that word— physical, spiritual and economic— it was all I could do to locate an image which didn’t include a piñata, a burro, mariachis…
By sheer accident I stumbled on the one that summed up the entire Mexican experience I was attempting to convey: A man bearing a burden. The graffiti on the wall behind him bore a political message: Libertad a Presuntos Zapatistas. (Liberty to Suspected Zapatistas)“This was the Mexico I know and write about and Orin Langelle had captured more than an evocative image of the country. He had captured its soul.
– Diana Anhalt, writer, author, poet
One of the most dedicated and driven activists I’ve ever had the pleasure to know! His knowledge of the environmental issues that affect the people and the planet are truly impressive and inspiring. Through the lens of his camera he documents the devastation occurring by the hands of the “corporate conquistadors” who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. In this age of “imbedded journalists” Orin stands head and shoulders above the vast majority of those who only report the news that the military-industrial complex wants the masses to know.
– Don Kimball, long time activist, colleague and friend
It is one thing to just take great pictures but quite another to literally risk your life many times in many lands to create works of art that educate, that rise above media falsehoods and that clearly expose reality. We need a thousand more like you to graphically represent the truth along with providing quality written explanations of what we’re looking at. Thanks for the work you do at so many levels.
– David Ross, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War / OSS
Thank you for the availability of the online viewing of your photo exhibit. The slideshow is spectacular! Your art lends a visual memory to past and present struggles. Each photograph weaves a common thread of resistance among them. Through your lens, you create a space for people to be “seen” and issues to be “heard”. Your photos inspire action, beauty and hope. Thank you for Portraits of Struggle. I look forward to your next exhibit.
– Olivia Lim, Certified Clinical Research Nurse
Endorsements for Global Justice Ecology Project’s “Corporate Globalization vs. Global Justice” Photography Exhibit
“Orin Langelle’s photos shine. They capture the raw politics and full humanity of the global fight for social justice and turn them into poetry.”
–Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, Council of Canadians
“In those moments when you forget that we are part of a beautiful, creative and inspiring global justice community, a look at Orin Langelle’s photos will bring the glory of our movement back into focus.”
–Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder, Global Exchange and Code Pink
“Great show! Keep up the educational and inspiring activities.”
–Dennis Brutus, South African anti-apartheid activist, poet and former political prisoner
“I came (to Madison, WI) from Washington, DC to a show not to be missed.”
–Ruth Caplan, Campaign Co-chair, Alliance for Democracy
“Fantastically beautiful photographs!”
–Paola Carrera, Quito, Ecuador
“These pictures report what needs to be known more widely.”
–Anonymous
“The visual progression from affected communities to organized resistance to devastated environment effectively depicts the cycle and relationship between ecology, people and the planet.”
–Kelly Sheehan, Dogwood Alliance, Ashville, NC.
“A fabulous show. Orin’s photos convey the energy and dynamism of recent global struggles in a way that is unsurpassed.”
— Brian Tokar, Director, Institute for Social Ecology Biotechnology Project
“Great work. Keep taking pictures so we can understand the struggle.”
–Ed Garvey, Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor in 1998 and editor of the web magazine FightingBob.com
“Orin-wonder and amazement. Thank you for the history.”
— Tim Keating, Director, Rainforest Relief, New York
“What a great show, Orin! I was so touched by these beautiful and haunting and inspiring photos.”
— Chris Meehan, Executive Director, Peace & Justice Center, Burlington, VT
“This gallery is about art and a message and this show is both.”
–Stewart Macauley, from the Jackie Macauley Gallery, Madison, WI
“Wonderful photos that need to be seen by more people.”
— Deborah Stoleroff, Plainfield, VT
“Fabulous! You bring the viewer right into the significant moments of our times. Thank you.”
— Sarah Norton, Plainfield, VT
“Need a picture to describe the reality.”
— Jack Lesnick, North Country Coalition for Justice and Peace (VT)
“Power in your pictures!”
— Tim Abraham, Killington, VT