A rare and evocative portrait of Yemen in the ‘70s
- Text by Bea Tridimas
- Photography by Peter Schlesinger
When photographer Peter Schlesinger visited Yemen in 1976, all he knew of the southern Arab state was what he had seen in Pasolini’s adaptation of Arabian Nights. At that time, the country was divided into the Yemen Arab Republic and its southeastern neighbour, the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. The Yemen Arab Republic had just emerged from an eight-year civil war that ended in 1970 and was not frequented by outside visitors.
“The people were very friendly and curious about our group, as there were very few foreigners there,” Schlesinger says. “At the end of the trip, our driver invited us to lunch in his home, which I later learned was very rare.”
The New York-based photographer’s new book Eight Days in Yemen (Damiani) offers a rare and sincere snapshot of the country as it recovered from conflict and foreign intervention in the mid-‘70s. The book takes us around Sana’a, Yemen’s capital city, and its surrounding villages as Schlesinger travelled with his partner, Eric Boman, who was there on assignment as a fashion photographer.
“I insisted I go too as it was such an exotic and legendary place,” says Schlesinger. “I carried my camera everywhere in those days and photographed my surroundings.” For Schlesinger, there is no real difference between an artistic trip or one simply for the experience. His art strives to record all that he sees.
He leaves no stone in Yemen unturned. Amid the plethora of blue skies and sandy browns and yellows, there are clothing and textiles in rich purples and blues, and flashes of oranges, reds and greens. He moves from the countryside to the city, from the crowded marketplace to the private home, absorbing all the colours, atmosphere and people along the way.
“It was such a unique place,” he says. The architecture, particularly, captured the attention of his eye. He photographs the intricate masonry adorning buildings and windows with white patterned stone, and the more earthy tones of brick villages erupting from the sand.
At first glance, the project might seem out of place for a photographer known for his use of bright colours and zealous documentation of London in the ‘60s and ‘70s, with cameos from the likes of David Hockney, Twiggy and Yves St. Laurent. But for Schlesinger, only the place was different. “I approached it in the same way,” he writes. His mission is “looking”; to record everything he sees, no matter where it is. “I am insatiably curious. Photographing becomes a way of questioning and learning.”
“It’s surprising how many people are still unaware of the beauty and culture of the country,” he says about Yemen. Now, the country is labelled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and depicted mostly as a place of conflict, destruction and poverty. Schlesinger’s book is a reminder of the country’s complexity, beauty and wonder.
Eight Days in Yemen is available now on Damiani.
Follow Bea Tridimas on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Exploring the impact of colonialism on Australia’s Indigenous communities
New exhibition, ‘Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography’ interrogates the use of photography as a tool of objectification and subjugation.
Written by: Miss Rosen
My sister disappeared when we were children. Years later, I retraced her footsteps
After a car crash that saw Magnum photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa hospitalised, his sister ran away from their home in South Africa. His new photobook, I Carry Her Photo With Me, documents his journey in search of her.
Written by: Lindokuhle Sobekwa
Inside New York City’s hedonistic 2000s skateboarding scene
New photobook, ‘Epicly Later’d’ is a lucid survey of the early naughties New York skate scene and its party culture.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Did we create a generation of prudes?
Has the crushing of ‘teen’ entertainment and our failure to represent the full breadth of adolescent experience produced generation Zzz? Emma Garland investigates.
Written by: Emma Garland
How to shoot the world’s most gruelling race
Photographer R. Perry Flowers documented the 2023 edition of the Winter Death Race and talked through the experience in Huck 81.
Written by: Josh Jones
An epic portrait of 20th Century America
‘Al Satterwhite: A Retrospective’ brings together scenes from this storied chapter of American life, when long form reportage was the hallmark of legacy media.
Written by: Miss Rosen