When the Occupy protests began, I was inspired to contribute my best efforts. As a documentary photographer, this is my activism: to offer these images in the hope that their chronicle of a movement will inspire others to continue to act boldly in the cause of universal justice.
This 572-page book of portraits documents activists from the Occupy movement in twelve cities across the United States – people like you and me, the 99%. In the interest of historical accuracy, everyone I photographed is included, presented in chronological sequence, and paired with their answer to my question, “What would you change first to make this a better world?”
“Annie Appel’s photographs have given an identity to anonymous American citizens fighting for what is guaranteed in the US Constitution: a responsive and responsible government actively accommodating the needs of the people. Her subjects have literally stopped the presses and made the silent majority consider that participation and protest is vital to maintaining a democracy.” Cooper Sy (writer/director)
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, International Diplomat founder Carne Ross, and art historian Dr. Karen Kleinfelder have honored the work, respectively, with a foreword, an introduction, and an essay.
“I have hope, not in the tangible or in what I can personally accomplish, but in the faith that battling evil, cruelty, and injustice allows us to retain our identity, a sense of meaning and ultimately our freedom. Perhaps in our lifetimes we will not succeed. Perhaps things will only get worse. But this does not invalidate our efforts.” Chris Hedges
With the entire book already completed and ready to go, the final challenge is gathering funds for the high-end, archival printing on a lithographic press. Unlike popular, print-on-demand, digital books – which vary widely in quality from page to page, and book to book – printing with a lithographic press offers the highest quality archival book at less than half the price, with a minimum order of 500 books required to begin the process. Each copy will be signed and numbered.
In keeping with the Occupy movement’s redefinition of how-things-can-get-done, I am reaching out to individuals in search of funds that will allow me to finish – it will be the ultimate proof of the power of people working together. So please, after you purchase your copies, persuade a friend to do the same.
The book will be printed by a publisher dedicated to green, environmentally conscious technology. This meticulous process requires three months from the date of funding.
Many thanks for reserving this first edition volume of The Occupy Portraits, and for considering donation of an additional copy to a library, institution, or organization of your choice.
Please go to the Kickstarter campaign to help make this important project a reality, and to learn about the rewards that are offered to contributors.
