Look at the USA with Peter Van Agtmael

Santa Fe Workshops collection of free online events, Creativity Continues, features a special Saturday event in September with Magnum photographer Peter Van Agtmael, whose work is known for its raw, often surreal visual narratives. A leading voice in contemporary documentary photography, Peter has spent the last two decades chronicling post-9/11 America at war and at home.

Born in Washington, D.C., and studying history at Yale during the events of 9/11, Peter’s trajectory as a photographer was profoundly shaped by that pivotal moment. His long-term project, Look at the USA, is a vivid and unsettling visual chronicle of America in the wake of 9/11, capturing the disconnect between foreign wars and life on the home front. Juxtaposing scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan with images of grief, recovery, and reckoning in the United States, the work expands to explore nationalism, militarism, race, and class in American society culminating in the era of Donald Trump.

In this presentation, Peter shares the evolution of this body of work, reflecting on the personal and political forces that shaped it. With photographs that explore themes of conflict, memory, history, and identity, his work challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about American power and myth-making.

Peter concludes the program with a live Q&A session with the webinar audience. For those unable to attend live, a recording is available to all registered participants.

Creativity Continues is a program that collectively develops creative voices by offering connection and encouraging expression. Because the goal is to engage all within our creative community, we encourage you to extend invitations and share Santa Fe Workshops Creativity Continues events with anyone who expresses an interest.