OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- For an inside look at a Marine’s every day life, people need only look as far as Oceanside Museum of Arts here, which opened the “Honor: Marine Portraits” exhibit March 27.
The exhibit offers patrons a view into different training events and ceremonies Marines perform throughout the year.
“Honor: Marine Portraits” displays hundreds of photographs of Marines from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
“We included the exhibit because we wanted to reach out to the military community,” said Danielle Susalla, the assistant director of the museum. “San Diego is founded on the military community. They are such a big part of our culture and they need to be honored.”
The photographer, Stathis Orphanos, took photos of Marines dressed in almost every Marine Corps uniform including dress blue, service, desert and woodland combat utility uniforms and physical training gear.
“The artist tries to display the strength of young Marines and the accomplishment of being a Marine,” said Susalla.
The photographs vary from close-up shots of individual Marines posing in full combat gear with weapons, to stylized black and white full body shots of Marines in uniform, to different events that occurred around base.
Some of the events that Orphanos captured included Marines performing swimming qualifications, birthday ceremonies and training at the military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) town. Orphanos also photographed events that Marine recruits go through during basic training such as attending martial art classes.
“It is such an eye opening experience,” said Susalla. “It’s really interesting to see what kind of training the Marines go through and see what real life is like for them.”
The museum is open every day and is free for all military and dependents with military identification.
“I hope every Marine and every branch of service comes out to see it,” said Susalla. “The photos are very beautiful art.”
People perceive Marines in many different ways, but through a photographer’s art they can experience a part of military culture which few get to see.
For more information on the exhibit, visit the museum’s Web site www.oma-online.org.
-30-