pal'imp-sest n† [Gr. palimpsestos, rubbed again; palin. again, and psen, to rub.] A parchment from which one writing has been erased, and on which another has been written.

This exhibition marks the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. In the aftermath, the sentiment expressed by many Americans was to bomb Afghanistan "back to the Stone Age"--a sentiment that could not have been more ironic, given the fact that the Soviets had already leveled much of the country's infrastructure in the 1980's. But before 9-11, most Americans had little understanding of the country of Afghanistan or its people. Since then, our country's and the world's attention has been focused on this forgotten corner of the globe.

"Afghanistan: Palimpsest" is intended to provide viewers with an opportunity to reflect on the plight of the Afghani people caught in the middle of an international struggle. Simon Norfolk's stark photographs provide a glimpse into both the destruction of the country and the strengthof its people. The balloon salesman in front of the blown-out tea house stands as a beacon of hope: reminding his fellow Afghani of a more joyful time before balloons were outlawed by the Taliban. The textiles, from the Clay Stewart collection, represent the traditional woven arts produced by the nomadic Baluchi tribespeople of Afghanistan. These textiles, woven in geographic isolation under the harshest of conditions, incorporate the colors and patterns of the desert landscape and serve as a symbol of a culture that has been forever changed.

The juxtaposition of these antique textiles with contemporary depictions of the Afghani landscape seeks to draw parallels between the enduring spirit of the Baluchi peoples and the perpetual refugee status of those who still call Afghanistan home. As the Baluchis wandered for a thousand years, so do most of the Afghani people of today. And just as the weavings of the Balulchi were constructed to withstand the abrasive desert environs, so too do today's Afghan people struggle against the devastating effects of constant armed conflict.
The theme of Palimpsest captures a moment in a country's history in which the past and the present are colliding. The photographs attest to the re-writing of Afghanistan's destiny. The textiles embody a culture, as durable as the sheep and goat's wool of which they are woven. A culture, although fragmented, that still shines through.

Mark Sloan and Buff Ross
Co-Curators

Acknowledgements:
The curators would like to thank Simon Norfolk and Clay Stewart for their enthusiasm and cooperation. We would also like to express our thanks to Dr. Mary Beth Coffman Heston, Chair of the Department of Art History and Coordinator of Asian Studies, Dean Valerie Morris, Vance Gellert, Blair Darnell, and Mary Ann Henry. Special funding for this exhibition has been provided by the Ethel-Jane Westfeldt Bunting Foundation.

Co Curators
Mark Sloan and Buff Ross

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