Cut Short

Cut Short is an exhibition that brings together photographs and texts produced and collected by Pedro Letria during a trip to the Gaza Strip in 2009. Having arrived in Palestinian territory in July, six months after the end of the Israeli military operation Cast Lead, Letria was received by the Ramattan news agency, which provided him with his daily schedule and a work desk in the newsroom. Over the following week, Letria covered events that garnered the attention of the local media, photographing, interviewing, and writing his impressions and reflections in a small black notebook. Stored in a filing box since then, the photographs now on display are working proofs, possibly intended to be sent by mail. The italicized texts below the images reproduce what Letria wrote on the back of each proof. Below that are texts taken from the black notebook that correspond to the events or dates of the photographs. The texts are reproduced in the original English, the language in which Letria learned to read and write. The juxtaposition of these three components in each frame, and the inclusion in this exhibition of other artifacts found in the same archival box, aims to broaden the context of what happened and promote a greater understanding of what the author experienced. Reading all the writings and cross-referencing them with the images points to a clear documentary or even journalistic effort on Letria's part. The fulfillment of a local news agenda; the multiple interviews, travels, meetings, and notes; the names, numbers, and established facts indicate a dedicated and attentive work in the reporter's craft. However, it is visible in the written reflections that the author insistently questioned the validity and consequences of his actions and intentions. On more than one occasion, we witness the expression of a growing disbelief in the mechanisms of the press and particularly in its legitimation of political power. Equally perceptible is Letria's frustration with the limitations of photography. The title "Cut Short" points to wasted potential. No other projects with the same framing by the same author are known.