“Kim Phuc and Thomas, 1995” was a winning image in the prestigious M.I.L.K. Collection, a world-wide photographic exhibition, which opened in Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, New York, July, 2001 and The Science Museum in London, England in October/November, 2001. An outdoor version of this exhibition opened at Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand in November, 2002 and at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia in February, 2003.
“THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVENT OF OUR TIME”
The 2000 M.I.L.K. Competition was described as “the most ambitious photographic project since Edward Steichen’s 1950’s exhibition The Family Of Man”.
M.I.L.K. ( Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship) was the dream of Geoff Blackwell, publisher of Hodder PQ in Auckland, New Zealand. Blackwell launched an epic global search for 300 world-class photographs that would celebrate the essence of humanity at the Millennium. Magnum photographer Elliot Erwitt selected images (100 in each category) from more than 40,000 entries representing 60 countries.
After an overwhelming success in New York and London, the M.I.L.K. Collection travelled to other major world cities in a tour lasting three years.
A PUBLISHING EVENT
M.I.L.K. was also a publishing event. To coincide with the exhibition, M.I.L.K. published three inspiring books of photography: FAMILY; LOVE; and FRIENDSHIP, as well as a classic product line of cards and calendars.
Bayin’s winning photograph is featured in the M.I.L.K. Collection book FAMILY: A Celebration Of Humanity. In addition, she is featured as a writer in the M.I.L.K. Collection book on LOVE.
She collaborated with Kim Phuc to write the prologue for LOVE. The prologue for the book on FAMILY was written by James McBride, author of “The Color of Water”. The prologue for the book on FRIENDSHIP was written by Maeve Binchy, author of “Tara Road”.
ABOUT KIM PHUC
Kim Phuc is known as “The Girl in the Picture”. She is subject of the famous Pulitzer-prize winning photograph from the Vietnam War, taken by AP photographer Nick Ut. His picture showed nine-year-old Kim, running naked and terrified up the road, her skin badly burned by napalm. The photograph shocked the world and changed the course of the war.
Anne Bayin has been a close personal friend and mentor to Kim Phuc since meeting in Toronto in 1995, shortly after Kim’s dramatic defection to Canada. Bayin produced Kim’s first English television interview. Over the years she has guided Kim’s career as an international public speaker and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace.
Bayin designed the photo illustration (seen above) for the exclusive use of THE KIM FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL, a non-profit charity founded by Kim Phuc to help child victims of war. Bayin and Associated Press/Nick Ut, the photographer who shot the original famous photograph, have donated this new work to The Kim Foundation. Proceeds from sales of posters and cards of this image go to help children of war.
