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VCU Creative Services Allen Jones' photographs from Normandy, France are being featured in the Anderson Gallery's 2003 Winter Exhibition.

The exhibition entitled "Return to Normandy" is a collection of 35 photographs documenting the D-Day beaches as they appear today nearly 60 years after the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Jones' black and white photographs represent what is left of the German bunkers that still dominate what was once known as Hitler's "Atlantic Wall" on the Normandy coastline at Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches and the Pointe du Hoc.

"Return to Normandy" is the culmination of five years of work by Jones who began his project in 1997. In addition to the bunkers, Jones also photographed the American and German cemeteries at Normandy.

"...being at the [American] cemetery and looking at 10,000 white crosses, gave me a new appreciation for the sacrifice," Jones said. "You start to look at the headstones and realize that this [war] was fought by 18, 19 and 20-year-old men. You may read about that, but it doesn't make the same sort of impact as when you're looking at white crosses by the thousands."

The photographs have been exhibited at venues in Lexington, Va., New Orleans and Savannah. Next year the exhibition will open in Chicago on the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

Jones is a photographer in Creative Services and an adjunct faculty member in the VCU Department of Film and Photography. In 1990, he was the recipient of the Virginia Commission for the Arts Award, the commonwealth's top award to artists. Jones holds a bachelor's degree in art history and master's degree in fine arts in photography from VCU.

The exhibition will be on display at the Anderson Gallery from Jan. 17 through March 9.