The British Journal Of Photography has got a new-look website and its blog 1854 has been incorporated into the new design.
One of the articles in the new website looks at the work of Don McCullin, a fine war photographers and a master of composition, whether in war photography or otherwise.
I have been following his work for years and not too long ago I was lucky enough to see an exhibition of his work at the National Media Museum in Bradford, England.
There is an exhibition of his photographs now at the Imperial War Museum North that runs until June 13. If you get the chance – go see it.
Here is one of Don McCullin’s photographs from the Vietnam War. It is extraordinary for its intensity and notable for the intense contrast that he introduced into his black and white images.
Don McCullin photographed civil war in Cyprus and in Northern Ireland and his photographs of the effects of war reaching and tearing apart the lives of civilians is a landmark in clear and unremitting reporting of the horrors of war.
I think he must be a very sensitive man to be able to break into the ‘spaces’ of people suffering the trauma of the loss of loved ones and photograph and document what he sees.
Here is the link to the article on Don McCullin in the BJP’s new website. It includes a video interview with the photographer.
Update
I just came across an interview with Don McCullin in an article in the May 22 issue of The Guardian newspaper. In it McCullin says that during the Biafran war in 1969 it occurred to him that he:
“…should have been making people think the image I was making were of things that should be unacceptable in our world. It came to me in a schoolroom being used as a hospital, and I saw 800 children literally dropping dead in front of me. I had three young children of my own. That turned me away from the Hollywood gung-ho image of the war photographer. It converted me into another person.”
The Shape Of War
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This picture is really meaningful, there are lots of messages coming from it. Shows courage but at the same time is very sad. Does he have any of his work in USA?
You can find books of his photography on Amazon in the U.S.
I’ll add a couple of affiliate links to books of his, to the end of this article. He photographed war, but he also photographs his own vision of England, and I’ll add a link to one of his Africa books.
I want to go with Kenny Hayslett because the picture is really alive and meaningful. Thanks for sharing.