26 13 April 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
Giles DuleyGilesDuleyis a conflict
photographerwho
lostbothhislegsand
hisleftarmin 2011,
aftersteppingonan
ImprovisedExplosive
Device(IED).Hereturned
toworkandhas
documentedstoriesin
Lebanon,Bangladesh,
Colombia,Iraqand
Jordanamongothers.
Youcanseesome
of hisextraordinary
imageryat hiswebsite,
legacyofwar.com.WithoutDonMcCullini maynever
havebecomea photographer.it
wasthegiftof hisautobiography,
UnreasonableBehaviour, andan
olympusoM-10cameraat theage
of 18,whichsparkedmypassionfor
photography.Growingupi’dalways
beeninterestedin militaryhistory
andimagesof war;seeingDon’swork
forthefirsttimewasa revelation.
Forthefirsttimethefiguresin the
photographswerenolonger
anonymousfigurescaughtin the
maelstromof war;throughDon’s
photographsi sawthemas
individuals.Forme,hisabilitytomake
eyecontactin themidstof such
chaosandtoconnectwithhumanity
in boththosewhokillandthosewho
fallvictimis unparalleled.
Soi notonlyowemyownstartin
photographytoDon’swork,butalso
toopeningmyeyestowar’sraw
brutality.i seemyselfasananti-war
photographerandthatstanceis in no
smallpartowingtoDon’simageryof
war’s raw brutality and violence. Formehestrippedawayanyof thelast
vestigesof romanceit mayhave
otherwisehadforme.
i thinkhislife’sworkwillremain
themostimportantcollectionof
warphotography.Neveragainwilla
photographerhavetheopportunity
oraccesstodocumentwarsso
broadlyorforsucha longperiod.
Now,thenatureof waris changing
andthankfullyandrightlythe
narrativesanddiversityof storytellers
areevolving.SoDon’sworkis a
uniquelegacy.
Sowhythendidi chooseanimage
fromthisexhibitionthatis notof war
butfromhissocialdocumentary
work?Formeit is themost
underratedof hiswork,andwithtime
themostrelevant.Whilein muchof
hiswarphotographyDonis telling
thestoriesof others,in hiswork
recordingthelivesandhistoryof
post-warBritishslumsandindustrial
townsDonis tellinghisownstory.
in that,forme,it becomeshismost
insightful and powerful work.Thisimageis titled‘Thedisgustingwaythatsome poor people without support have to live’. It was taken in Brick Lane, London, in the mid 1970s
is a verywell-knownperson
whorepresentsanageof
photojournalismthatwasreally
uncompromisinganddoesn’t
necessarilyexistnowadays.It’snot
onlyexcitingforpeoplewhohave
thoseeventsinlivingmemoryto
comebackandlookatthem,butis
alsoforaudiencesofa different
generationwhomightneverhave
heardofBiafra,ormightknow
absolutelynothingofthetreatment
oftheKurdsinIraq,orthesituation
inNorthernIreland,tocomeand
learnaboutthese things for the
firsttime.
AD:WhydoyouthinkDonhas
beensosuccessful?
AM:Well,onethingthatI thinkis
reallyinterestingtoconsider,we’re
oftenawareofthewaythathewas
shapedbywar,butwhatweneglect
totalkaboutasmuchis thefact
thatby1958,hehadalreadybeen
throughsomuch.Hehadspent
twoyearsintheRAF,hehadbeen
evacuatedthreetimesand
undergonesomereallyharsh
treatment which was probably
don Mccullin
© SImon VInaLL