2019-05-01_Digital_SLR_Photography

(Barry) #1

war & peace


TATE BRITAINIS HOSTINGTHEWORKOFDONMCCULLIN,ONEOFTHEWORLD’S
GREATEST LIVINGPHOTOGRAPHERS.IT'S ANEXHIBITIONYOUSHOULDN’TMISS

T


ATEBRITAINIS currentlypresentinga
majorretrospectiveofthelegendary
BritishphotographerSir Don
McCullin.Widelyrenownedasoneof
theworld'sgreatestlivingphotographers,
McCullin'scareerhasstretchedseveral
decadesandcoveredconflictsfromaround
theworldincludingVietnam,Northern
Ireland,LebanonandBiafra.These
unforgettablephotographswillbeshown
alongsideMcCullin’sdocumentary
photography,travelassignmentsandhis
long-termengagementwithlandscapesand
still-lifes.Withover 250 photographs,all
printedbySir McCullinhimselfin hisown
darkroom,thisexhibitionoffersa unique
opportunitytoseethescopeand
achievementsofMcCullin’scareer.
DonMcCullin'sloveforphotography
beganin the1950s,whenhedocumented
hissurroundingsandlocalcommunityin his
nativeFinsburyPark,London.In 1958The
Guvnors,a portraitofa notoriouslocalgang,
waspublishedinTheObserver, launchinghis
career as a photojournalist. Working first for

TheObserverandthenTheSundayTimes
Magazine, McCullinwentontocapture
majorconflictsaroundtheworldfrom
VietnamandtheCongotoCyprusand
Beirut.Theexhibitionwillincludesomeof
McCullin’smosticonicphotographs
including:Shell-shockedUS Marine;The
BattleofHue1968;StarvingTwentyFour
YearOldMotherwithChild;Biafra1968;and
NorthernIreland,TheBogside,Londonderry
1971.AlongsideMcCullin’shand-printed
silvergelatinprints,theexhibitionincludes
thephotographer’smagazinespreads,
contactsheets,hishelmetandtheNikon
camerathattooka bulletforhim.
McCullinmaybebestknownforhiswork
asa photojournalistandwarcorrespondent,
buthehasalsoconsistentlyengagedin
documentaryphotographyofBritain,
depictingpovertyandworking-classlifein
London’sEastEndandthenorthofEngland.
Fromthehomelessanddisenfranchised
populationofWhitechapelin the1970sto
theindustriallandscapesofBradford,
Liverpool and Durham, McCullin has

exposedchangingsocialconditionsin the
UK.Thesevaluableworksareshown
alongsideseveralotherphotographstaken
aroundthecountry.
Still-lifesthatexplorelight,composition
andtexture,alongwithlandscapestaken
closetohishomein Somerset,becamea
focusforMcCullinfromthe1980sonwards
and also feature in the exhibition.

20 DigitalSLR PhotographyMa y 2019


©D
ON
MC
CULLIN

Right:Seasidepieronthesouthcoast,Eastbourne,UK, 1970s.
Below:Protester,CubanMissileCrisis,Whitehall,London1962.
Below right:NorthernIreland,TheBogside,Londonderry 1971.
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