Amateur Photographer (2019-04-13)

(Antfer) #1

26 13 April 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113


Giles Duley

GilesDuleyis 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. For

mehestrippedawayanyof 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


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