Re-evaluating some of the most iconic images of the past 100 years will be an exhibition dedicated to the impact and influence photography has had on shaping – and in some cases misdirecting – the narrative of major global events.
Featuring more than 80 works by photographers such as Don McCullin (b.1935), Stuart Franklin (b.1956) and Robert Capa (1913-1954), the exhibition will chart a global century of documentation and manipulation, through fact and fiction.
Sometimes seen as superior to text, photographs are now a mainstay of how the media and the public consume events such as war, famine, and celebrity.
Sir Donald McCullin CBE is perhaps one of the most famous war photographers of the 20th century and his images have charted conflicts as well as the seemingly ´downtrodden´ in society. The British photographer eschews colour photography in favour of black and white images and has reported from varied places such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon, the Congo and Northern Ireland.
The power of McCullin´s images have also been feared by Governments, and after being refused a press pass to document the Falklands War, rumours still abound whether this was an administrative error or a deliberate action by the Government who were concerned with the distressing reality that McCullin´s lens could reveal.
Photographs from McCullin´s time in Vietnam will be included in the exhibition, showing visitors how some of the most famous war images of the time can be interpreted.
Another influential conflict photographer is Robert Capa and his renowned Death of a Loyalist Solider, Cordoba Front, Spain (1936) will also be included. The Hungarian American had been caught up in the tumultuous events of Europe at the start of the century, first fleeing his homeland to Berlin where he then witnessed the rise of the Nazis. Amongst the danger, Robert Capa documented the Spanish Civil War with Ernest Hemingway, and then became the only civilian photographer to land on Omaha beach during D-Day in June 1944. Eventually his work took him to Vietnam, where he died after stepping on a landmine.
21st century photography which reflects on the relationship between the camera and truth will also be investigated, and the people who are shining a light on the marginalised and overlooked. Including themes such as Government surveillance, domestic violence, and the effect of conflict on civilian populations, the exhibition will include work by Edmund Clark, Simon Norfolk, Trevor Paglen and Max Pinckers.
Curated by Harriet Logan and Tristan Lund, the works in this exhibition are drawn from The Incite Project, a private collection of photojournalism, documentary photography and photographic art with a remit to support contemporary practitioners.
Price:
Our Universal Ticket allows access to our entire gallery. This ticket operates on a ‘Pay If and What You Can’ basis.: GBP 5.00
