Appreciation & Inspiration: Don McCullin
Warning: There are some upsetting images in this post
The third in a series of posts, in which we share some people who have inspired us, and whose work we appreciate. They may be of the now, of the past, of video, audio, photography or words. But they all have one thing in common: their work has moved us, taught us, and inspired our work. And for that we thank them.
All content below is © Don McCullin or relevant publishers.
Recently, we shared a post about our Oral History book, that accompanied the “What the fuck is going on in Britain’s Heartland?” project with Saatchi & Saatchi.
In that post we stated:
Yes we have the video, the photography and the audio, but we didn’t want the words - the written form - to feel like it was secondary.
And from the many people who have requested a copy of the book (drop us a line here if you’re interested) we’re really pleased that so many of you are in agreement with us - words can carry an emotional punch as powerful as other mediums.
For this post, however, we’re looking at the visceral, gut-wrenching power of photography. Photography that is brutal and beautiful, meaningful and important.
Warning: There are some images and descriptions below that portray war situations and victims, and may upset.
We’re going to share some photography from the legendary, brilliant, powerful, irascible Don McCullin. (Sir Donald to some).
Don McCullin is a legendary photojournalist, focusing on war photography for much of his career - primarily for The Sunday Times and The Observer.
From a tough background, her found photography was his passion and spent his career travelling around the world visiting a plethora of places and conflicts.
I don’t know the best way to cover his work - it is vast - other than to share some of the photographs that I subjectively feel are powerful and carry a depth of impact that moves me.
This image of a shell-shocked marine in Vietnam is arguably one of his most famous photographs. Those eyes… they are blank and vacant, and at the same time tell a million horror stories that cannot be forgotten.
The composition of this photograph from one of Don’s first wars in Cyprus is simply beautiful. The contrast of dark to light, movement to stillness, solid structure to organic shapes, peace to war, life to impending death.
It’s sometimes easy to see soldiers (from any force) as killing machines, but to peel back the veil and show them as vulnerable, worried, with faith is equally as powerful.
This is the camera that saved his life - stopping a bullet aimed at him…
And it’s not just wars that Don has photographed… he has travelled around the UK capturing culture over the years too. ‘Culture Wars’ and culture in its broadest sense…
There’s a brilliant documentary from about 10 years ago that gives a broad overview of Don’s work and story. Here is the trailer:
It’s on Amazon Prime to Rent of Buy. I think there’s a version of if on YouTube too. Be prepared, there are some harrowing images and stories in there.
… and if you’re brave enough to google it, there is one photo that I’ve seen of a starving young boy in the Biafra Famine that I can’t look it. It’s so powerful, so upsetting and when Don talks about it in the documentary above I found myself looking away, weeping, trying not to come to terms with the horror of man, the injustice of inequality, the inevitable outcome of the child in the photograph…
Photography that moves and packs a punch, indeed.
Thank you Don.