The Imperial War Museum is currently hosting “Shaped by War,” a truly striking display of the works of Don McCullin, one of the most influential British photographers of our generation.
A lone anti-war protester confronts police in Whitehall during the Cuban Missile Crisis, London, 1962. Copyright Don McCullin
“Shaped by War” is the largest collection of McCullin’s work ever seen on public display. It exhibits his well-known black and white war photography that has shaped our awareness and understanding of modern conflict and its consequences.
Apart from its size, this exhibition is unique in the fact that it not only has his famous black and white photographs, but also some of his color prints, landscapes and personal possessions that he collected throughout his travels. Massive, wall-sized prints hang up in the very sharp-looking, uncluttered exhibit and take you through his assignments in places like Berlin, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Middle East. They are accentuated with stories and subtext so you not only see as though you were the one standing behind his lens amidst the struggles of war, but you could read about what each experience was like for him.
Don McCullin’s NUJ Press card of 1975, the year in which he was barred from entering Vietnam. Copyright IWM
McCullin develops his own prints, and with my major interest in photo journalism, it was so incredible for me to see some of his dark room editing notes on display. There was a camera, his Nikon F, in a display case that stopped a bullet for him. This, including passports, clothing and other items still caked with mud and covered in stains, changed the iconic Don McCullin into someone real and relatable. Walking through the exhibit, you struggled with him, you saw what he saw and felt what he felt.
“After Berlin I started becoming aware of the power of photography. I thought to myself that, for once in my life, I had a purpose. I had to use it. I thought I could turn people’s minds and even change situations. I was naïve…these photographs may have helped shape attitudes, but they certainly have not turned anything around.” (pg. 39). I had the privilege of looking through the book (actually, I couldn’t put it down, and read the entire thing in a mere few hours) that accompanied the exhibition and it did an excellent job outlining the life and career of McCullin and how he got into his profession.
A Turkish Cypriot woman mourns the death of her husband at Ghaziveram, Cyprus, 1964. Copyright Don McCullin
Growing up in the time of the war and bombings of London, he had seen devastation and violence as a child, which made it less of a shock later in life. He didn’t realize he was interested in photography until his adult years when he joined the army and was sent down to Kenya to join their photographic unit. It was his first real encounter with film and photography- he developed an interest, worked in the dark room, and took pictures of people at bus stops. From that bus stop, he went on to document some of the most famous wars in our lifetime, trying to find a balance between his personal life and his work, shielding his emotions from the horrors he encountered.
A US Marine takes stock during a brief pause in the fighting during the Battle for Hue, Vietnam, 1968. Copyright Don McCullin
Upon entering the exhibition, you will see one of his most famous pieces, “Shellshocked US Marine, Hue, Vietnam,” along with many others. This piece is a close-up black and white photograph of a marine with such a stillness and quiet intensity, it’s as if he’s been frozen in place. This photograph has been said to show the effects of war on the individual psyche. There are many other pieces in the exhibition that are just as captivating, some unbelievable and hard to look at. The extremities and hatred humans are capable of in the time of war stand beside those of compassion and interdependence, and it just gives you so much insight as to what was really going on behind the news cameras and television reports.
“Shaped by War” was such a moving exhibition. It gave you a glimpse of the personal side of war, each photograph telling an individual story and taken so well you couldn’t help but to try and relate to the times, and feel for the individuals and what they were going through. The exhibition will be running into 2012, so I would highly recommend making a visit to The Imperial War Museum to see it before it is finished. Don McCullin is an inspiration, incredible storyteller, and magnificent photographer that should be praised for the work that he has done and the truth he has shown.
The Don McCullin exhibition will be featured at the Imperial War Museum from 7 October 2011 to the 15 April 2012. For more information please visit the Imperial War Museum website.
*Shaped by War: Photographs by Don McCullin at Imperial War Museum London.
