A Magnum Photographer
- Left school at 16
- No qualifications
- Photography gave him confidence
began to find hisself 14 yrs ago when he thought he couldn't take pictures
No knowledge of History or theory
Took 'Walker Evans' book to bed each night [Really fond of Walker Evans]
Sent his work to Magnum-became a photo journalist
it was difficult -never had done it-learned to make Reportage photos-got thrown out basically for a time
Began to study-realized that it is a hugely complicated and responsible business
Went back to Ireland
Felt like a loner growing up-mixed marriage parents-felt disposed by both sides
looked at his fathers background an obsession to know more or something took over him
Went to his uncle, he ided week later was searching there at his house, found a 'scrapbook' it is one of the last things he has published.
trying to make sense of himself at this point
But was basically making something about Northern Ireland
Searching everything for photos, started with his family
Walker Evans-about this time-more about human nature
Claims he wasn't trying to say something about the conflict -just collecting-
Felt it was wrong to make it a historical narrative early on
When it was edited and put together it brought closure
[Therapeutic]
'The Maze'
Researching books helped him realize how difficult it wass to decide how to shoot the prison
The prison was a human trap, a machine, you could not hide, the repetition of it was designed to grind you down.
Seeing it as a machine-decided to photograph it as a machine
it is a statement of a machine doing a job, not about Northern Ireland
showed us photograph of one of the towers-explained how it symbolizes vision, sight and power, repetition
Loves photos with history in them-Not about history
Loves the idea of vision and sight having power-stems from the photo of the watch tower
'British Watch Towers' Steidl(publisher)
the structures have a brutal beauty-a tension between them and the landscape
took a year and a half to photograph
it began being removed-questioned where it goes? to Afghanistan some of it
all the towers are gone now
His own work-trying to get something from it
Went to Iraq-a work on the green zone
-an American Buble
'Outposts'
-Went to Afghanistan
-a continuation of Watch Towers
-1 year of research
-access is the trouble
-not allowed in to photograph
-when they are pulling out, then he got in but can't publish until they are out
-allowed to shoot images from the tower
[his images contain: Architecture, Landscape, Ideas. It reveals: Human nature-controlling, occupying, surviving]
-in one area it took 6 hours to go 3 or 4 kilometers due to IED's
-connecting towers and views
-grand landscape views emerge
-no idea this would happen
-the towers look vulnerable but are very strong in Reality
-Trying to say-I follow what interests and excites me shaped by where he grew up, discovering ideas. vision. control. power
Getting Access?
- Persistence
- They have fears-eliminate the fears
- Give them the power
- Having partners helps
Donovans Primary goal for his photographs is the wall-but a photograph of Edith and Len on the Wall doesn't make sense it should be in a book
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