Don McCullin in Africa

DonMcCullin'sreputationstandsasoneofthegreatestwarphotographersofourtimes.InrecentyearshehasphotographedthelandscapesurroundinghishomeinSomerset,buthislatertravelshavetakenhimtosomeofthemostremoteregionsintheworld.Hisskillinphotographingpeopleinextremesituationshasenabledhimtomixwithtribesontheedgesofcivilisation.HisworkamongthepeopleofIrianJaya,includingcannibals,appearedinhislastbook,DonMcCullin.McCullin'snewworkinAfricareachesoneofthelastcornersoftheearthwheresignsofoutsideinfluencearefew,thoughtheyappearominouslysignificant.OverthelasttwoyearsDonMcCullinhastravelledsouthfromAddisAbabainEthiopiatothevalleyoftheOmoRiverleadingdowntotheborderwithSudan.TherehehasenteredthetriballandsoftheSurma,theGheleb,theBume,theErbore,theBene,theBodi,theKaro,theHamarandtheMursi.Extraordinarybodypaintsdecoratemanyoftheirbodies.Metalworkadornstheirlimbs,and,inthecaseoftheMursi,hugecircularplatesextendtheirlowerlipsandpiercingsopenuplargeholesintheirearlobes.Ritualisticstickbattlesareenactedwithferocity.Riflesandmachinegunsareoftencradledinthehandsofwarriors.TheviolenceMcCullinwitnessedwasstagedbutrealdangerswereclose.Africantribespeoplecanpresentanotherfaceoftheexotictothoseofusinmodern,developedcultures,especiallyifthephotographyrecognisesnothingoftheirdignitybutalloftheirexoticism.McCullinknowstoomuchtofallintothattrap.McCullin'ssubjectsretaintheirdignityandalsobecomeheroic.We,theviewers,canbeamazedbytheirstrengthandbeauty,andallthemoresobecauseMcCullin'scompassionatephotographyenablesustounderstandtheirvulnerability.McCullin'sphotographswillbeprefacedbyextractsfromhisdiaries.(20040922)