TARYN SIMON /

 EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER I, 'A LIVING MAN DECLARED DEAD AND OTHER CHAPTERS, I-XVIII', 2011

A VERY POWERFUL AND EXCELLENTLY CURATED EXHIBITION I SAW TODAY AT THE TATE MODERN, FROM A MUCH SOUGHT-AFTER AND LEADING FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY ART PHOTOGRAPHY.  AN EXTENSIVE AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO 18 INTERNATIONAL FAMILY BLOODLINES REVEALING THE COMPLEX STRUCTURES OF GENDER, RELIGION, POWER, POLITICS AND THE AFTERMATH OF WAR THAT ACT UPON THE EXISTING MEMBERS OF EACH BLOODLINE ('CHAPTER').

IT'S FREE, AND EASILY ONE OF THE BEST EXHIBITIONS OF THE YEAR SO FAR IN MY OPINION.

AT THE LEVEL TWO GALLERY IS ANOTHER EXCELLENT (AND ALSO FREE!) COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITION FROM TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS DEALING WITH THE EXACT SAME SUBJECT MATTER, AN AFGHANISTAN RAVAGED BY IMPERIALIST WAR, SEPARATED ONLY BY A 111-YEAR GULF OF TIME.  VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND WORTH SEEING FOR THE FIRST-CLASS PRINTS...

"THE BEAUTY OF THESE THINGS IS ONLY EVER TACTICAL - THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS NOT TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES - THE REASON I'M HERE IS TO ARTICULATE THE ANGER OF MY POLITICS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS WAR, AND THE BRUTALITY THAT'S BEING VISITED ON AFGHANISTAN BY BARBARIANS, IMPERIALISTS.  JUST ANOTHER WAVE OF SORRY IMPERIALISTS WITH THE SAME STUPID DELUSIONS AS THE LAST LOT, AND THE SAME MURDEROUS INCOMPETENCE."

- SIMON NORFOLK, FROM 'BURKE & NORFOLK: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN' EXHIBITION FILM (17MINS), 2011