Magnum Blog / The Chain, The Maze, The Dirty, The Incarcerated

The Chain, The Maze, The Dirty, The Incarcerated

Documenting the conditions of detention centers is not a novel preoccupation of Magnum photographers, nor is reflecting on the philosophy versus the reality of incarceration. Donovan Wylie, Chien Chi Chang, Carl de Keyzer, Alex Majoli and Jean Gaumy have all produced books related to this topic. Tearsheet from Donovan Wylie's 2004 book 'The Maze.' For nearly 30 years, the Maze prison, ten miles outside Belfast, played a unique role in the Northern Ireland troubles. Built in 1976, it became a microcosm of the struggle between loyalists and republicans, with prisoners segregated in the infamous H-Blocks according to their political beliefs and membership of paramilitary organizations. It was the scene of violent protests, hunger strikes, mass escapes and deaths of both prisoners and prison staff.

Jim Casper

Excellent review of Chien Chi Chang's book, The Chain, in Lens Culture:
http://www.lensculture.com/chain.html

James Cox

People might also like to look at Jane Evelyn Atwood's work on Women in Prison: janeevelynatwood.com

james.mcveigh2@btopenworld.com

great

matthew porter

i love your black and white images they are great!

and i really like the way you capture the depth of feild

irene

MENTAL PATIENS: i like how this photos sais , !you only know a smal part there is ,in these child meant and in these place! its live.

Alain RIO

Discovering this blog. As many "amateurs", I consider Magnum as the one reference agency. I was curious about the blog.
It is great!
I will be back often, and follow the development of this blog with the greatest interest.
Thanks guys!!!

Alain RIO

A very good work about females in jail by the Mexican photographer Patricia Aridjis.
Name of her work: "horas negras"

here is the link: http://zonezero.com/EXPOSICIONES/fotografos/aridjis/indexsp.html

Have a nice day!

Peter

"Documenting the conditions of detention centers is not a novel preoccupation of Magnum photographers, nor is reflecting on the philosophy versus the reality of incarceration. Donovan Wylie, Chien Chi Chang, Carl de Keyzer, Alex Majoli and Jean Gaumy have all produced books related to this topic." Indeed. But one may ask "with what purpose"? It's not that following the publication of their books the photographers went out of their way to argue for better prison conditions; to alert the world to abuses; to educate the world on human rights. Instead, they are artists. In my opinion, these productions represent more of a fine line between 'art' -in the sense that the photos possess a recognizable estetique. And then there is also a sprinkle of the voyeur thrown into the mix. Perhaps this is why there are so many publications on mental asylums, prisons, war, neglect, hunger and the plague. It sells. Editors love it. Because it offers the buyer a peek into the abyss. Sometimes I have the feeling that the photographers attracted to this genre conduct themselves as the proverbial "priest in a whorehouse".