Taryn Simon: book and solo show at Tate Modern

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When previous projects have seen American artist Taryn Simon meticulously collecting 1,075 images of items seized from passengers entering the US from abroad, or the careful, laborious documentation of wrongful convictions in the US, your first impression may be of the incredibly political, obsessive and, one could almost argue, geeky nature of her work. The fact that she is the current darling of the art photography world, recently named 'an Annie Leibovitz of the conceptual world' by the Observer, and the guestlist at her recent opening at the Tate Modern included Stephen Spielberg, Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow, may not be immediately obvious.
But then, that is probably how Simon would prefer to keep things. Despite being represented by Larry Gagosian, and her work being acquired by leading institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney in NY, the Getty Museum in LA and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, her deeply serious and politically fraught work certainly shows no signs of being penetrated by the glitz and glamour that may currently be buzzing around her.
Her latest incredible body of work, a four-year odyssey entitled 'A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters', currently showing at the Tate Modern in London and presented in an extensive and beautiful tome published by Mack, is a complex, multi-layered study of descendants of 18 different bloodlines from around the world, each with an arresting story at its heart. With 817 portraits systematically arranged, including 'empty' portraits representing living members of a bloodline who could not be photographed, the chapters include the story of an Indian man who discovered that he and members of his family had been listed as dead, an Iraqi man who was employed as Saddam Hussein's son's body double and test rabbits in Queensland, Australia which were first introduced there in 1859 for hunting purposes, but which the authorities are today struggling to keep under control.
Presented in a strict, structured appearance resembling an encyclopaedia, the ordering stands in stark contrast to the emotional elements embodied in the stories including violence, resilience, corruption and survival.
Born and brought up in New York, Simon was always passionate about photography, although she studied environmental science at Brown University. After having work published in the New York Times magazine and gaining a Guggenheim grant, her big break came in 2003 when her first book, The Innocents (Umbrage Editions), received huge critical acclaim. She has since had two further books published by Steidl, An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar (2007) and Contraband (2010) and solo shows across the globe including the Whitney in New York, Museum Fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York.
Next stop, the Venice Biennale, of course. And we, for one, can't wait to have a first peak. Check back next week to see our coverage of Simon's photographs at the Danish pavilion, and other work on show at the most significant art event in the world.
Left, Yadav, Shivdutt. Right, Yadav, Nageena
The portraits are also accompanied by other photographs that help tell the narrative. Here on the left is the letter to the chief judicial magistrate of Azamgarh demanding official recognition that Shivdutt, Chandrabhan, Phoolchand and Ram Surat Yadav are living and maintain legal title to their land. Right, is the record of land ownership listing Shivdutt, Chandrabhan, and Phoolchand Yadav as dead and granting transfer of their land to their cousins
Taryn Simon also includes empty portraits of those who couldn't be photographed. From left, Yadav, Babloo; Yadav Mukesh; Yadav, Urmila; Yadav Amit
Chapter II focuses on Arthur Ruppin who was sent by the Zionist Organization to Palestine in 1907 and committed himself to the establishment of an independent Jewish state through continued land acquisition and settlement
Portrait panel of Arthur Ruppin's bloodline
Advertisement for the 'The Pyramid of the Jewish National Home'
Card index of immigrants and candidates for immigration to Palestine/Isreal from 1919 to 1965 and Palestine Police Curfew Pass issued to Arthur Ruppin
Chapter IV charts Latif Yahia (pictured) who claims to have been the body double of Uday Hussein, Saddam Hussein's son
From left, Yahia, Bahar; Yahia Latif; Yahia Tamara
From left, Yahia Saif; Yahia Omar; Yahia Chimin
Alleged letter from Uday Hussein to the director of Iraqi intelligence demanding Latif Yahia's return to Iraq
Gold-plated Iraqi AK-47 seized by members of the American Defense Intelligence Agency during a search of Uday Hussein's palace in Baghdad
From left, Yahia, Latif Jotiar; Yahia, Charlie; Yahia Dina
Medals received by Latif Yahia in 1991 for alleged service to the Iraqi government as Uday Hussein's body double in Kuwait
Chapter VI took Taryn Simon to Queensland Australia, where she studied and photographed the bloodlines of test rabbits. First introduced here in 1859 for hunting purposes, the authorities are today struggling to keep their growth under control
Left, Haigh's chocolate Easter Bilby replaced Haigh's Easter Bunny in 1993 having joined forces with the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia and to counter the annual celebration of rabbits. Right, Rabbits killed by NatureCall, an organization set up in an effort to elimate rabbits from private properties
Chapter XVII focuses on children aged between six and 16. Current orphanage records show that only one child was adopted in a 12-month period
All the children's names have been withheld
Left; History classroom at the orphanage with framed inscription above the blackboard. Translated from Ukrinian, it reads: 'Those who do not know their past are not worthy of their future..'. Right above, boys' bedroom at the orphanage. Below, girls' bedroom at the orphanage
Installation view of the show at the Tate Modern
Installation view of the show at the Tate Modern
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