"Contraband"
Images by Taryn Simon
Where: Belfast Exposed Gallery
When: 28 October to 30 December 2011
Review by Suzi Taylor
I was eager in anticipation for this exhibition to open. I had read about it on the Belfast Exposed website and was counting the days until I had to opportunity to visit it.
The image used to advertise this selection of work was both a powerful and a curious one. It certainly intrigued me anyway!
Entitled 'Bird Corpse,' it had a dark essence about it, yet it somehow acted as a somewhat stomach churning bait to invite you in to see this exhibition.
The artist, Taryn Simon is a native New Yorker, born in 1975. Simon's style of photography has a very forensic / documentary approach to it. Her work has been exhibited in many institutions throughout the world's major cities. Some of these include galleries in London, New York, Frankfurt, Berlin and Los Angeles.
Simon has also a list of books published involving both her photography and writings. These include: Contraband, An American Index of the Hidden Unfamiliar, A living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters. (links to the publications found at end of this article)
Upon entering the gallery, the space was clean and open. I gathered the vital information before taking the first lap.
There were many glass frames protruding from the walls. Ranging from high up above your line of view, to images around shoulder height. The images were small, perhaps no more than 6x6 each. Very cleanly presented. Easy on the eye, and a nice flowing theme throughout. A crisp white background with the subject in the center of the photograph.
At first inspection of the first group of images, it frustrated me that the subjects I wanted a closer look at where positioned higher above head height. Maybe this was intentional.
Another noticeable frustration that I noted was the image sat around 5" behind the glass. On a few occasions the glass and my nose collided as I tried to get in close to the tiny image to get a better look.
I liked how the images were framed and positioned. Each long glass frame contained a small collection of images in a horizontal row.
The whole collection of images totals to an astonishing 1075 image, which Simon photographed over a five day stint at John F Kennedy International Airport, NY.
The series 'Contraband' is a documentary approach through photography that's aim was to capture an image of items that had been seized from passengers and mail entering America from abroad.
I took a quick read of the exhibit information and could see a few interesting objects on the list. Some of these included:
- Animal Corpses
- Animal Skeletons
- Butterflies
- Snails
- Ketamine
- GBL
- Fake clothing (including counterfeit Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, and Ugg)
- Pharmaceuticals (many of these)
- Duck Tongue
- Pirated DVD series's
- Fake Watches
- Fake Gold
- Viagra
- Diet Pills
- Pistols
- Guinea Pigs
As I continued my way around, I couldn't help but notice how forensic this approach really was, and with some of the subjects involved, it definitely made an interesting image to observe.
I was taken back by the guinea pigs....cooked guinea pigs. An image almost as shocking as the one used to advertise this body of work.
Counterfeit DVD's didn't make the most interesting photograph, but it did represent the demand that exists for these pirated items, even with the use of the internet to download illegally. The demand for such items are obviously as high as the drugs and fake clothing that also appears exhibited.
Initially I had thought this exhibition may have had a bit more of a shock factor to it. I'm not denying that some of the images weren't disturbing to look at, but what I found most intriguing of all, was the vast range of objects individuals were trying to smuggle into the USA.
I walked around the gallery again thinking to myself "why would you try to send these? What would your reasons be for doing so? Are some of these objects that sought after? Who in the right mind would try and bring a burnt guinea pig into the country. Who would send a dead eagle through the mail?!"
Questions questions questions as I circled the gallery again. So many images, so many questions.
The works to me, make up a catalog of images along with another catalog of open ended questions about the subjects.
I really liked this display of Taryn Simon's work and was keen to find out more.
I found out that Source Photographic Review journal had featured one of her previous exhibitions in an article. I found this in my college library and was pleasantly surprised to find that her last exhibition - "A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters" was presented in much the same way.
This to me, is a very dedicated way to work. Personally as a photographer, I think I would go mad photographing subjects in the same style for each one of my projects. That said, her projects are detailed, comprehensive and well researched. Time is taken to do things right, diving deep to document her topics correctly.
With the use of both photography and supporting writings, Simon's work opens up the project/s to a level must more than just photographs.
Her processes at times seem painstaking and laborious; for that, I personally really like her strict approach to documentation through a lens.
If you like the look of "Contraband' I strongly suggest you check out a few articles or exhibitions from Taryn Simon if you can.
In the meantime, here are a few links that you might enjoy and find an interesting look and read...
Taryn Simon's Official Website
Wired - 2008 review
http://www.gagosian.com - Something a bit more recent
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