Sir Don McCullin

Don McCullin enjoys an international reputation as the greatest living exponent of conflict photography. He has looked at war through his lens in such diverse places as Afghanistan, Beirut, Cambodia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Iraq, Northern Ireland, The Congo and Vietnam. The assignments he has undertaken focus on those who have suffered most from their war-torn environment. His stark imagery projects the harsh realities of war and the suffering of the poor into the comfortable homes of those who can relax reading their Sunday newspapers.

Don used his own experience of a poverty-stricken and violent childhood in Finsbury Park, London, to bring a unique empathy to his shots. The first picture he published appeared in The Observer back in 1958, and featured a street gang that had been involved in an incident that resulted in a policeman being murdered.

Don has suffered for his art, and has not only been imprisoned and survived severe injuries, but has put his life on the line more than once in order to capture permanent snapshots in time. He has lived by his wits for most of his lifetime and taken full advantage of his instincts to fully document a story in the right place at the right time.

He possesses a strong ethical compass and sense of justice and this, combined with an acute awareness of global politics, affords him the charisma to speak about his life with a dry and honest eloquence. Don paints a picture with the words he uses, in an entertaining and educational way, to describe the conflicts he has witnessed and the events that have shaped the history of the world during the last 50 years.

At 80 years old, Don’s passion shows no sign of abating and he has recently returned from another trip to Iraq. This is a stark contrast to the other areas he has branched out into, which include published work on the architectural landmarks in the Middle East and Northern Africa and a series of images of Somerset’s haunting landscape, where he now calls home.

He has lived a life fraught with action, danger and ultimate survival whilst creating a collection of superb images that document some of the most horrific events during the mid-20th century up to the present day.