A Living Man Declared Dead And Other Chapters

Taryn Simon is an amazing contemporary art photographer known for her elaborate, thought-provoking works which probe beneath the surface of human nature and interactions.  Her latest exhibit, A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters, chronicles 18 generational families over a four year period of time.  Using images and text, Simon attempts to map the relationships between chance, blood, circumstance & fate, and discern patterns embedded in the narratives she follows.  From Bosnian genocide victims, to the presumed dead in India, to Australian lab rabbits, each forms a "chapter" in which Simon examines how external forces (territory, power, circumstance, religion) collide with the internal (psychological & physical inheritance) in a fascinating art-world-meets-anthropology type of exposition.

Below are some snapshots of Simon's current work at the Tate Modern, but I highly recommend watching the video clip above to hear her explanation and overview of the exhibit.

-photography by Taryn Simon-