Entertainment For Lively Minds
Don McCullin at the Oxford Literary Festival
Posted by Patrick Crowther on 23 February 2010 - 7:09pm.
I thought some members of the Massive might like to know that the great photographer Don McCullin will be giving a talk at the Oxford Literary Festival on Saturday 27th March at 12pm, Christ Church college. The Box Office number is 0870 343 1001. Tickets are £10.
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Some of the great man's extraordinary photographs...
Thanks Patrick
Think I'll try to get to that. I remember seeing him on Parkinson years ago and he was absolutely riveting.
Considering the subject matter
I apologise for being so shallow but I would love to know the stories behind the 4th and 6th pictures.
*Gets out McCullin book*
The sixth image is a homeless man shot in Spitalfields, London, in 1969. Here's what McCullin says about the fourth one, which was taken in the early 1970s:
The fourth photograph...
McCullin found Snowy, the man in the portrait, standing by the side of the road with an ice-cream barrow in Cambridge, in the early 1970s. He pulled the mouse out of his pocket and put it into his mouth as McCullin took pictures.
The sixth photograph...
A homeless Irishman photographed at Spitalfields in 1969.
Thanks
they are all startling images. This bloody place is costing me a fortune with all the recomendations, I can't make the talk but I will search out his book.
I'm afraid one book won't cover everything...
His war photographs are collected together in this book, simply entitled Don McCullin.
There's a wonderful book of his photographs taken in England called In England.
And there's a book (just published) to accompany a touring exhibition at the Imperial War Museums called Shaped By War.
The latest book is interesting as it reproduces his images in their original context with reproductions of the magazine covers on which they featured.
Indeed
I don't think the "mouse" photo is in the first book you mention, which is a otherwise a pretty good place to start.
Thanks Patrick
I will now search out his books. I might be really adventurous and take a trip to the library, remember those?
If you do go to the library...
look for a book of his called Sleeping With Ghosts. It's long out of print but it's a classic. The title refers to McCullin's much-quoted line that at times he feels like he sleeps with ghosts because he has filing cabinets in his house full of negatives of people he's known who have died.
John Tusa conducted an excellent interview with McCullin...
some time back which you can listen to here.
See his work in Manchester
I attended the most extraordinary exhibition of McCullin's war photgraphy at the Imperial War Museum North at the weekend. Strongly recommended, some of the images will remain with me for a very long time.
http://north.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.3171
Mrs Beach was shopping at the nearby hellhole of Trafford Park (shudder).
He's also on at the Bath Lit Fest
...but tickets are sadly sold out already. I'm on the lengthy wait list.
Irving Penn
Just went to the inspirational Irving Penn exhibition at National Portrait Gallery today.
Patrick - do you know anyone interested in doing some portrait photographs ..in the style of Irving Penn? I have a small project in mind. I couldn't contact you via your web site, but I am in Oxford too.
Please let me know nick@nicktalbot.co.uk