McCullin is one of the most famous war photographers in history. For more than seventy years, his lens has documented the anguish of survivors of conflicts, famines and calamities worldwide. His work, characterized by haunting emotional gravity and arresting images, gives us an unapologetic glimpse into our shared human struggle and triumph. McCullin’s career has encompassed coverage of conflicts in various regions, including El Salvador, Chad, Northern Ireland, and Beirut, to name a few.
Born into a war of a different type, McCullin ran hard from his own demons. His father was an asthmatic, living in poverty and oppression the likes of which are well documented, and died when McCullin was only 14 years old. Though tragic, this early loss contributed greatly to his understanding of life and mortality. As a child, he was sent to live on a chicken farm in Lancashire as part of the wartime evacuation. He spent 18 weeks there, and calls it a “really horrible” experience.
In the late 1960s, McCullin’s devotion to his craft frequently drove a wedge between him and his home life. He would ultimately gain the reputation as someone willing to risk his own life to shine a light on the dark realities of war. The experiences he had in these war-torn regions were not without danger themselves. In 1972, he stood witness to the ruin of Uganda. Consequently, he found himself jailed in Makindye prison, concerned he wouldn’t survive the experience.
He fell off a roof during a gun fight, injuring himself so badly that doctors told him his career was over. Even in the face of such experiences, he was able to hold on to a clarity of purpose. “I don’t want to be a war correspondent,” he said, expressing his commitment to exposing what lurks in the darkest facets of mankind.
McCullin’s photographic journey has taken him through many of the world’s most dangerous locations. He hiked into guerrilla encampments in Eritrea and spent six weeks under fire shooting the Truce and Troubles of Northern Ireland. He has photographed some of the most complicated historic moments including massacres in east Beirut, where thousands of Palestinian lives were cut short.
The emotional toll of this work has certainly taken its toll on McCullin. He has yet to receive a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite all this, he is plagued by arresting nightmares and NFL sleep darting every night and tiptoes into slumber land. “I never harmed any of the people in my pictures,” he insists, emphasizing his role as an observer rather than an active participant in the suffering he documented.
A formidable reckoning through the looking glass of personal connections. He left his first wife for his second partner, an act of betrayal for which he now admits he is still haunted with guilt. In addition, he has found influence in his marriage to Catherine. Collectively, they’ve spent over 20 delightful years making this possible as writer and podcaster.
Over the course of his long career, McCullin built up a truly remarkable archive of around 70,000 negatives. He remains deeply critical of the money and nature of the work he used to do. “I am slightly fed up with my more known pictures because they’re classically, iconically composed,” he remarked. It’s the raw experiences of humans he prefers that cuts deeper.
In honor of his contributions to the practice and art of photography and journalism, McCullin was awarded a knighthood in 2017. This honor left him feeling uneasy. That they were being given to him and over-rewarded, he felt like,” she said, while admitting the price — which is always paid in other people’s lives — is often not looked at closely enough.
McCullin’s art of photography is in this drama—far beyond a practice of observation or facts, it is a summons to meditate and respond. Yet, he continues to push viewers to wrestle with white supremacy’s harsh truths articulated in his oeuvre. Take it, you owe it to yourself – it’s in your cities,” he has called, encouraging the awareness and compassion that can elevate one’s experience.
With dogged spirit, McCullin goes on to wrestle with the complexities of memory and morality. He hasn’t compromised the ultimate goal of his work, which is to capture the human condition. “I can stand in these fields for two or three hours and not get a picture,” he said, illustrating his patience and dedication to finding truth amidst chaos.