imperial wars , imperiial agendas

I find it fascinating to see how master narratives are constructed. Especially the master narratives of master photographers. So much of their work is passed over  to push the  work that makes the photographer a Master, usually of a certain salable Style . A desired and salable commodity in  Art Markets populated by master artists and their eminently marketable Masterpieces.

 The passed over work does reappear, though - when it  serves a useful purpose.

In India , Homai Vyarawalla and her husband, Manekshaw, were part of the Second World War  propaganda effort.They worked for the British Information Service and  their photographs were propagated through the leading pictorial magazine  of its time. "The Illustrated Weekly of India "

 Raghu Rai's photographs of the refugees from  the then East Pakistan were toured internationally by the Government of India  as powerful visual propaganda  that pushed for  the Indian intervention that led to the creation of Bangladesh .

The Imperial "War" Museum  retains the visual memories of countless imperial wars. Carefully culled,  they are being showcased again, at a time  when Britain strives to justify its increasing military interventions around the world. The Wars that would rather be otherwise named.

Beaton was commissioned by the Ministry of Information and the show contains strikingly beautiful photographs which show not only the devastation caused by Nazi bombs but also resilience and camaraderie. There are also photographs from the Middle East, India, Burma and China.

In particular his photographs of Winston Churchill, the royal family and a little girl called Eileen Dunne all played a propaganda part in helping to bring American public opinion round to intervening in the war.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/sep/05/cecil-beaton-war-photography-exhibition

Cecil Beaton's rare war photography – in pictures

Though he's known for celebrity portraits, Beaton was one of the most prolific photographers of life during the second world war, taking over 7,000 pictures between 1940-45 in Britain as well as China and Africa. Featuring everything from blitz bomb damage to smoking soldiers, here's a selection of Beaton's rare war images.

• Cecil Beaton: Theatre of War is at the Imperial War Museum from 6 September until 31 December 2012http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2012/aug/31/cecil-beaton-war-photography-pictures?intcmp=239

I'm trying to make people think about British Imperialism," says Norfolk. "I can't stand the kind of news photography that's coming out of Afghanistan - photographs of 'our boys' bravely defending our interests despite the fact they don't have enough helicopters. It makes me really angry. The thing I love about photography is that it gets me out of the house and looking at the world but that's the thing i hate about it too - it makes me look at the surface of things and how they look.

"I couldn't give a stuff about how things look, I want to know why things happen, and why they happen again and again. The photojournalists who go to Afghanistan may be very brave, and their photographs may be very good, but I think their politics suck.'

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2145402/simon-norfolk-wins-portrait-prize-world-press-photo