Tracing Susan Meiselas’ journey through photography

An interview — We chat to legendary Magnum photographer Susan Meiselas about memory, Mediations, and what she’s learned from four decades in the business.

For more than 40 years, American photographer Susan Meiselas has grounded her work in the idea of place. Whether working on the front lines of civil war in Nicaragua or backstage with carnival strippers in New England, Meiselas is fully present in the moment, seeing not just the surface of things but that which lies beneath – the spirit within the flesh and bone that continues to live in her photographs long after they are made.

Mediations, her newest book (Damiani/Jeu de Paume/Fundació Tàpies) traces her singular journey across time and space, exploring the ways in which the photograph works as object, art, and evidence. The book, which accompanies a touring exhibition that will open at SFMoMA on July 21, is not so much a catalogue as it is a meditation on the threads that weave the complex tapestry of Meiselas’ career.

In it, a variety of writers offer their take on the issues that inform the questions at the heart of her work; such the language of the body, the meaning of place, the position of the photographer, and the legacy of documentary work. They also begin to consider the ways in which the photograph works as a book or a print, a scan or a memory.

Everyone traveling by car, truck, bus or foot is searched, Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua 1978

Everyone traveling by car, truck, bus or foot is searched, Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua 1978

 

“Pictures live in time,” Meiselas explains. “Pictures live in memory. Pictures are out of one’s hands once they are in some form that can be reproduced. The work dwells in you in a way and you rediscover it, you rediscover links to it, and questions you have about it.”

With every project, Meiselas adapts to the requirements the story demands. The book and exhibition begin in a very intimate space, with small black and white photographs from the 1971 series, 44 Irving Place. Among those included is a self-portrait made at 23 years old, present yet nearly invisible due to the use of a long exposure. It is the perfect visual metaphor of Meiselas at work, whether behind the camera or long after the print has been made.

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

 

“The exhibition and [book] take its title from early work where I am trying to make sense of the distribution of images, which I am really experiencing for the first time having been part of Magnum Photos and part of the network of distribution,” she says. “I was starting to see what happened to all of the photographs and the object of the photograph.”

In the exhibition, we see her work running in three rows across a very long wall, presented as work prints, finished prints, tearsheets, slides, and pages from books in order to “show the life of an image and the notion of re-appropriation of images that travel beyond that time.”

I literally got something this morning on Facebook, with someone using the Molotov Man [one of Meisela’s most famous shots] and tied it to an image that was photographed by someone anonymously yesterday in the streets of Nicaragua – which are in flames right now in response to some of the actions that Ortega took and are trying to take him down. They went back to this image made almost 40 years ago to draw a parallel. It’s a continuous dialogue of images. People are constantly revising old forms and going beyond what we could imagine then. I think about that a lot.”

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

 

The questions of possibilities, of thinking anew, of considering fresh perspectives that the situation demands have allowed Meiselas to question and examine the possibilities of what the photograph is and does. For Meiselas, the photograph goes beyond the object itself, becoming a means to connect, collaborate, and converse with her subjects and viewers.

“It makes life more meaningful, that’s for sure,” she confirms. “Looking backwards, there is so much memory loss. Doing a show like this opens up some of the caverns of memory: finding bits and pieces and trying to figure out the appropriate amount of artefact to try to give a feel for the process within a specific time frame. Going back to go forward as they say.”

Traditional Indian dance mask from the town of Monimbo. 1978

Traditional Indian dance mask from the town of Monimbo. 1978

Self-Portrait, from the series 44 Irving Street, 1971 

Self-Portrait, from the series 44 Irving Street, 1971

Awaiting counterattack by the Guard, Matagalpa, September 1978 from the series Reframing History

Awaiting counterattack by the Guard, Matagalpa, September 1978 from the series Reframing History

Signed portrait, Marrakech, Morocco, from the project 20 dirhams or 1 photo?, 2013

Signed portrait, Marrakech, Morocco, from the project 20 dirhams or 1 photo?, 2013

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

Susan Meiselas / Magnum Photos

 

Mediations is available now.

Follow Miss Rosen on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Crowd of silhouetted people at a nighttime event with colourful lighting and a bright spotlight on stage.
Music

Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists

We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Black-and-white image of two men in suits, with the text "EVERYTHING IS COMPUTER" in large bright yellow letters overlaying the image.
Culture

Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?

Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.

Written by: Emma Garland

A group of people, likely children, sitting around a table surrounded by various comic books, magazines, and plates of food.
© Michael Jang
Culture

How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography

The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Silhouette of person on horseback against orange sunset sky, with electricity pylon in foreground.
Culture

The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth

Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Couple sitting on ground in book-filled environment
Culture

The British intimacy of ‘the afters’

Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to stay informed from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, with personal takes on the state of media and pop culture in your inbox every month from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.