Taryn Simon photographs secret sites

[crudhousefull]

Love this lady

[crudhousefull]

Her beauty really disrupts my concentration. She should try to get someone worse looking to do the speaking

[roboshea]

WHAT A SMART AND TALENTED WOMAN XX

[jtyr71]

I transcribed some key quotes:

Photography threatens fantasy. They didn’t want to let my camera in because it confronts constructed realities, myths, and beliefs and provides what appears to be evidence of a truth, but there are multiple truths attached to every image, depending on the creator’s intention, the viewer, and the context in which it is presented.

[jtyr71]

I wanted to see the center with my own eyes, but what I came away with is a photograph, and its just another place to observe and the understanding that there are no absolute, all-knowing insiders, and the outsider can never really reach the core.

[jtyr71]

A big part of the work that is absent in this context is text. So I create these two poles. Every image is accompanied with a very detailed, factual text. What I ‘m most interested in is the invisible space between a text and its accompanying image and how the image is transformed by the text and the text by the image. So at best the image is meant to float away into abstraction, and multiple truths, and fantasy. And then the text functions as this cruel anchor that nails it to the ground.

[matinmadona]

No way out man Asian women  #lushfmlk.info#

[OhHey1tsRay]

Wow.

[jakuna3333]

I can see how many of you don't listen. The point here is not about being wrongfuly convicted or not, pay attention to the beggining and the end. At first she is showing you the reply from disney, which talks about deceiving people. At the end you are shown how easily you can be fooled, as the old saying : appareances deceive. Pay attention to the story behind each photograph. Notice how she points out the propaganda being thrown at you and then she points out the real story. Learn to listen!

[vbox8]

i dont get it why is she going from a boy's corpse to a room full with marijuana to a submarine to some other stuff 

[astrologysongs]

Excellent. You captured me.

[saadk88]

You're so pretty, and obviously a genius.

Marry me? :D

[suetiggers]

Regarding the wrongfully convicted, there are now so many more cases of this due to the present sex offenr laws. I worked in child protective services for years& as a therapist have seen examples of too many situations where an angry teen lies to get back at her father/stepfather.There are terrible miscarriages of justice in the legal system but few care about this. So it continues to hurt so many. The sex offender laws must change ! They hurt men who are not dangerous, esp. to children.

[curzmg]

She is obviously intelligent and overall it was an interesting presentation. I do think the second theme is a little righteous though.

[Timrath]

@curzmg How do you mean that? In that the choice of the theme was inappropriate, or in that she did it in an inappropriate way?

[curzmg]

It just feels as though she is trying to make a point with it, something along the lines of 'innocent people should not be locked up'. That feels like a serious judgement of the justice system, it is comparatively easier to take pretty pictures than it is to find the right suspect.

[usertogo]

what an exciting woman!

[ndyt]

Wiki: "Like all forms of U.S. public diplomacy, the station is forbidden from broadcasting within the U.S. itself under the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act concerning the broadcast of propaganda."

WTF!?!?!?!? That's not right....

[Geo877]

@ndyt not right indeed.

[zeepster]

1:50 incoming text message.

[ianschneider]

simply genius.

/ias/

[pin3appel]

great

[flintbrenick]

16:58 That is awesome.

[fosibodu]

live HIV virus, in a bottle! Spooky!

[Alacritous]

The saying is "a picture is worth a thousand words" but the pictures don't have any power if you have to explain them all.

[Timrath]

@Alacritous It's all about the message. Her messages consist of the interaction between the pictures and their accompanying texts. Whether the pictures would or should convey all the meaning by themselves is utterly beside the point.

By the way, I think that the saying you quote is a bit naive (like most folk sayings, anyway).

[SexOffenderIssues002]

I have a lot more wrongly accused on my blog. Excellent video.

[jonnyclay7]

gorgeousasoousios

[4muo]

i like!

[LochanaMusic]

she's pretty

[Rubenvenezuela]

i like her... she is pretty cool.. and smart.. i hope i never get in jail like those people... fuck that must be the worst thing...

[RamzGT]

unmissable!

huh?

[andyourmother]

Does anyone know how to spell the name of that American funded news channel that broadcasts to 22 countries in the Arab world? Al-hora?

[bryankjr]

alhurra. no space.

[66kompis]

Al-jazeera?.....

[wassimsson]

al-hurra

[Ramsez]

the free one. lol.

[madhatterten]

Are her photos of the "criminals" photoshopped?

[WiriyakS]

i do not think so. shes a professional photographer and most photographers argure that when photoshop in involved, its not photography.

its probbably good lighting.

[buckfushes]

Ok....

[Jahaison]

Eyewitness testimony, regardless of age, is unreliable. You never remember things the way they happened ESPECIALLY in a stressful situation because adrenaline distorts your memory. Just because you saw it doesn't mean it happened.

[budzaholic]

this chick is awesome... i now wont to own a rolex, damn, good ad =)

[oneshotki11]

Its so sad. Nothing you can do will give them back the time they spent away.

Truely sad.

[justincase80634]

Interesting photographic artwork, but not much of a point presented in this video. Anyone else think she's kind of hot?

[rileyo629]

Yup, cops are scumbags. Manipulate evidence just to get a conviction. Who cares if its actually the guy who did it or just some innocent? If we get a conviction we did out job. Just one more cell filled.

[Newradical78]

Braille * 9who is ignorant now... lol)

[librophile]

Braille is nothing compare to the "scratch and sniff" European version. lol

[Newradical78]

Believe it or not Playboy (while I don't personally subscribe to it) is a high quality magazine. The articles in it are on par with all top world magazines. There is also an edition with only text, no pictures. The brail version is not so shocking to those of us who are not ignorant.

[ratholin]

Reading the autobiographies of many great authors like ian flemming, jack keruac, or robert heinlein one will often see reference to selling a story to playboy. Many of a non lurid nature.

[TheBigCollapse]

Rather frightening you can be convicted from the testimony of an 11 year old girl, but an 11 year old killer will never serve a sentence. Ironic...

So they are an adult when they finger a person but not when they kill a person? What's wrong with this picture?

[ciaochowbella]

Are you implying that a person can only learn to tell the truth when he/she reaches adulthood? The difference is accountability.

[TheBigCollapse]

No implication at all, it's a fact: children often cannot tell the difference between reality and dreams, and we take their tesitmony in a court of law? So you are implying that a person can give testimony without accountability?

I don't think a child should be treated as an adult if they kill someone, nor do I think they should be taken as an adult in a court of law.

[ciaochowbella]

It really depends on the child. While I wouldn't let an 11 yr old drive, I would take his/her word. I know many children that are more honest than adults.

Eye witness testimony is notoriously unreliable regardless of the age of the person testifying. You can't blame the age of the child.

[TheBigCollapse]

I know many children that will lie through their teeth and claim they are telling the absolute truth.

I know many adults that are more honest than children.

[ciaochowbella]

Which proves that honesty is a function of character and not age. There are liars of every age. You cannot blame the lie on the age of the liar.

[crudhousefull]

@TheBigCollapse Sure...if some kids are raped by some paedophile and there are only kids to testify the paedophile should go free. The weight of the kids testimony might be accepted as lighter than that of an adult...but ignoring kids' testimony because they might also believe dreams seems a little extreme. Adults are prone to hallucinations in adverse conditions...should they also be excluded from courts of law?

[TheBigCollapse]

See the double standard of legal access in America? How many of you can afford 60 G's to get the verdict tilted in your favor?

Perry Mason, where are you!

[justforwatchingcraps]

LOL...14:46

[Naganita]

She is such a pot head. I can just see her in the forest hugging trees and crying to mother nature..What a douch.

[TheBigCollapse]

No. What a loser you are. What? Does an intelligent woman threaten you? You probably couldn't understand half of what she said right?

Sad...

[garvess]

she seems half burned out.

[nerdysock]

wow great lecture , i love her photographs and her talks are just great

[kahnival]

a brail edition of playboy.....daaaamn......

[ehhhhhhhhhh]

Great photos, brilliant ideas.

[gotilk]

I want to cradle my chin in my open palms with my elbows on a table and just listen to her talk for hours. I'm sincerely smitten.

[srik0003]

Capital punishment is not punishment. How is ending a life considered punishment? does that life learn anything after its been snuffed out? Isn't reformation the objective of punishment? Or have we become so desensitised that we just want to do away with our offenders and never see them? If we were to have been disciplined in such a way as children there wont be very many of us left to attain adulthood would there?

[mikes1984]

it deters others

[librophile]

mike..."it deters others"...

NO IT DOESN'T & IT NEVER HAD !!

In past centuries all executions were public events. The most extreme tortures were used on the condemns. Burned alive at the stake ... disemboweled alive & quartered with all limbs chopped off. Still heinous crimes persisted.

People became desensitized from viewing these public horrors, as slaughterhouse employees become used to killing farm animals all day long.

The worst torture is to deprieve the brain from stimulation.

[ratholin]

Not really. Violent crime is more common in places with the death penalty.

[FAIGInc]

it deters some people only... you cant scare everyone with death. Life inprisonment will be better. No one has the right to kill another. No One.. Not even the judge.

[baronmorris]

now THAT is what photography as art looks like.

hell yeah.

[AngelsNoose]

When will people understand that for every crime that goes "punished" a crime is committed.

[gangstagrannie]

extremely interesting - thanks

[AweSomo84]

It is indeed :)

[Plutonwolf]

Putting just one innocent man or woman to death condemns the entire justice system. This would make the system guilty of First degree murder in and of itself. Capital punishment is over used in America ten thousandfold.

[GodsReflex]

Oh there are insiders alright and what's the point of reaching the inner core of information? as soon as we get close people just say ah your crazy! you don't know what your saying!

[blinking801]

Hmmm very interesting!

[drealm]

Fantastic!

[Umbriaga]

excellent info and presentation!

[manonthemount]

why the fuck is the US spending taxpayer dollars fostering state propaganda in the middle east. no wonder so many people watch al jazeera

[librophile]

Another reason why the "death penalty" needs to be eradicated from our justice system.

If among thousand, a single "innocent" person is imprisoned and then put to death ... that's one person too many.

[StanRather]

If the death penalty is eliminated, it would be replaced by life sentences. If I was convicted of a crime I didn't commit and I had only two choices, life in prison or death, I'd pick death.

[librophile]

StanRather ... Think next time before you post.

A dead "innocent" man can't be exonorated & be set free at a later date.

Many convicted prisoners waiting on "dead-row" in Texas have been set free since Governor Bush became President. All were proven to have been wrongly accused & sentenced to death.

An innocent man can always commit suicide in his cell without the intervention of the government. Your logic is therefore faulty

In many cases murderers welcome death to a life sentence

[StanRather]

Fuck you. You don't know my struggle.

[classicallady]

libro I love you but have mixed feelings about it..The only instance I approve is when you habe absolutely DNA prove a predator hurt a child or an animal.But I know I can be overbording here. PPl who hurt aniamls will definitely become criminals for good and impose their hatre on human beings too

[classicallady]

I have sent you a reuqest to rebute some comms in my page

[wreckerpecker]

'That's no economy, it's a death star'

Says Obi-Wahn

[SebastianGeffen]

she is quite pretty .. voice and looks ... good presentation

[GrimSoul66]

Is there a site i can go to see this "ohora tv"?

[celshader]

Her photos require a fair amount of explaination but the concepts she came up with are fantastic.

[Smartassawhip]

Very interesting. :)

[ionascucristian]

very good presentation, i enjoyed it a lot

[billyshake]

Good photos.

[lishun]

she puts alot of thought into the photographs she takes, especially about the story she wants to tell, which is the key to good journalism.

i enjoyed this immensely.

[k166a]

SEE! Playboy is good just for the articles!

[log6778]

Awesome stuff! She's a good speaker; calm and concise.

[austpom333]

Good woman, and good at her job, although there may well be more enjoyable jobs around.

[MayadaJeffery]

Lord have mercy- she is intelligent. And well-spoken. Crimonitly.

[1trip711]

borrring

[covertcovenant]

Interesting...all those mind tricks petty cops play on victims, and have innocent people locked up, their lives destroyed, and slandered as the most heinous... What a system!

[fudanchu]

Artists/activists are great at raising awareness...but a scattershot approach like that first project, hitting all those issues...not too effective methinks. And not a single suggestion on how to improve anything, just lots of awareness raising....already forgotten. :\

An attractive female can't do anything without "she's hot" comments...I don't know why women don't fight back similarly...take the guys down a peg by objectifying back. Break a social norm! That would be something to see.

[sugarkang]

she's way hot.

[altfseven]

this Needs to come with a warning "Warning: Do Not Watch Stoned, this Chick is a trip"

[deeptracy23]

she's hot.

[popson4]

Interesting, but the "edited" photo of the World Church of God was complete fail.

[libanlibanliban]

Nicely done.

[tyrannicoystercult]

starts slow but gets epic, excellent memory replacement comments in justice system

[tempemonkey2323]

I would like to take photos of her secret sites.

[notyourBRIDE]

LOL

[IWannabeJew]

Jewish, if her last name is any indication. She kinda dresses a bit like how I imagine an older Anne Frank might dress.

[DeSwiss]

Excellent!

Seeing is NOT always believing.

Most cops are below average in intelligence. By necessity. This is because a person of higher intelligence won't usually allow themselves to be manipulated into conspiring to convict the innocent. These are the acts of the stupid and the frightened.

[P00P0STER0US]

Very effective work.

[usedforbattle]

Dam shes hot!

[airdreamlove]

Very interesting

[EuroInvicta]

This was totally fantastic and as a photographer myself I confess pure and utter jealousy (and awe) that she was able to get the necessary permissions to do this. If more of us had that kind of power this world would be a different place. Kudos to her! And she hella cute to boot! :)

[Ruursquig]

The nuclear waste looks more like the Soviet Union.

[ArcaneKarma]

assume! At first I thought it would be a boring one. But it turned out to be rather mind expanding.

[prowled]

i like the point she makes about how unreliable testimonials can be. i hope that we use more scientifically tested methods in the future.

[MrPixies]

awesome piece/discussion, good artist, there are no rules to art,

[Chemicalogic]

Uh, oh...Here comes the "uhhhh.....I don't get it" crowd. I really wish people wouldn't be so intellectually lazy. These pictures are as interesting as their subject matter.

[unkaodya]

the "uhhhh.....I don't get it" crowd apparenty thumbs down everybody who got it.

[EuroInvicta]

I know, huh? Sickening.

[hughtub]

What? I don't understand what you're talking about. Thumbed down.

[TheInvinciblePixel]

cute ugly beauty

[planetdarwin]

Also, she looks like a female version of Q from Star Trek, TNG.

[planetdarwin]

Artists should not have to talk this much to explain their work. Just show the photos, say what they are, and let us do the interpretation. Listening to someone talk about their art WHILE you look at it, is like trying to read some text while someone recites something else.

[TookiGuy]

Unfortunately, about 80% of the world doesn't even want to interpret. They're just pretty pictures to them, so I'd say this is kind of eye opening for them.

No offense to anyone, of course. Everyone's different.

[ArcaneKarma]

I don't agree. If I truly respect an artist than ofc I want them to help me to expand my mind. Another artist intend for there art to be nothing more than a muse for appreciation. Both approaches are valid.

[gotilk]

It's called a TED ....TALK. Did you really not consider that when you were typing that comment?

[planetdarwin]

re: gotilk

yes it's a talk, but there's a difference between presenting your art, and getting in front of it. would you rather hear a musician sing the lyrics to you while the instruments are played, or listen to them talk about what the lyrics mean while the music goes on in the background?

it's a matter of preference, as others have pointed out. i just get distracted when being told what art is by an artist, when i can just look at their art directly. other folk like to be guided.

[baronmorris]

wonderfully perspicacious perspectivism.

refreshingly meta-textualistic anti-occultism.

benevolently. rapturously. original.

cheers. ;-)

[classicallady]

There you go with another wonderful observation baron...

[baronmorris]

thx love. ;-)

[gotilk]

I'm naive to not realize why people are reacting to this talk negatively. It rips the comfort out from under you and scares the living shit out of you. I don't blame any of you for reacting in this way, at first. We're all very comfy and warm with the idea that if we're ever accused of something we did not do, the system will work for us like an old episode of Perry Mason. The reality is quite different. Careers are built on making sure YOU pay the price, guilty or innocent. That's frightening.

[EuroInvicta]

Indeed! This was one of the most interesting TED's in a while and it's astonishing some of these peoples opinions.... and I'm really fighting my urge to use quotations around that word. Absurd, some people are.

[gotilk]

Photography with deep meaning, conveying truth and making us question everything we hold to be true, important and vital to the survival of society and some of you are essentially saying they are NOT ART??

Watch that last series of photographs once more and tell me you think justice is possible. These photographs illustrate to me why confinement and confinement alone should be the goal of the "justice" system as long as these events are not only possible but PROBABLE. Society is mostly evil.

[ravishethwala]

not at all impressive

[TookiGuy]

This talk pointed out a lot of things that are wrong with our civilization.

I'd say that's impressive.

[ravishethwala]

May be... But TED is all about new ideas... and telling untold.... and this video didnt include that.. thats what I think!

[baronmorris]

color me smitten.

[TookiGuy]

After a talk like that, you guys have *nothing* besides sexual inneudo?

I hope you fuckers die soon.

[Keylimedelight]

thats what she said...

[Airave]

Very well done.....

I'm blown away by the Power,

Thought and Execution (npi)

in these series'.

[TonyC911]

hmm sad

[Esrhan]

I could imagine many of these pictures being used in a daily newspaper in the form of photojournalism. Very interesting pictures in any case.

[Docthewrench]

This girl needs to be eaten for a few hours. She really seem she needs a good crotch eating

[CelestialJourney]

Some of these are for shock value and nothing more, there is nothing artistic about them.

[unkaodya]

yes there is. the composition, the light, the colour. very professional and good.

[CelestialJourney]

Only in your opinion.

[unkaodya]

if it was only my opinion, she wouldn`t be on TED talks

[CelestialJourney]

This isn't a debate you know, and to be honest you're beginning to sound like an arrogant shit. I don't know anything about art/photography, yet i have many favourite artists, why? because art can be loved or hated regardless of the education you have on the matter. I don't know much about this photographer, but i know what i like and this isn't it. To me this work is shit, crap, nonsense, call it what you will, i call it my opinion.

[unkaodya]

no, it`s not about education. but education helps to understand things and appreciate them. i can say "omg, hawking is boring, what he does is shit and i don`t like it and idon`t need education to have my own opinion" - but what would such words tell you about me?

[CelestialJourney]

It would tell me you have your own opinions about things. You're clearly educated and have a great passion for art, i have a great passion for art too, i just don't want to expand my knowledge about it, sounds stupid but im happy with the passion i have being at this level. For me, art is a pretty picture and nothing more, i sometimes wonder about the artist and what they were thinking between each stroke but i stop at that, the mystery keeps me interested and guessing.

[unkaodya]

just out ofcuriousity: who is yourfavouriteartist (no, i`m not goingto say anything like "bwahahaha, him???", i`d just like to know).

[CelestialJourney]

Hm well i wouldn't care if anyone laughed anyway. I'd have to say Hokusai and Liu cunhui, but then again i love the digital art of Kagaya. I love a lot of painters, there is also a French artist i can't quite put my finger on who's work i really like...

[nooriskandar]

i personally find some of these of high artistic value.

[CelestialJourney]

Good for you.

[unkaodya]

you`re obviously not into photography. you have no idea how hard it is to take a good photo. but then again, not many people receive a good art edycation. i understood the value of photography and how complicated and beautiful it is only after entering art academy. beforethat i couldn`t even tell a bad picture from a good one.