Description
On Sunday 30th January 1972, a peaceful civil rights march in Derry against internment without trial was disrupted by the British Army. Within half an hour, thirteen unarmed men and boys were shot dead by the Army. A fourteenth victim died several months later as a result of his injuries. Bloody Sunday was a defining moment in the thirty-year conflict known as the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. This paper examines photographs taken that day by the French photographer Gilles Peress. My approach is art historical and will comprise a close reading of Peress’s photographs of the final victims on Bloody Sunday. Incorporating multiple voices (the Bloody Sunday families, the photographer etc) I reflect on both the evidentiary and affective role of photographs in relation to truth and campaigns for justice. I argue that Peress’s images of Bloody Sunday are not merely iconic photographs, but historic documents that counter dominant state (and media) narratives.This presentation was part of the Justice and Power research seminar on 'voice' organised by Professor Megan O'Neill, Dr Alexander Simmonds and other Justice and Power research group members. The other presenters were: Dr Jonathan Mendel (EES) and Dr Taylor Hill (Psychology) and Dr Matt Graham (History).
| Period | 29 May 2026 |
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