Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Occupants
    Occupants
    Occupants
    Ebook173 pages1 hour

    Occupants

    By Henry Rollins

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    For the past 25 years, Henry Rollins has photographed the most desolate and inhospitable corners of the Earth, and his powerful vision has been harnessed in this photographic essay. Though he is known for the raw power of his expression, Rollins has shown that the greatest statements can be made with the simplest of acts: to bear witness; to be present. This collection is an invitation to do the same. The book pairs Rollins’ visceral photographstaken in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Nepal, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Siberia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnamwith writings that provide context and political commentary and thereby magnify the impact of the images. This is a visual testimony of anger, suffering, resilience in the face of tragedy, and the quiet, stronger forces of healing, solidarity, faith, and joy.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChicago Review Press
    Release dateOct 1, 2011
    ISBN9781569769638
    Occupants
    Author

    Henry Rollins

    Originally from Washington DC, Henry Rollins fronted the Los Angeles-based punk band Black Flag and is well-known for his hard-hitting writing, music, and acting.

    Read more from Henry Rollins

    Related to Occupants

    Related ebooks

    Photography For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Occupants

    3.5/5

    20 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      I wasn't disappointed in the photographs which were arresting, but I was disappointed, confused and sometimes annoyed by the random rants that accompanied each of them. I often wasn't sure what Rollins (the author) was talking about, referencing or if maybe he was speaking in someone else's voice. I ended-up, after reading the first dozen or so little rants, just skimming the rest of them. What I did find interesting though was the descriptions at the end of the book detailing who was in the photos, what was going on and the significance.

      An interesting concept, but it seemed to end-up being more about the author than the subjects of his photographs.
    • 5/5
      Henry has an interesting way of describing these images, often shifting to the point of view of some other person. I've read a lot of Henry's work, and frankly I think this is the best thing he's done.

    Book preview

    Occupants - Henry Rollins

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Rollins, Henry, 1961–

    Occupants : photographs and writings / by Henry Rollins.—1st ed.

    p. cm.

    ISBN 978-1-56976-815-0 (hardcover)

    1. Travel photography. 2. Photography, Artistic. 3. Documentary photography. I. Title.

    TR790.R645 2011

    779—dc23

    2011013873

    Interior design: Jonathan Hahn

    Copyright © 2011 by Henry Rollins

    All rights reserved

    First edition

    Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated

    814 North Franklin Street

    Chicago, Illinois 60610

    ISBN 978-1-56976-815-0

    Printed in China

    5 4 3 2 1

    Joe Cole 04.10.61–12.19.91

    This book is dedicated to Afrika Moni, who is pictured opposite. He is a very bright light.

    South Africa is lucky to have him. Until we meet again.

    Table of Contents

    Title Page

    Copyright Page

    Dedication

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Acknowledgements

    INTRODUCTION

    KYRGYZSTAN 2003

    AFGHANISTAN 2003

    AFGHANISTAN 2004

    KUWAIT 2004

    IRAQ 2004

    RUSSIA 2005

    OKINAWA 2005

    IRAN 2007

    ISRAEL 2007

    SYRIA 2007

    ENGLAND 2008

    SOUTH AFRICA 2008

    NORTHERN IRELAND 2008

    UNITED STATES 2008

    CAMBODIA 2008

    VIETNAM 2008

    THAILAND 2008

    BURMA 2008

    MALI 2009

    SAUDI ARABIA 2009

    INDONESIA 2009

    SRI LANKA 2009

    BANGLADESH 2009

    INDIA 2009

    BHOPAL 2009

    NEPAL 2009

    CHINA 2009

    MALI 2010

    CAPTIONS

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    I thought it would be pretentious to release a book that only had photographs. My fear was that someone might think this was a vanity project. I wanted to get these photos out, but I wanted to make this more than just a collection of some amateur’s travel images, which is basically what these are. It is of the utmost importance to me that, with any project I do, calories are expended and a price—emotional, intellectual, what have you—is paid. Otherwise I can’t justify putting something out into the world.

    So I decided to write something for every photograph. I would look at the photograph and see where it took me. Everything—personal experience, soapbox ranting, occupying mindsets completely against my way of thinking—was explored. That’s what I went for and that’s what appears next to the photographs in this book. If some of the sentiments expressed rub you the wrong way, there’s a good chance they rub me the wrong way as well. A lot of things I see happening in the world rub me the wrong way. Some of them are in this book.

    At the beginning of the book the photos are smaller than the ones that immediately follow. The resolution of these photos was not high enough to print them on a full page. Rather than lose them altogether, we chose to reduce their size and include them. As my equipment improved, so did the images.

    Thank you: Heidi May, Maura Lanahan, Lely Constantinople, Charles Previtire, Kirby Kim, Yuval Taylor, Mitch Bury of Adams, Mass.

    INTRODUCTION

    In my life, I have sought to bridge the gap I have felt between myself and the world. I would hate to think that my understanding of life is derived in part from what I have not seen. While one cannot possibly see everything, I think the more one sees, the better.

    As an American, I am afforded the luxury of walking on either side of knowledge and ignorance, able to conveniently hop back over when one side gets too uncomfortable. I can be as coarse, willfully ignorant, and self-righteous as I want, without necessarily having to deal with a greater awareness of things that may not be so flattering to my self-image.

    I want to know more and see more. I want to have a perception of the world that is not merely gained from reading books, keeping up on world events, and watching documentaries. While one can learn much that way, those are, to a great degree, other people’s stories. Life is short. I want my own understanding, my own stories. So I travel as far and as wide as I can to try and learn as much as possible along the way. The journeys I have made have humbled me greatly. All over the world, I have been met with great kindness and witnessed such examples of strength and beauty that it is impossible for me not to want to go farther and learn more.

    But, even when out in the world, I have often felt distanced from it. I go to a slum and see poverty. It occurs to me that this is wrong, obscene, and should be remedied. The people in the slum cannot possibly have the same perspective as I do because of how we have been raised and socialized. I walk the streets and go back to a hotel; a mile away, the slum sits and its inhabitants sleep. So what does that make me? A voyeur with a taste for the exotic? One who hops back over the line when things become too much to handle? To a certain degree, I suppose so. Nonetheless, I work at trying to understand as best I can.

    With great exception, I travel alone. I walk alone down streets, along rivers and train tracks, through slums, souks, deserts, forests, and ruins. It’s just me, a camera, and a notebook. I see what I see and meet whom I meet. I hope that the random nature of my wandering will allow me to bump into the truth now and then.

    My travels have led me to the conclusion that the world is very small and that humans are a fairly sane bunch a good deal of the time. We are often capable of great acts of bravery and kindness when put in situations that require extraordinary measures. I find myself in these surroundings more often than not when I travel. I see people pulling an existence from an environment that I don’t know if I could survive. These are the people I find so extraordinary, so evolved, and so innovative, living at a pitch I am certain I could not handle.

    For years I have carried cameras with me all over the world, trying to capture what I saw. Beyond the mechanics of photography, I find it quite difficult to tell stories as big as life itself with a camera and words. The examples of beauty and madness I try to retrieve are perhaps done a disservice by such an amateur. But no offense is meant. Hopefully the awe I have for what I see comes through now and then.

    The future of humans on the planet will be determined by the bottom line being realized and acted upon in a way that is beneficial to the species. It can go either way. I am hoping that innovation, science, and decency will triumph over corporate interests, ignorance, and cruelty. I am in it to win, of course.

    KYRGYZSTAN 2003

    The enduring power of Father’s love. Sometimes Father seems angry. It can at times be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to understand what demons and dragons thunder inside Father’s head, but you must. Father struggles so you will not have to. Whatever pain and hardship you endure, you must know that Father has been subjected to much worse. No matter how bad things seem, you must understand that you are living in better times. You may never understand why Father did what he did. You will read things about millions starving to death, mothers slaughtering their own children to feed the rest of the family. Not genocide! Sacrifice. What greatness can come without it? Civilizations that were not prepared for great and sustained sacrifice were doomed. History bears this out. The monumental effort of Father, who has given so much, must never be lost on you. No matter how heavily the pain and sadness of the recent past may weigh on your heart, this all-consuming and

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1