Taryn Simon: An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

This exhibition is now closed

Inspired by rumours of weapons of mass destruction and secret sites in Iraq, Taryn Simon decided to address secret sites in her own country.

From an underwater nuclear-waste storage facility to a Scientology screening room, these images provide an extraordinary record of a never-before-seen side of the contemporary USA.

 

Inspired by rumours of weapons of mass destruction and secret sites in Iraq, Taryn Simon decided to address secret sites in her own country.

For An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar (2006), she photographed hidden places and things within America's borders.

Ranging across science, government, entertainment, and religion, they include an underwater nuclear-waste storage facility, a Braille edition of Playboy, and a Scientology screening room.

Shot over four years, mostly with a large-format view camera, the images are sometimes ethereal, sometimes foreboding, sometimes cinematic. Taryn Simon uses things usually hidden from view to create a vivid portrayal of the contemporary USA.