The Documentary Impulse

Stuart Franklin took one of the most powerful photographs of the twentieth century – the ‘tank man’ in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, 1989. On 4th May, he joins the how to: Academy to explore the history and future of documentary photography. From his insightful position as a Magnum photographer, Franklin explores why we are driven to visually document our experiences and the world around us. Looking at photojournalism, war photography and work recording our culture, he identifies the impulses that have led to the creation of the most important images of the last century: curiosity, outrage, reform and ritual; the search for evidence, for beauty, for therapy; and the immortalization of memory. With a photographer’s eye and a philosopher’s mind, Franklin will examine the work of the great documentary photographers of the past and present – from Robert Capa, to Martin Parr.