Taryn Simon 'An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

Taryn Simon's 'An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar" shows what secrets and hidden places, things, and objects that are hidden within the boarders of the United States. The body of work looks at different industries which include: science, government, medicine, entertainment, nature, security and religion. She explores the divide between people with and without the privilege of access. Simons collection of work reveals and explores what is essential to America's foundation, mythology and also how it functions daily.

For me i found a real connection to her work because of the level of insightful detail she has used in creating this idea and concept. The level of technicality is extraordinary and the way in which she can construct an idea is what i felt an interest towards. In my own work i sometimes struggle to find a concept or an idea and to compare my work to Simon's i am a long way short. She uses facts, detail and heavy research to create her powerful pieces of work. In my opinion i feel as though she spends more time researching her idea rather than making the actual images which allows her to really define the whole concept of the piece and then proceed to work around that idea. 

I looked at her TED Talk video in which she went on to explain how you can think contextually about your own work. She said that the text helps to anchor your idea and that your photos are fantasy but your text is the truth. Upon hearing this i began looking much more closely at her American Index piece and began to realise that there is actually no evidence to suggest that Simon's images show what she was explaining in her text. To me this is very insightful and very technical on her behalf and why i want to ensure my synopsis can provide the detail and importance to showcase my own idea, similar to Simon.

In conclusion, the images themselves are incredible and showcase a lot of hidden details and make your wonder what these specific objects or places are, due to the fact we would most likely never see them. but the main reason i find this work so inspiring is due to the fact her research and they way she can talk about the idea in such detail is so interesting and inspiring that i am more focused on that than the actual images.