Tayrn Simon at Gagosian Gallery

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Tayrn Simon is a extremely prolific photography with a TON of work to choose from. Here is an excerpt from my favorite Tayrn Simon body of work titled ‘The Innocents.’

“The Innocents documents the stories of individuals who served time in prison for violent crimes they did not commit. At issue is the question of photography’s function as a credible eyewitness and arbiter of justice. 

The primary cause of wrongful conviction is mistaken identification. A victim or eyewitness identifies a suspected perpetrator through law enforcement’s use of photographs and lineups. This procedure relies on the assumption of precise visual memory. But, through exposure to composite sketches, mugshots, Polaroids, and lineups, eyewitness memory can change. In the history of these cases, photography offered the criminal justice system a tool that transformed innocent citizens into criminals. Photographs assisted officers in obtaining eyewitness identifications and aided prosecutors in securing convictions.  Simon photographed these men at sites that had particular significance to their illegitimate conviction: the scene of misidentification, the scene of arrest, the scene of the crime or the scene of the alibi. All of these locations hold contradictory meanings for the subjects. The scene of arrest marks the starting point of a reality based in fiction. The scene of the crime is at once arbitrary and crucial: this place, to which they have never been, changed their lives forever. In these photographs Simon confronts photography’s ability to blur truth and fiction-an ambiguity that can have severe, even lethal consequences.”

Source: http://tarynsimon.com/works_innocents.php

Charles Irvin Fain

Scene of the crime, the snake River, Melba, Idaho Served 18 years of a death sentence for Kidnapping, Rape and murder, 2002

Larry Mayes

Scene of arrest, The Royal Inn, Gary, Indiana Police found Mayes hiding beneath a mattress in this room Served 18.5 years of an 80-year sentence for Rape, Robbery, and Unlawful Deviate Conduct, 2002

Frederick Daye

Alibi location, American Legion Post 310, San Diego, California Where 13 witnesses placed Daye at the time of the crime Served 10 years of a life sentence for Kidnapping, RApe and Vehicle Theft, 2002

Skeet shooting, Tulsa, Oklahoma 11 alibi witnesses placed Durham at a skeet-shooting competition at the time of the crime Served 3.5 years of a 3,220 year sentence for Rape and Robbery, 2002

Ronald Jones

Scene of arrest, South Side, Chicago, Illinois Served 8 years of a death sentence for Rape and Murder, 2002

Wick’s Parlor, Louisville, Kentucky With fiancé Vicki Kidwell, whom he dated prior to conviction Gregory was pool champion in prision Served 7 years of a 70 year sentence for Rape and Burglary, 2002

Calvin Washinton

C&E Motel, Room No. 24, Waco, Texas Where an informant claimed to have heard Washington confess Served 13 years of a Life sentence for Capital Murder, 2002

Ron Williamson

Baseball field, Norman, Oklahoma Williamson has been drafted by the Oakland Athletics before being sentenced to death Served 11 years of a death sentence for First Degree Murder, 2002

Jeffrey Pierce