Clandestine Photos of the Taliban
The Taliban forbade all forms of human representation—from “pedestrian crossing”-style street signs, to ancient statues, to photography. But when Magnum photographer Thomas Dworzak went to Afghanistan in December 2001, he discovered a cache of studio photographs of male Taliban. They were purportedly taken for identification purposes—a small loophole in the law—but as you can see these are much more convivial and decorative than your standard ID card. Watch a fascinating short video piece about Dworzak’s finds here; it raises all sorts of interesting questions about representation, beliefs, and functionality.
