Carl Court / AFP – Getty Images; Dan Kitwood / Getty Images; Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
These photos of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arriving at Westminster Magistrates Court inside a prison van with red windows reminded me of Ben Graville’s past work, which I wrote about here.
Graville’s In & Out The Old Bailey caused some controversy drawing accusations of exploitation. Do we feel Assange is being exploited here? I don’t really think so. Assange is well aware of media praxis and photographer protocols for winning that shot. By his direct eye contact, it would seem he’s putting on a show for these photographers? Or maybe it’s just the edit?
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RED?
You could run hog wild with reading the colour here, but I won’t. I’ll just mention, witch-hunts, the Hunt for Red October, Red Letter Day, the commies, the Reds, blood on “their” hands, whoever they are, the Scarlet Pimpernel, drive by night tactics, sex by surprise, red light districts and the red ink of Top Secret papers. All collapsing on top of this portrait of a man, still widely misrepresented.
Prison Photography 
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January 2, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Max Mahaffee
It is difficult to agree with your characterization of Assange as “a man, still widely misrepresented.” If you are saying that he is NOT an admitted conspirator and an experienced hacker, making him a criminal, then I disagree. He is that and more. I doubt that Australia has the Freedom of the Press with which he wraps himself. Even if they do, Assange in my opinion is not a member of the press, as he has sought out other hackers to publish documents which are secret in the USA and with which he seeks to not only put his face out there for his 15 minutes of fame, but also to do harm (negligently or intentionally–it makes no difference) to this great nation–the United States of America.
September 15, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Assange and Manning: Serco, Solitary and Psychological Health « Prison Photography
[…] I don’t know how many times Assange went to court along the public streets of London but it’s worth looking at another of McDiarmid’s images, this time of Assange in the interior of a custody van. […]