The past few years have witnessed a renewed interest in vintage and vernacular photography and photographic archives in general. This increase in attention is clearly reflected within the arts. More and more photographers \/ artists blend their own creations with existing photographs or use vintage photography and old techniques as a basis for new works of art.<\/p>\n
An outstanding example is the work of Simon Norfolk, who revisited the photographs of John Burke.<\/p>\n
In 1878\u00a0John Burke<\/a>, an Irish photographer based in India, accompanied British army forces during an invasion in Afghanistan. There he produced a small number of albums with prints to be sold to the general public in his studio in India. These images are the first photos produced in Afghanistan known to date.<\/p>\n In 2001\u00a0Simon Norfolk<\/a>\u00a0(UK) went to Afghanistan and produced the highly acclaimed photo book\u00a0Chronotopia<\/em><\/a> (Dewi Lewis, 2002). Inspired by romantic paintings of the 18th century with their golden lights, Norfolk explored the aftermath of the conflicts that struck Afghanistan the past decades. The images, shot in yellowish, warm light, hint at an Afghanistan that is at the close of one thing and at a beginning of something new. Norfolk, disappointed in the continuation of the war in Afghanistan in the following years, sought a point of departure to return and produce a new body of work.<\/p>\n