conflict.. Oh really?

In passing through the other exhibitions in the Tate modern, Liverpool, I had my attention caught by a few photographic exhibition in one corner by a northern Irish photographer, Willie Doherty, looking into conflict. My first reaction to one piece was to laugh uncontrollably. The artist had chosen a black and white shot of the Alexander bridge in Derry city. The whole exhibition was centered around areas of conflict in northern Ireland and cited the bridge as "a flash point" between opposing sides on each side of the water. I found this amusing and a fair reflection of artists attitude about northern Ireland. Coming from Derry myself I can categorically say that the bridge in question was NEVER a flashpoint as it is only close to the largly protestant population of the waterside and is surrounded by shops. It is ugly, industrial and an eyesore but a relic of our troubled past it is not. It seems to me that artists are war profiteers using the troubles as an opportunity to ride a wave of public interest to launch their artistic careers. The irritating thing is that it has worked, it is hanging in the Tate! How can anyone take this seriously? The more irritating thing is that as long as people are still interested in northern Ireland as a site of unrest, people will continue to produce this unfounded tripe to please people who will take meanings from a piece that are not there and believe it to be saying something that never really happened. I feel mis-represented.

http://moodle.blackpool.ac.uk/file.php/blog/attachments/3547/P78746_8.jpg