Battle for a Television Station, Tabriz Possibly 1979 - 1980

Gilles Peress captured this gelatin silver print, "Battle for a Television Station, Tabriz." The monochrome tones render a stark scene, immediately drawing our attention to the geometric composition dominated by cylindrical forms and angular architecture. These shapes, combined with the grainy texture, evoke a sense of tension and unease. The photograph's structure relies on a powerful contrast between the static, brutalist architecture and the dynamic, precarious positioning of the figures atop the building. The verticality of the cylinders juxtaposed with the horizontal lines of the building creates a visual push and pull. This tension destabilizes any sense of a fixed narrative, inviting us to question the power dynamics at play. Peress uses a semiotic system of signs. The figures, some bearing images, are cultural codes of resistance and upheaval. The photograph isn't just a depiction of a moment, it is a structured commentary on power, perception, and representation that refuses to settle on a singular interpretation, embodying the fluid and contested nature of historical events.