Bureaucracy in pictures: A global tour with Jan Banning
Dutch photographer Jan Banning (born 1954) approaches photography less like a journalist and more like a historian. With an academic background in history, his work focuses on power, justice and (in)equality.
His best-known project, «Bureaucratics» (2003-2007), is a comparative study of government officials in eight countries.
Traveling through France, Yemen, Russia, India, China, the U.S. and Bolivia, Banning photographed civil servants seated behind their desks.
Each portrait follows the same strict composition: the desk serves as a barrier — a symbol of bureaucracy, status and power; the subject looks directly into the lens; and the surrounding office décor quietly reflects local culture and the level of state funding.
Notably, the Bolivian police station in the photo above does not have a phone, car or typewriter.
The French Angelique Lambert (photo above) works six hours a week as town clerk in Vassogne (population 51), Aisne department, Picardie region. She holds the same position in three other villages nearby, working a total of 35 hours per week.
The result is a disarming examination of administration.
Whether it’s an Indian official buried in mountains of paper files or a Texas sheriff surrounded by hunting trophies, Banning shows that while cultures may differ, the theater of bureaucracy is universal.
