Contraband By Taryn Simon

In examining that which is integral to America's foundation, mythology and daily functioning, Simon creates a collection of works that reflect and reveal a national identity. The publication features 70 colour plates and Salman Rushdie wrote the foreword to accompany the book. Ronald Dworkin contributed a commentary, while curators Elisabeth Sussman and Tina Kukielski of the Whitney Museum of American Art contributed an introduction. It was published by Steidl and exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2006. As of late 2007 it was on view at the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt, Germany.. She discussed the project with photography historian Geoffrey Batchen for the 8th volume of Museo.
Contraband (2010)
Contraband consists of 1,075 photographs were taken at both the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Federal Inspection Site and the U.S. Postal Service International Mail Facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. From November 16, 2009 through November 20, 2009, Taryn Simon remained on site at JFK and continuously photographed items detained or seized from passengers and express mail entering the United States from abroad.