Abbas Attar, Renowned Magnum Photographer, Passes Away in Paris

The Magnum photo agency announced that Abbas Attar, the renowned Iranian artist and a member of the agency, passed away on Wednesday, April 24. Mr. Attar was 74 years old at the time of his death, and the Magnum photo agency stated that he died in Paris, the city where he lived. However, the announcement does not provide an explanation for the cause of his death. Nevertheless, some sources have cited cancer as the cause. The Magnum photo agency further elaborated on Abbas Attar's artistic background, which spanned nearly six decades, during which he covered wars and revolutions in various parts of the world, from Biafra to Bangladesh, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, the Middle East, Chile, Cuba, and South Africa. Thomas Dworzak, the head of the Magnum photo agency, paid tribute to this Iranian artist, stating that Abbas Attar had been his friend and teacher for many years. Mr. Dworzak remarked, 'He was one of the pillars of Magnum, a godfather to the younger generation of photojournalists. An Iranian who had moved to Paris. He was a citizen of the world and tirelessly captured and documented wars, suffering, revolutions, turmoil, and beliefs.' Abbas Attar joined the Magnum photo agency in 1981. Prior to that, he was a member of SIPA from 1971 to 1973 and a member of Gamma from 1974 to 1980. He was a powerful narrator of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, leaving behind famous images, as he referred to himself in an interview as a 'chronicler of the present.' The Iranian Revolution also sparked Abbas Attar's interest in religion, leading him to research the rise of Islamism in the world, publishing his findings in a book titled 'Allahu Akbar: A Journey into Militant Islam.' Buddhism and Hinduism were other religions that attracted Abbas Attar, prompting him to photograph them from 2008 to 2016. The Magnum agency referred to Mr. Attar as an 'enlightening artist.' He served as the interim president of the Magnum agency from 1998 to 2001.