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Photography in South African Townships

                                   Holly Cavanaugh

                       Anthropology 390 // 09 December 2012



                                         Abstract


      Community within post-apartheid South African townships is alive and vibrant.

Townships are informal settlements, that were formed before and during the apartheid

era, as areas of residence for non-white South Africans. Post-apartheid, non-whites

were allowed to move out of the townships; however, due to finances, deep roots and

community ties, many people still live in townships. Inside and outside of townships,

there are budding art communities and artists come from around the country and other

parts of the world to create art in townships. I have analyzed much of this art, and will

specifically be discussing the role of photography and how it has become an important

medium in representing community in South African townships.
Introduction to Research on Community in South African Townships


      As an anthropologist and an artist, the South African art-scape interests me in

many ways. Art in South Africa has many unique aspects, many of which are inspired by

communities within the country. It is necessary to understand that a large factor in what

creates community in South Africa is that within the last century, South Africa has gone

through much turmoil. For nearly fifty years, apartheid greatly affected the lives of all

South Africans, most notably it had a great negative effect on black and coloured South

Africans. Racial discrimination and segregation led to a rift in the country that can still be

seen today.


      Racial zoning and the creation of shantytowns, or townships, designated areas in

which people of certain colors were meant to reside. This created forced communities,

that have in turn led to the blossoming of close knit relationships within townships.

Although, western media enjoys to portray townships in South Africa to be full of

violence and unrest, there are other unsung stories yearning to be told.


      The concept and dynamics of ʻcommunityʼ is a popular topic within anthropology,

and is discussed frequently in ehtnographies and other various research projects. I have

personally conducted research on community bonding and formation. Because of my

interest in this concept of ʻcommunityʼ, I wanted to take a deeper look into how

community is portrayed within South African townships, particularly through the art of

photography.


      This project was initially undertaken within a group setting, which pertained to

five others along with myself. After deciding on our topic of ʻcommunity in townships,ʼ we

each chose a township to specifically research. I, along with another member, chose to
research Alexandra, which is in Johannesburg; however, as I conducted research on my

own, I found to the use of photography throughout many South African townships to be

more fruitful, rather than trying to achieve a generalized concept of just Alexandra.



Community in Townships


       South African townships are full of different types of community; from the idea of

the South African Township community as a whole, to smaller sub-communities within

specific townships, like Alexandra, communal bonds are continuously being created and

maintained. These concepts of community are represented through many artistic

outlets, including all mediums of ʻfine artʼ and other artistic representations that are

relatively unique to South Africa. For the purposes of this paper, I will be discussing one

medium of art within and of townships, but it is necessary to acknowledge there is a

plethora of other artistic expressions being utilized within townships.



Photography as a Fine Art

    “Photography has for me been the means for which I have come to deal with being a

            South African.” -David Goldblatt at the SFMOMA, November 2012.


       Photography is one of the most dynamic mediums of art and has an interesting

history in South Africa because during the fifty years of apartheid it was used as a way

to document the ideal versus the reality of what was occurring around the country. In

this discussion of South African photography I am going to address four artists, all of

whom come from different walks of life and have greatly contributed to the South African
art-scape, as well as to the sense of community felt within the country and her

townships.



Simon Weller


      Simon Weller grew up in England and remembers observing apartheid in the

1980s through its demise in the 1990s via television and newspapers. He first visited a

South African township in 2009, and was pleasantly surprised by the seemingly random

multitudes of barber shops and salons throughout said township. When going through

other townships, he noticed they too had many thriving barber shops and salons, and

from these observations, he began formulating a photo series showcasing the beauty

and communal aspects of these businesses.


      In his essay, South African Township Barbershops & Salons, Weller depicts nine

townships and through background, personal experiences, and interviews tells their

stories. I focused most on the chapter about Alexandra, the township in particular that

Weller was warned by many not to visit. Even with negativity, Weller ventured into Alex,

which he happened to visit on a Sunday, the day of the week that many families were

out and about after attending church. In South African Barbershops and Salons, he

discusses how the barbershops of Alex (along with other featured townships) “serve as

places where the community can escape.” These are the places in Alex where people

can relax and ʻhang outʼ with each other in a casual and comfortable manner.


      Wellerʼs photographs of barbershops and salons in Alex feature some of the

outer art work of the shops, including, but not limited to: their shop name, a list of

services, and some sort of painting on the front that is meant to entice a customer. In
much of Wellerʼs work, he shows the list of services salons and barbershops offer,

which helps the outside viewer gain a greater understanding of popular styles, and the

amount of services an establishment offers. He also has photographs of the insides of

some shops, many of which directly show the social interactions taking place. With

many of these shots, the viewer is able to visibly see the communal bonds formed in

these establishments, thus allowing closer connections between viewer and subject to

form.


       An innovative way Wellerʼs

photographs of South African townships

have been crossing the global art-scape, is

by the creation of skateboards that have

various photographs on them from the

Barbershop & Salons series. Collaborating

with the Familia Skateboards, a south

African skateboard company that promotes

itself as ʻpeppered with a little antagonism, dysfunction, humor, and activism,ʼ Weller is

showcasing the township culture he captured through his images via skating.



Graeme Williams


       Graeme Williams began his photography career as a photo journalist. He was

commissioned to record violence and death occurring in townships during and after

apartheid, but felt he was living a double life by shooting photos of violence in the

morning and going home to the ʻwhiteʼ suburbs in the afternoon. He decided to stop
documenting, and now operates at a quieter level. His essay, The Edge of Town, is

aiming to tie a ʻfragmented story of lifeʼ lived at the edge of South African town. He

covers nearly 100 towns, including Alex. He is bringing to life images of South Africa

that the non-South African viewer normally doesnʼt see, with narrative elements to make

the viewer contemplate life lived, at the edge of town.


      "Instead of trying to construct a narrative about life in the country as a whole, I


      concentrated on fragments of life at the literal and figurative edges of town...


      made up of fragments that I have collected as I moved within the spaces


      occupied by South Africaʼs marginalized communities" -Williams on the


      description of The Edge of Town


      While these photos donʼt follow a real ʻpattern,ʼ they all are depicting snapshots

of life in South Africa. Working with the literal and the figurative, Williams is playing the

line between positive and negative aspects in the lives of marginalized South Africans.

While his photos donʼt give an overly ʻhappyʼ feeling, they donʼt give a ʻsadʼ feeling

either; They exist for themselves, and are left to the viewer to interpret how the subjects

in the photos are feeling and seeing the raw beauty of life lived in townships.



Zwelethu Mthethwa


      Zwelethu Mthethwa received an extensive fine arts education from Michaelis

School of Fine Art, and has helped with various community projects, like Childrenʼs

Project for Community Arts. Zwelethu Mthethwa was an early proponent of color

photography, a medium not readily embraced by South African photographers, he was

breaking away from the black and white ʻdocumentary photographerʼ box that had been
the norm in South Africa during apartheid. In his series, Inner Views (which makes up

one third of his exhibition, Interiors), one could argue that Mthethwaʼs photos represent

South African identities, but I would contest that they also show a great deal about the

communities within townships.


      The portraits in Inner Views show people in their homes, all of whom were in

collaboration with Mthethwa during the shoot. He would ask them to dress how they

wanted, where they wanted to be in the photo and he let them choose their expression

and after printing he sends them a print of their photograph. By collaborating so

intimately with his subjects, this makes Mthethwaʼs work is much more successful than

if he had posed his subjects himself. It also brings deeper meanings into the identities of

the communities he is capturing. An insightful quote on Mthethwaʼs work, is from Ariella

Budick:


      “His goals are curiously old-fashioned: he wants to seize his subjectsʼ humanity


      and broadcast it into the world. Heʼs not interested in arousing compassion or


      sparking political action, but rather in glorifying the patchwork beauty his


      marginalized subjects build amid their poverty.” -Budick


      Another interesting aspect of Inner Views, is the setting around the subjects.

Many of the interior spaces look very similar, which creates a sense of communal

solidarity. The particular similarity within the settings is the wallpaper consisting of

colorful paper advertisements, magazine covers, and food labels on the walls of each

subjectʼs living space. The setting almost becomes the subject, since the viewerʼs eye is

taken around so many parts of the photograph; however, the individual remains the
eyeʼs focus. The subjectʼs expression and body language really communicates who

they are and the emotions they want to express.


     This series is telling a narrative of Mbekweni (the location of the photographs)

and the residents who live there. Sue Williamson discusses in South African Art Now

that the images of Mbekweni are part of a healing process to the residents (healing from

the long years of apartheid). Inner Views is reminiscent of American photographer,

Shelby Lee Adamsʼs numerous narrative seriesʼ about rural Appalachian Mountain

residents. Both these men capture a culture in its purest and raw state, one which tells a

narrative of unsung communities, and at the same time lifting the spirits of the

individuals themselves. in showcasing who they are.



David Goldblatt


     Since the 1960s, David Goldblatt has devoted all of his time strictly to

photography. For over 50 years, he has exhibited countless series, and was the first

South African to have a solo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He

captured apartheid in photographs and continues to photograph in the post-apartheid

era. He mainly works in black and white, but has recently been experimenting with

color photography. One notable achievement he mentions in his artist statement is that

he aided in the founding of the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg in

1989. This program aims to teach young people photographic skills and how to become

visually literate. This kind of program helps spread art, and create more players in the

South African art-scape.
Goldblatt has documented the changes of South Africa, as a whole, during and

post-apartheid. Much of his work tells stories, and he helps these stories come even

more to life with long description in the titles of his photographs. The photo that

immediatly stood out to me was titled: “Victorian Cobokana, housekeeper, with her son

Sifiso and daughter Onica, Johannesburg, June 1999. Victoria died of AIDS 13

December 1999, Sifiso died of AIDS 12 January 2000, Onica is infected with AIDS and

is not expected to live.” (Williamson, 144) This lengthy description allows the viewer to

have a more emotional experience with the photograph, more intense than they would

have without the description. The photograph itself is of Victoria sitting in a chair holding

her daughter, and her son standing next to them. Even though the photograph has a

somber feeling to it, the title evokes a greater connection between the viewer, Goldblatt,

and the subject.


      Goldblatt shoots seemingly normal daily situations. He is shooting the realities of

communities and their members within South Africa, particularly those who struggle in

the post-apartheid era. Now he has branched out and has began shooting those

affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is the primary means of killing multitudes of

South Africans. Through his work Goldblatt is telling the emotional narrative of South

Africa, and he is an important figure to follow. He not only photographs the lives of

township residents and marginalized South Africans, but has other work based on the

lives of white South Africans. The dichotomy between the lives of white and black South

Africans is one that has been under stress since before the years of apartheid. Goldblatt

aims to show all walks of life in South Africa, many of which may have gone unseen

without his help.
To close my discussion photography as a fine art, all these artists tie together in

telling pieces of various narratives and the great dynamics within South African

townships. From the safe places communities go to strengthen relationships, to

narratives of the people themselves in their places of residence, which are unique but

riddled with patterns. Photography is and will continue to be an important art in South

Africa, and over time more township residents will pick up cameras and capture more

important moments in time.



Photography from within Townships

I See a Different You


      I was fortunate enough to come upon a photography blog called “I See A

Different You.” This blog is run by three young men of Soweto (a township of

Johannesburg): Justice Mukheli, Innocent Mukheli, and Vuyo Mpantsha; Each wanting

to tell the world a different story of Soweto, and of South Africa. Growing up, they

noticed the media was showcasing all the negatives about life in Soweto, but not of the

positives that they had experienced during childhood. Rather than having outsiders

come and tell them how life is being lived, they made it their mission to tell their story of

growing up and living in South Africaʼs most famous township, Soweto.


      It was only recently that one member of the trio, Justice Mukheli, even picked up

a camera. “I never thought of photography as an art as I didnʼt think the craft behind it

was worthy of being art;” (Jordan, 1) However, after taking some photographs while on

a trip to Cape Town, Mukheli began to see the value of photography artistically. By
attempting to make everything beautiful and paying attention to design, he started

showcasing the beauty of his childhood home, Soweto.


      In oder to tell their story of Soweto, they capture uplifting and beautiful moments

through photography. They are part of a new generation in South Africa, one that is

growing up believing in themselves and believing in their great potential. They are trying

to document and recreate pieces of their lives that were important in growing up in

Soweto. “They say people connect with the photographs because they identify with

them, the photos say: ʻThatʼs where I am from.ʼ” (Taitz, 1) Rather than experiencing life

alone, they want to share with the world their love for their home and the community

that means so much to them.



Umuzi Photo Club


      The Umuzi Photo Club is an organization in South Africa that helps develop

photography skills among youth in townships. Many of the photography projects these

young people conduct are activism based issues that South African youth face

everyday. Another resource the Club provides is practical opportunities for young

photographers, such as helping them learn how to earn an income with photography

and ultimately become independent professionals. In 2011, Nikon South Africa donated

equipment to the Club to help get more youth involved with photography. The first

camera set went to a 24 year old Alexandra resident, who may not be in the target

group of high school students, but exhibited motivation to become a professional

photographer. Nikon has partnered with the Club by selling South African crafts, such as

bracelets, in order to help fund more opportunities within the the Club.
Each week a new young artist is introduced on the Umuzi Photo Club blog, in

order to showcase some of the young people who are involved in this organization.

Their blog is a really great source for others around the world to get informed about

what is going on in South African youth. The Club also has visiting photo journalists and

artists guest lecture to the youth participants in order to further inspire. The Umuzi

Photo Club is a great way for township youth to advance their photographic conceptual

and technical skills, and gain the potential to become first rate photographers.



Conclusion


      As discussed in this paper, photography has been and continues to play an

important role in displaying community within South Africaʼs townships. Not only are

photographers representing the communities of South African townships through their

images through the world-wide art-scape, young township residents are given

opportunities to learn about photography and potentially become photographers

themselves. By showcasing the beauty of townships, and their residents, the world will

be able to learn the beautiful stories of barbershops that serve as social centers; of life

lived at the edges of town; of personal identities riddled with communal patterns; or of

three young bloggers, each wanting to share with the world their charming and playful

lives. South African photography will continue to travel the global art-scape, and affect

the lives of generations to come.
Bibliography
Budick, Ariella. “Zwelethu Mthethwa, Studio Museum, New York.” The Financial Times
Limited. 26 August 2010.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f1a0d8ce-b12e-11df-b899-00144feabdc0.html


I See a Different You. “About.” & “Archive.”
http://iseeadifferentyou.tumblr.com/


Jack Shainman Gallery. “Zwelethu Mthethwa.” Jack Shainman Gallery: Publications.
2010. Web. http://www.jackshainman.com/publication16.html


Jordan, Emma. “I See a Different You.” iFashion. 31 January 2012.
http://www.ifashion.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4141:i-see-
a-different-you&catid=78&Itemid=114


Nkosi, Bongani. “Developing Young Photographers in South Africa.” Africa Good News.
19 July 2011.
http://www.africagoodnews.com/brand-africa/art-and-culture/2664-developing-young-
photographers-in-south-africa.html


Noakes, Tim. “Zwelethu Mthethwa Interview.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmwJgPrKkiY


Pirie, G.H. “Ethno-Linguistic Zoning in South African Black Townships.” The Royal
Geographic Society. Vol. 16, No. 4. (291-298). December 1994.


Rosenberg, Karen. “Intimate Interiors, Vividly Revealed.” The New York TImes. 15 July
2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/arts/design/16views.html


Shelta.eu Familia Sakteboards.
http://shelta.eu/products/brand/familia-skateboards/overview
Taitz, Laurice. “Photography: The brothers who see a different world.” Mail & Guradian:
Africaʼs Best Read. 13 July 2012.
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-07-13-00-photography-the-brothers-who-see-a-different-
world


Umuzi Photo Club. “About Me.”
http://umuziphotoclub.blogspot.com/


Weller, Simon. South African Township Barbershops & Salons. New York, NY: Mark
Batty Publishers. 2011. Print.


Williams, Graeme. “The Edge of Town: Description.” Graeme Williams - Photographer.
http://graemewilliams.co.za/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3:the-
edge-of-town&catid=2:essays&Itemid=34


Williamson, Sue. South African Art Now. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. 2009.
Print.


“Zwelethu Mthethwa.” PBS Video Review. http://www.pbs.org/arts/gallery/new-york-city-
sunday-arts-video/arts-from-nyc-09-zwelethu-mthethwa/


“Graeme Williams talking about his work The Edge of Town.” A Video Interview by
Panos Pictures 25. 18 May 2011. http://www.panos.co.uk/blog/?p=5279


Image Source
Skateboards:
http://boldandnoble.com/blog/2011/11/south-african-township-barbershops-salons/
familiasw/

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Photography in South African Townships

  • 1. Photography in South African Townships Holly Cavanaugh Anthropology 390 // 09 December 2012 Abstract Community within post-apartheid South African townships is alive and vibrant. Townships are informal settlements, that were formed before and during the apartheid era, as areas of residence for non-white South Africans. Post-apartheid, non-whites were allowed to move out of the townships; however, due to finances, deep roots and community ties, many people still live in townships. Inside and outside of townships, there are budding art communities and artists come from around the country and other parts of the world to create art in townships. I have analyzed much of this art, and will specifically be discussing the role of photography and how it has become an important medium in representing community in South African townships.
  • 2. Introduction to Research on Community in South African Townships As an anthropologist and an artist, the South African art-scape interests me in many ways. Art in South Africa has many unique aspects, many of which are inspired by communities within the country. It is necessary to understand that a large factor in what creates community in South Africa is that within the last century, South Africa has gone through much turmoil. For nearly fifty years, apartheid greatly affected the lives of all South Africans, most notably it had a great negative effect on black and coloured South Africans. Racial discrimination and segregation led to a rift in the country that can still be seen today. Racial zoning and the creation of shantytowns, or townships, designated areas in which people of certain colors were meant to reside. This created forced communities, that have in turn led to the blossoming of close knit relationships within townships. Although, western media enjoys to portray townships in South Africa to be full of violence and unrest, there are other unsung stories yearning to be told. The concept and dynamics of ʻcommunityʼ is a popular topic within anthropology, and is discussed frequently in ehtnographies and other various research projects. I have personally conducted research on community bonding and formation. Because of my interest in this concept of ʻcommunityʼ, I wanted to take a deeper look into how community is portrayed within South African townships, particularly through the art of photography. This project was initially undertaken within a group setting, which pertained to five others along with myself. After deciding on our topic of ʻcommunity in townships,ʼ we each chose a township to specifically research. I, along with another member, chose to
  • 3. research Alexandra, which is in Johannesburg; however, as I conducted research on my own, I found to the use of photography throughout many South African townships to be more fruitful, rather than trying to achieve a generalized concept of just Alexandra. Community in Townships South African townships are full of different types of community; from the idea of the South African Township community as a whole, to smaller sub-communities within specific townships, like Alexandra, communal bonds are continuously being created and maintained. These concepts of community are represented through many artistic outlets, including all mediums of ʻfine artʼ and other artistic representations that are relatively unique to South Africa. For the purposes of this paper, I will be discussing one medium of art within and of townships, but it is necessary to acknowledge there is a plethora of other artistic expressions being utilized within townships. Photography as a Fine Art “Photography has for me been the means for which I have come to deal with being a South African.” -David Goldblatt at the SFMOMA, November 2012. Photography is one of the most dynamic mediums of art and has an interesting history in South Africa because during the fifty years of apartheid it was used as a way to document the ideal versus the reality of what was occurring around the country. In this discussion of South African photography I am going to address four artists, all of whom come from different walks of life and have greatly contributed to the South African
  • 4. art-scape, as well as to the sense of community felt within the country and her townships. Simon Weller Simon Weller grew up in England and remembers observing apartheid in the 1980s through its demise in the 1990s via television and newspapers. He first visited a South African township in 2009, and was pleasantly surprised by the seemingly random multitudes of barber shops and salons throughout said township. When going through other townships, he noticed they too had many thriving barber shops and salons, and from these observations, he began formulating a photo series showcasing the beauty and communal aspects of these businesses. In his essay, South African Township Barbershops & Salons, Weller depicts nine townships and through background, personal experiences, and interviews tells their stories. I focused most on the chapter about Alexandra, the township in particular that Weller was warned by many not to visit. Even with negativity, Weller ventured into Alex, which he happened to visit on a Sunday, the day of the week that many families were out and about after attending church. In South African Barbershops and Salons, he discusses how the barbershops of Alex (along with other featured townships) “serve as places where the community can escape.” These are the places in Alex where people can relax and ʻhang outʼ with each other in a casual and comfortable manner. Wellerʼs photographs of barbershops and salons in Alex feature some of the outer art work of the shops, including, but not limited to: their shop name, a list of services, and some sort of painting on the front that is meant to entice a customer. In
  • 5. much of Wellerʼs work, he shows the list of services salons and barbershops offer, which helps the outside viewer gain a greater understanding of popular styles, and the amount of services an establishment offers. He also has photographs of the insides of some shops, many of which directly show the social interactions taking place. With many of these shots, the viewer is able to visibly see the communal bonds formed in these establishments, thus allowing closer connections between viewer and subject to form. An innovative way Wellerʼs photographs of South African townships have been crossing the global art-scape, is by the creation of skateboards that have various photographs on them from the Barbershop & Salons series. Collaborating with the Familia Skateboards, a south African skateboard company that promotes itself as ʻpeppered with a little antagonism, dysfunction, humor, and activism,ʼ Weller is showcasing the township culture he captured through his images via skating. Graeme Williams Graeme Williams began his photography career as a photo journalist. He was commissioned to record violence and death occurring in townships during and after apartheid, but felt he was living a double life by shooting photos of violence in the morning and going home to the ʻwhiteʼ suburbs in the afternoon. He decided to stop
  • 6. documenting, and now operates at a quieter level. His essay, The Edge of Town, is aiming to tie a ʻfragmented story of lifeʼ lived at the edge of South African town. He covers nearly 100 towns, including Alex. He is bringing to life images of South Africa that the non-South African viewer normally doesnʼt see, with narrative elements to make the viewer contemplate life lived, at the edge of town. "Instead of trying to construct a narrative about life in the country as a whole, I concentrated on fragments of life at the literal and figurative edges of town... made up of fragments that I have collected as I moved within the spaces occupied by South Africaʼs marginalized communities" -Williams on the description of The Edge of Town While these photos donʼt follow a real ʻpattern,ʼ they all are depicting snapshots of life in South Africa. Working with the literal and the figurative, Williams is playing the line between positive and negative aspects in the lives of marginalized South Africans. While his photos donʼt give an overly ʻhappyʼ feeling, they donʼt give a ʻsadʼ feeling either; They exist for themselves, and are left to the viewer to interpret how the subjects in the photos are feeling and seeing the raw beauty of life lived in townships. Zwelethu Mthethwa Zwelethu Mthethwa received an extensive fine arts education from Michaelis School of Fine Art, and has helped with various community projects, like Childrenʼs Project for Community Arts. Zwelethu Mthethwa was an early proponent of color photography, a medium not readily embraced by South African photographers, he was breaking away from the black and white ʻdocumentary photographerʼ box that had been
  • 7. the norm in South Africa during apartheid. In his series, Inner Views (which makes up one third of his exhibition, Interiors), one could argue that Mthethwaʼs photos represent South African identities, but I would contest that they also show a great deal about the communities within townships. The portraits in Inner Views show people in their homes, all of whom were in collaboration with Mthethwa during the shoot. He would ask them to dress how they wanted, where they wanted to be in the photo and he let them choose their expression and after printing he sends them a print of their photograph. By collaborating so intimately with his subjects, this makes Mthethwaʼs work is much more successful than if he had posed his subjects himself. It also brings deeper meanings into the identities of the communities he is capturing. An insightful quote on Mthethwaʼs work, is from Ariella Budick: “His goals are curiously old-fashioned: he wants to seize his subjectsʼ humanity and broadcast it into the world. Heʼs not interested in arousing compassion or sparking political action, but rather in glorifying the patchwork beauty his marginalized subjects build amid their poverty.” -Budick Another interesting aspect of Inner Views, is the setting around the subjects. Many of the interior spaces look very similar, which creates a sense of communal solidarity. The particular similarity within the settings is the wallpaper consisting of colorful paper advertisements, magazine covers, and food labels on the walls of each subjectʼs living space. The setting almost becomes the subject, since the viewerʼs eye is taken around so many parts of the photograph; however, the individual remains the
  • 8. eyeʼs focus. The subjectʼs expression and body language really communicates who they are and the emotions they want to express. This series is telling a narrative of Mbekweni (the location of the photographs) and the residents who live there. Sue Williamson discusses in South African Art Now that the images of Mbekweni are part of a healing process to the residents (healing from the long years of apartheid). Inner Views is reminiscent of American photographer, Shelby Lee Adamsʼs numerous narrative seriesʼ about rural Appalachian Mountain residents. Both these men capture a culture in its purest and raw state, one which tells a narrative of unsung communities, and at the same time lifting the spirits of the individuals themselves. in showcasing who they are. David Goldblatt Since the 1960s, David Goldblatt has devoted all of his time strictly to photography. For over 50 years, he has exhibited countless series, and was the first South African to have a solo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He captured apartheid in photographs and continues to photograph in the post-apartheid era. He mainly works in black and white, but has recently been experimenting with color photography. One notable achievement he mentions in his artist statement is that he aided in the founding of the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg in 1989. This program aims to teach young people photographic skills and how to become visually literate. This kind of program helps spread art, and create more players in the South African art-scape.
  • 9. Goldblatt has documented the changes of South Africa, as a whole, during and post-apartheid. Much of his work tells stories, and he helps these stories come even more to life with long description in the titles of his photographs. The photo that immediatly stood out to me was titled: “Victorian Cobokana, housekeeper, with her son Sifiso and daughter Onica, Johannesburg, June 1999. Victoria died of AIDS 13 December 1999, Sifiso died of AIDS 12 January 2000, Onica is infected with AIDS and is not expected to live.” (Williamson, 144) This lengthy description allows the viewer to have a more emotional experience with the photograph, more intense than they would have without the description. The photograph itself is of Victoria sitting in a chair holding her daughter, and her son standing next to them. Even though the photograph has a somber feeling to it, the title evokes a greater connection between the viewer, Goldblatt, and the subject. Goldblatt shoots seemingly normal daily situations. He is shooting the realities of communities and their members within South Africa, particularly those who struggle in the post-apartheid era. Now he has branched out and has began shooting those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is the primary means of killing multitudes of South Africans. Through his work Goldblatt is telling the emotional narrative of South Africa, and he is an important figure to follow. He not only photographs the lives of township residents and marginalized South Africans, but has other work based on the lives of white South Africans. The dichotomy between the lives of white and black South Africans is one that has been under stress since before the years of apartheid. Goldblatt aims to show all walks of life in South Africa, many of which may have gone unseen without his help.
  • 10. To close my discussion photography as a fine art, all these artists tie together in telling pieces of various narratives and the great dynamics within South African townships. From the safe places communities go to strengthen relationships, to narratives of the people themselves in their places of residence, which are unique but riddled with patterns. Photography is and will continue to be an important art in South Africa, and over time more township residents will pick up cameras and capture more important moments in time. Photography from within Townships I See a Different You I was fortunate enough to come upon a photography blog called “I See A Different You.” This blog is run by three young men of Soweto (a township of Johannesburg): Justice Mukheli, Innocent Mukheli, and Vuyo Mpantsha; Each wanting to tell the world a different story of Soweto, and of South Africa. Growing up, they noticed the media was showcasing all the negatives about life in Soweto, but not of the positives that they had experienced during childhood. Rather than having outsiders come and tell them how life is being lived, they made it their mission to tell their story of growing up and living in South Africaʼs most famous township, Soweto. It was only recently that one member of the trio, Justice Mukheli, even picked up a camera. “I never thought of photography as an art as I didnʼt think the craft behind it was worthy of being art;” (Jordan, 1) However, after taking some photographs while on a trip to Cape Town, Mukheli began to see the value of photography artistically. By
  • 11. attempting to make everything beautiful and paying attention to design, he started showcasing the beauty of his childhood home, Soweto. In oder to tell their story of Soweto, they capture uplifting and beautiful moments through photography. They are part of a new generation in South Africa, one that is growing up believing in themselves and believing in their great potential. They are trying to document and recreate pieces of their lives that were important in growing up in Soweto. “They say people connect with the photographs because they identify with them, the photos say: ʻThatʼs where I am from.ʼ” (Taitz, 1) Rather than experiencing life alone, they want to share with the world their love for their home and the community that means so much to them. Umuzi Photo Club The Umuzi Photo Club is an organization in South Africa that helps develop photography skills among youth in townships. Many of the photography projects these young people conduct are activism based issues that South African youth face everyday. Another resource the Club provides is practical opportunities for young photographers, such as helping them learn how to earn an income with photography and ultimately become independent professionals. In 2011, Nikon South Africa donated equipment to the Club to help get more youth involved with photography. The first camera set went to a 24 year old Alexandra resident, who may not be in the target group of high school students, but exhibited motivation to become a professional photographer. Nikon has partnered with the Club by selling South African crafts, such as bracelets, in order to help fund more opportunities within the the Club.
  • 12. Each week a new young artist is introduced on the Umuzi Photo Club blog, in order to showcase some of the young people who are involved in this organization. Their blog is a really great source for others around the world to get informed about what is going on in South African youth. The Club also has visiting photo journalists and artists guest lecture to the youth participants in order to further inspire. The Umuzi Photo Club is a great way for township youth to advance their photographic conceptual and technical skills, and gain the potential to become first rate photographers. Conclusion As discussed in this paper, photography has been and continues to play an important role in displaying community within South Africaʼs townships. Not only are photographers representing the communities of South African townships through their images through the world-wide art-scape, young township residents are given opportunities to learn about photography and potentially become photographers themselves. By showcasing the beauty of townships, and their residents, the world will be able to learn the beautiful stories of barbershops that serve as social centers; of life lived at the edges of town; of personal identities riddled with communal patterns; or of three young bloggers, each wanting to share with the world their charming and playful lives. South African photography will continue to travel the global art-scape, and affect the lives of generations to come.
  • 13. Bibliography Budick, Ariella. “Zwelethu Mthethwa, Studio Museum, New York.” The Financial Times Limited. 26 August 2010. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f1a0d8ce-b12e-11df-b899-00144feabdc0.html I See a Different You. “About.” & “Archive.” http://iseeadifferentyou.tumblr.com/ Jack Shainman Gallery. “Zwelethu Mthethwa.” Jack Shainman Gallery: Publications. 2010. Web. http://www.jackshainman.com/publication16.html Jordan, Emma. “I See a Different You.” iFashion. 31 January 2012. http://www.ifashion.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4141:i-see- a-different-you&catid=78&Itemid=114 Nkosi, Bongani. “Developing Young Photographers in South Africa.” Africa Good News. 19 July 2011. http://www.africagoodnews.com/brand-africa/art-and-culture/2664-developing-young- photographers-in-south-africa.html Noakes, Tim. “Zwelethu Mthethwa Interview.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmwJgPrKkiY Pirie, G.H. “Ethno-Linguistic Zoning in South African Black Townships.” The Royal Geographic Society. Vol. 16, No. 4. (291-298). December 1994. Rosenberg, Karen. “Intimate Interiors, Vividly Revealed.” The New York TImes. 15 July 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/arts/design/16views.html Shelta.eu Familia Sakteboards. http://shelta.eu/products/brand/familia-skateboards/overview
  • 14. Taitz, Laurice. “Photography: The brothers who see a different world.” Mail & Guradian: Africaʼs Best Read. 13 July 2012. http://mg.co.za/article/2012-07-13-00-photography-the-brothers-who-see-a-different- world Umuzi Photo Club. “About Me.” http://umuziphotoclub.blogspot.com/ Weller, Simon. South African Township Barbershops & Salons. New York, NY: Mark Batty Publishers. 2011. Print. Williams, Graeme. “The Edge of Town: Description.” Graeme Williams - Photographer. http://graemewilliams.co.za/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3:the- edge-of-town&catid=2:essays&Itemid=34 Williamson, Sue. South African Art Now. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. 2009. Print. “Zwelethu Mthethwa.” PBS Video Review. http://www.pbs.org/arts/gallery/new-york-city- sunday-arts-video/arts-from-nyc-09-zwelethu-mthethwa/ “Graeme Williams talking about his work The Edge of Town.” A Video Interview by Panos Pictures 25. 18 May 2011. http://www.panos.co.uk/blog/?p=5279 Image Source Skateboards: http://boldandnoble.com/blog/2011/11/south-african-township-barbershops-salons/ familiasw/