Why Did David Goldblatt Choose BW Photography To Document Apartheid?
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
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We need more channels like this talking about the art of photography, Thank you very much. Very appreciated.
Glad you enjoyed the videos and thanks for the support. Tell your friends :D
Well picked and well-done. Thank you for choosing the exceptional work of this exceptional photographer-even recognized as such by his peers from the Hasselblad award, to the Fondation Cartier-Bresson award, or the International Center of Photography (founded by Cornell Capa, Robert's brother) award; added to these, the republication of his books by Steidl. Just one or two notes: 1-Goldblatt was Jewish in a violently racist country which meant he was an outcast, not white enough for the Afrikaners and not black enough for the native population. On the other hand this gave him a unique point of view and access to both communities while being an observer. He was a very concerned and astute photographer with a deep sense of esthetics, ethics and the frame. His use of BW was also dictated by financial reasons, the fact he could totally control the BW process (which also allowed him to avoid censorship if his images had been processed in a commercial lab). Especially for the early mine work, BW film was more sensitive than color, easier to use in difficult conditions (low and artificial light) and on the whole gave better results then than color. If one worked for the local daily press one had to use BW. Goldblatt, however, is anything but a quiet and dispassionate photographer; he was a very if not highly humane and humanistic human being (I did talk to him). He took risks to document life in South Africa under violent if not ruthless Afrikaner/Apartheid rule. His Boksburg work is a monument to photographic irony, definitely not detachment. You could also have added some aspects of his photographic work that was more conceptual and mentioned that all of his images are heavily meaningful and loaded with a lot of cultural information, clues and symbols. It is deep, esthetical and ethical work. One of the great photographers of the 20th century, no doubt. Excellent choice!
Hello,
I interviewed David Goldblatt at his home in 2005. He had an exhibition in colour during that time too in Johannesburg. One of the questions I asked him was why he used colour photography when his older works were in black and white. I was a fine art student majoring in photography and loved his work. He said that technology had improved so much and colour was easier. I was surprised that it was such a simple reason.
His work in colour was just as beautiful and it captured the ‘noise’ in society as well as the sublime.
Many critiqued that his black and white photography was documentary and not artistic. But he was adamant that his work was not documentary photography but in the line of Fine art. They have similar styles but his approach was not from the perspective of capturing news but rather from a personal perspective and many times with a critical eye capturing the injustices or hypocrisy of the time.
He spent a lot of time camping in his ute/car while out doing his works. Him and his wife were Jewish and a lovely down to earth couple.
Today, my husband and I decided to celebrate his birthday at the Art Institute of Chicago. I unexpectedly found myself in a David Goldblatt gallery exhibit. What an amazing surprise! If it weren't for Alex, I don't think I would have known what a gift this was. Thank you for so much for the education, Alex!
Your welcome, thanks for watching
I’m thoroughly enjoying binge watching your videos. It would be wonderful if you could do more videos about South African photographers like Peter Magubane and the members of the Bang Bang club and so many others !
Glad you're enjoying them.
It may be worth looking at as a series.
& the photographers of the Afrapix collective, who were 'quieter' then the Bang Bang Club!
Just watched one of your videos... Brilliant, just what I've been looking for, love your philosophy on photography and being yourself, and using your own voice. Thank you.
I'm certainly encouraged to go off and discover more! Thank you!
I saw an exhibition of Goldblatt's work in Sydney a couple of years ago. I had to go back a few days later for another look and to see the accompanying documentary film. Stunning work. Thank you.
That would have been great to see. Glad you enjoyed the video William
This shows the effectiveness of a body of work as opposed to having key moments or individual photographs that stand out.
Many photos on their own may be considered snap shots in their content and how they were taken. But when look at in correlation to each other, you start to form an idea of how life is during the times the photos were taken. And that is when the viewer starts to consider the other side of the shocking moments of things like apartheid. The viewer goes from how could this happen when looking at a shocking moment, to contemplate how normalized everything else is seen. And hopefully the viewer will then start to think about why the shocking moments happen as a way of protecting that normalization of things like apartheid.
Yes, I also share that view. If you look at things as individuals sometimes they lose all sense of purpose. Because I grew up not far from Boksburg and around the same time, obviously they way the individual image connects with me is different, so I tend to see it as a looser body of work in a way.
A very balanced and objective view on David Goldblatt's photography. I like the way you show some of his colour work at the end, encouraging the viewer to look at more.
Thanks Harold. I really like Davids colour work, though I felt it was better to start with some of his more ,'iconic' if you want, images. Funny thing was, researching this, I discovered I don't actually own a copy of 'On The Mines' despite me thinking for years now that I do!
I hadn’t heard of Goldblatt, but you’ve presented him and his work in a compelling way. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! My aim is to share 'lesser' known photographers along with the big names.
I especially liked the part where you showed images from each work side by side.
So grateful that he kept working to the end of his life. South Africa is such an interesting and dynamic country, and I can see why he never ran out of subjects to photograph.
Thank you mysterious person :D
Yeah, I thought the idea of displaying them side by side would be useful in getting the concept across. Glad you found it helpful.
One day I'll do another road trip around the N roads there with my camera. Though this time I'll try to not spill red wine all over my white shirt during a tasting:D
Same here. That was my favorite part. That's when a new level of meaning emerged.
Subscribed.....am 7 videos down now by you & discovered a Photographer whose work I had never seen.
Thanks for subscribing and glad you're enjoying the channel
Every community has its historians. It's wonderful to discover new ones like this thank you. Those mining pictures are as good as anything in Pittsburgh. For me 👌
Glad you found it interesting. Thanks for watching
Great video Alex. I never heard of David Goldblatt, however his work is powerful without being “loud”. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
I wasn't familiar with Goldblatt's work before your video. Thank you for the informative and inspirational presentation.
This was extremely important. Thank you so much for featuring David Goldblatt's photography.
Thanks for the comment Bob!
Glad you found it stimulating
You save me on my art history project. THANK YOU!
There's so many great photographers out there that I don't know about ... this is fantastic continuing education, Alex. Thanks.
It's my pleasure James. I'm very fond of David Goldblatt and I'm pleased you enjoyed it.
Very good, as usual. At some point, i case you're not familiar with it, you might be interested in the work of the late Walter Rosenblum, the husband of photography historian Naomi Rosenblum, and Paul Strand's best friend. His work in Haiti long ago is among his best, in my view. There is also a film about him, made by his daughter Nina.
Stunning documentary work. Looking back now I recollect a couple of images I've seen from past editorials, newspapters, magazines etc. Particularly the relatively close-up image of the white men sitting on horses. It's a great image. Thanks for the video Alex. Superb.
Hi Daniel.
Yes, the three Boers on the horses is quite a famous image of Davids.
Someone else in a sort of similar vein is Roger Ballen, though a lot of people, especially South Africans feel his work is more 'gwakish'
www.rogerballen.com/platteland/
@@ThePhotographicEye Hello Alex. After a quick search, I landed on Roger Ballen's "Outland". A sticking piece of work, with an equally interesting focus on a particular group of people, those with severe to mild learning disabilities. I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of "gwakish"? I will certainly follow up on Roger Ballen. Thanks Alex.
Interesting video - thanks. Given your SA background, I don't know if you are familiar with the work of Jurgen Schadeberg. HIs memoir, The Way I see It, describes his youth in wartime Germany and then his photographic career in SA as a white photographer with Drum magazine. The memoir was published in 2017 and he died just last year in Spain. The is an interesting video interview with his widow on the Leica CZcams channel. Cheers!
Thanks. I've not heard of him, but know about Drum of course. Will go and have a look
Excellent video. I have been looking for someone who explores the art of photography and the layers in photography, especially when I've been around people who know nothing more than how much they paid for the camera.
Glad it was helpful! I had also suffered that same fate, and this channel is my way of helping others avoid it! :D
great.... DANKE 🙏
You're welcome - glad you liked it.
Enjoyed this, thanks for sharing and your hard work!!
My pleasure! Thanks for watching
Thank you for the work you are doing. You are truly helping us understanding photography from a very humane, existential perspective. After watching your videos, I think we all feel energized and in love with photography and the people behind it.
Wow, thank you! I'm really pleased to hear that
A fascinating profile of a photographer I was not aware of. Thank you for making this channel!
My pleasure Terry, glad you liked it. Also check out David's post 1994 work which is more colour and well worth a look.
I think his photographs are very inviting- by which I mean I want to look at them for quite a time, rather than flick to the next one. Yet at the same time, pinpointing why they hold my interest is quite difficult.
Thank you for the video! Your videos are wonderful. A nice break away from the usual gear videos. Your videos expose great photographers and their work. Very inspirational.
Thanks! I'm tried of seeing a million reviews about lenses when the greats are never given a platform.
So grateful for these videos, it's made me realise that it would be helpful to read up on some of these photographers.
So pleased you're still enjoying them :D
Just discovered your channel, thank you so much .... just wonderful
Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for subscribing.
amazing video!
Thanks for watching, it's my pleasure!
Thanks!
Thank you John
Why would anyone click "thumbs down"?
I love your videos
please do an episode on David Yarrow.
The haves and the have nots and as always it's the latter making the former rich. And for sure David covered it well.
In regard to current photographer how about Arthur Meyerson. Love your CZcams
When I first saw Goldblatt's work, I was practically outraged by how anyone could go about photographing apparent "normalcy" in such an abnormal society that needed to be exposed on every level for what it really was. It wasn't until I matured that I realized that was exactly what he was doing all along...
I grew up not far from Boksburg at the same time these images were taken.
It really was a weird thing in retrospect, but at the time felt utterly normal (granted I was a 10 year old, so....)
@@ThePhotographicEye A ten yr old, in a ten yr old body, is understandable- in adult bodies they're indefensible. And racists by and large are either ignorant, scared or bullies- and usually some combination of all the above.