In response to the oppressive regime during the apartheid, South Africans developed an alternative type of socio-political activism, different from the street marching and protests, the use of documentary photography. The purpose of this research is to outline the role that documentary photography played in exposing the “Truth” of the apartheid governments’ social-political ills towards the South African people; as well as to compare the changing role of documentary photography in narrating the “truth” during and after the apartheid era. The multi-method qualitative research approach was adopted to reinforce the understanding and interpretation of meaning as well as intentions underlying human interaction in documentary photography. Secondary data was collected using documentary photography reports and reviews of literature from other academic researchers focusing on photography in South Africa. Based on the critical analysis conducted through a hybrid positivist-interpretivist lens, findings in this research not only acknowledge the significant impact of documentary photography on ending apartheid under the stewardship of collectives such as the Afrapix, but also emphasises the transformation or transition to art-photography which has literally taken over the role of reconstructing past and recent narratives.
Key Words: apartheid, Afrapix, documentary photography, visual evidence, art photography, post-apartheid, South Africa
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………...............
1.1 Background of study…………………………………………………………………………
1.2The aim of the study……………………………………………………………………………………..
1.3 Probles statemet……………………………………………………………………………..
1.4 Research question………………………………………………………………………………………...
1.5 Significance of the study.
Chapter 2 Literature Review..
2.1 South African photography then and now……………………………………………………...
2.2 A Conflicted History of Documentary Photography in South Africa.
2.3 Technological and Ideological Influences of Shifting Documentary Photography Perceptions
2.4 Technological and Ideological Influences of Shifting Documentary Photography Perceptions
Chapter 3 Methods.
3.1 Multi-method qualitative approach.
3.2 Research design: exploratory research design.
3.3 Data Collection and Analysis Tools.
3.4Search startegy
3.5Inclusion Criteria.
3.6 Etical considerations……………………………………………………………………………….........
CHAPTER 4 Findings………………………………………………………………….................
4.1 Gideon Goldbaltt………………………………………………………………………………..
4.2 Gideon mendel …………………………………………………………………………………………
4.3 Cedric Nunn…………………………………………………………………………………………….
4.4 Guy Tillim…………………………………………………………………………………...................
4.5 Sue Willson…………………………………………………………………………. ………..
4.6 Findings Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….,
Chapter 5 Discussion And Recommendations………………………………………………….
5.1 RQ 1. What was apartheid photography like?..........................................................................
5.2 RQ 2. What is South African Photography Post-Apartheid like?........................................
5.3 What triggered the transition from apartheid photography to post-apartheid
photography?..............................................................................................................................
5.4 What are the similarities and differences between apartheid photography and
post-apartheidphotography?..........................................................................................................
5.5 Recommendations for Further Research………………………………………………............
5.6 Limitation of Study………………………………………………………………………………
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...
Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………..
References………………………………………………………………………………………...
APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………
Appendix A Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin – Bavenda Collection………………………………
Appendix B The Soweto Uprising……………………………………………………………….
Appendix C Subtle Apartheid Expressions in Apartheid Photograph……………………………
Appendix D Santu Mofokeng…………………………………………………………………….
Appendix E Explosion of Creatives; Drum Magazine…………………………………...............
Appendix F South African free resilient spirit……………………………………………………
Appendix G Gisele Wulfsohn…………………………………………………………………….
Appendix H Zanele Muholi………………………………………………………………………
Appendix I The Literature Review Loop…………………………………………………... ……
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
The thesis is designed to explore the use of documentary photography in two main contexts; the first one will be based on how documentary photography became a useful tool for Afrapix in exposing the “truth” about social ills perpetrated towards black South Africans during the apartheid era. Secondly, it will explore the arrival of postmodernism in South Africa’s documentary photography and the theoretical base of postmodern art in photography.
In exploring what photography and documentation entail and the way it came to be used as a tool of truth and storytelling, the word ‘document’ in this case is defined as a factual or non-fiction representation (Clark and Worger 2016). On the other hand, ‘photograph’ has been used to represent an event or object that is (or was) captured from particular real-life occurrences – time and space. Documentary photography is thus a process of communication or a system that facilitates a communicative activity with the aim of providing tangible truth about historical and current incidents (Mupotsa 2015).
Documentary photography in South Africa traces its root back in the 1950s at the beginning of the apartheid era (Wylie, 2012). This growth of documentary photography was facilitated by the establishment of popular magazines such as Zonk and Drum and the formation of Afrapix. Drum magazine provided an avenue for photographers and South Africans to disseminate their views against apartheid (Magaziner, 2012). It was a tool that consolidated the anti-apartheid movement. The magazine’s political outcry that was strongly evident on its pages was closely tied with the objectives of South Africans which was that of rebelling against apartheid rule.
Afrapix was formed in the wake of apartheid by the coming together of struggle photographers all driven by the one purpose of bringing an end to apartheid through photography. At the time of its formation, Afrapix’s main goals were two. The first goal was to be a picture library agency and the second goal was to promote and facilitate documentary photography (Clark, and Worger, 2016). At the time of its formation, Afrapix main members were; Paul Weinberg, Guy Tillim, and Santu Mofekeng. However, with the increasing demand of struggle photography by international agencies, Afrapix grew to a society of twenty-five staff members (Mokoena, 2014). Afrapix photographers did a commendable job in presenting the apartheid story to the world through photography. This evoked reactions from all over the world that can be attributed to some of the factors that brought an end to apartheid in the 1990 (Crabb, 2013). However, with the increased number of staff, there emerged differences that lead to the dissolution of Afrapix in 1991. The dissolution of Afrapix and the end of apartheid led to a decline in documentary photography works (Clark, and Worger, 2016.
According to Krantz (2008) after the release of Nelson Mandela in the 1990s, a liberated South Africa started taking shape with the use of documentary photography fundamentally becoming relatively redundant in exposing political injustices. As a result, many documentary photographers found themselves in a compromising situation to an identity ‘crisis’ as the gist of their documentary photography had run its course and the purpose of the struggle had been achieved (Wylie, 2012). A new breed of photographers started cropping up. Today, documentary photography has changed tremendously as photography has drifted from a ‘quasi-objective’ and ‘truth’ paradigm to a more fluid form of art and poetic expression used to explore the current cultural practices among the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and transgender (LGBT) South African people, as well as acting as a visual representation of contemporary issues that South Africans experience during the post-apartheid era like poverty, corruption, HIV/AIDS and lack of education (Glick 2018).
1.2 Problem Statement
The word “document” or “documentary” denotes the real-life capturing of different events in a bid to tell a story, expose issues, and let the photographs act as the legal proof against the perpetrators or historical proof that such acts actually took place (Smith 2017). The current study emphasises on the exploration and criticism of South Africa’s documentary photography and modernist photography in the way they reflect on the apartheid and post-apartheid narratives, or the contemporary issues in South Africa today (Thomas 2018c).
1.3 The Aim of the Study
The current thesis is designed to explore the use of documentary photography in two main contexts; the first one will be based on how documentary photography became a useful tool of exposing the “truth” about social ills perpetrated towards black South Africans during the apartheid era. Secondly, it will explore the arrival of postmodernism in South Africa’s documentary photography and the theoretical base of postmodern art in photography. This study will also examine the photography based conflict that arose during the transition from the apartheid era into the post-apartheid era.
1.4 Research Questions
The questions that will dictate the direction this dissertation are;
What was apartheid photography like?
What was post-apartheid photography like?
What triggered the transition from apartheid photography to post-apartheid photography?
What are the differences and similarities in documentary photography during the apartheid and post-apartheid era?
1.5 The Significance of the Study
The research will prove that documentary photography was not only an important tool in propagating and conserving South Africa’s tumultuous history but still an important post-apartheid tool inflected by postmodernist ideologies in the recreation of history through artistic approaches, as well as an important tool in addressing social ills. This study will also contribute to the growing knowledge of the South African visual culture through a critical reflection of the use and nature of post-apartheid photography in South Africa
Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 South Africa Documentary Photography Then and Now
The ubiquity of photographs (visual images) inextricably intertwines with everyday living permeating scholastic works, individual identities, cultures, dreams, lifestyles, and narratives or conversations (Kharel 2015, p. 147). In addition to metaphorically speaking louder than words, photographs are considered open documents whence multiple cultural meanings can be constructed; whether the photographs are taken naturally or ideologically constructed (Kharel 2015, p. 151). Meanings can be constructed at different practical, ideological, or emotional levels (Kharel 2015, p. 154). Consequently, photography has been used anthropologically as a recording of “true” ethnographic data since photographs hold visual traces of the reality captured through the camera (Kharel 2015, p. 149). Essentially, theories in photography can both be deeply sophisticated and differentiated, or they can be simple assumptions based on “lay theory” (Kharel 2015, p. 150). In this case, the intellectual denseness of a photograph is methodologically dependent on the photographer’s own consciousness of their Photography’s underpinning philosophy.
2.2 A Conflicted History of Documentary Photography in South Africa
South Africa’s history is marred by social and political struggles, not uncommon among most African countries (Tomaselli 2013). The role of photographers in the apartheid era has largely been aligned with the historical preservation and objective presentation of truth in a period when most African countries were already liberated from the turmoil of colonial oppression (Newbury 2015). Subsequently, the daring heroism exhibited by documentary photographers during the apartheid era caught the attention of liberation movements across the world (Newbury 2013). Essentially, much of what the world knows about South Africa’s apartheid experience was disseminated as images of violence, poverty, and racial struggle through photojournalism and social documentary photography narratives (Peffer 2010). During this period, political photographers who were willing to risk it all and capture the social ills and oppressive political scenarios engaged in the use of documentary photography (Tomaselli 2013). The 1950s in South Africa were a period that saw the country’s African race face racial segregation, physical torture and brutalities as they travailed for their freedom through visual activism and other means (Thomas 2018a).
Photography became a pivotal part of visually capturing the ‘Struggle’ faced by black South Africans (Peffer 2010). The era of overly racist politics and oppression (starting in the late 1940’s) saw the rise of daring and dedicated photographers like Eli Weinberg, Peter Magubane, and Alf Khumalo (Krantz 2008). Propagating apartheid “truths” through documentary photography was primarily done to sensitise both the locals and the oblivious outside world: to make it known that black South Africans were suffering inhumane treatment, while the global community could do so little in response because most of the claims had little to no underpinning evidence (Saayman-Hattingh 2011). Featuring a generation of young non-white photographers working majorly with sombre black and white images, apartheid photographers fulfilled their propagandistic needs through a form of social documentary photography that deliberately subordinated traditional images to this collective cause (Peffer 2010). As Thompson (2018b) posits, documentary photography was aimed at exposing the injustices perpetrated by the apartheid government towards South Africans and thus it became a major tool of resistance that would eventually capture the attention of the liberation movement and see to it that South Africa gained its independence.
Nonetheless, when apartheid was dismantled in the early 1990s, the focus on documentary photography began its shift from a political and social justice initiative, to an increasingly more fluid and creative form of fictional art (Thomas 2018b). Haney (2010) affirms that the pressures from international art in photography saw photographers in the post-apartheid era venture into contemporary use of photography as an art and a tool for highlighting South African Cultural practices, and as a form of expressing creativity for commercial and art-based gains. Haney (2010) claims that there lies a thick line between the form of documentary photography used during the apartheid era, and the Westernised form of social documentary art photography that was adopted in the post-apartheid period.
2.3 Technological and Ideological Influences of Shifting Documentary Photography Perceptions
The modern world is currently exposed to images more than any other time in the past. Therefore, in addition to employing visual impact to attract attention, attitudes and opinions are also formed thus encouraging the consumption of photography products; whether for political, commercial, or personal purposes. While the evident shift in South Africa’s social documentary photography perceptions can be attributed to numerous reasons, technology and ideology remain critical to the interpretation of photographs as either documentary or aesthetic mediums.[1] By practicing such liberties with social documentary photography to reveal or uncover underlying meanings through the portraiture of different subjects of interest, photographers facilitate us with an understanding of the real world from different viewpoints.[2]
An emerging generation of youthful black South African documentary photographers exhibits a salient diversity as the current revolution in the digital world expedites the adoption of affordable, easily accessible, and less complicated to master – “point and shoot” - photographic technology (Soske 2010, p. 6).
As discussed in Horta (2011) the transition between the two forms of visual representation depicting diverse “perceived realities” marked the beginning of scrutiny, deconstruction, and even criticism of South Africa’s documentary photography based on the purpose and the level of truth carried by both forms of photography, as well as their effects on the social, political, and economic welfare of South Africans.
2.4 Literature Review Conclusion
While the evident shift in South Africa’s social documentary photography perceptions can be attributed to numerous reasons, technology and ideology remain critical to the interpretation of photographs as either documentary or aesthetic mediums. By practicing such liberties with social documentary photography to reveal or uncover underlying meanings through the portraiture of different subjects of interest, photographers facilitate us with an understanding of the real world from different viewpoints
Chapter 3 Methods
3.1 Multi-Method Qualitative Approach
Due to its relationship within the wider context of reality and art, issues in social documentary photography continue to receive immense attention from social science research. Therefore, to holistically understand the nature of the area under discussion where cultural reality emerges as the main subject (whether regarding generalized or specific communities), it is imperative to first understand the metamorphosis created by the unique phenomenological and ontological characteristics of photography. In this regard, the multi-method qualitative approach was deemed appropriate for this research project.
According to Ahmed and Sil (2012, p. 936), the multi-method approach can combine different qualitative methods that “feature two or more types of qualitative analysis”; thus providing criticality to research (Blackman & Fitzgerlad 2006, p. 2). In this case, the multi-method qualitative approach adopted for the current research is as described in Roller and Lavrakas (2015, p. 286-290) - an investigation into phenomena using a combination of qualitative methods that allow for complete immersion into the subject matter from all possible perspectives, and thus a holistic understanding of complex cases or entities within those cases. Subsequently, the present research will be able to comprehensively explore the complex nature of social documentary photography by critically evaluating the shifting dynamics exhibited through different works created by pre and post-apartheid South African photographers.
3.2 Research Design: Exploratory Research Design
The exploration of documentary photography as a tool of visual “truth” will be largely emphasised in this article. To facilitate comprehensive examination of the subject matter, multi-method qualitative analysis of extant scholarly journals, reports, and other literary works by prominent historians and independent social science researchers who have explored the history of South Africa in relation to the role that photography played in its liberation from apartheid. The use of scholarly journals, books, and reports is attributed to the need for verifiable and reliable research data for the purposes of providing quality and justifiable findings or insightful recommendations.
The exploratory design emphasizes on finding meaning by seeking new knowledge about extant phenomena or beliefs and making an assessment by asking critical questions that bring about “new light” (Saunders et al. 2007, p. 133). Due to its adaptability to changes and flexibility, exploratory research is especially useful where the knowledge area under scrutiny includes problems whose nature is not precise (Saunders et al. 2007, p. 133-134) – such as interpreting the dynamics of photography.
3.3 Data Collection and Analysis Tools
Collecting and analyzing research data is considered an important aspect of carrying out meaningful research projects (Saunders & Rojon 2014, p. 8). The collection of analysis data was conducted through a systematic search and review of relevant literature – both academic literature from sources such as EBSCOhost and google schoolar and grey literature as following steps discussed by Paez (2017, p. 233-234) and Nahotko (2008). Qualitative methods aimed at understanding interactions in social phenomena (Abrar 2017, p. 14-17; Denney & Tewksbury 2012, p. 4-6) were used in the data analysis as discussed below.
3.4 Search Strategy
Due to constraints in time and resources, a desk-based literature review was comprehensively conducted on books (available as e-books), various peer-reviewed journal repositories such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Elsevier, as well as on credible websites and other grey material - unpublished manuscripts, magazine articles, industry reports, articles from recognised industry professionals or organisations.
To gather photographic data for the semiotic narrative analysis, the search was systematically conducted on Google using keywords such as “documentary photography”, “top documentary photographers in South Africa”, “documentary photography in South Africa”, and for specific works of the identified documentary photographers analyzed in Chapter 4, the photographers’ names were used as the main keyword. Non-probabilistic purposive sampling techniques were applied to select the four South African documentary photographers and four pieces (photographs) from each South African social documentary photographer selected for the comparative analysis of changing styles and focus in South Africa’s pre and post-apartheid documentary photography.
3.5 Inclusion Criteria
The inclusion and exclusion criteria were simplified to a consideration of three key factors; (i) the Title of the source, (ii) relevance of the content as presented in the Abstract or Executive Summary (where available), (iii) relevance of the body content (where abstract and executive summary is missing). All sources used were in English and available in full text.
3.6 Ethical Considerations
With the extensive use of creative works expected in this research, all images used in this dissertation will be well credited.
CHAPTER 4 Findings
To illustrate the metamorphosis South African social documentary photography, a close look at the apartheid and post-apartheid photographic works of David GoldblattGuy Tillim, Cedric Nunn, Sue Williamson, Gideon Mendele, was conducted.
Decoding South Africa’s Documentary Photography During and After Apartheid Analysis of apartheid and post-apartheid works ofDavid Goldblatt, Guy Tillim, Cedric Nunn, Sue Williamson, and Gideon Mendele.
4.1 David Goldbaltt
David Goldblatt focused on identity and values. When most photographers used their documentary photography to somewhat engage actively in political cant, Goldblatt concentrated his photography on a subtler version of activism which entailed documentation of social structures, gender, race, and color (Fattal 2016). It emphasized links to a socially segregated society and the way segregation shaped the society he documented. He used photography to popularise South African cultural values, as well as exploring the aspects of identity and notions of place (Saayman-Hattingh 2011).
Figure 1: photo by David Goldblatt (1964) white boy and his African nanny
(Apartheid photography) (Fattal 2016)
In Figure 1, Goldblatt portrays the lives of black nursemaids and their masters’ children as the older [teenage] black nursemaid sits in front of a standing young white boy towering over her with one of her hands firmly holding the boy’s bare heel. The duo, in this case, can be construed to represent the relationship between the master and slave or oppressor and the oppressed tropes. His version of photography did much to reveal the way in which the colonial government played an active yet subliminal role in segregating people based on race, and also the way cultural identity played important roles in keeping South Africans united (Healy-Clancy 2017), while his subtle approach did little to expose the violence, oppression, and inhumane treatments that came with apartheid. The works of Goldblatt were important in propagating the social and cultural aspects surrounding both the perpetrators and the victims of the apartheid socio-political system (Newbury 2013).
Figure 2: photo by David Goldblatt (1980) Miss fine legs competition (Apartheid photography)
(Fattal 2016)
The photograph above taken by Goldblatt at a beauty competition held in a Boksburg Mall (Hypermarket) – Miss Lovely Legs - brings to the fore invisible indifference structures positioned to maintain racial and cultural segregation, while making visible the frustrations, angst, and pain of black South Africans that could not be shared publicly - as seen in the faces of the black audiences standing amidst a huge group of white audiences who visibly take pleasure in the proceedings of the event. There is a powerful conveyance of a sharp disjuncture between the delight of the four female contenders dressed only in high heels and swimsuits, and the twinge of the mortified man standing with perhaps his wife and daughter behind them – evident in his facially expressed trauma.
Figure 3: photo by David Goldblatt. The Karel Landman Monument
(Apartheid vs post-Apartheid Photography) (Fattal 2016)
*left 1993 **right 2006
These two photographs of the Karel Landman Monument were taken by Goldblatt on two separate occasions and from two different angles 13 years apart – approximately a year before the end of apartheid and thirteen years post-apartheid. In the first black and white photograph taken in 1993, the photographer uses most of the positive space to highlight the subject or object, which is the globe standing majestically on a tiered platform. The shallow background is covered by trees which inhibit the viewer from exploring any deeper into the surrounding while the open sky swallows up the rest of the negative space. A closer look also suggests that the photographer had a special emphasis on the African continent and on South Africa in particular.
In the second colored photograph, Goldblatt explores a different angle of the same monument this time maintaining the Karel Landman at the foreground and a deep background spreading out into distant landscapes and a vanishing horizon. Perhaps of interest is the shift in focus from the African continent and the closed background to the open Pacific Ocean and the Americas – distant lands across vast masses of water – and the sprawling landscape behind the monument. Whether intentional or not, Goldblatt’s photograph of the Karel Landman Monument in 2006 compels the viewer to wonder and explore the beyond both literally and figuratively. In addition, the nearly static yet powerfully diverse depiction of the Eastern Cape’s monument in a way represents the malignant apartheid political and social structures that still persist in independent South Africa. The way things change, the more they seem to remain the same.
By suppressing the use of distractive color (s) – monochromes and subtle colors, these two photographs coerce the viewer to look and see the world – represented by the Karel Landman Monument, and South Africa’s documentary photography in general through different perspectives and depths that depict a shift in focus from a narrow and shallow viewpoint in South Africa’s documentary photography’s iconography, to a wider and deeper stance inflected by international needs and ideas, as well as a sharp contrast in the photographic spaces, while vaguely suggesting an ideological stagnancy in the “telling of narratives” – mostly from the photographer’s vantage point.
4.2 Gideon Mendel
Gideon Mendel is another photographer who has been lucky enough to explore photography in the two eras; apartheid and post-apartheid. During and after the apartheid era, Mendel focused on shedding light on societal issues that needed to be addressed. In recent years, Mendel has dedicated his photography work in raising awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic facing South Africa (Du Plessis, 2015). Mendel has equally been forced to adapt aesthetic and fine art elements in his photography work so as to gain acceptance into post-apartheid art galleries context. Mendel has also teamed up with photography enthusiasts in encouraging HIV/AIDS victims to tell their stories through photography (Du Plessis, 2015). This helps these victims get a platform to express their situation to the world. This is a unique photography style that moves away from bestowing the task of telling the story through photography in the hand of the photographer, as it was during apartheid, and entrust this task to the subject itself. According to Du Plessil (2015), his works are not only kept in galleries, but they can also be found on public websites where the public is given a chance to engage with his works.
Figure 4: Photo by Gideon Mendel (1985) The Pollsmoor March 9 (Apartheid
photography (Du Plessis, 2015)
This photo was taken by Mendel in the wake of apartheid, the notable themes in this photo are, violence, and racism. It is obvious to see that the police officers charging the crowd are white while the crowd is composed of black South Africans. Apartheid protests were politically motivated as they were protests against the regim. There is so much chaos, tension and confusion to see in this photo. That was the nature of apartheid photography.
Figure 5: Photo by Gideon Mendel (1993), from his series “The Ward” nurse kisses a HIV/AIDS patient good bye before leaving his side. (Post-apartheid photography) (Du Plessis, 2015)
This photo was taken from a hospital ward. Contrary to the apartheid photo, there is much love and care in this photo. Despite the photo evoking feelings of sympathy, it is a photo that speaks of hope and restoration of humanity. The theme of HIV/AIDS reflected on this photo is a social issue affecting the south African society today. Mendel uses photography as his platform to create awareness and a sense of hope around this social issue. Reflecting care for the victims in his photography works is a call for society to reciprocate the same to the victims.
4.3 Cedric Nunn
Cedric Nunn lived through the apartheid and post-apartheid era. Like many photographers during the apartheid era, Cedric's work revolved around the theme of apartheid. During the Apartheid era, Cedric Nunn focused on bringing out the damaged apartheid brought upon South Africans (Thomas, 2018).
Figure 6: photo by Cedric Nunn from “The Struggle” published 2009
(Apartheid photography)
(Corrigall, 2014)
This photo taken from Nunn’s “The Struggle” series shows a woman comforting her fellow. From the somber mood in the photo, one can tell that this is probably a funeral setting. Such were the common scenes during the apartheid era. Both the young and old were not spared from apartheid violence. Citizens had to bear the pain of having to bury their loved ones every so often
Figure 7: photo by Cedric Nunn (1987) Photo of the funeral of two South African youths who were abducted and killed in the wake of apartheid political violence. (Apartheid photography) (Corrigall, 2014)
This is another reflection of what South Africans had to endure during the apartheid period. Endless sorrow perpetrated by violence that led to the death of young innocent citizens.
In his line of work, Nunn made a precious discovery about the African spirit. As much as his subjects seemed to be dispossessed upon first glance, there was the power that lies inside them that was intangible (Corrigall, 2014). There was a kind of nobility that was in them. He discovered the endurance and resilience of the black spirit that survived and thrived under all conditions. His apartheid works focused on bringing out the beauty of South Africa, its culture and the inner beauty of South Africans that needed preservation mo
