ON DOCUMENTARY

PHOTOGRAPHY
A Photographer's View

In July last year, documentary Also discussed were the prob- grapple with. This was a dis-
photographers from all lems for photographers work- service to photographers at-
around the country met in ing under the State of tending the conference.
Cape Town at a conference Emergency. This was dra- Judging from the exhibitions,
organised by the Centre of matically underscored by the documentarists in the field
Documentary Photo- today are dealing with
graphy. The con- the challenges of their
ference, which was the times in fresh and in te-
first of its kind, coin- resting ways. The ex-
cided with twelve hibitions illustrated a
photographic exhibi- range of photographic
tions at different practices and articu-
venues on the Univer- lated many of the issues
sity of Cape Town which were so inadequ-
campus. ately raised in the dis-
cussions. And it is to
Papers given at the these exhibitions that I
conference raised now wish to tum.
many issues that are important detention of convenor Omar
to documentary photogra- Badsha on the eve of the con-
phers working in South Afri- ference. Forthepurpose of this article,
ca today. These included: I will group the exhibitions
A serious flaw in the con- into three categories - com-
*the role of photographers in ference was thelack of photog munity photographs, radical
the democratic movement raphers on the platform. For photojournalism and tradi-
example, Jurgen Scha- tional documentary photo-
*the position of women cultu- deberg's entertaining account graphy. At the outset I must
ral workers and the image of of his work atDrummagazine state that these categories are
women reflected in our own was the only input on South not distinct, nor mutually ex-
cultural products Africa's photo history. The clusive, but rather represent
panel discussion on collec- different tendencies or ap-
*the creation of and response tives and the talk on the Funda proaches.
to images of violence educational programme in
Soweto were the only other
*the aims and operation of talks given by photographers.
photographers collectives
Commun ty I
such as Afrapix, Vakalesa, One of the consequences of Photography
Dynamic Images this was that the real issues for
photographers were raised in
*the need for communities to a fairly abstract and theoreti- Community photography
can
take control over the produc- cal manner, which was diffi- be defined as the practice of
tion of images of themselves. cult for us photographers to documentary photography

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A photograph by Joe Alfers fromhis essay on Kosi Bay - The Fishing
People.
 where members of a com- context from their own world munities. However, both fall
munity are engaged in docu- as they launch themselves short in other areas of the de-
menting some aspect of their upon the world of others.' finition of community photo-
own lives. Usually this is a graphy. The content of the
collective venture where Braden asks: Soweto students' exhibition
knowledge and skills are was superficial - largely
shared, and where the end pre "What kind of collaboration photographs of poverty on
duct is used to support some can there be between photog Soweto's streets - and failed to
sort of struggle in the add up to a coherent
community - for statement on any aspect
example an improve- of the township. Men-
mentinhousingcondi- del's exhibition was, in
tions. #f$ the main, a somewhat
jaded view of aspects of
A crucial aspect of white suburban culture
community photo- to which he does not
graphy is that it deals I subscribe. Neither ex-
with the issue of self i hibition had the poten-
representation. Su
Braden in 'Commit-
ting Photography' wrote rapher and photographed
which will ensure that the per-
about the thinking behind
community photography : son behind the camera is not
appropriating the identity of
'As the complexity of the in- the person in front of the Radical Photo-
terrelationships between lens?" journalism
photographer, subject, photo-
graph and audience has In the mid-1980s in Britain a
become more appnrent, so the wide range of community
question of access to and self- photographic projects de- Most of the Cape Town ex-
representation through, the veloped out of an attempt to hibitions fell more clearly into
answer this question. the radical photojournalist
photographic image has come tradition. Here the focus is
to be seen as equally import-
ant socially and economically In South Africa the issues less on self-representation
as access to the written word.
around self-representation than on documenting adverse
take on iur even greater im- conditions or revealing rela-
portance because the majority tionships of power and domi-
'A principal question has of photographers come from nation. An important element
emerged - Whom does the the group that has had privi- of this kind of work is its value
photograph represent? Do the leged access to money and and accessibility to groups on
photographer's own ideas skills - white, middle-class the left engaged in the process
men. of social change.
about the subject dominate the
way the picture is taken and Four of the Cape Town ex-
shown and, if so, is this bias Of the Cape Town exhibi- hibitions
tions, those which came near- were mounted on
(negative, positive, class- light- weight laminated board,
bound, or simply personal) est to representrng a which has helped to make
community photography po-
apparent to those who see the
sition were those by the Funda them accessible to com-
image?
students and Gideon Men- munities around the country.
'... As a purveyor of dominant del's exhibition
"Living in The four were - "A study on
Atlantis Township" by Chris
culrural bias, photography is Yeoville" which is a study of Ledohowski, Rural Com-
capable of forming the van- his home suburb. munities in Namaqualand" by
guard of any invasion: an in- Paul Grendon, "Domestic
vasion where the incursionists Both ofthese exhibitions were Workers" by Afrapix and
made by photographers in, of
take with themthe ideologies, "Working'Women" by Lesley
conventions and often the and for their own com- Lawsory'Sached.

20
Some of these exhibitions
have been displayed in com-
munity halls, libraries, church
halls and at workshops, trade
union meetings etc.
The Namaqualand exhibition
was undertaken with the Sur-
plus People's Project. It was
used as part of a campaign to
mobilise public support for
the communities which are at-
tempting to win back their
land which was appropriated
Qy ttre House of Representa-
tlveS.
Other exhibitions which fell
into this category of radical
photojournalism were an
Afrapix study of the black
community of Paarl and a
group exhibition 'Beyond the
Barricades'. The Paarl study
formed part of an alternative
programme to the official tri-
One photofrom Chris Ledoclnwski's essay on Guguleru.
centenary celebrations of the a group of images to make a
founding of the town. The coherent visual, emotional
'Barricades' exhibition rcprc- and cognitive statement. It is
sents the best work of twenty primarily concerned with
photographers and forms a photographic excellence and
valuable and powerful histori- suEngth of personal vision.
cal summary of ten years of
political struggle in South Af- Two of the Cape Town ex-
nca. hibitions which fell into the
more raditional documentary
category were David Gold-
Traditional blatt's "Structures" and Omar
Badsha's "Prayers, Perfor-
Documentary mers and Megaphones".
Photography Goldblatt's photographs are
of structures - mainly, but not
all architectural photographs -
The more traditional form of that he has photographed
documentary photography is around the country since
less concerned with issues of 1961. They show interiors
self-represention, collective and exteriors of churches,
work, accessibility and politi- homes and public buildings.
cal usefulness. The focus is Even non-buildings, such as
more on the power of the indi- demolished structures after
vidual image and the ability of group areas removals have
2t
been documented. Goldblatt What both exhibitions have in do not wish to imply that con-
intends this work to function common is a depth, complex- cern about categories or dif-
on the levelof allegory. As an ity and opaqueness which re- ferent photographic practices
inroduction to the work he quire the viewer's full absolves any photographer
writes: attention. They are not ac- from detailed attention to the
cessible to the casual viewer. quality and meaning of the in-
'In the geology of South Afri- This complexity functions on dividual images which we are
ca's structures are to be read the level of the individual engaged in making. A photo-
the accretions of our history photograph andon the level of graph that does not 'work'
and the choices we have the overall statement of the does not communicate. A set
made. These are photographs essay. Although both exhibi- of photographs that do not
from a geological probe.' tions make powerful political 'work' can never add up to a
statements, they do not lend valid statement.
Badsha's exhibition com- themselves easily to practical
prises three groups of photo- political uses. What I have tried to suggest is
graphs - groups at prayer, that different documentary
mainly in Durban's Grey practices have different
In categorising the exhibitions
Street, cultural performances I do not wish to make moral, strengths and uses. I believe
by worker grcups and photo- political or photographic that photographic practice it-
graphs of speakers using judgements. There is a tend- self thrives on diversity and
megaphones to address ency amongst us to do this. that different approaches can
crowds at political and cultu- Comments run along the lines enrich one another. It is only
ral meetings. Badsha says he of'radical is best, personal vi- by learning from each other
is using these categories as sion is reactionary' or 'you that we can honour both the
'metaphors and statemsnts lefties use the photograph like rich potential of our chosen
about power and the centrality a pick-axe and care nothing craft and the imperatives of
of ritual in our society'. for the craft.' Furthermore, I our time and place.

The conference mob! (plnto by Steve Hilton-Barber)

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