PHOTOGRAPHY
It was amazing to see Juno Calypso‘s work printed large on the gallery wall, as I’ve only ever seen it online. I love the visual aesthetic associated with Calypso’s photography, and the existential and identity orientated themes she addresses. Seeing it printed large allowed me to get up close and examine the details and the aspects that hint at how the photograph was set up and taken.
These photographs by Berni Searle really caught my eye. They’re quite bizarre looking and immediately struck me as fine art photography. By using herself in her work she places herself in the spotlight to be judged as those she has researched (striking mineworkers) and includes her own experiences of predjudice.
The photograph ‘In Wake of’ (2014) is very sombre as she lays on black cloth, using her own body as a memorial to the victims of the Marikana Massacre. The bright gold coins she holds symbolise the brutal class segregation and polarisation between the very rich and very poor. This photograph is very tragic and reflective of the massacre of the striking mineworkers in South Africa.
‘(Red)’ from Colour Me series (1998) is the opposite in mood; it is defiant, and her stare is accusing. The purpose of this piece was to challenge static definition of identity related to race and ethnicity, and resistant to apartheid in South Africa. Additionally, the red powder Searle is covered in connotes danger and fierce beauty which is related to resisting stereotypes associated with race and gender.
oliverclarkephotoppp1 