Strike!
For the most part, we expect a face to be illuminated and seen for its features—to give the impression that an individual, alone in a group, is distinguished or peculiar. Here no such evidence is offered. The face is at best an outline, defined by exaggerated black. There is evidence, however, that these people, likely all male, are sitting, and that in the curve of their bodies and angular rise of their heads, they are paying attention. Despite this silhouetting of forms, certain indicators give away traces of their individuality, such as the white or brown clothes of the middle figures. Hence we might appraise these darkling figures for something other than their faces.
— Emmanuel Iduma
“Photography has the power to provide a new context to human experiences.”
The whole series, Almost Everything Has Happened, was photographed in my home in Johannesburg. I sourced archival and contemporary footage and then photographed specific frames. The selected image is of a South African taxi strike in 1969. Using a digital process I developed I then edited the photographs to visually depict the effects of identity erasure and displacement that happens to underrepresented and disregarded communities in Africa due to historic and modern day colonialism.
The series was triggered by the question of how Africa has gotten to the place it is today. A place of extreme disparity between the haves and the have nots. I wanted to trace back this history using media as a tool of traveling back in time and looking at the present to show what has changed and what remained the same.
Photography has the power to reveal what has been previously unseen and provide a new context to human experiences. I approach photography with a sense of curiosity, research and empathy. Currently in my practice I’m interested in how technology can be used in photography to enhance the specific project’s narrative.
— Kwazokuhle Phakathi
About Kwazokuhle Phakathi
Kwazokuhle Phakathi is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa, working mainly in the mediums of photography, text and performances. You can see more of his work on Photoworks and on Instagram.
LAST WEEK — “Lesdi” by Eva Diallo
This photo was taken in Saint-Louis, in northern Senegal, on a beach called Salsal. In the background, in the distance, you can see a few trees. This is the border between Senegal and Mauritania. We used to go there as a family when I was a child, and my cousins and I have always kept the habit. The camera is there and I capture fragments of our family moments. At the time, I was working with a small-format film camera, which is small and very easy to use. Nothing is staged; my photography is spontaneous and directed by feelings.
This is the 122nd edition of this publication. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.
TENDER PHOTO is a collaborative digital archive and publishing platform of contemporary African photography. Every Wednesday we feature a photograph, a short caption about it, and a statement from the photographer. Last year, we published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, INDEX, and AFFINITIES. The next Friday series will begin in August.
Our aim is to use photography to engage with life on the African continent in all its diversity. We publish narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, contributing to nuanced and layered perceptions of the continent.
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