The latest exhibition at Eclectica Print Gallery, “Marked”, aims to offer different perspectives on the often-violent history and legacy of photography, particularly in Africa.
Featuring photographers Elske Koelstra, KyuSang Lee, Zara Julius, Christopher James Chandler, Armand Hough, Sitaara Stodelm, Adam Rabinowitz and Sinead Maharaj, the exhibition opened last week and will close on May 27.
Curator Clare Patrick, who is herself a photographer, says she was interested in the way the art form exists in an age when everyone has a camera at hand through their cellphone.
“Main question to the photographers is how they display their art (in this modern age)?” says Patrick.
Joburg-based Julius has a background in social anthropology and photography. She graduated with an honours degree in social anthropology from the University of Cape Town in 2014. Her primary focus has been the urban metropolis and the new forms, or amalgams, which have emerged in the context of urban migration.
Chandler is an artist and photographer based in Cape Town who aims to investigate the photographic medium while dealing with narrative, self and masculinity within the context of South Africa.
Rabinowitz lives in Cape Town and finds inspiration in the beauty of travel, exploration and experience. With dreams to continue travelling, he says the skill and excitement of photography ensures endless possibilities for creation and experimenting.
“They say first impressions matter. When it comes to architecture, our doorways are the first impression. It doesn't matter where in the world you live, how we decorate our doors is how we welcome those into our sacred spaces.”