New Picture Gallery

posted by Gregor @ 7:17 PM 0 comments

A new project has taken form

FujiFilm sponsored me 50 disposable cameras in September which I will utilize to teach the people of the Grahamstown community to use effectively. This project will last about 8 months and requires me to travel into the location weekly and teach children and elders how to use the cameras, however giving them entire freedom on what they perceive as important to document.

All film will then be processed and printed in Johannesburg by B&H PhotoDigital and handed back to the community members. Printing, processing, mounting and framing costs will be covered by the money raised through my previous Project: Pictures for Life. With this new initiative I have integrated my passion and am making it accessible to the people in the location. With this I also hope to raise some community upliftment and create some enthusiasm/motivation, teaching people a skill which they could maybe adopt for a future cause.

I am also busy integrating Dutch multimedia and photographic artists into this project, with whom in collaboration we could produce ‘glocalized’ images which could ultimately be exhibited overseas and locally.

Thanks to all those who have participated thus far in my project, it has really been worth it and will demonstrate and affect public development and community upliftment.

posted by Gregor @ 11:42 PM 0 comments

Gerhard Schoeman ‘s critique without meaning

Missing the exhibitions (and the project itself) point totally, Schoeman explores an image which contains self-reflective elements. An Honest Image (not Picture as stated by Schoeman) seems to have captured his attention, however he critiques the rest of the exhibited images as being “naively realist conception[s] of representation” and that these have been reduced to “sentimental, picturesque objects”. Schoeman also defines these photographs of being “static” in comparison to other contemporary photographers. He furthermore explains how the photographer “attempt[s] at honestly documenting his subjects”.

It seems that Schoeman clearly misapprehended the idea behind the exhibition and the nature of the images presented. It was clearly advertised and presented, before and during (and even after) that this exhibition was a project in conjunction with the Centre for Social Development, a project which aimed to stimulate community development through the arts, one which could generate profit in order to aid such development.

Schoeman’s critique does not mention this at all yet it seems to reflect his personal studious ideal of fine art photography – and these images were never meant to be placed into such a category. On the contrary, the images are reflective of a variety of emotions produced by those who are aided with development projects. The series of images form part of the genre of activism and development and not fine art. So Schoeman’s interpretation, which is ultimately one that reveals his lack of self-reflectivity, is inappropriate and unsubstantial. His critique aims at the photography and how it has not satisfied his personal connection and understanding of the art.

This ultimately questions criticisms in general. They can be very valid and constructive [or deconstructive as in this case] yet should adhere to some sort of quality and content control. A solid criticism should ultimately relate to the idea of what has been criticised and not be an arbitrary rant which reflects an individual’s lack of attention to detail and deficiency of comprehension about the subject matter.

With this in mind I am glad that Schoeman has created some sort of publicity through this review, yet am afraid that he stumbled into a puddle of misconception and shallow critique.

posted by Gregor @ 12:50 PM 4 comments

Finding exposure, slowly but surely

posted by Gregor @ 1:28 AM 0 comments

Romantic Gesture

posted by Gregor @ 1:33 AM 0 comments

Thought provoking question

This morning Tom Eaton, Mail&Guardians’ humorous and insightful columnist, launched his book "Twelve rows from the back" at Wordfest. Whilst waiting for a SAfm interview afterwards he strolled through my exhibition and asked a thought provoking question after I shared some insight into my work with him. “If you had a magic wand, what would you ultimately like to do?” …and I replied: “doing this as a living, (re) presenting peoples lives and creating awareness through visual documentary!”

Doing this with still or moving photography is not definite, a combination of both is always possible, but this was certainly a question that has sparked ideas and interests…

posted by Gregor @ 12:36 PM 0 comments

Inspiring the young

©Gregor Röhrig

posted by Gregor @ 9:06 AM 0 comments

"Girl Power" - SFX create much attention

©Gregor Röhrig

posted by Gregor @ 11:33 AM 1 comments

And another poem gives birth from one if my images

©Gregor Röhrig

child of the soil

fall upon your knees
with the soil’s warmth
underneath

for i can only hope
you won’t see the devastation
of…

when you wake
from your slumber
from playing
or
are you praying

© Selwyn Milborrow