The Other Camera—an accidental archive

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Other Camera is an exhibition and book curated by Paul Weinberg, celebrating and exploring “street photography” from South Africa. It highlights the genre of vernacular photography from the point of view of participatory, and community photographers. Drawn from a number of rare archives it poses important questions—how do photographers from communities in Africa and specifically South Africa photograph their own people, environment, cultures and events? More importantly, it asks how vernacular photography has been affected by modernity, transformation and globalisation in Africa. The Other Camera positions itself against dominant visual representations of Africa, its people and cultures that are either overly romantic or pessimistic. Portrait photography, being the dominant form of photography on the African continent, has in recent times highlighted a number of photographers particularly from West Africa. The Other Camera is an important contribution to the archive of African photography and reflects on this genre from a South African perspective. The project shows a variety of styles and approaches throughout the country that span a period of 60 years. Most importantly this collection recognises that this genre of vernacular photography is highly vulnerable and endangered in this part of the continent as the cellphone erodes this once cultural fixture in township life.