Articles

Zanele Muholi’s photo series Somnyama Ngonyama challenges viewers to rethink identity and surroundings through powerful self-portraits. Using everyday objects as props, the series explores the fluidity of self and the impact of perspective, especially in times of upheaval. Muholi’s images disrupt conventional consumption of portraits by placing themselves both as subject and author, inviting reflection on transformation and ethics of representation. The exhibition runs at Tate Modern until January 2025 and is supported by various international institutions and foundations. Read Article

The Tate Modern hosted the first major UK mid-career survey of South African visual activist Zanele Muholi, whose photography and film work documents and celebrates Black LGBTQIA+ lives. Muholi’s art challenges historical narratives and highlights the realities of hate crimes against queer communities in South Africa. Through intimate portraits and personal engagement, Muholi empowers those often marginalized, using visual activism as a tool for social justice. The exhibition includes key series like Only Half the Picture and Being, which explore survivor stories and intimate moments within the Black queer community. Muholi's work advocates equality and visibility amid ongoing discrimination. Read Article

Zanele Muholi’s exhibition at Tate Modern, reopened after the pandemic closure with new additions, presents a powerful exploration of Black queer life in South Africa through striking photographs and bronze sculptures. Muholi’s photographic work, especially the portrait series such as Faces and Phases and Somnyama Ngonyama, reveal intimate, defiant, and vulnerable moments with technical mastery and emotional depth. Though the bronze sculptures are bold, they are less impactful compared to the photographs. The show ultimately stands as one of the most significant contemporary self-portrait exercises, rich in cultural and political context. Read Article

Zanele Muholi is a visual activist from South Africa who uses photography and video to document black LGBTQIA+ communities, with a focus on portraiture. Their work highlights issues of identity, racism, and visibility, aiming to provide representation and empowerment for marginalized groups. Key projects include 'Somnyama Ngonyama,' which reflects on ancestry and personal pain, and 'Faces and Phases,' a series of black-and-white portraits of lesbian, bisexual, trans, and gender-nonconforming individuals. Muholi's photography challenges dominant narratives and fosters a sense of community and belonging through visual storytelling. Read Article

‘Farewell Photography’ is a significant photobook by Daido Moriyama that established his reputation beyond his Provoke work. The reviewed edition is the 2020 Akio Nagasawa canvas-bound reprint of the 2012 version, featuring one image per page. This edition uses 78 images selected from lost negatives of the original series and emphasizes the beauty of photographic 'mistakes' such as light leaks and blurs. While not as revolutionary today as at its release, it remains a powerful statement rejecting strict photographic rules and celebrating imperfection. The book is recommended as a secondary Moriyama work, with a moderate rating of four stars. Read Article

Daido Moriyama, a prominent figure from Japan’s Provoke era of photography, is known for his spontaneous, grainy images that express social and political upheaval. Farewell Photography, first published in 1972, explores Moriyama's vision of photographic reality, blending personal and street images alongside photographs of photographs. The work challenges traditional photography by focusing on fragments of reality and rejecting polished imagery, reflecting Moriyama’s critical stance against detached, complacent photography styles. The 2019 edition includes a translated conversation with Takuma Nakahira and expanded notes on each photograph. Read Article

Robert Adams' 1974 photographic essay The New West captured the emerging suburban developments around Colorado Springs, documenting tract houses set against vast natural landscapes. While Adams initially saw these homes as symbols of anonymity and environmental threat, decades later, many of these houses remain, surrounded by mature trees and integrated into expanding cityscapes with playgrounds and malls. Adams believed the enduring beauty of the land transcended human intervention. The 40th anniversary edition of The New West highlights how landscape photography has evolved, emphasizing the ongoing environmental impact on the American West and beyond. Read Article

The New West, originally published in 1974 and reissued by Steidl in 2015, is a seminal photographic work by Robert Adams. It includes black and white images documenting urban and rural landscapes of Colorado during the early 1970s, reflecting mankind’s impact on the environment. The book is divided into five sections: Prairie, Tracts and Mobile Homes, The City, Foothills, and Mountains. Notably, it captures an anti-Modernist view that offers a "normal" perspective on landscape photography. The Steidl edition features high-quality printing and binding, making it a recommended read for those interested in contemporary landscape photography history. Read Article

Robert Adams is renowned for his black-and-white photographs documenting the American West over the past four decades. His work reveals the impact of human activity on wilderness and open spaces, often capturing desolate or sparsely populated scenes marked by human traces such as garbage, deforestation, and suburban sprawl. Despite the visible scars of development, Adams finds inherent beauty in the landscapes through his camera's lens. His series Turning Back (1999-2003) highlights deforestation in the West, which Adams views as a spiritual exhaustion beyond mere resource depletion. Adams explores the balance between environmental degradation and aesthetic recognition in his work. Read Article

Michael Kenna’s black-and-white photographs of the Huangshan Mountains in eastern China capture the dramatic interplay of light and cloud over this legendary landscape. Named after the Yellow Emperor, the range is famous for its mountains rising through seas of clouds. Kenna’s forty-six-image series, made over three years, highlights contrasts between luminous light beams and shadowed crevices, offering a meditative perspective on nature’s autonomy and grandeur. His work reveals intimate, less obvious views of this remote environment, evoking a sense of the heavenly and timeless. Read Article

Sebastião Salgado’s new book, Amazônia, showcases a 20-year photographic journey through the South American rainforest. Using his signature black and white style, Salgado captures stunning images of the Amazon’s landscapes and indigenous tribes, some of which have remained largely isolated. The book combines documentary photography with formal portraits and aerial views, supported by detailed text about the tribes' cultures and challenges. Salgado worked closely with the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) to ensure respectful access and protection for the communities depicted. The publication aims to highlight the importance of conservation and the preservation of these indigenous peoples and their environment. Read Article

The Scent of a Dream is a 2015 photo book by Sebastiao Salgado, showcasing stunning black and white images centered around the theme of coffee. It follows the entire coffee production process from cultivation to shipment, featuring workers engaged in various stages. Salgado’s expert use of natural light and composition highlights the humanity and depth in each scene. The book’s concept, design, and editing were managed by his wife, Lelia Wanick Salgado, emphasizing a collaborative artistic effort. This work provides not only a visual narrative of coffee but also insight into global labor conditions. Read Article