jim naughten's costume and conflict

i feel like i've been slacking majorly on going to photography exhibitions recently, which is a shame as they tend to provide me with the most inspiration for my own work. jim naughten's costume and conflict at london's margaret street gallery is one i'm definitely a little upset to be missing. i've noticed nothing but great reviews all over social media sites, and i have to admit, i cursed everything when i realised i probably won't get a chance to see it in person.

costume and conflict is a series of striking portraits based around a tribe called the herero, based in the southern african nation of namibia. think beautiful outfits from the victorian era with the backdrop of the vast and expansive african desert and you're definitely along the right lines. i have to admit, i was surprised that the thing that struck me the most about these portraits were the intense expressions of the subjects. the significance of these outfits harks back to the time of colonization in namibia (around the 1800s), with the herero tribe embracing the clothing and culture of german missionaries who came to settle on their land.

These portraits are not intended to serve as a conventional documentary of Herero culture. They do not capture the subject in a snapshot of everyday life nor with objects typical of routine or social station. Subjects are removed from their home and intentionally suspended in a confrontational posture. As such, their identity as Herero tribe members is reified in their garments and their gaze, a colour and vibrancy brought into acute focus by the contrasting setting. 

the exhibtion sadly ends on the 13th of this month (this saturday!) so i would definitely advise going and checking it out on my behalf (or yours) - my only consolation is that a book on the series has been released which will take pride of place on my bookshelf very soon. jim naughten's interview with image source is also worth a look, if only to get an insight into the painstaking work that can go into commissions such as these.

all images by jim naughten

A Sunday Smile

I remember how much I used to hate the mere thought of 'Sunday' when I was in primary & secondary school - they came with restrictions and curfews, and there was always the sense of impending doom that I may have forgotten to do a vital piece of homework for the next day. Nowadays, although my days aren't much simpler, I've started to treat my Sundays as a day to relax / catch up on things that may have passed me by during the week. Today, I decided to take some time out to read Kaleidoscope's Summer 2012 'Africa' Issue. It's taken me far too long, and as soon as I started to flick through, I realised why I had gone to the effort of ordering a back copy all the way from Kaleidoscope's offices in Milan.

All images courtesy of RD-OK & Alessio Ascari for the Kaleidoscope "A is for Africa" issue

"In a time when the once-dominant western model is collapsing, the impressive growth of Africa’s economies looks likely to continue and its cultural offer is growing more and more vibrant, exposing the international audience to an incredible offering of art, music, architecture, film, design and fashion."

The issue is, of course, all about Africa and its new 'rising' tag which I feel is still pretty contentious, but exciting to look at all the same. The essays are written by influential artists living on the continent and the diaspora abroad, which made all of the points raised brutally honest. No over-exaggeration, or glossing over the rough bits, which I've noticed can happen when the issue of 'Africa' as a continent is written about. I've definitely been inspired to check out more of Santu Mofokeng's South African photo essays and Ghanaian filmmaker Frances Bodomo's work. I'm a sucker for beautifully printed magazines, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Alongside my bagel and latte, this was the perfect companion to my quiet Sunday. I've also spent the majority of the day playing Laura Welsh's 'Unravel' on loop. Produced by Dev Hynes (who really does seem to be everywhere right now) of Blood Orange/Lightspeed Champion/Test Icicles fame, this really is a great collaboration.