Photographic print Edition 1/5

Hand signed & numbered

420 x 594mm

Monument Hill

The Voortrekker Monument is an impressive and somewhat controversial building. It celebrates the historic accomplishments of a narrow slice of the South African population but because it rests on private land it is largely ignored by the national discourse. This property, by contrast, is also the site of many a music festival that celebrates a different and unified new South Africa. In some ways the monument serves as reminder of a past and how far we’ve come. When I was on an assignment for DHOR I had the opportunity to shoot there and wanted to get a photograph and a new angle on something that has been shot a million times before. This high contrast image of a groundskeeper maintaining a monument that celebrates people who wouldn’t have cared much for him echos this contrast.

Spookpiele

Between 2006 and 2017 a lot has changed in the music industry, especially with the rise of social media and the instant and fleeting nature of music releases these days. 

Thats why when Fokofpolisiekar brought out our first full length album in 11 years, back in 2017, we decided to do a traditional press run like we would have done in 2006. It was three days of mostly driving around in the greater Johannesburg area and talking to journalists and publications about what it was like recording music again - nights were spent drinking until dawn because we didn’t have to worry about getting on a stage. It was a lot of fun but also quite taxing. This frame captures some of that ‘Day 3 Road-Weariness’ in a lift at the Independent Media building in downtown Johannesburg.

Holy Water (Park)

I was travelling with Afrikaans rapper Jack Parow in 2016 to shoot stills for their ‘Dis Hoe ons Rol’ motorcycle travel program. This photo was a happy accident and the result of having my camera’s exposure compensation dial turned to minus 3 whilst shooting in the harsh midday sun at the Wild Coast Sun’s water park. The combination of Parow’s then gaunt-ish physique, the murky waters and the dark tones make for a haunting image. Something not usually associated with water parks or Parow’s public image.

Shopping Trolley Test

Arno Carstens had just recorded his first Afrikaans album called Aandblom 13 and I was commissioned by Select Music to shoot images for the sleeve. It was decided that we would do the shoot in his hometown of Worcester and that his older brother, Jos, would join us afterwards for a braai and sleepover (read: party). I arrived early to scout for locations but Jos had other plans and he decided we would need to buy provisions first. This photo is the result of sitting in Worcester Mall’s parking lot, waiting for Jos to finish shopping and watching the available light (and my location scouting hopes) fade away.

Sports

This was my take-away from a visit to Bloemfontein Cheetas’ training fields with DHOR. Jack Parow and his co-host Hardus Van Deventer were interviewing rugby players and running amok doing rugby drills with some of their favourite players. They were like kids, reliving all their rugby dreams of old. I was out of my depth as I don’t follow rugby much and didn’t know any of these egg-ball gladiators nor would I really know how to photograph them in any traditional way. I saw this apparatus on the pitch and waited until the players had left and took the shot.