Mr Mkhize's Portrait

by Adam Broomberg

"We met Mr. Mkhize in a migrant worker's hostel in a township outside Johannesburg, South Africa. He told us that he had been photographed twice before in his life. The first was for his Passbook, a document which allowed the apartheid government to control his movements. The second was for his ID book, which allowed him to vote in the country's first democratic elections. Ten years later we met him and took his picture." -Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin Photographers Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin were recently commissioned to return to their homeland of South Africa to document life there 10 years after the end of apartheid. For three months they traversed the country, examining the way people live, how they work, how they love, and how they die. Through their work we learn of individuals' aspirations and fears, such as Matapa Maila, a contestant in Miss Teen South Africa who has no memory of apartheid; Mandllenkosi Noqhayi, a circumcision initiate who is studying to become an accountant; and Mishack Masilela, a contestant at the Miss Gay Soweto competition, who wants to be able to marry the man that he loves. Threaded through these personal tales and glimpses of everyday life we gain an understanding of the wider issues facing South Africa today, such as the housing shortage, high unemployment, widespread violent crime, the impact of economic migrants, and, perhaps most significant of all, the widespread effect of the AIDS epidemic. But it is also a story of optimism and empowerment. After 10 years of freedom, South Africa has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world and the strongest economies in Africa. These photographs were recently displayed in Johannesburg at the new Constitutional Court, built on the site of The Fort, the infamous jail used by the apartheid government to imprison activists such as Ghandi and Mandela.

180 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2004

Reviews

[Dajana Kuban · Rating 4 out of 5]

a collection of photographs and stories from post-apartheid South Africa by two of the best documentary photographers of today.
A beautiful piece to wrap up my SA reading.
- best to be read with a prior knowledge of South African history and an extensive usage of GoogleMaps.

[Noemi Kuban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I’m a bit biased as Broomberg&Chanarin are my favourite photographic duo, but this is a real nice collection of photographs and stories reflecting on post-apartheid South Africa. Black stories, white stories, ‘coloured’ stories, with no intervention of the authors. You get angry, you get sad, you smile...

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'd actually like to give this 3.5 stars, but couldn't get myself to go for 4. the pictures are good, at least many of them. i felt they were a bit too insistent on pain as a subject (because it is easier), and i'm not sure they full engaged South Africa. i much prefer Cuny Janssen's wonderful book There is Something in the Air in Prince Albert. my other grievances with this book fall to the designer - the color of the text and the font just don't work - almost seems like an attempt to make the book a little longer. grievances aside, i appreciate the tremendous effort and access necessary in putting this work together.

[Ben Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors of this book provide a snapshot glimpse of south African life, giving different single-page bios of people all over South Africa. Vivid pictures and real stories give a sense of what life might be like for these people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds.