A powerful series by Paul Weinberg captures the human experience in an oppressive society.
A room full of pictures that mirror our society as it was and now is. A new photographic exhibition at the Wits Arts Museum showcases history and collective trauma.
The museum filled with Paul Weinberg’s work told so stories through photographs. Bringing together nearly five years of Weinberg’s work, most of the exhibition was filled with black and white archival images, which was one of the things that caught me by surprise.
The collection released, “Between the craft” displayed pictures that were thought-provoking, informative and had deeper meanings. Each image highlighted themes, from oppression to reconciliation and allowed the audience to construct their own perspective.
One of the images captured was of the ‘boers’ with their guns in an authoritative position and their young black farm workers. These photographs were not just captured; they were telling stories, testimonies, and a call to action, to end the oppression of black people.
Weinberg created a dynamic non-linear story that still guided the audiences’ interpretation of his messages. This was done through the arrangement of the images and the titles.
“Intro, Travelling Light” was a photo series displayed the ‘dark days’ black people faced during Apartheid. It embodied that “between the cracks, life continues with its pain and joy,” with a range of images displaying people rejoicing even in times of oppression. Creating the light for themselves during dark times.
“Then and Now” mirrored society’s revolution of what was, and what became. Capturing protests, brutalities, deaths, and funerals. Weinberg added “I didn’t enjoy it,” in his caption. This is what inspired him to look into religion and spirituality.
“Moving Spirit” included moving pieces that focused more on spirituality than religion, which dropped the idea of division between colour, gender, and class.
Weinberg expresses his gratitude to have experienced various kinds of spirituality where all these themes were not important, “travelling in pursuit of the spirit,” he captioned in one of his pieces.
An image that touched me the most is a photograph of two elderly sisters, re-uniting after 20 years of separation, after their removal in Riemvasmaak, 1995.
The second floor of the museum had walls of colour: orange and sky-blue, divided by a wall of black and white images with a white background. This was a lovely way to narrate the ending of the stories.
The first wall was bright orange, filled with frames of beautiful landscapes, taken from all over South Africa, titled “Earthsongs”.
The overall experience was thought-provoking, and the touch of colour at the end represented the light at the end of the tunnel.
The exhibition is an experience pleasing to the eye, because the images were boldly expressive of emotions.
Vuvu rating 10/10
FEATURED IMAGE: An image of two elderly sisters, reuniting after 20 years of separation, after their removal in Riemvasmaak, 1995.
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