Introduction
by Hywell Waters
The
majority of my photographs are intended to set out and illustrate
visually some of the contrasts and similarities I found that
exist between the west and east sides of Grahamstown, in the
Eastern Cape of South Africa. A storm run off drain separates
these two economically unequal areas; however, political,
social and economic developments have ensured to varying degrees
that interactions between the two sides no longer occur solely
on a racially unequal basis. Nevertheless class, cultural,
architectural and landscape dissimilarities continue to permeate
this town , like so many throughout South Africa. However,
these differences were not my sole focus. The similarities
are not as pronounced, but by looking at musicians, schools,
cemeteries, street scenes and work places, I hoped to show
that though our tasks are different our 'work' is the same.
Building
on the 'work' theme, a number of the photographs submitted
were focused on the land crisis which exists in Zimbabwe.
I focused on the two different ways of farming, in other words,
Commercial Farming and Communal/Subsistence farming. I set
out to portray the diverse methods employed by a white Commercial
farmer and a black communal farmer. The commercial farmer
operates in Mashonaland Central Province while the subsistence
farmer cultivates his three and a half acres in South Eastern
Zimbabwe. The two farms are connected by the same water source
which originates on the Commercial farm, and ultimately runs
through the Subsistence farm, 350 kilometers away.
The
significance of this portfolio, is that not only does it set
out to show the contrasting factors that separate these two
farms but also the commonalties that confront them. Since
February of last year white Commercial farms in Zimbabwe have
been invaded by "war-veterans" and landless people who have
disrupted work, destroyed and stolen property worth millions.
Seven commercial farmers and more than thirty workers have
been killed, beaten and raped. Mobs of self-styled independence
war veterans and supporters of the ruling Zanu PF party have
chased away farmers from their properties. Other farmers,
fearful for their lives have halted all farming activities,
sparking fears of severe food shortages in Zimbabwe, which
is primarily a food exporter. More than 20 000 jobs have already
been lost in the agricultural sector as war veterans continue
to disrupt farming operations. Thus, the white Commercial
Farmer, an employer of hundreds of workers, is threatened
by a political factor; the future of his farm and the eighty
families that rely on it, appears bleak.
The
Communal farmer is affected by a different factor; however,
this has the same possible consequences as his commercial
counterpart. In March of last year Cyclone Eline hit Southern
Mozambique creating widespread devastation and flooding. These
affects were also experienced in South Eastern Zimbabwe. The
Subsistence Farmer who farms maize and cotton on the confluence
of the Nyanyadzi, Odzi and Save Rivers could not plant his
winter crops that season after the onslaught of the cyclone.
For the past five months, he has been waiting in vain for
his damaged pipes and pumps to be repaired by a government
agency. He cannot work his fields, and thus the livelihood
of his family of twelve is threatened. Unlike his commercial
counterpart he is affected by a climatic phenomena; however,
like the Commercial farmer, the Subsistence farmer's livelihood
ultimately rests in the hands of a government fraught with
division, corruption and mismanagement.
As
a Zimbabwean, this situation has held particular significance
for me; not only am I worried about my country's economy but
its future in general. As a photographer I attempted to portray
an objective understanding of those who work to feed and employ
a nation, as well as a family.
My
intention during these projects was not to humiliate by portraying
ignorance, poverty and violence, as some journalistic sensation
tends to do. Nor was it my intention to turn the people of
Grahamstown and Zimbabwe into passive icons of wealth and
poverty. Instead I attempted to show the humanistic qualities
of life, as I saw them. I attempted to be impartial with regards
to the sensitivity that I used to both sides, however true
impartiality is a myth. My choice of subject matter, lighting,
position of camera and so forth, influenced in some way the
imagery I pursued. From the outset, my goal was not to take
a completely objective stance, instead I strove for some truth
and honesty when expressing what l perceive of my subjects.
The
working methods I employ are simple so as to avoid unnecessary
technicalities, thereby allowing me to concentrate on the
subject being photographed. Most of the photographs in this
submitted portfolio were shot with Pentax 67 bodies and lenses,
however exploration with the 35mm format has been used to
create some diversity and spontaneity. Generally, prints were
made using full negative. Though I have nothing against minimal
cropping, I did not want to change the overall structure and
content of the picture as seen at the time of exposure.
Hywell
Waters, 24, was born and bred in the Eastern Highlands
of Zimbabwe. He completed a Master's of Fine Art in Photography
at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, and received
many scholarships. His work has been published in magazines
and newspapers in South Africa. In 1999, he was published
in the catalogue of Internationaler Preis Fur Jungen Bildjournalismus
(International Prize for Young Photojournalists). In addition,
he was selected as one of twelve photographers around the
world to participate in the 2000 World Press Masterclass held
in the Netherlands. He is currently planning an exhibition
to be held in Paris within the next six months as well as
teaching in Zimbabwe while freelancing for the overseas market.
Enter
Hywell Waters' Photo Presentation
