3 Photographs Taken in Africa about Colonial Period - Essay Example

? School: Topic: CLARIFYING YOUR GOALS WITH A PLAN OF ACTION PART II Lecturer: 3 PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN AFRICA ABOUT COLONIAL PERIOD Theme The title of the photograph is “Eyes-wide-shut”. This is indeed an oxymoron, used by Mofokeng to give key metaphoric meaning to the theme of vigilance. The theme of vigilance is selected to show a state of careful awakening where people would keep their eyes wide open even if their eyes are shut. Indeed, vigilance is a quality needed to ensure that a person gets what he hopes for and that he does not loss out on what he wishes to have or see. Relating this to colonial South Africa where apartheid had taken the better side of the country, historical antecedents justify the thinking that the Black population of the country were vigilantly keeping watch to see when it was all going to be over. As seen in the photograph, the Black man has his eye wide shut because he does not want to miss out on anything or wants to be taken by surprise on an event of the passing apartheid that he may possibly not see. Aesthetic Appreciation Aesthetically, the photograph “Eyes-wide-shut” is a photograph with much value on the depiction of elements of photography. For example, there is major emphasis on symmetry, where the jacket of the man in the photograph is taken in such a way that gives an equal striking image to the photograph. The same can be said of the positioning of the man, where he is balanced between the spaces left around him on the left and right sides. As far as depth of field is concerned, the photograph is given two depths of fields, which are rough and smooth. The smooth depth of field is with the man who is clearly captured as the focus of the photograph. All other people in the background and the background itself are given a rough depth of field by keeping the camera blur on them. Indeed, the way symmetry, balance and depth of field were used helped in giving the central focus of the photograph, the needed emphasis. Critic Even though there is much emphasis on the focus of the photograph in highlighting the theme of vigilance, which was a major topic for the Black community during the apartheid, it would have been much meaningful should the photography had included an element of a White person in the photograph. This is because the knowledge that the apartheid was a racial war between the Whites and the Blacks is common knowledge in history. The eyes that were wide shut could therefore have been made to be shut on a White man for example. This way, the photograph would have been easier to comprehend and appreciate by a lay person, especially in support of the theme of the photograph. Theme The photograph above is captioned “Motoulen Landscape with Poplar Trees and Altar”. Rightly by comparing the caption of the photograph to its images, the theme of a fading land becomes trumpeted in the mind of the viewer. This is because poplar trees by themselves are known to be very viable trees in the South African soil. This makes them to have a season round of fresh green leaves and stems in the country. Indeed, the sight and appearance of a poplar tree is that of freshness and hope. But in the photograph, nothing else than a savannah dry land is seen. This is because the poplar tree that was once fresh and blossom has gone dry. Like the result of colonization in South Africa, the freedoms, rights and identities of the ordinary South African was made to go dry due to oppression and suppression at the hands of colonial masters. For the poplar tree to have any hope, it must find itself in the midst of an altar where a religious or divine intervention could possibly make it regain its freshness. Indeed, the South African nation found redemption through the efforts of freedom fighters such as Nelson Mandela. Aesthetic Appreciation Lines are very powerful elements used by the photography in the picture that is presented above. Generally, lines are useful in directing the viewer to the focal point of the photography. Indeed, in the “Motoulen Landscape with Poplar Trees and Altar”, there are different forms and uses of lines. For example, there are vertical lines and horizontal lines in the trees and altar respectively. There are also broad and narrow. In totally however, the use of lines helped in not only giving an aesthetic admiration to the photograph but also a deep sense of meaning. For example, one may ask why almost all the trees captured are thin. Then a sense of constraint and restriction on one’s quest to grow will come to mind. There are also clustered patterns within the photograph even though these patterns cannot be generalized as an overall quality of the photograph. Critic In the photograph, the photographer was trying to sell out two major ideas at the same time. These ideas are the poplar trees and the altar. As seen as part of the theme, these two ideas could be put together to represent the dependence of the South African native population on freedom fighters for the protection and promotion of their freedoms, rights and identities. Even though it is known in history that freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela succeeded in achieving the goal that the altar has been represented to achieve, there is no clear exemplification of this in the photograph. Is was expected therefore that at least the poplar trees that were close to the altar would be greener and fresher that those farther away. Theme When the photographer titles the photograph, “Crossing the Stream” when there cannot be any stream seen or found, the only idea that it sends to the audience is that life is gone. This is because streams are filled with water and water is a representation of life for man. However, the people in the photograph have come to the point where they expected to find this flow of life, only to meet it totally dried up. The question that historians will be interested in whiles viewing this photograph is that, at what point in time did colonization in South Africa lead to the drying up of the stream? Indeed, when there came such a time in South Africa when there force removals of people from places they belonged, colored classification, conservatism, internal resistance, and apartheid in women, sports and other sectors of people’s lives, all that there could be said was that the stream was dry. The stream was dry because what made the people true owners of their own land was taken away from them. Aesthetic Appreciation In the photograph, there is an excellent use of color, where the photography avoided the temptation of using too many colors to detract the attention of the viewer of the photograph. Most of the time, when viewing photographs, as much as color makes appearances beautiful; they could also take a shine of reasoning away from the viewership. This is why the photography kept the use of color very minimal and simple. There is also some level of depth of field, giving more emphasis to the boy whose back is showed. This emphasis could carry a meaning for the viewer to accept and appreciate the fact that the theme of lifelessness was affecting the old as much as it was affecting the young. Critic Where there is no life, there is total disarray, dejection, agony and strife. It was expected therefore that whiles depicting this theme, use would be made of people who were exhibiting these characteristics or features. Should this had been done the real impact of the apartheid regime in South Africa would have been better served in the photograph. Picture Source Mofokeng, Santu. Chasing Shadows. 1997. Web. 18th October, 2013 Read More