PIETER HUGO EXHIBITION - Essay Example

PIETER HUGO EXHIBITION AT HENRI CARTIER BRESSON EXPOSITION PIETER HUGO EXHIBITION Pieter Hugo is one of the most influential artists in the history of art. He is a prolific sculptic, photographic artist, painter, architect and a draftsman. Pieter Hugo was born in Johannesburg and resides in Cape Town. Hugo has participated in various group exhibitions at various institutions. 1His work is represented in prominent public and private collections. He has also received many awards for his excellent work including the Discovery Award, Huf Award, Seiydou Keiter Award among others.

Furthermore, he was shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in the year 2012. His photo exhibition at the Henri Cartier Bresson Exposition was brilliant and breathe taking. The primary reason I liked these photos is because they always have stories behind them. The exhibition showcased Hugo’s latest series Kan. Hugo stated that this series illustrates the failure of colonialism in his South African homeland. As such, the pictures represent issues of racial diversity, economic disparity and colonization in South Africa.

Although these topics and subjects are often complex to decipher, Hugo tackles them from an artistic point of view. 2The cliché “a picture speaks a thousand words” best describes Hugo works at the Henri Cartier Bresson Exposition. The photographs cover subjects and topics which in most instances are personally significant to the artist such as contested farmlands, important political sites and cramped townships. Also, some of the photographs at the exhibition capture people in their homes, the homeless and drifters.

Further, Hugo captures intimate moments showing his pregnant wife, their domestic servant and his child after being born. Thus, the photographs alternate between the public and private spaces to present a clear narrative. Mostly, Hugo’s photographs at the Henri Cartier Bresson Exposition focus on the growing economic disparity between people who are often rich and the poor. Thus, Hugo focuses mostly on the dark side of his homeland and subsequently offers a personal exploration and depiction of the complex issues affecting his country South Africa.

South Africa as a country is plagued with a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Additionally, the nation is struggling to come to terms with its apartheid past. To reiterate and illustrate these topics (economic disparity, colonization, modernity and apartheid) clearly and extensively, Hugo includes them in each and every photograph. For instance, there is a photograph depicting a homosexual couple which has been married through a traditional ceremony. The theme of homosexuality in South Africa often draws a lot of criticisms or support from different quarters.

The homosexual couple is the first one to be married in the country via a traditional ceremony. Thus, the photograph has an interesting story behind it. Most photographers tend to ignore and delete photos of the troubled and homeless in society. In contrast, Hugo captures these images to enlighten the word. A picture of a homeless man who, Hugo met at an intersection in Johannesburg leaves a lasting impression in the mind and brings to the fore a different negative perspective of South Africa.

The photograph illustrates the difficulty the poor in society are going through or experiencing. In fact, the photograph left me with a heavy heart. In conclusion, Hugo’s portraits at the Henri Cartier Bresson Exposition depict the clashing and different aspects between society’s realities and its ideals. As such, these pictures always try to tell a story about the complex issues in South Africa.BibliographyBhattacharya, Nikhil. "A picture and a thousand words." Semiotica 52, no. 3-4 (1984): 213-246.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri, and Peter Galassi. Henri Cartier-Bresson: the modern century. Museum of Modern Art, 2010.