Though his name is not well known, Alfred Kumalo played a significant role in our understanding of the institution of Apartheid. The system of Apartheid started in 1948 and lasted 43 years, ending in 1991. During this time everyone in the country knew that this way of life wouldn't last. Through the lens of a camera, Kumalo was able to transport the viewer to Apartheid-South Africa, and bring awareness to this pressing issue.
Alfred Kumalo was born on September 5, 1930, in South Africa. He died last year in October at the age of 82. All throughout Alf's life, he worked with media and photography. Apartheid officially started when Alfred was in his early twenties. This occurrence gave him the opportunity to watch and document important events as they unfolded. Alfred Kumalo is a significant figure in the struggle to end Apartheid not only because he was able to see the effects of it take hold, but also because he felt a great need to do something about it. His photography generated a large response because of the way he took his pictures.
He believed that cameras had the ability to "freeze moments in time" and chose said moments carefully.
Unlike other photographers of his time, he took pictures of events as they happened. This style greatly increased the amount of stories that the pictures could tell and added a sense of trueness to his work. Researching Alfred's work has helped me take the issue of Apartheid and think of it as a real life event and not something that just happened in a dusty book. The pictures he took were compelling and gave a me a better view of South Africa as i am sure it did for many people. Though Alfred Kumalo is now gone, his works will last throughout the ages and continue to inspire us.
I felt like this biography gave a great understanding of the significance Alfred Kumalo played in understanding apartheid. You did a good job at showing how his photography was unique in a way in which it started trends amongst other photographers and pictures. One thing that could have been improved on is the depth of his photos and possibly personal experiences that he had while capturing events as they were occurring. On the other hand, the picture you chose was an amazing photo taken by Alfred Kumalo and showed his talent well through his art. You made me really want to explore some of Alfred Kumalo’s work and observe his photography! - Jade d.
ReplyDeleteThis blog interested me in the way that Alfred Kumalo was invested into the apartheid. Probably no one else even thought or wanted to have pictures of the events that were happening around the, which I guess it what makes him exclusive. As times changed I would believe that the photographs he took were worth some amount as it showed the events in everyday lives. - Michelle H.
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