The Drama of Color: Zwelethu Mthethwa's Portraits

Above and Opposit e: Untitled, 1996, color print . Michael Godby Z wel et h u Mt h et h w a co m p ar es t he p h o t o g r ap h s o f p eo p l e he has b een t ak i n g si n ce 1996 in Cr o ssr o ad s an d o t h er inf or m al set t l em en t s o u t si d e Cap e To wn wi t h t he p o p u l ar im age o f t h ese p l aces t hat has b een g en er at ed by n ews r ep o r t i n g in t he p ol i t i cal t u r m oi l o f p r evi o u s d ecad e. Wh er eas n ews p h ot og r ap h y w o u l d use b l ack an d wh i t e b o t h for t he sake o f m ed i a r ep r od u ct i on and t o co m m u n i cat e t h e sen se o f f act ual ob j ect i vi t y t hat d o c u m ent ar y p h ot og r ap h y so of t en r eou i r es, his o w n wo r k cel eb r at es t h e d i m en si o n o f col or . For Mt h et h w a, t h e 46* N k a Jo u r n al of Co n t em p o r ar y Af r i can Ar t ch an g e f rom b lack an d w h i t e t o co l o r in t h e r ep r esent at ion o f p eo p l e is vir t ually eq u i val en t t o t h e d i f f er en ce b et ween p h ot og r ap h y t hat is f act ually b ased and p h ot og r ap h y t hat is co n cer n ed wi t h i nd i vi d ual h u m an val u es. Mt h et h wa's i n t erest in ex p l o i t i n g co l o r in t h e m ed i u m o f p h ot og r ap h y f or t his p u r p o se is f u el l ed by his ex p er i en ce o f m ak i n g p ast el d r awi n g s t hat ar e ch ar act er i z ed by ex t r aor d inar ily vi vi d an d r esonant color . Mt h et h w a t ak es a d i r ect or i al ap p r o ach t o his i m ag es, w o r k i n g in a d i m en si o n t hat seek s a b al an ce b et ween t he Sp r i n g / Su m m er 1999 Nk a»4 7 so- called ob j ect i vi t y of p h ot o- j ou r n al i sm wi t h a m or e p er son al ap p r o ach t hat t reat s his sit t ers as su b j ect s, rat her t han as vi ct i m s. By p h o t o g r ap h i n g each i nd i...