recently purchased the dvd “the work of director mark romanek”. his work is interesting because he uses photography as a jumping off point for many of his music videos.

for the video “got it til it’s gone” by janet jackson romanek begins with the photography of urban africa in the 1950s-70s, as typified by the images in DRUM magazine and in the work of portrait photographers like malick sidibe. he has succeeded pretty well in creating an africa from that time and place, something i have never seen outside the work of raul peck. he did cast some expat kenyans as extras (including a couple of my friends) which gives the video that much more authenticity.

but beyond its surface beauty, there is a more powerful message that is conveyed by the video. the photography of that time in africa depicts the joy, optimism, sophistication and humanity on the continent as africa underwent a transition to urbanism, decolonization and greater freedom. by dramatizing that time and place where africans were those things things, this piece of art challenges the culture (especially black culture) to aspire to more beyond a narrowly defined self-image.

in the dvd commentary for the video, romanek says was making a point against the bling-addiction of black american music videos then and now. but to me this message has a broader meaning that is also relevant to other black people everywhere, especially in africa where 40 years of poverty, war and disease seem to have killed off the vitality that makes the old images from long ago still seem alive. optimism that things will get better, is just as important as good governance and aid; art can play an inspirational part in that by depicting an ideal state, whether past or future.

in west africa, fela kuti went to school in london, came to the states and heard funk, returned to nigeria, mixed highlife, juju and funk and created afrobeat.

in east africa mulatu astatke went to school in london, came to the states and heard jazz, funk, latin music, returned to ethiopia and mixed jazz, funk and ethiopian pentatonic scales to create ethiojazz. both men are giants of modern western based music on the continent, although astatke is little known outside ethiopia, except to fans of the ethiopiques series. mulatu astatke is getting a little recognition (ny times, reg. req’d) via the jim jarmusch film broken flowers, that features his music prominently in the film. very cool.

ny times piece on joe conzo a (then) young photographer who shot mainly around the cold crush brothers whom he knew. (ny times link: registration req’d)

previously mentioned here.

two views of the history of photography in central africa from two perspectives: how africans themselves used photography and how the westerners who photographed africa used their images.

Photographers of Kinshasa: the history of photographers in congo and their evolving role from from sorcerers to accomplices to documentarians.

“Once considered a mysterious representation of a parallel world, portraits became images that could be controlled. Once a conducting medium between two worlds, the portrait was now a narcissistic object capable of distorting reality. It was a fragile portrayal of a reinvented everyday life that made it possible to immortalize an ideal self-image. Once a frozen spirit, the subject was now a sublimated icon. For anything was permitted in studios. Thanks to his camera, the photographer was both a privileged secret observer of intimate moments and an active participant who would suggest a prop or pose - a well-meaning accomplice who created that perfect image all his clients wished for.”

from In and Out of Focus: Images from Central Africa 1885 - 1960: smithsonian exhibit on historical photography from central africa centering around the work of casimir zagourski
“Throughout this period photography was used to describe and classify peoples under colonial domination and to record information about African architecture and art, dress and adornment, body decoration, ceremonies and rituals. Today, many of these photographs–even considering the circumstances under which they were taken–have become valuable historical documents of African ways of life. However, they are equally important as primary evidence of commonly held Western beliefs about Africans. Photographers tended to focus on themes that often reinforced erroneous notions of an “exotic” or “savage” Africa, visually evoking stereotypes about Africans. Some of these stereotypes–which could be traced to the earliest Western encounters with Africans along the coast in the 16th century–were celebratory; others were derogatory, racist and deeply painful. Seen from our contemporary perspective, many of the perceptions conveyed by the imagery were “out of focus”: viciously wrong and permanently damaging.

Besides documenting Africans and African life, much of the photographic activity in central Africa served to popularize the colonial venture. The building of the colonial infrastructure and successful economic exploitation of ivory, rubber and later minerals were common themes. Africans, whom the colonials saw as culturally inferior, were to be Christianized and educated in what has become known as the “civilizing mission.” Missionary activities and educational efforts are portrayed in the imagery, which celebrated colonial achievement. Many of the photographs exhibited here are aesthetically and technically compelling, which is one of the reasons they were widely reproduced. They formed an image world that focused on narrow, repetitive themes. These pictures left an indelible mark on the Western imagination, creating representations of central Africa that have had tremendous staying power.”