VISI: Hoe het jou reis met fotografie begin? 

Mads Nørgaard: My eerste kennismaking met fotografie was in die kunsklas op hoërskool toe ons ’n opdrag oor tyd en ruimte moes voltooi. Ek het gefokus op hoe ys organiese materiaal vir ’n baie lang tyd kan vries en het toe die eerste keer fotografie as medium ingespan. Eers ’n hele paar jaar later het ek besluit om ’n fotograaf te word. Ná my skoolloopbaan het ek as ’n vrywilliger van die Deense organisasie Dancape ’n draai in Kaapstad gemaak en by ’n skool vir kinders met serebrale verlamming gewerk. Ek het in daardie vier maande totaal verlief geraak op die stad en besluit om te bly… ek is nou al vyf jaar hier. Ek het by City Varsity studeer onder leiding van die fotograaf en lektor Jenny Altschuler. Jenny se persoonlikheid het nie net my belangstelling in die genre sosiale dokumentêr geprikkel nie, maar ook lig gewerp op die artistieke en persoonlike uitdrukking wat moontlik is met fotografie.

Wat omtrent dokumentêre fotografie spesifiek spreek tot jou?

Suid-Afrika het nog altyd ’n ryk tradisie van dokumentêre fotografie gehad. Die dokumentering van weerstand en die wreedsheid van die apartheidregime het wêreldwyd aanklank gevind. Fotograwe het ’n aktiewe rol gespeel om die opstand én die veranderinge in hierdie abnormale samelewing te dokumenteer. Ek is definitief sterk beïnvloed deur hierdie fotograwe en hul foto-essays – David Goldblatt, Guy Tillim, Santu Mofokeng, Omar Badsha en ’n hele paar ander.

Die vermoë van fotografie om te dokumenteer en waarheid vas te vang lei altyd tot interessante gesprekke. Volgens my sal ’n foto altyd ’n weerspieëling wees van die fotograaf se gedagtes. Ek was nog altyd geïnteresseerd in politieke en maatskaplike kwessies en hoe ons as mense binne ons samelewing funksioneer. Strukture en ruimtes is dikwels ’n goeie aanduiding van die toestand waarin ’n spesifieke samelewing en sy mense verkeer.

Jou werk omvat twee baie duidelike style: gesigte en ruimtes. Jou portretstudies ongerep en bemagtigend, terwyl jou dokumentêre werk aansienlik meer grinterig voel en vrae oor die maatskaplike orde en stedelike ontwerp laat onstaan. Is dit ’n regverdige beskrywing?

Dit is ’n regverdige beskrywing, ja, want dit is twee baie uiteenlopende genres. Ek probeer altyd die onderwerp of portretstudie in ’n omgewing plaas wat daaraan waardigheid verleen. Die grinterigheid is weer afkomstig van die verskillende ruimtes wat dikwels gedokumenteer word in ligtoestande of situasies word wat ’n sekere rowwe, onafgeronde gevoel daaraan verleen. Dit is ’n reuse-taak om ontwerp te verbind met die maatskaplike kwessies en geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika, maar ek geniet dit om hierdie verbintenisse in my werk uit te lig.

Ons is geneig om te glo sosiale dokumentêre fotografie bevat ’n “boodskap”. Is dit ook met jou werk die geval?

Wel, my reeks “Lower Main Road, Salt River” handel oor die verskeidenheid winkels en klein ondernemings in Observatory en Soutrivier wat mense moontlik as verstar – stagnant – beskou. Baie van die barbiers-, ysterware- en klein kruidenierswarewinkels word deur buitelanders besit en die Kaapstadse metropolisie en amptenare van die departement van binnelandse sake voer dikwels klopjagte hier uit op soek na onwettige produkte, dwelms en onwettige immigrante. Die foto’s lewer beslis kommentaar op xenofobie en immigrasie, wat baie netelige kwessies is in Suid-Afrika. Ek fokus ook dikwels op kinders en die omgewing waarin hulle grootword.

Watter invloed het jou status as buitestander (jy kom van Denemarke) op die manier waarop jy na Kaapstad kyk, en vergemaklik of bemoeilik dit jou taak om in gebiede op die Kaapse Vlakte te werk?

Ek kan nie regtig my situasie met dié van ander fotograwe vergelyk nie, maar ek glo dit gaan alles oor jou bedoeling en benadering. Voordat ek begin foto’s neem, praat ek dikwels met die mense in die gemeenskap – dit vorm ’n soliede grondslag vir my teenwoordigheid as buitestander. Talle individue wil baie graag hulle storie vertel en ek vind dat my kamera my toegang gee tot hierdie verhale.

Dit lyk of sommige van jou dokumentêre projekte ondersoek doen na hoe stedelike ruimtes deur die nalatenskap van apartheid beïnvloed is. Is jy bewus daarvan dat dit een van die hoof-fokusgebiede van die Wêreld-ontwerphoofstadtermyn van Kaapstad in 2014 gaan wees?

Ek het gelees dat Kaapstad as die Wêreld-ontwerphoofstad vir 2014 gekies is. Die Groepsgebiedewet en die manier hoe sekere gebiede “ontwerp” is as deel van die aprtheidstelsel, is steeds duidelik in die Kaapstadse landskap en sy mense. Die groot afstande wat baie mense tussen huis en werk moet aflê, en die tyd wat dit in beslag neem, is ’n goeie voorbeeld. Ek raak hieraan in my reeks “The Bus Terminus”, wat bestaan uit foto’s wat by die sentrale busterminus in die stad geneem is.

Dink jy dat ontwerp sekere van hierdie dieperliggende probleme sal verlig in 2014?

Veral die omgewing van jeugdiges moet ’n prioriteit wees, met skole en naskoolse programme wat ’n belangstelling om te leer en kreatiwiteit in kinders kan aanwakker. Hoe kan ons verseker dat die skole en gebiede wat verwaarloos is, plekke word wat mense bemoedig eerder as om hulle depressief en gefrustreerd te maak? Kuns- en gemeenskapsentrums op die Kaapse Vlakte wat jeugdiges aan ontwerp en kuns bekend stel, kan moontlik help om dit reg te kry. Ek neem baie foto’s in Mitchells Plain, wat in die apartheidsjare tot stand gekom het. Dit is ’n baie interessante deel van Kaapstad omdat dieselfde model vir die verskillende dele van die township gebruik is – daarom lyk die skole, paaie en sportvelde almal dieselfde. Die vraag is hoe ’n mens die patroon kan breek om ’n groter gevoel van individualiteit te skep.

Vertel ons meer oor die projekte waarmee jy tans besig is.

Ek neem steeds foto’s in Observatory en Soutrivier om die reeks verder uit te bou. Ek besoek ook gereeld nog Mitchell’s Plain om foto’s te neem. Ek geniet fotografie in die winter omdat die lig sagter en meer verwelkomend is. In die toekoms sal ek steeds fokus op kontemporêre maatskaplike kwessies en om mense in hulle omgewing af te neem.

Kyk hier na nog van Mads se werk

The post Mads Nørgaard, fotograaf appeared first on Visi.

VISI: How did your journey with photography begin?

Mads Nørgaard: My first encounter with photography took place in high school while engaging with an arts class assignment about time and space. With a focus on how ice can freeze organic material for long periods of time, I used photography as a medium for the first time. It was a good few years later that I decided to become a photographer.  After high school I went to Cape Town for four months to work at a school for children with cerebral palsy as a volunteer for an organisation called Dancape. In those 4 months I fell in love with the city and I decided to stay, now on my fifth year. I studied at CityVarsity under the guidance of photographer and lecturer Jenny Altschuler. Jenny’s personality made me extremely interested in the social documentary genre but she also shed light on the artistic and personal expression in photography.

What is it about documentary photography in particular that attracts you?

South Africa has always had a rich tradition of documentary photography. The documentation of resistance and the cruelty of the Apartheid regime went global.   Photographers played an active role in documenting both the resistance as well as the change in this abnormal society. I was definitely influenced by these photographers and their photo essays – David Goldblatt, Guy Tillim, Santu Mofokeng, Omar Badsha and others.

Photography’s ability to document and be a tool of truth has always been a point of vibrant discussion. In my opinion, a photograph will always be a reflection of the mind of the photographer. I have always been interested in politics and social issues and how we as human beings function in our society. Structures and spaces will often give an indication of the state of the society and its people.

Your work tends to span two very distinct styles: faces and spaces. Whereas your portraiture is very pristine and empowering, your documentary work seems to be more gritty, and begs questions about social order and urban design. Is this a fair description?

It is a fair description as they are rather different genres. However, I always attempt to give the subject, or portraiture in an environment, a great sense of dignity. The grittiness comes from the different spaces that are documented and often shot in light or situations that will give a rougher expression. Dealing with design and its links to the social issues and the historic past of South Africa is a massive project but I enjoy creating those links in my work.

We tend to presume there is a message in social documentary photography. Is this true of your work?

Well, my series on “Lower Main Road, Salt River”, deal with the variety of shops and small businesses that could be viewed as rather stagnant in the areas of Observatory and Salt River. Many foreigners own these barber shops, electrical hardware and small grocery stores – the metro police of Cape Town and Home Affairs officials occasionally raid the areas looking for illegal products, substances and illegal foreigners. This is definitely a comment on the issues of xenophobia and immigration that are topics of great concern in South Africa. I often focus on photographing children and the environment in which they grow up.

How does your status as an outsider (being from Denmark) affect the way you view Cape Town, and does it make it easier or more difficult to work in areas on the Cape Flats?

I can’t really compare my situation to that of another photographer but I believe it is all about your intent and approach. Before photographing I often talk to people in the community and this creates a solid platform for my presence as an outsider. Many individuals are extremely interested in having their story told and I find that my camera gives me access to these stories.

Some of your documentary projects seem to explore the way in which urban space has been affected by the legacy of Apartheid. Are you aware that this is one of the main concerns of the World Design Capital tenure for Cape Town in 2014?

I have read about Cape Town being chosen as the World Design Capital 2014. It is clear that the Group Areas Act and the way that areas were ”designed” as part of Apartheid is still noticeable in the landscape of Cape Town and its people. The amount of time spent in transit by many people due to the distance between work and their home is affected by this and I touch on the issue in my series “The Bus Terminus”, with photographs from the city central Bus Terminus.

Do you think that design will be able to alleviate some of these longstanding problems in 2014?

The environment of especially the youth should be a priority, with schools and after school programmes that breed interest in learning and creativity. How do we make sure that schools and areas that are run down will become encouraging rather than depressing spaces, creating further frustration? Art and community centres in the Cape Flats that push design and art in the direction of the youth could be a way to achieve this. I photograph a lot in Mitchells Plain, which is an Apartheid construct. It is a very interesting part of Cape Town, as the different parts of the township were constructed using the same model – the schools, roads and fields look the same. The question is how to break the pattern and create a greater sense of individuality.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

I am still photographing in Observatory and Salt River to build on that series. Mitchell’s Plain also remains an area that I visit to photograph. I enjoy photographing in winter, when the light is softer and more welcoming. My focus will remain on photographing people in their environment and the social issues that are contemporary.

View more of Mads’ work here

The post Mads Nørgaard, photographer appeared first on Visi.