Imagine an African paradise with cascading palm trees set against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. Kyle Weeks’s work gives life to this nostalgia.

The Namibia-born Cape Town-based artist is one of the nine photographers who recently exhibited at the Nataal Media and Red Hook labs show in New York. The New African photography ii exhibition featured a selection of artists whose work engages with present-day Africa. Not a stranger to the international art scene, Kyle Weeks has earned his stripes being featured in publications such as TIME in just a few years. No matter where you are from, Kyle’s powerful imagery holds a narrative that resonates beyond the realms of cultural understanding.

We were particularly amazed by his Palm-wine Collectors series, taken in November 2015. The images capture Namibian natives on or under palm-wine trees, overlooking a murky river and resting on the beauty of the hills and the sky. The engaging images resemble life-like paintings on canvas; a testament to Kyle’s fine eye and skill when it comes to capturing things as they are happening.

Other works that are well worth noting are the Ovahimba Youth Self-Portraits series, which Kyle shot shortly after completing his studies in Stellenbosch in 2013. This series is a juxtaposed perspective of the Ovahimba people, a civilisation that has maintained its cultural roots, unmarred by Western civilisation. However, in these images, Kyle captures these young men in “modern” clothing, portraying the nuances of interpreting what they learn and choosing to adopt aspects of the modern world in a way that separates them from the gaze of exoticism. His work forms part of a growing number of photographers who are changing the ways in which Africa’s people are portrayed, making his work all the more empowering.

Kyle’s work critically engages with contemporary ideas of a new Africa without imposing any views. His work also extends into the realm of fashion, which includes styled collaborative shoots of local South African designers, such as Nicholas Coutts.

For more information, visit kyleweeksphoto.com.

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Cellphone towers disguised as palm trees, massive electricity pylons and beaten paths are just some of the topics that young Capetonian photographer Dillon Marsh has zoomed in on.

He’s completely taken by how human-made elements interact with landscapes and the environment. His newest series, For What It’s Worth shows copper mines with thought-provoking computer-generated imagery (CGI) elements that represent the amount of ore extracted in proportion with the landscape. Having exhibited in London, Paris and Switzerland, to name but a few, we figured it’s about time he talked to us.

What’s your first memory of photography?

As a kid, I remember playing with my grandmother’s point-and-shoot camera while travelling in the Kruger National Park with my family. My curiosity led me to opening up the back and I accidentally exposed and spoiled the film inside. Needless to say my grandmother wasn’t very happy about that.

How would you describe your approach to photography?

I approach my photography in a meticulous way, often spending weeks or months exploring various ideas. When I am happy with an idea, I make use of Google Maps and Street View to scout for locations, after which I then plan a trip and photograph intensively for a week or so. The last step is to edit and finesse the images in Photoshop and incorporate CGI where necessary.

Tell us more about your latest project. What inspired the subject matter? 

I’m currently busy with an on-going project called For What It’s Worth in which I aim to offer a new perspective on mining in South Africa. I do so by photographing certain mines and incorporating CGI to accurately represent of the amount of pure material removed from each mine. The intention is to create a kind of visualisation of the merits and shortfalls of this industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically. I began this project by focusing on the extraction of copper and diamonds, but I plan to also look at the extraction of other minerals such as gold and platinum in the near future.

Is the mining series a response to our socio-economic climate?

The mining industry is a dominant and often controversial feature of our current socio-economic climate, and this helps to make my project relevant. My aim is to present a new perspective of this industry, which is not only at the forefront of current affairs, but has been a driving force in
shaping the history, economy and identity of the country.

What’s next for Dillon Marsh?

I’ll be showing some large-scale prints from this project in an exhibition which opens on 4 December 2014 at the Brundyn+ Gallery in Cape Town. I don’t really know what will happen after that, but I’m excited by this new direction and keen to see where it leads me.

To view more of Dillon’s work, visit dillonmarsh.com.

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