Page 8 - Cape-Camera-March-April-2021

Cape Camera March/April 2021

The quest for category

by Antenie Carstens FPSSA, SPSSA, ARPS

To give context to my thoughts in this article, I need to go back and interest. But these days, applications do not come without
to my beginnings with photography in 1967. Soon after my in- serious issues. Firstly the current "rules" of what can be done
terest started, I joined the former Paarl Photographic Society. and what not, creates a feeling of bondage - aptly illustrated by
I will always remember the visiting judges from CTPS, revered the image of photographer Nobuyoshi Araki1, titled: Untitled.
photographers like Roy Millington, Roy Johannesson, Arnold Firstly one can only apply for a higher award if one has an As-
Castle and Ted Dickinson. I remember how I admired their black sociateship in that same category. Ok but now, that category
and white prints of superb quality, and that is what inspired me doesn’t exist anymore because there are no more slides. The
to reach for those levels of excellence. In other words, the reason next issue is monochrome or colour. Current rule is any panel
I joined PSSA in 1970 was that I not only wanted to achieve the of black and white in which one image contains colour (not a
same quality as those masters, but also to get PSSA recognition tint), is classified as colour and must be submitted in a colour
of an Associateship and a Fellowship. category. Next issue is the need to place your work in context
Soon after, I submitted a panel of slides, and while doing my by means of an artist's statement. (We find the same at art exhi-
military training at that stage, I received the most disappointing bitions that the artists include a statement of intent). However
news that my panel was unsuccessful. This is understandable, in the South African case, the society doesn’t allow an artist
because my quality of work was not up to standard. A few years statement unless your application is made in the ‘Applied’ cat-
later, I decided to submit again, this time a black and white print egory. But what is the definition of ‘applied’? According to my
panel, but being images of an industrial and scientific nature, dictionaries, that word doesn't really apply to ‘art’ as such, only
obviously it didn't have a place within PSSA, which is also un- to technical/industrial photography.
derstandable. After careful thought and consideration of the above, one fi-
Up front, I must admit that I am not a conformist. Force me into a nally dares to hit the ‘enter’ button to submit a panel in the
direction, I most probably will do the opposite. It was only when hope that the relevant judges will be of the creative type, well
I realized this trend in my character that a panel of work was suc- versed in photography as a communication medium, including
cessful with the result that in 1979, during the PSSA Congress all possible genres.
hosted by CTPS, I got my APSSA. And so the application in totality is rejected with comments
such as ‘wrong category’, ‘poor quality’, ‘not enough colour’
(when forced to enter a colour category due to the rules). But
worst of all is the implication that the applicant is basically visu-
ally illiterate or visually disabled! I must admit it is quite a bit to
absorb. I need to add, that there are a number of club mem-
bers, not only in CTPS but in our region, who are not able to
apply for honours as their work is completely out and beyond
the current trends in the society - some of them just being too
long. What is the final response, does one just give up?
It would be better if one could make suggestions to improve
our national society’s vision, but that is also not possible. Is it
not time to look at other similar photographic associations in
the world to see if we are in line with trends or a more modern
approach? Furthermore, what comes as a shock is when one
studies the photographic works published in photographic
annuals between 1970 and 1974, and one has to realize that
we made not much progress in the South African context as
far as conceptual and other creative photography is concerned
within our national society. I find the lack of diversity a sad state
of affairs.
Nobuyoshi Araki1, titled: Untitled My closing question: Do we ever learn lessons in life? We've
made a full circle from "Going beyond club photography" to
Jumping to the present day, and the continued urge to improve
myself in quality, creativity and thinking, I frequently attempt to the present reality (see my question posed in Cape Camera last
apply again for honours with different and fresh material - isn't year).
that what photography is all about? However, by now and like 1. Couturier, E. (2012). Talk About Contemporary Photography.
many other photographers, I had developed a personal style

Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break
them like an artist – Pablo Picasso

Cape Town Photographic Society 7