ROBYN SASSEN
PICTURED: Drummer Boy by Michael Meyersfeld
“About three years ago, Meyersfeld embarked by chance on a love affair with the township. It was brought about by meat that he had had to have slaughtered for a shoot he was doing at the time. An attack of conscience after the animal had been slaughtered, resulted in the donation of the meat to various community people in the area.
“Linda Twala, a community leader, runs an old aged home and a crèche in Alex, and works on Phutaditjaba School on behalf of Afrika Tikkun and the Lubner family,” Meyersfeld explains.
“And so began a relationship with the area which was fantastic. I realised that it was not all doom and gloom and disease and crime. There were smiling faces and warmth.” And this sentiment gave way to an exhibition which Meyersfeld will be hosting next month in the township: the first of its kind.
Meyersfeld shows 15 works, dealing with the “fun side” of Alex. Here, two small boys cavort on a double bed in a heavily cramped room. There, two buxom young women sit in an informal hairdresser, waiting for their braids.
Is it a glorification of poverty? Maybe. But the finesse and close attention to craft detail with which they have been put together, speaks of preciousness that reaches beyond a trite socio-political comment.
“I realised I wanted to have a photographic exhibition in Alex. It’s been 20 years that the centre has enjoyed Afrika Tikkun support, and the time seemed ripe.” Serote has captioned each image with a poem and will be opening the show on August 20.
Dark City Dreams is at the Phutaditjaba School, 5 Eighteenth Avenue, Atteridgeville, Alexandra, on August 20, 23 – 24. It shows from September 4 – 22 at In Toto Gallery in Birdhaven. August 23 – 24 is the weekend of the Johannesburg Art Fair: taxis will be available at the fair’s Sandton venue to transport gallery visitors to the Alex venue.
