Parallel Lines: Ben Krewinkel
© Gloria Oyarzabal
Federica Belli The language of photography is still among the most contemporary ones, notwithstanding the diffusion of digital art. Which factors make photography such a relevant medium in our time?
Ben Krewinkel We are flooded by images. As I mostly work with documentary photography and photojournalism, lately I noticed an increasing intersection between fact and fiction, also in new documentary photographers. So this relevant medium can be used either to tell stories or to express artists’ relationship with life. That doesn't matter. What matters is we live in a visual world. And although writing remains important, images can add extra layers to our stories. And the fact is, when we are talking about augmented reality we are just referring to another form of visuals. And in a sense it also becomes a question of what you consider as photography. Photography studies are recurrently changing their name into lens-based art studies.
F.B. As a photography teacher you are confronted daily with the issues faced by emerging photographers. In a time of uncertainty such as the past two years, which coping mechanisms have surprised you the most when observing students approaching the medium?
B.K. My students were bound at home, attending online lessons all the time. As photojournalism and documentary photography teacher I faced difficulties, as students were stuck at home and they were not welcome in any place they would have documented because of the risk of infection. They just wanted to photograph. So, in a sense, that was a problem. But on the other hand, we had a chance to teach them to apply their imagination to the medium of photography. After all, many photographers are also working by mixing facts and fiction in their own photography, mixing images with documents, using Google Earth screenshots or adjusting photographs using Photoshop. So, notwithstanding the difficulties, it also forced students to think differently. And, in some cases, we actually asked the students to direct other people taking pictures somewhere else. And then they became the Creative Director. The only thing they were not doing was pushing the button of the camera. There are many ways in which photographers can use the internet or work online.
© Gosette Lubondo
F.B. After all we live in a period in which photographs are just overflowing. There are so many that, at times, we even wonder if is it really necessary to take more. Thus twisting the perspective on how we approach the photographic medium becomes even more relevant. Rather than creating new documents, one can find new ways of approaching existing ones. Being both a photographer and a book designer, learning to separate the two different skillsets must have been quite a challenge. Where do you start from when imagining the design of a book centred on the work of other photographers?
B.K. For the first book I worked on I relied on a designer. We split the duties. I took the pictures while she did the book. In a sense, it was also her book. The second book, I designed myself. I don't consider myself a book designer as I never studied design. But just by looking a lot of photo books, one learns a lot. At first I always asked professional designers to advise me on what I was doing. When I started working on other photographers’ books, I made sure to be part of the whole project from the beginning: we discussed what she was going to photograph together, and we started from the design. So, I was also involved in the content of the book, which made it a lot easier. And then I started to get commissions by Museums to make small books, but it was quite a conventional job which I approached as an historian. I also did historical research on the photographs, and the museum also was quite conservative in what kind of book they want. Then again, I am fascinated by how photographs interact with text.
F.B. Part of the interest arises from the fact that there is a sort of taboo on the interaction between photographs and accompanying texts. Many state that photographs should stand on their own but, in the end, all photographers rely on some sort of text. You are currently working on a book series, Africa in the Photobook, dealing with the representation of the African culture in photography. Many of the books in your collection, however, have been put together by European authors, due to the historical difficulties faced by African photographers in being heard. Which are the risks of relying on such external perspective?
B.K. I consider those already as my life work, because it relies on a huge collection of photobooks I have put together regarding a whole continent. And while the earliest books are from the 1880s, I’m working with books that are being printed now. So the time span consists of more than 100 years. I do the research as an historian, which means I see these books as historical objects. And, as such, 90% of the books are really problematic, being made by Europeans. Even the new ones, produced in the 21st century. One has to consider the background of the makers, why they make these books and especially the books from colonial times: they are all propaganda books, an imaginary work. On the other hand, it tells a lot about the way Europeans approached the continent. So, I'm researching these books mostly in their historical aspect. Who made them? What was the reason why they were made? And were all the books made to legitimise colonialism? To answer these questions I am also inviting experts, philosophers, writers–most of them Africans, but not only. I want them to write essays on specific books, in order to avoid the trap of thinking: Okay, this is what Africa looked like back in the beginning of 20th century.
© Tshepo Moloi
F.B. The combination of the difficulty of African photographers and historians in being heard by someone who did not want to hear, and the fact that these books rely on photographs, which are documents, make it quite tough for our mind not to trust their testimony. If they contain photographs, it means they have captured something that actually happened. But then–and it's a contemporary issue, even though we are talking about the past century–photographs can mislead. And this is a case for that.
B.K. Yes, they do mislead. Also in the sense that these books were meant to mislead. And it's really complex because you also have to remember that these photographers were all children of their time. And even the books that were, in a sense, addressing the injustices towards African people, were still in favour of Colonialism. They were against, for instance, punishing Congolese people, but they still thought that Colonialism was the right approach. These photographs can be beautiful, aesthetically. But we also have to keep in mind that, in many cases, people being depicted were forced to stand in front of the camera.
F.B. More and more African photographers (i.e. Zahele Muholi, Joana Chumali…) are finally getting larger attention, bringing forward a multifaceted narrative of African cultures. Which changes have you noticed in the African narrative with the increasing inclusion of diverse voices?
B.K. Talking about the perception of people remains quite tough. You know, I am still a white male. Unfortunately, many of the books made by African artists are still published by European or American publishers, because book publishing in African countries is still in difficulty. Thus, most of the books are from South Africa. Muholi’s book, for instance, was published by Aperture. But what matters is that these are great artists addressing contemporary issues connected to the past. And although I love a connection with history, photographs by Africans reflecting on their daily life represent something we need more of. And in the near future, more and more work will be produced by photographers from the continent, because there are just too many great artists working well. In addition to that, though I mainly deal with books, African artists now have the output of Instagram, Facebook, and other social media too, thus it's easier for them to show their work.
