Thom Pierce
Biography
Thom Pierce is a photographer based in Cape Town. He is originally from the UK and has lived in South Africa since 2009. His work explores the line between art and documentary photography, each of his projects being highly researched and planned before a photograph is taken.
Central to Pierce’s work is the use of photography as a way to engage with the world around him. He uses the camera to explore issues of cultural, social and historical significance and to discover the diverse and rich country that he now calls home.
For this 2014 Month of Photography Thom Pierce was curated into in three different venues, with three different projects: The Objectors, Platfontein (The Castle of Good Hope); The Hiphop Bushmen (Youngblood Africa) and Andriesvale: A Bushman Community (The Little Cape Photocentre).
ANDRIESVALE: PORTRAIT OF A BUSHMAN COMMUNITY
In 1995 a group of traditional Bushmen made a claim to the South African government for the return of the land from which their ancestors were forcibly moved to make way for Gemsbok National Park (now part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park). To enable them to regain the land in the park, they invited other Bushmen into the claim process. The clan name of ‡Khomani was adopted and a call was put out to attract additional people that could demonstrate Bushmen descent. In 2002 this new “community” was awarded the ownership of the land in the park, although they were denied the right to live there.
They were however given the right to live a traditional lifestyle on the land of 5 farms near the border of the park but without development support and services from the government. The most populated of these farms is Andriesvale. In the middle of the Kalahari Desert, it is 180km to the nearest town and hospital. There is little work, sanitation, electricity and food. A number of the ‡Khomani live somewhat traditionally, while others choose a more modern lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, even the most traditional of the ‡Khomani do not live in skins, happily journeying out to hunt wild animals and gather plants. Instead they wait for the change they have been promised, the electricity and houses they still expect and the comforts of the modern world that they have been denied.
The animals that they would like to hunt are inside the park and the little money that they have comes in the form of small government grants or inadequate wages from piecemeal employment. Extended families hastily spend the money on food, tobacco and alcohol from the off-license that the nearby tourist lodge has conveniently opened to cash in on the vulnerability of the community. This series is an exploration of the changing visual nature of identity, a challenging of redundant social stereotypes and a reminder of South Africa’s forgotten, First People.
The Little Cape Photocentre and Café 3 Church St. City Central Opening Monday 6pm Monday 15 Sept. – Friday 31 October.
In South Africa, during apartheid, conscription to the military was mandatory for young white males. The South African Defence Force fought to contain the liberation movements in Namibia and Angola and later to control the black protestors in the townships back home. Whilst the National Party tried to justify the actions of the military as border protection, their intention was to maintain white minority rule. Although there were ways to avoid or delay conscription, a number of individuals took a stand against the regime by publicly objecting to military service. Their actions were deemed illegal and carried a lengthy prison sentence.
With the support of Conscientious Objectors Support Group (COSG) and the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) these men gave a voice to concerned white South Africans. Formed in 1983, the ECC brought together a number of men and women who campaigned tirelessly to protest against mandatory conscription – risking arrest, detainment and interrogation. The Objectors is a photographic portrait series of conscientious objectors and ECC campaigners who risked their personal liberty to fight for equality and freedom in South Africa. The series was inspired by the book ‘Under Our Skin: A White Family’s Journey through South Africa’s Darkest Years’ by Donald McRae.
Platfontein – The Bushmen Hip-Hop Generation
Like most Bushmen communities in Southern Africa, the Khwe lived a hunter gatherer lifestyle before the appearance of western colonial populations. Due to their long term military involvement with the SADF (South African Defence Force) this community of Namibian Bushmen were moved to a military base in South Africa after the SADF withdrew from Namibia and Angola in 1989.
They were later moved to a permanent site in Platfontein, on the outskirts of Kimberley, in the Northern Cape in 2004. Although the majority of the community continue to struggle with the demands of modern living, there is a growing youth subculture that has embraced global hip-hop culture as a means of selfsocialisation.
Performing in a mix of English and Khwedam, they use hip-hop music as a way to express their anxieties, concerns and aspirations for the future. This photographic series was created in collaboration with Itunu Bodunrin, a masters student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It is an exploration of the influence of global culture on an indigenous population and a nod to the hip-hop Bushmen of Platfontein.
MOP 