Photographers, Alastair Whitton and Tshepiso Seleke present the work in two separate but connected solo exhibitions at the Barnard Gallery.
Both projects consider the notion of place albeit from contrasting viewpoints.
‘Metropolis’ is Alastair Whitton’s 8th solo show to date and his third with the gallery.
From 2017-2019 and then more recently in 2022, British born South African photographer Alastair Whitton made several trips to London, Paris and New York. These world capitals have been documented by celebrated photographers extensively over many decades. Whitton’s ongoing photo series METROPOLIS, represents his homage to these iconic cities and offers the viewer distinct, and at times unexpected, views of the architecture, interiors and streets of these celebrated capitals.
To date Alastair Whitton has presented seven solo exhibitions and his photographs have been featured in curated group exhibitions at notable museums, institutions, international biennales and art fairs. Highlights have included: Center for Book Arts, New York; Fotomuseum, Antwerp; Photo London; Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon; Pratt Institute, New York; Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice; Editions / Artists’ Books Fair, New York; AKAA: Art & Design Fair, Paris; Museo Carlo Bilotti, Rome; Head On Photo Festival, Sydney; Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), Cape Town; 8th African Photography Biennale, Bamako and IZIKO South African National Gallery, Cape Town.
By contrast, Johannesburg based Seleke presents portraits of people in the place he calls home – Soweto.
A singular and sensitive storyteller, his photographs signal a solidarity with his subjects, exuding both sincerity and strength in their focus.
Tshepiso Seleke
Documenting everyday life in Soweto, Seleke presents us with images that are truly authentic and profoundly unapologetic in their celebration of humanity and hope in the most ordinary, and at times direst of circumstances.
Seleke’s work focusses on the social and economic positionality of black lives in an attempt to give a voice to the marginalised.
Seleke has presented solo exhibitions of his work in Johannesburg where his photographs have also been selected for inclusion in curated group shows at the likes of FotoZA and Museum Afrika.
The exhibition preview catalogues for both photographic projects can be accessed at the following links: