Jo’burg people are portrayed as complex and creative in the work of Patrick de Mervelec
Matthew Krouse
Patrick de Mervelec’s exhibition Jo’burger, currently at the Pretoria Art Museum, is the result of a labour-intensive work of love. This master of French photography, now living in South Africa, has initiated a body of work “born out of a fascination for the vibrant cultures, courage and energy of the inhabitants of the vast, much-maligned series of satellite cities that make up the constellation of Johannesburg”.
The large format black-and-white photographs make a bold statement when seen en masse as you enter the gallery. The centrepiece of the exhibition consists of nine square portraits of members of the Hell’s Angels, appearing so typical it’s almost a caricature brutal, tattooed and sometimes heavily armed.
“I believe the frame of mind of an individual be it bitterness, distress, fear, hope or simply the will to survive is best reflected, at any given moment, through the eye of the camera,” De Mervelec has written about his process.
He isn’t a youngster and it shows in his work. The present portfolio, mostly portraits of the people of his adopted city, is void of the sensationalist imagery often associated with life in Johannesburg. Sure, there are images of people with guns kids with plastic ones at a party, a Hell’s Angel with an automatic but the emphasis is largely on everyday life, work and recreation. It’s business as usual in this tired place, but looking surprisingly fresh.
Uncharacteristic of photo documentary, De Mervelec’s work buys into an agenda he sees as part of his mission: “I like the work to look optimistic. In France when you see the news about South Africa it’s always bad. That’s why I want to show the reality. I don’t like too much dramatisation. I don’t want to make money with that. It’s not good for my conscience.
“When I arrived in South Africa in 1990 it was a big shock for me. [Nelson] Mandela was just out I had a great impression of the people and for the ethnic aspect of the culture. It is there and when it contrasts with other [aspects of] civilization it is incredible.
“People here are very lucky to have that. In Europe this is over. All you have is the commemoration of the revolution in costumes, to re-enact the story. But here you don’t need that because the story is there.”
De Mervelec was born in Paris in 1945. His experience spans the fashion and advertising industries, and he has worked in French theatre with Gilles Bouillon and Peter Brook. His best-known work is a portrait he took of Francois Mitterand called La Force Tranquille that was shown all over France as part of the presidential election campaign in 1981.
He is the South African correspondent photographer for Paris Match. His previous images of South Africa were compiled into the book Regards sur l’Afrique du Sud, released in 1996 with poetry by Zulu poet Mazisi Kunene translated into French.
Later this month will see the publication of The Jo’burgers (Protea) gathering together the work on exhibition and other prints. The publication is introduced by writer Don Mattera, who considers the fact of the photographer’s foreign roots, asking, “What is it about South Africa besides its undeniable opportunities for the accrual of material wealth that it continues to attract people of all hues and shapes? De Mervelec, through his pictures tries to provide some answers.”
The details
The exhibition runs at Pretoria Art Museum, Arcadia, until August 27, Tel: (012) 3441807, and at Alliance Franaise in Parkview, Johannesburg, from September 3 to 22, Tel: (011) 6461169.