When Abdul Moses speaks about photography and the obstacles facing his like-minded colleagues in the Camissa Collective, you simply have to listen. The 26-year-old’s passion speaks volumes about his dedication and need to bring art to people in the Cape Flats region.
But Moses and his 14-strong collective mean business. Feeling rejected by the Month of Photography (MOP), currently sweeping Cape Town, they formed their own fringe event, cheekily named the Month of People’s Photography (MOPP).
Whose idea was it to host this alternative event?
All of us [from the Camissa Collective] were always talking about it. I’ve done four group exhibitions before this — acquiring work and then exhibiting it. This was all done for the This Is Cape Town competition, which I did with a company called Ant’s Nest. It’s got about 250 images from amateur Cape Town photographers around the theme of ‘this is Cape Town’. So your interpretation is your interpretation and we exhibit it. Then I set out to make contact with Cape Town Month of Photography, because … we wanted them on board because they’ve got clout. They’ve got three years of experience. Problem is they never replied to any of our e-mails.
Why do you think that is?
I don’t know. I’ve left it as is. In Cape Town there is a kind of monopoly on photography. Certain people are putting themselves up as the heads of photography. Added to this, there is an entry fee of R300. Also, who in the 21st century can really say ‘this is what good photography is”?
Within our collective, there are ‘happy snappy” photographers who have pulled off images that are as strong as David Goldblatt’s. Isqak Stemmet’s images, for example, are mind-blowing. He uses an R80 cheapo camera, but the way he uses his flash and his composition is truly awesome.
So we didn’t feel it should be done in such an exclusive way and were thinking ‘let’s bomb this thing”.
But how?
How can we fuck around with this thing in a Cape Flats style?
So we added the extra P and we became Mopp. We are the mop, we’re cleaning up.
Do you find that photography is very white-dominated?
Essentially, in Cape Town it is very colour-based, but it seems to be falling into a more class-based monopoly. Which still keeps us where we are, you know? It still doesn’t get art where it needs to be.
Where does the name come from?
Camissa actually… means sweet water. It was the name of Cape Town before the settlers got here.
What is the percentage of black photographers in your collective?
The majority, really. We have three white guys with us.
What about female photographers?
Unfortunately, due to cut-off times, the girls we had in mind couldn’t show their work, but we definitely want to make it a priority for the next one.
Is there money in this?
Money comes from us — R50 here and there coming out of our pockets. Putting together money for our flyers. Also, CID [City Improvement District] said they would cover our printing costs, but because of [the similarity with our name to Month of Photography] they feared a clash.
Have they put money into Month of Photography?
Yes, CID, the National Arts Council as well as the Swiss Arts Council have put money into them. They’ve got lots of cash. They’ve got billboards. We don’t. We’re fringe. We’re saying: ‘You guys are there, but you’ve forgotten about the other people.” Still, we’re here and we’re impacting on the scene and we’re here to stay.
Are you planning on taking it to the Flats?
We’re working on getting the funding to take it on a roadshow. There’s a mall culture that’s happening on the Cape Flats, and that’s probably the best way to get the message across.
What are your thoughts on the local arts and media scene?
Art for us has always been spraying our shit on to the walls, you know.
Drawing on rocks?
Exactly! But by-laws are now putting us into five or seven weeks of community service. But this is our expression, because of lack of cash and art has never been sold to us. And art is so personal. Your heart and soul goes into it.
What are your future plans?
We want to try to slam a mid-year exhibition, we want to make it a travelling exhibition. So, try to get to show it at Grahamstown [as part of the National Arts Festival] and Klein Karoo [Nationale Kunstefees]. We also really want to enlighten our kids. The city has also said yes to our proposal to run photographic workshops with street kids. It’s going to be rough and will probably go against what is viewed as ‘proper”, but it’s about instilling a sense of selfhood into these kids —that you can come from the streets, but your story is as valid as the next person’s. It’s all about expression, baby.
The Month of People’s Photography can be viewed at different venues on Cape Town’s Long Street until March 31. For more information Tel: 083 318 0100 or e-mail: [email protected]