Raymond Preston at PhotoZA
by Michelle Matthews
'For those of us who were there, this exhibition serves to remind us,' says Sunday Times editor Mathatha Tsedu at the opening of Raymond Preston's retrospective exhibition. 'For those of us who weren't,' he adds smiling, because there are a lot of us under 30 in the gallery, 'it will show you where you might have been.' And while some of the incidents are unfamiliar and some of the politicians impossibly youthful, us youngsters have enough of a grasp of the thing to feel smugly satisfied to see a teenaged couple - one black, one white - holding hands and looking quizzically into Vorster's glassy eyes.
Sunday Times photographer Raymond Preston's exhibition 'Long Live' is a collection of his best photos from 1978 to 1994. Being a newspaper photographer, Preston's exhibition is obviously more reportage than fine art. But Preston has an artist's eye. Combined with the photo reporter's knack for capturing moments this has resulted in some astounding images. Tsedu pointed specifically to a photograph of Pik Botha, PW Botha, Samora Machel and Joaquim Chissano at Komatipoort during the signing of the Nkomati Accord, 1984. it was taken during a flyover, all the politicians staring stoically ahead, except Machel, who has twisted his delighted face skyward. The editor also has a chuckle over photos of Winnie and Nelson Mandela very much in love - 'And look at them now!' Of course, most things have changed for the better.
Most of Preston's images are portraits. They include everyone from Bishop Desmond Tutu to Betsie Verwoerd to Eugene Terblanche to Jesse Jackson, but also people on the street: a woman with a seemingly impossible beehive hairdo, fruit vendors, evicted squatters, rugby supporters, children playing, children fighting. When there are no people in the pictures, there are a shocking number of coffins. Also graffiti, which in the 80s worked exactly opposite to how it does today: make a big statement and don't let them know your name.
An exhibition for young and old.
Opens: January 19
Closes: February 14
PhotoZA, 177 Oxford Road, Upper Level, Mutual Square, Rosebank (the old CD Warehouse)
Tel: (011) 880 0833 or 083 229 4327 or 082 533 7143 (Michelle Rock)
Email: info@photoza.co.za
Website: www.photoza.co.za
Hours: Tues to Fri 11 a.m - 5 p.m, Sun 11 a.m - 3 p.m
