I came across Kalapo when reading the Summer 2020 edition of the RPS Contemporary Photography journal (Ashley, 2020).  The images that I saw are typical of those that I might have passed over before my studies but have come to appreciate more and more because of the story that they tell rather than their aesthetic impact, although his images are visually beuatiful too.

According to his website (Kalapo, n.d.), Kalpo his work is done with an “aim at promoting ideas of social change through free-lance journalism, denouncement of unjust power structures, and documentary images.”.  The series shown within the journal ‘Other Worlds’ seeks to expose the life of a northern African man, Sabu, of similar age to himself who might dream of emigration to Europe but for now, lives in the here and now of Africa.

What I found interesting on Kalapo’s images is the wealth of information in every image that helps the viewer create their own story; this is an aspect of photography that I am still wrestling with, the subtly required to create a space to allow this to happen balanced with the inclusion of information to at least try to tell a story without going too far.  I think that Kalapo has mastered this art.

Figure 1 shows Sabu standing in his environment.  The images are not captioned so we do not know if this is his home are but we can see that the image is packed full of objects that gives us clues to Sabu’s life.  We can make up stories about all the items in the image and there are so many of them, that this could take quite some time.  Sabu is squarely in the centre of the image breaking convention but I think this works very well as it emphasises that Sabu is surrounded by all these objects, are they his possessions?

Figure 2, is an example of an image without Sabu in it.  On its own, it would not tell us much.  But as part of the set, it is an example of how it is possible to tell the story of somebody’s life without necessarily having them in shot.  The images shows the inside of a makeshift building, maybe in some sort of township?  We cannot tell since the set does not include a wider shot.  We can see basic facilities and in the centre is chair with the back missing, doubly emphasised by the towel hanging on the chair frame that is sticking up as a post given the missing back.  The image without Sabu in it leaves me thinking more about the place than about Sabu, but this is powerful since other images do the job of driving my thoughts of Sabu.  Combined, the mix of shots with and without Sabu (in the full set the ratio is about 50/50) creates a strong mix.

Figure 3 shows us how Sabu spends some of his leisure time.  I chose to include this image because of its composition.  It is an example of how to create interest and dynamism within a series of shots by changing one’s angle.  I think that on its own, the image would want us seeing more, the faces of the two people, but as part of the set it works well.  From this angle, we would not necessarily class the image as one depicting somebody that is struggling to get by.  Writing that past sentence made me stop and think – is Sabu struggling to get by or is this just the life and the place that is Africa?  Personally I make up that whilst he is obviously not affluent, he is no more struggling than any other person whio lives in that place.  I think in this image, the empty chair is the poignant object.  Aside from the chair, we see two men, reasonably dressed with a kettle, coffee, and one using a modern smart phone.  But the empty chair is symbolic that something is missing from their lives and the condition of that chair, with its severely threadbare seat and back does indeed imply, show us even, that life is not one of riches for these people.   

Reflection

I spent quite a while considering if these images were aestheticizing poverty.  I decided not on the basis that Kalapo himself is of similar age, black and born in Mali (Kalapo, n.d.).  It is likely that he too will have shared many of the dreams of Sabu and as such this set is possibly a mirror onto his own life, although his website reveals quite an extensive education in photography which implies he has a more fortunate life than Sabu himself does.  Looking at other sets of images on Kapao’s website (ibid.) one can see that he chooses to expose or comment on other aspects of life across Africa and I decided that this set is another step in those objectives.  

In terms of its relation to my photography, I think this set gives me food for thought on the topics of:

• Storytelling and the subtlety needed in order to leave space for the viewer.  Figure 1 is an excellent example of providing a huge amount of detail in an image yet still leaving space, as one does not know where the image is shot
• Dynamism, Figure 3 showing how alternative angles and careful consideration of the information given in the image can create a more interesting set.
• The notion of place – when telling a story about a person and their space, a mixture of images that do and do not include the subject can create impact and drive the viewer’s thoughts onto both aspects along with the interaction between the two.

Bibliography

Ashley, P., 2020. RPS Contemporary Group Summer 2020 Journal. 1st ed. RPS.

Kalapo, M., n.d. ABOUT — MOUSSA KALAPO. [online] MOUSSA KALAPO. Available at: <https://www.moussakalapo.com/about> [Accessed 2 August 2020].

Figures

Figure 1. Kalapo, M (n.d) untitled [photograph] In: Ashley, P. (2020) RPS Contemporary Group Summer 2020 Journal. Page 11.

Figure 2. Kalapo, M (n.d) untitled [photograph] In: Ashley, P. (2020) RPS Contemporary Group Summer 2020 Journal. Page 15.

Figure 3. Kalapo, M (n.d) untitled [photograph] In: Ashley, P. (2020) RPS Contemporary Group Summer 2020 Journal. Page 12.