People have never understood the need for the expression of the voice inside that must out, the photography that I do is but an outer expression brought to light of what it is that is my soul. This is true. The reason of why I do what I must I have never really understood. My only excuse is that I must, I do not know why; all I know is that I must.
Perhaps the closest that I can come to it all is to refer to my note book, rough notes made while waiting my turn to be seen at the Oudtshoorn clinic this week.
Let me copy my words from my reporters note book. (Rough)
This is what I wrote as I looked about me at the poor, pensioners and the farm workers, all ahead of me in the queue (I was there for a bleeding stomach ulcer and the flu).
...What we are about as concerned humanities photographers, documentary photographers, is the minutiae of life, ultimately of history itself... Politicians come and go and are not so important. The men or the woman selling oranges on a street corner were there yesterday; they are there today and will be there tomorrow
...We are about; call it a darkness that is rendered to light...
...What we are about is that, which to the mildly prosperous, and the more or less comfortable (in their ignorance) in our society of the now, that, the likes of what for instance went on in Nazi Germany of the 30's with the rise of that dreadful man Hitler, that what is suspected, but that is conveniently avoided in conscious thought and speech, and in particular in action, the grey mist of society, (the invisible people) that is ignored. Well, we bring all of this to light. We chase away the mist. And then, we say you did know and you did nothing. Shame on you...
We say...for the most, you in your meanness of your insular lives, not all of you, but most, those of you who to all outward appearances are generous and kind, but, we the concerned humanities photographers, the artists who dare to scratch just a little under the surface, we find mostly that you are all mongrels, even to your very selves... God then alone knows how, if you do not take so much care of your souls, then how terrible you must be to the rest, you, the mongrels with the seemingly benign smiling and deceitful faces... true wolves clothed as sheep...how terrible you all are...
I do not know any more. It seems morality is out of the window and the evil eye (the television) is in, people are all about me and things they want but do not need, the best wristwatch, the best car, in fact the damned negative EGO. But with the lack of commercial / editorial work in this lousy economic downturn, I must continue with the concerned humanities work. No matter the cost. By way of example, in 2003 I sold a precious Leica and 50mm lens to continue with the project of the plight of the rural farm worker. Recently I have had to sell another Leica lens so as to continue with the important work. So it goes. A luta continua.
Juhan Kuus
(Notes) Oudtshoorn 2003
Cape Town 2009
Books, Exhibitions and Awards.
Books & Publications:
- South Africa in Black and White published by Harrap (London) 1987.
- Photographs published in various other books (one of the Mandela books), The Vingboons Cartographer Book (and exhibition), the Netherlands.
- The Readers Digest History of South Africa, The new York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Times (London), The Independent (London), Paris Match (France) etc.
Exhibitions:
- Moderns Gallery, Kalk Bay, Cape Town (MOP 2008)
- Tufts University Boston (USA), the images now in their permanent collection.
- The Perpignan Photo Festival (France) three exhibitions.
Awards for excellence:
- The South Africa Press Photographer of the year awards (twice).
- The World Press Photo awards - Holland (twice).
- The Vodacom Photojournalist of the year (the West Cape Province).
- The J&B Financial Mail Young Achievers award (twice).
- The Angiers exhibition and awards: The Grand Prix award (France).
- Various other awards, 25 plus.
