André Rose

Plastic Dreams This work forms part of a series on artisanal mining in the Kimberley area. Diamonds are integral to the founding of the city and has shaped its history and future. The De Beers Mining Company coined the marketing slogan, A Diamond is Forever, in 1947 in a plight to boost diamond sales. Diamonds have left their “forever” mark by disrupting the social fabric of communities. The diamond fields attract a myriad of straggling fortune seekers struggling to build a better life, pursuing their dreams, and hoping that their tomorrows will be better, all the while building castles in the sky. During the delving process the artisanal miners cover the tailings with tarpaulin to protect the mounts of soil. The plastic coverings metaphorically protect their hopes and dreams. In this photograph two images are layered on each other. The tarpaulin is foisted upon the reflections of the clouds creating a consuming blazing image allegorically referencing the temporality of the miners’ hopes and dreams which are like castles in the sky. The image refutes the adage that a diamond is forever. A 120N Holga camera (60mm lens) using 120mm black and white Ilford film was used to capture the image using double exposure. The film was hand developed, the negative was digitally transferred, and printed (1240mm x 1010mm) on photographic paper with an inkjet printer. The Holga is a plastic low cost toy camera designed in the 1980s for the working class masses in China. Known to leak light it often produces flaws and distortions in the images creating unique unpredictable photographs.

Cacti The spiny thorns of the cactus creates a formidable foreboding exterior. The cactus is a hardy plant able to withstand harshest of circumstances. In this image multiple layers of the same image are imposed upon each other. The resultant image produces an intricate visceral coral-like reef which is tactile and the dark caverns hide the pain layered over the years. The image metaphorically references the harsh realities of many South Africans. Social woes, public health challenges and political turmoil create an acrimonious milieu. Despite the grim and difficult circumstances the people demonstrate resilience. A 120N Holga camera (60mm lens) using 120mm Ilford film was used to capture the image using double exposure. The camera is known to leak light it often produces flaws and distortions in the images creating unique unpredictable photographs. Similarly, the image making process mirrors the unpredictable of life.