Interlude | Tom D Jones and Francois Visser are exhibiting at THK Gallery until 26/10/2018
Interlude is a pictorial chronicle documenting a colorful tapestry of subjects and places across South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania – including portraits of acrobats, alluvial miners, pikipiki riders, teenagers, and landscapes recorded on the road as traveler and observer. Some of the pictures emerge from happenstance encounters, whilst others exist in collaborative concurrence. The photographs in each series are thread together through a balance of sublimity and simplicity. They comprise an exploration of transitory encounters, conveyed by a sense of certitude across cultural boundaries – an ideal that sometimes appears in the presence of its obverse: the possibility of partition. It is often through candid conversations that the perfect collision occurs, unveiling an otherwise latent image. These collected series form a layering of stories that convey the sublime without pretense or façade. Visually captivating images present a multi-faceted memoir and tribute, transforming the everyday into the extraordinary.
Tom D. Jones was born in Belgium in 1971, and founded his first photographic studio in 1999 in partnership with his wife Sylvia – a photographer herself. The recipient of the Hasselblad Master Award (2012), Jones is known for his clean compositions – making use of light and depth to reflect infinite serenity and simplicity. He has an affinity for the serenity that a beautiful image can impart, and sees this as the common thread uniting his various photographic projects. To achieve this feeling of quietude Jones’ images are characteristically unoccupied.
Included in his exhibition at THK Photography are images from travels to far-flung locations – from the barren deserts of Namibia to expansive Icelandic landscapes. Jones’ landscapes reflect the beauty and power of our planet, and he hopes they might in turn draw attention to the damage being done globally to the environment.
ABOUT FRANCOIS VISSER
Born in Cape Town, Francois Visser grew up along the east coast of South Africa where he spent much of his youth near the ocean finding solace in the moments spent alone in the open water -a lifestyle which shaped his thought and is echoed in his solo travels in Africa.
An interest in human behavior led him to study psychology in Stellenbosch before spending several years working for an ad agency in Cape Town and later, London. Seeking a more independent creative environment, Visser transitioned from advertising to photography, assisting photographers and directors before striking out on his own.
A self-taught photographer, Visser was drawn to photography as a way to seek out new experiences and structures. A methodical approach combined with a sensitivity to his environment fosters the authentic interactions that form a foundation for his work. His choice of analogue photography as his primary medium lends itself to the considered frame of mind with which he approaches his art, while the sentimental nature of film compliments the anecdotal style of his photography.