The good photographer unconsciously studies people, movements, attitudes, expressions. He watches and waits for the significant. I do not like pictures where the subject is reacting to you, the photographer. The best pictures result when the subjects react to each other. The photographer is a witness, not a participant.
~ Jürgen Schadeberg
(1931-2020)
Born in wartime Germany, Schadeberg emigrated to South Africa in 1950, where he joined
the staff of Drum Magazine, one of the most important publications in the country. He had a rich
and fulfilling life, yet it was not without its struggles and hardships. He was most famously known for his classic photographs of Nelson Mandela but also produced a vast body of work revealing the effects of apartheid on South African black communities.
Empathy was part of his DNA, as manifested in this image. In 1955, Schadeberg documented
the forcible eviction of black families from Sophiatown, a racially mixed suburb of Johannesburg
famous for its vibrant live music scene.
This image evokes for me the joyous dynamism of a community whose spirit cannot be broken
even in the face of unceasing oppression. The music and grace ring through as a lyrical and
profound reality that nothing can totally extinguish hope and pride.
