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Jac Kritzinger was born in 1976 in Cape Town, South Africa. He says that his wanderlust, sense of humour, workaholism and the ability to convey the essence of his subject define his success as a photographer. Kritzinger is part of the African Photography Network, consisting of photographers from all over Africa.
Jac Kritzinger, you’ve made many ways of expression your own: you’re a freelance photographer, poet, short fiction writer and a biographer. What can you express through photography that you can’t with words?
Both my photography and my writing always aims to express that which can’t be said, but only felt. It’s also a matter of presenting the ordinary in new and exciting ways. Images, of course, have the power of immediate impact on the viewer. I don’t always believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, but we are a visual species – and the pictorial language is a universal one. Ultimately, I think it comes down to my writing being more about style, while my photography is more about content. That doesn’t mean, of course, that style and content in either of these disciplines can be separated.
On your blog, you describe yourself as an „incurable introspectionist“. How do introspection and photography work out together?
It took me quite some time to get to this point, but lately I seem to shoot very much on instinct. I rarely press the shutter if the frame doesn’t make me feel anything. In that sense, I think my artistic work is an actual result of, to some extent, the camera pointing inwards. On another level, thinking about one’s own place and purpose in the world can have a profound impact on one’s work. For me, it came to a point where aesthetics, or simply being clever or creative in my photography, isn’t enough – I want to somehow affect positive change in the world through what I do. Easier said than done, though, when one has to earn a living through photography in a world that puts material gain above everything else. Photography also forces you into situations that you would normally avoid; more often than not, you are forced to face your own anxieties, limitations and prejudices to get the shot you want.
You’re based In Cape Town – if you had to describe South Africa in three words, what would they be? Why?
Sad, beautiful, brave. The country still faces massive problems today, more than twenty years after the change to democracy. Corruption, mismanagement and incompetence in the political arena is rife. The soul of it’s people, however, regardless of race and class, stands with courage and hope against the problems it faces, political and otherwise. And that soul is beautiful, as beautiful as the incredibly diverse natural splendour of the country.
You’re part of the African Photography Network, uniting and showcasing photographers from all over Africa. The network’s claim is to “support and promote African Photographers who are taking back control of their image with a more nuanced portrayal”, as “few regions remain as photographically misrepresented as Africa.” Could you expand a bit on that for us?
Firstly, to use a very old cliché: Africa is a continent, not a country. It’s a massive, hugely diverse area made up of sovereign countries and cultures so diverse and different from another, it boggles the mind. I think the stereotypical photographic portrayal of many African countries – focussing on issues such as poverty, suffering and disease – has been popularised by the modern school of documentary photography, which rely, in my opinion, very much on shock value. Also, most of the time, the photographers in questions are not from the region. These stories need to be told to bear witness and create awareness, but there’s always more than one side to a story. I think what the APN is trying to do is to counter these haunting stereotypes with the work of diverse, local African photographers that pursue their own personal, artistic vision through their work. The result is refreshing and inspiring.
You also take pictures of weddings – what has been your most interesting, most peculiar or quaintest assignment so far?
Hmm, it’s tough to single out just one. At the top of the list would be covering the story of the AWF, a local wrestling federation based (very) roughly on the WWE. I also did a story once on white people living in black townships (impoverished black residential areas). Every assignment shot on Robben Island has been fascinating and challenging. I don’t do weddings anymore, thankfully.
What’s next for you?
In my commercial capacity, I’m starting to move away from photojournalism, and focussing more on portrait work. I would also love to do more travel assignments. Artistically, I’m dedicating time at the moment to publish my first photographic book, while always looking for new projects and ideas to get stuck into. A new book of poetry is also on its way.
