Becoming History
Tony Meintjes
8 - 23 February 2005
"I have recently found myself viewing the environment as a chronicle of events,
with me periodically jabbing at the timeline with a camera, trying to rouse
something memorable, unusual, or even insightful. A flowery analogy would
be this timeline as a bow-wave of history with me throwing buoys overboard at
selective intervals.
The materials that interest me are the twin topographies (our geographic history,
layered with the complex cultural and industrial interactions that are imprinted
on it), and the chosen moment. Not only is it fascinating to me where these three
elements intersect, but their relationship is dynamic: an endless source of continuously shifting opportunities. Always good for a photographer.
Despite the utmost sincerity of intent and/or clarity of vision, at some time, without fail the juncture of these associations will surprise us in the most unexpected ways; it is in the nature of the unforeseen that something mysterious may reveal itself. This is
always worth waiting for.
I like to think that these regional markers will not only be a guide for us to navigate
back in time one day, but that these moments may reflect more than a record and
encourage us a glimpse into our own worlds." Tony Meintjes
About Tony Meintjes
Tony was born in South Africa in 1956. He studied photography in Durban and worked as a photographer in the Cape Town advertising industry until 2000. He then started a printing company called Southern Editions, making prints for photographers and fine artists. He lives in Cape Town with his wife Janet and his daughters Alexandra and Billie-Mae.
