Mikhael Subotzky’s photographic work combines the directness of the social documentary mode with a questioning of the nature of the photographic medium itself. His work has focused on the inside and outside of South Africa’s notorious prisons, the small town of Beaufort West, and Ponte City. His work has been exhibited widely in major galleries and museums, with prints in the collections of the New York’s MoMA and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
At TEDxStellenbosch 2012, Subotzky shows the pictures he has made, using the words of other poets in an attempt to reveal the truths of capturing life through a lens. Having stopped talking about his work some years ago, he shares incredibly personal moments that have forced him to see the world differently.