Jordan Anthony | Foto Philosophies Volume II

Foto Philosophies Volume II presents a selection of works by nine contemporary film photographers, whose works document and narrate their unique stories and experiences from different corners of the world. Inclusive of artists from the first volume, alongside new faces, Volume II features the works of: The P0lar0id Princ3ss (Los Angeles, USA), Francesco Sambati (Lecce, Italy), Mikhail Samuel, Troye Shannon (Johannesburg, South Africa), Siyabonga Mahlaba (Bethlehem, South Africa), Alexandra Dickson (Cape Town, South Africa), Balnura Nussipova (Almaty, Kazakhstan), Gwen Chen (Singapore), and Giuseppe Casamassima (Foggia, Italy). 

There is something special about witnessing moments from other photographers’  environments and encounters that feel intimate, remote, and familiar - all at the same time. What originally began as a curious inquiry into the current subject matter of analogue photographers from around the world has evolved into the desire to foster a global community of novice and experienced artists, while simultaneously mapping the trajectory of existing tendencies and stylistic approaches in film photography. In this way, chemical reactions and curator-artist-platform relations become more than just ‘aesthetically pleasing’ crunchy-grainy images and transactional efforts. To observe is to study and one cannot possibly hope to learn more by only examining the perspectives of prominent film photographers from the past. 

So, what are film photographers in 2024 looking at? Let us rephrase. What are they exposing? (pun intended) For starters, I could not help but be drawn to the stories behind the experiences shared by each artist in relation to their images. A key theme that stood out was the need for human reconnection, provided  (1) the world is still recovering from the pandemic and we are all undergoing a process of reconciliation and self-transformation, (2) in the wake of much loss and economic stress, we somehow manage to find more compassion for living things - things that may not be around given climate change, (3) the burial of the old world, including structures and systems of the past; whether this be surviving religious cults, reconciling past trauma, and using one’s creative life force as penance for those previously taken advantage of. 

Volume II further reiterates the poetics of passion; 'The Cenozoic Passion of Christ' if you will, remarking on the divine sacrifices made by others and ourselves for the sake of keeping our artistic, emotional, mental, and spiritual integrity intact. In sharp contrast, there are moments in these images that quietly demand retribution and function as symbols for lives lived, lives admired, commemorated, celebrated, and the vulnerability that exists between artist and model, artist and object, and artist and self. From scenes of Green Bazaar and Enoshima Island to candid moments captured across Belgium, Johannesburg, and KwaZulu-Natal, we are reminded once again to not only appreciate the journey, but to hold onto the power of the image in our capacities as image-makers.