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| © Mikhael Subotzky / Magnum Photo |
| A Subotzky photo made in Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison, Cape Town. Click photo for more images. |
Age: 25
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Website: imagesby.com
"Almost every prisoner I met actually wanted his photo to be taken."
In 2004, for his senior-year photo project at the University of Cape Town, Mikhael Subotzky focused on the plight of prisoners in his native South Africa, where inmate overcrowding and gang culture are pernicious problems. "I became interested in prisons during the lead-up to general elections here," recalls Subotzky. "There was a prominent constitutional court case around whether prisoners could or couldn't vote. I was particularly moved by the judgment, which spoke to 'our cherished right to vote' -- which I think is particularly pertinent in this country with its history of apartheid."
Subotzky's in-depth prison project, Die Vier Hocke (The Four Corners), helped kick off his art career and garnered honors such as the 2007 KLM Paul Huff Award and a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship. He says he had surprisingly open access to the incarcerated. "Getting permission from the Department of Correctional Services took about three months. Once I was there, they almost forgot about me. And almost every prisoner I met actually wanted his photo to be taken."
Subotzky later photographed a series on ex-prisoners adjusting to reentry in society, and he also led a group of photo workshops for prisoners. Now represented by Magnum Photos, he has recently concentrated on fine-art portraits, landscapes, and 360-degree panoramas in which his digital frames are stitched together. With increasing visibility in European galleries and museums, Subotzky plans to complete his Ranieri Fellowship abroad and says he looks forward to taking up residency in the Umbria region of Italy early next year.
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