George Hallett (photographer)

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George Hallett (December 30, 1942[1] – July 1, 2020) was a South African photographer known for images of South African exiles. His body of work captures much of the country's turbulent history through Apartheid and into the young democracy.

Childhood and influences

Born in

National Geographic magazine and the black-and-white moving images of the cinema. He attended South Peninsula High School in Diep River where his English teacher, Richard Rive introduced him to the work of local and international artists and writers. Rive later became a journalist for Drum magazine but at the time he met George, he was an inspired dramatist, writer and activist. He encouraged his students not only to read from the syllabus but introduced them to writers such as James Matthews, Alex La Guma, Jan Rabie, Uys Krige, Breyten Breytenbach and others from the Sestigers movement. Another important influence was artist Peter Clarke
, an Ocean View resident. Clarke focused his creativity in the field of printmaking and painting, on his community. He was involved in various community based projects and workshops.

Life and work

Hallett, without any experience in the field, chose the route of photography. He was self-taught and began his career as a street photographer. He furthered his skill by taking a correspondence course in photography with the

Pyrenees Mountains. The work from this period earned him an award from Hasselblad for outstanding contributions to photography (1982).[3]

Through his travels he continued to connect with exiled South Africans, many of whom were also poets, musicians, artists and writers, he soon became a part of this closely knit family. He made contact with the likes of

ANC
requested he return to South Africa to record the first Democratic Elections.

The many images that resulted earned him a Golden Eye Award from

Eugene De Kock was the commander at Vlakplaas, where political activist Rick Turner, father of Jann Turner, was assassinated in front of her by security policemen. The weight of this image is in the exchange between the two subjects, with Turner's dry smile and De Kock's straight gaze ahead. This project led to his work with the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo and the resulting travelling exhibition, Strengths and Convictions: The life and times of the South African Nobel Peace laureates Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela
.

Yet, Hallett's work is focused on capturing positive moments that communicate the triumph of the human spirit. He was vocal about this quality in his work. It sets his work apart from his peers and its development can be traced back to his early images of District Six and continued into his understated portraits of South African exiles. Hallett identified with the exiled, but not only politically. Images would include family and community activity as they interacted with each other, socialising, making music and the like. His partiality to the hopeful does not compromise the often sombre or dire themes he tackles through his image production. Hallett described himself as a humanist. He was strongly committed to passing on his skills to aspiring photographers, and has taught photography at American, British, European, and South African institutions. Hallett's photographs are represented in museums and galleries in South Africa as well as internationally.

Hallett died peacefully in his sleep after a long illness on July 1, 2020.[5]

Gallery

Solo exhibitions

  • 1970: The Artists' Gallery | Cape Town.[6]
  • 1971: Westerkerk | Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 1972: Anne Frank Huis, Amsterdam. (With Louis Maurice & Gerard Sekoto), Présence Africaine, Salle de La Siem, Paris. University of Brussels.
  • 1973: Susan Loppert Graphics, London. Central London Polytechnic. John Hansard Gallery,
    Southampton University
    | England.
  • 1975: Midi Libre journal | Perpignan, France.
  • 1979: Portraits of African Writers |
    Frankfurter Buchmesse
    , Germany. Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin.
  • 1980: Atelier Six | Ceret, France.
  • 1982: Women of Southern Africa | Conference Centre,
    University of Illinois
    | United States.
  • 1983:
    Tuskegee Institute, Georgia; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
    ; United States.
  • 1985:
    University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
    | United States.
  • 1988: Künstforum der Sozialdemokratie | Bonn, Germany.
  • 1989: Afrika Centrum, Cadier en Keer | Maastricht, Netherlands.
  • 1995: Transformation, 1994 Elections | Irma Stern Museum | Cape Town.
  • 1999: The Face of Bo-Kaap | Bo-Kaap Museum, Cape Town. Metropolitan Life, Metropolitan Life Headquarters, Bellville | Cape Town.
  • 1999:
    Metropolitan Life
    headquarters | Cape Town.
  • 2000: Dance for All | Maidenhead Cultural Centre | UK.
  • 2001: Dance for All | The Aschegach Gallery | Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 2002: Red Cross Children's Hospital | Cavendish Square, Cape Town.[7]
  • 2004: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Exhibition | Herbert Art Gallery and Museum | Coventry, UK.
  • 2005: South African Exiles of the '70s and '80s in Europe | Spitz Gallery | London.[8]
  • 2006: Portraits of African Writers | Cape Town International Book Fair | Cape Town.
  • 2007: Portraits of African Writers |
    Grahamstown
    | South Africa.
  • 2009: A Photographic Journey | Helderberg Photographic Society | Western Cape, South Africa [9]
  • 2010: 1994 Elections and Mandela's Vision | Parliament of Bremen; and touring, Germany | Impressions of Italy, Artscape, Cape Town. Portraits from Exile, Bonhams, London.
  • 2018: George Hallett: Portraits of Nelson Mandela | Dégagements Henry Le Bœuf | Brussel [10]

Publications

Publications by Hallett

  • 1973: Cosmo Pieterse, Present Lives Future Becoming, London: Hickey Press.
  • 1979: Images, Athlone, Cape Town: BLAC Publishing House.
  • 1995: Rashid Lombard (ed.), Images of Change, Nolwazi Educational Publishers (photos by Hallett).
  • 2000: Rhizomes of Memory-Tre Sydafrikanske Føtografer, with David Goldblatt and Santu Mofokeng, Oslo: Forlaget Press.
  • 2004: Moving in Time, KMM Publishers (as project director and editor).
  • 2006: Women by Women, Wits University Press (project director and editor with Neo Ntsoma and Robin Cromley). Y2Y Youth to Youth, 30 Years after Soweto, Wits University Press (project director and editor).
  • 2006: Portraits of African Writers, Johannesburg; Wits University Press.
    ISBN 978-1868143863 [11]
  • 2007: District Six Revisited, Wits University Press (editor and contributing photographer, along with Clarence Coulson, Wilfred Paulse, Jackie Heynes, and graphics by Gavin Jantjes).
    ISBN 978-1868144525
  • 2007–08: Sawubona [in-flight magazine for SAA] (as photographic consultant).
  • 2008: Mike Mzileni, All that Jazz (as photo editor, with Steven Macbeth)
  • 2010: Rashid Lombard, Jazz Rocks (as editor and designer).
    ISBN 978-0620464611

Publications with contributions by Hallett

Commissions

  • Numerous commissions including: Nobel Foundation, Norway. Terres des Hommes, Switzerland. Cameroon Airlines; Sentinelle Press; Paris. Künstlerhaus Bethanien; Documenta 12; Germany.
  • The Department of Arts & Culture; Parliament of South Africa; The Truth and Reconciliation Commission; African National Congress; Oasis Asset Management; Metropolitan Life Insurance; PetroSA; Spoornet; Random House; Jacana Publishers; Leadership; ESP Africa; OLSET Education Trust; Artscape Theatre; Red Cross Children's Hospital; Bush Radio; Sathima Bea Benjamin; District Six Museum; South Africa.

Work in public collections

Anne Frank Foundation; Amsterdam. Documenta; Germany. Sonja Henie-Nils Onstad Collection; Oslo, Norway. Birmingham Central Library; UK. Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture; New York Public Library; United States. Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town; Bo-Kaap Museum, Cape Town; District Six Museum, Cape Town; Rhodes University, Grahamstown; Mayibuye Centre, University of the Western Cape; Sached Educational Trust, Mowbray; Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Cape Town; Metropolitan Life Insurance; Bensusan Museum of Photography, the Market Theatre Complex, Johannesburg; The Open Learning Systems Education Trust, Johannesburg; South Africa.

Films

  • 1974: District Six – documentary for ITV; provided stills and consultant on production with writer Alex La Guma, London
  • 1998: Morokaners uit Amsterdam – 20-minute information video directed by Hallett for the Ministerie van Volks Welzijn en Kultuur.

Awards

  • 1980: Hasselblad Camera, Sweden. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Photography.
  • 1995: World Press Photo. 3rd Prize Golden Eye Award.[12]
  • 1996: Jury of World Press Photo, Amsterdam.
  • 1999: Cape Times, One City Many Cultures. Winner, Photo-Journalistic excellence: Picture story category.

Teaching

  • 1972–73: Central London Polytechnic.
  • 1981–82: ZIMCO, Harare.
  • 1982: University of Illinois, Michigan State University, Emory University, Tuskegee Institute, Howard University, USA.
  • 1985: Centre for Foreigners, Amsterdam.
  • 1987:
    St Martin’s School of Art
    , London.
  • 1993: School of Photography, Cape Town.
  • University of Cape Town. Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum, Cape Town.
  • 1998–99: Workshops, Institute for the Advancement of Journalism, Johannesburg. School for International Training,
  • 2000: Private lessons and mentorship programmes, Cape Town.
  • 2001: Oslo Foto Kunst Skole, Norway (lectured for two weeks).
  • 2002–07: Cape Peninsula University of Technology (as moderator and teacher).
  • 2008: Voicings programme theme democracy,
    St Cloud State University, Minnesota
    .

See also

References

  1. ^ "Muslim Views, September 2014". Issuu. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Yeh, D. George Hallett". Art Privat. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Personal Interview by Robyn-Leigh Cedras". ASAI. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  4. ^ James, P. 2002; The Exchange Project, Making Connections. Birmingham Black International History. Grosvenor, McLean, and Roberts (eds), Birmingham.
  5. ^ "George Hallett, 1942—2020, RIP". July 2020.
  6. ^ "George Hallett". Africa South Art Initiative. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  7. ^ "George Hallet". South African History Online. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Memories of Exile – George Hallett". Eye On Art. 19 July 2015.
  9. ^ "George Hallett Exhibition 'A Photographic Journey'". Helderberg Photographic Society. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  10. ^ "George Hallett: Portraits of Nelson Mandela". Eye On Art. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Portraits of African Writers". Wits University Press. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  12. ^ "1995 George Hallett PNS3-AJ". World Press Photo Organization. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2018.

Literature

External links
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