owning-my-truth: owning-my-truth:The Photography of Malick Sidibé (b. 1935/6) Malick Sidib&
owning-my-truth: owning-my-truth: The Photography of Malick Sidibé (b. 1935/6) Malick Sidibé is a Malian photographer and one of the most prominent African photographers of the 20th century. He is known especially well for his photographs of nightlife in Bamako, the capital of Mali, in the 1960s and 70s, and has an extensive catalog of photographs which capture the exuberant life of young Malians in the years after independence. The energy and power captured in Sidibé’s photographs is undeniable. His studio work is also exceptional, and Studio Malick in Bamako was known to be more relaxed, laid back and fun than that of other photographers at the time. That relaxed, young, exuberant air is reflected in how his subjects present in his incredible photographs. With the increase in international attention for African photography in the 90s, Sidibé’s work- along with that of Seydou Keïta, another giant in Malian photography and African photography at large- rose to international prominence. His work has now been exhibited in The United States, Europe and Japan. In 2005 he won the Hasselblad Award for Photography and has won numerous other prizes as well internationally. A documentary film was made of his life titled, Dolce Vita Africana, and you can view it here. His work is constantly touring internationally, so check online and at your local museums for viewing opportunities. He is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, Afronova Gallery in Johannesburg and Fifty One Fine Art Photography in Antwerp. Any opportunity to see his work is highly recommended, as Sidibé has had an incredible impact on many photographers to this day, myself included. An Interview (Excerpt) with Malick Sidibé [Malick Sidibé, Image by antoine tempé via CXNegra] Bamako nights At night, from midnight to 4 am or 6 am, I went from one party to another. I could go to four different parties. If there were only two, it was like having a rest. But if there were four, you couldn’t miss any. If you were given four invitations, you had to go. You couldn’t miss them. I’d leave one place, I’d take 36 shots here, 36 shots there, and then 36 somewhere else, until the morning. Sometimes I would come back to parties where there had been a lot of people. Afterwards I had to develop the photos and print them out. Sometimes, right up to 6 in the morning, I would be at the enlarger. For the 6 x 6 films there was a contact printer, but the 24 x 36 had to be enlarged. So you had about 300 or 400 photos to print out. You could work in the morning, but, by Tuesday, the photos had to be ready for display. The proofs were pinned up outside my studio. Lots of people would come and point themselves out. “Look at me there! I danced with so-and-so! Can you see me there?” Even if they didn’t buy the photo, they would show it to their friends. That was enough for them. They had danced with a certain girl, and that was enough. I wasn’t happy, though. I wanted them to buy these photos! Source of interview text: Lens Culture via CXNegra : Transcribed from the video produced by Jerome Sother for www.gwinzegal.com. Recorded in Rouen, 2008. Malick Sidibé passed away this week. We have truly lost a legend. Rest in Power -- source link