Veteran photographer displays his talent
HOUGHTON - Michael Jackson's former private photographer, Ilan Ossendryver, is exhibiting his photographic work at Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre.
Michael Jackson’s former private photographer, Ilan Ossendryver, is exhibiting his photographic work at Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre.
The hub is located at the corner of Glenhove Road and 4th Street in Houghton. Ossendryver started his photography career as a journalist 20 years ago in the United States of America.
“Life is a balance – we can’t destroy that.”
He came back to South Africa to document life under the apartheid regime. The nomadic photographer then left the country to work in Israel, where he documented many political conflicts and events, including the arrival of Ethiopian Jews, Palestinian uprisings, the Gulf War and the history of Israel.
When Nelson Mandela was about to be released, Ossendryver came back to the country to document this historic event. He said, “Meeting Madiba is still the most cherished moment of my photo journalism life.”
Ossendryver also documented a trip to Israel by the last apartheid regime president and Nobel laureate, FW de Klerk.
In his photography, Ossendryver also included wildlife and its conservation. He said, “In this exhibition I want people to be aware of the importance of the conservation of wildlife as much as we hate rhino poaching. My work captures the spirit of the Earth and its direction, like the dawn, the noon and the evening.” He said the exhibition, dubbed ‘The Tree of Life’, showed the growth of human beings and how people could look up to trees to see growth in their own lives. “If people can look at the growth of the tree branches they can also reflect on their lives, growing in different directions.”
The father of two said travelling had inspired him to love nature. The self-taught photographer stated that through his photography he wanted to encourage people to safeguard the world against people who want to destroy it. “My photos aim to inspire people to shelter our beautiful Earth against the incorrect political behaviour and greed that seeks to destroy it. Life is a balance – we can’t destroy that. We can’t destroy the power of nature otherwise humanity will suffer.”
The exhibition will run until 1 September.
Details: Hazel or René, 011-728-8088/8378 or after hours 011-728-8378, email rchcc@telkomsa.net or rene.s@telkomsa.net
