Fine-art photographer Matthew Willman has released his latest book, Tuisland, 'n stillewe, a collection of black-and-white images documenting South Africa's deserted landscapes. The book is the result of Willman's four-year exploration across the country, capturing landscapes devoid of people. With a foreword by celebrated poet Antjie Krog, the book invites readers to interpret and converse with the Earth through Willman's lens. Krog encourages readers to reclaim the concept of 'homeland' from past political contexts, noting that the Earth belongs to no one.
Willman's journey across South Africa was a deliberate and introspective one. He divided the country into a grid and followed the lines vertically and horizontally, visiting different regions intermittently. The photographer drove over 3,000km in the Free State alone, taking photographs along the way. He avoided digital processes, instead capturing images with analogue cameras and developing the initial hand-printed photos from rolls of film in chemical baths. This approach allowed him to focus on tone and texture, separating reality from imagination.
The book features images from across the nation, each labelled with a simple place name. Willman intentionally avoided recording precise coordinates, instead encouraging a communal discourse. His photographs evoke emotion, often capturing the beauty in everyday scenes such as telephone poles, sheep, windmills, and mountains. Willman's work is motivated by the legacy of photographers Paul Alberts and David Goldblatt, although he claims it is not an emulation of their work.
Willman's career includes tenure with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, where he worked with politicians, celebrities, and ballet dancers. He has also held commissions from numerous high-profile corporates. A recent project required him to document mining processes in South Africa, Europe, and the US, resulting in underground descents in pursuit of chiaroscuro images. His previous book, Greatlands, featured the country's wildest places and included precise geolocations for each image.
Tuisland is a personal and emotional project for Willman, who cites remembered visions of the countryside from his childhood road trips as inspiration. The book is also a tribute to his father, who passed away recently and viewed the collection before his passing. Willman's penchant for the black-and-white format comes from his focus on tone and texture, and he believes that his photographs are not always pretty but are real.
The publication of Tuisland was supported by an LW Hiemstra Trust grant. Willman suggests that the book is an expression of the love that all South Africans have for the country. He believes that the land, despite not always being pretty, is beautiful. The book features images of simple power lines in the Karoo, an old broken car, or one of three windmills, which Willman considers beautiful.
Tuisland is available for purchase directly from the photographer. Willman's work continues to showcase the beauty and emotion of South Africa's deserted landscapes, inviting readers to interpret and converse with the Earth. The book is a testament to the country's diverse and complex landscape, and Willman's photographs evoke a sense of national pride and love for the land.
Key points
- The book Tuisland, 'n stillewe, is a collection of black-and-white images documenting South Africa's deserted landscapes.
- The photographer, Matthew Willman, divided the country into a grid and followed the lines vertically and horizontally to capture the images.
- The book features images from across the nation, each labelled with a simple place name, encouraging a communal discourse.
