David Goldblatt: Photographer bears witness to Apartheid

Apartheid through a camera lens —

South Africa, 1983: Exhausted workers cram onto a "blacks only" bus traveling from a segregated homeland into Pretoria at two o'clock in the morning. The image is the work of South African photographer David Goldblatt.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

5:40 am: Passengers wait to board local buses at Marabastad terminal in Pretoria en route to work for the day. Because of racial segregation, many were forced to travel up to eight hours a day to get to and from work in the city.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Goldblatt has spent many years capturing his subjects in black and white. He says: "You need to work to look at a black and white photograph. It doesn't immediately come to you. Color is much more sensuous, sweet and welcoming."

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Photographed in November 1972 in Soweto, two young men show their "dompas" -- an identity document that every African had to carry.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

"The churches in this country, the synagogues, the mosques, all of them are particular, abundantly expressive of the people who built them," says Goldblatt. Pictured is the Poswhol Synagogue, Johannesburg, as shot by Goldblatt in 1975.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Goldblatt has also taken an extensive set of photographs documenting mining in South Africa. Here Goldblatt has focused on the detail on the uniform of a mine overseer (or Boss Boy). It was taken in 1966 at the Randfontein Estates Gold Mine.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Of mining, he says: "I found it very impressive and audacious of mankind to do this ... It requires a great deal of courage, skill and is very dangerous."

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Goldblatt has won numerous accolades throughout his 50-year career including the 2006 Hasselblad Award followed a year later with an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society. But he remains unpretentious about his craft saying: "I'm very interested in how a picture works ... what it means. It's a conversation between me, myself and the subject."

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

Here Goldblatt captures Margaret Mcingana, who later became the famous singer Margaret Singana, smoking a cigarette in Soweto in October 1970.

Courtesy David Goldblatt

Apartheid through a camera lens —

The 83-year-old considers his photography a craft rather than art and modestly prefers others to judge his work rather than highlighting a favorite image from his versatile collection. He said: "If I had to be called before a heavenly jury to account for myself, I'd have to say 'well, look at it and decide for yourselves.'"

CNN

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Story highlights

David Goldblatt is a world-renowned photographer from South Africa

He has spent 50 years visually documenting the daily life of his nation

His work presents a stark glimpse into life in South Africa through the years

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —

It’s just after two o’clock in the morning and a never-ending queue of South African commuters is waiting to get onto a bus that will take them to Pretoria for work. Many are carrying blankets in the hopes of getting some much-needed rest while on the three-hour journey.

The year is 1983 and this is a “blacks only” bus, where only a lucky few will get the luxury of seating as the bus travels into the city. A single white man stands at the front of the bus watching the daily commute. His name is David Goldblatt and he’s there to capture life on film.

With a career spanning six decades, Goldblatt has become one of South Africa’s most distinguished photographers, using a lens to chronicle the growth of a nation.

spc african voices david goldblatt a_00025210.jpg

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Legendary photographer's remarkable career

06:19 - Source: CNN

His work adorns museum walls in Johannesburg and crosses oceans to Melbourne, Paris and New York. Among his most celebrated collections is his documentation of Apartheid, where he became a witness to the discrimination faced in South Africa.