Lehlogonolo Ngoasheng
Still
Lehlogonolo Ngoasheng views photography as means of finding beauty in places that initially seem dull. Born in Tembisa in the East Rand of Gauteng, he first picked up a camera to document what himself and his friends were wearing. And yet, his images are a world a way from mainstream fashion photography, offering a quiet serenity and stillness in which people and places could be anyone, anywhere. Lehlogonolo reveals the fantasy embedded in the minutiae of everyday life.
INCCA: You mention that your work aims to both question the notion of perception and make people aware of their own perception. Can you elaborate on this?
Lehlogonolo Ngoasheng (LN): We are surrounded by a lot of things and this makes it difficult for us to fully pay attention to our surroundings. With my work, I aim to make people aware of the beauty that surrounds us at all times. For instance, somebody can look at a taxi and just see a mode of transport and the next person can look at the same taxi and think of the soothing feeling of being in a taxi while it’s in motion. There is more to the ordinary.
Lehlogonolo Ngoasheng (LN): We are surrounded by a lot of things and this makes it difficult for us to fully pay attention to our surroundings. With my work, I aim to make people aware of the beauty that surrounds us at all times. For instance, somebody can look at a taxi and just see a mode of transport and the next person can look at the same taxi and think of the soothing feeling of being in a taxi while it’s in motion. There is more to the ordinary.
There is more to the ordinary.
INCCA: You were born and raised in Tembisa. How did you come to discover photography in this context and why is it important to you as a medium?
LN: I discovered photography through fashion, I bought a pocket camera in order to take good quality pictures of my outfits and I use to take pictures of my friends. That is when I picked up my passion for photography, I enjoyed being behind the camera than being in front of it and that led me to researching about photography. Photography is important to me because it keeps on changing how I perceive the world and it taught me to find beauty in places that seem dull.
LN: I discovered photography through fashion, I bought a pocket camera in order to take good quality pictures of my outfits and I use to take pictures of my friends. That is when I picked up my passion for photography, I enjoyed being behind the camera than being in front of it and that led me to researching about photography. Photography is important to me because it keeps on changing how I perceive the world and it taught me to find beauty in places that seem dull.
INCCA: Often, you offer very little context for the work in the titles. At the same time they are often close up details or landscapes that could be a multitude of spaces. Is this non-specificity important to you and if so how come?
LN: The non-specificity is important, giving too much context about the work will only make people view the work through that context and that will box in the work. I want people to see the work and then make up their own context.
LN: The non-specificity is important, giving too much context about the work will only make people view the work through that context and that will box in the work. I want people to see the work and then make up their own context.
INCCA: There is a stillness to your work, even your portraits have a sense of serenity and quiet, and a train in motion almost appears stuck in time. Do you consider the way in which photography can pause moments to create this stillness?
LN: Yes, I do consider the way in which photography can pause moments to create stillness. That is one of the reasons why photography fascinates me.
LN: Yes, I do consider the way in which photography can pause moments to create stillness. That is one of the reasons why photography fascinates me.
INCCA: What are you working on at the moment and how do you see your work evolving?
LN: I am currently working on a number of projects which I find quite interesting and I cannot wait to share the work. The ultimate evolution would be having more eyes on the work.
LN: I am currently working on a number of projects which I find quite interesting and I cannot wait to share the work. The ultimate evolution would be having more eyes on the work.