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| DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. 2008. His radio is the sole possession that he took with him while escaping a rebel attack in his village. He now lives in a refugee camp with 60,000 other people where poverty, disease, and crime run rampant. |
Stunning right? The boy, though physically strong, is caught in a rare vulnerable moment. The image being in black and white, as apposed to colour, leaves the audience faced head on with the pure emotion he is showing, both in his closed stance, as well as his delicate expression. The rolling tents behind him, blending in to the hills on the horizon and the subtle greys of the sky, it's all just so gorgeous. It's no wonder this image won the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize last year. Each year, the award (organised by The Photographers' Gallery in association with Deutsche Börse) goes to a living photographer that has made "the most significant contribution, in exhibition or publication format, to the medium of photography in Europe" over the previous 12 months.
This image is just one from Goldberg's project Open See, which "documents the experiences of refugee, immigrant and trafficked populations who travel from war torn, socially and economically devastated countries, such as Iraq, Bangladesh, China, The Balkans and Congo, to make new lives in Europe. Fusing Polaroids, video, written text, ephemera and large and medium format photographs, Goldberg reflects on issues of migration and the conditions for desiring escape."
Jim Goldberg has a wonderful way of co-creating his images, allowing the subject to tell their stories openly and without fear of prejudice or judgement. His innovative use of different media forms is a breath of fresh air on the mundane photo-stories of today, and helps the images become interesting as well as relatable.
Needless to say, I'm a big fan. And this picture, in particular, is quickly becoming one of my favourites of all time.
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