Background continued
This work attempts to push the boundaries of conventional documentary photography by applying elements of visual symbolism or visual language.
Kirby often embellishes his images with lines, marks and colouring to disrupt the conventional perspective associated with the medium and the subject matter—and in a nuanced way convey deeper meaning to the imagery.
The image's embellishments have been influenced by distressed old images (colour-tinged and water-marked) to create a “timeline” aesthetic—in this case, from the apartheid era to the present.
© Chris Kirby, Jurors' Pick, LensCulture Exposure Awards 2018