Guy Tillim

I went this past Monday to hear Guy Tillim, the South African photojournalist speak at SFAI.

He seemed to be quite a self-effacing, humble man who has had the opportunity to document the changing landscape of Johannesburg during the reconstruction period, post-apartheid. His total body of work also focuses on other African countries and the precarious positions that come with war, famine and poverty. One interesting point that Tillim re-introduced to me was the concept of "compassion fatigue". This is where the viewer simply doesn't want the responsibility of dealing with the suffering and unfathomable conditions that the photographs illustrate. Generally, individuals are exhausted of images that offend their sense of privilege, to be guarded from the dank, harsh realities that plague "others".