Students in DUT’s BTech Graphic Design programme have conducted thorough research on various topics or issues relating to human culture and lifestyle in South Africa…
2 December 2011
Walking the streets
Students in DUT’s BTech Graphic Design programme have conducted thorough research on various topics or issues relating to human culture and lifestyle in South Africa. For his project, Tyler Dolan chose to photographically document the different traditions and cultures that reside on the streets of Durban.
“We are all connected by the street . . . We see street people, we think we know where they come from, but truthfully we don’t. This project was about showcasing these people living their lives. It was also about stepping out of one’s comfort zone, in this case my own, and documenting what surrounds us,” Dolan said.
On one of his trips around the city, Tyler Dolan captured the mood at a unisex salon situated in Mahatma Gandhi Street.
The inspiration came when Dolan photographed the “Right 2 Know” march, a national campaign to protect media freedom in 2010.Witnessing the diverse cultures of citizens who were part of the march triggered his first move. He visited a Pietermaritzburg informal settlement accompanied by a friend. Here they learnt the survival patterns of the disadvantaged. People were “scavenging through the rubbish for metal and glass that they could sell and buy food with.”
This fascinated Dolan. He was eager to explore the diverse cultures and dynamic surroundings of Durban. On one his initial trips around the CBD, Dolan stumbled upon a shelter on Sydney Road. Here he met Archie Mathews, who later became his “accomplice” and translator during township tours to Chesterville, Lamontville, Ngomeni Reserve and KwaMashu. Mathews introduced him to his township friends, who also referred them to their friends and family. It was different from the CBD where Dolan said he approached anyone who was willing to be photographed and those whom he deemed fascinating.
Dolan admits that while embarking on this journey was an eye-opener, it also left him with unanswered questions. A year was not enough to comprehend the customs. But instead of analyzing the culture, he opted to embrace it. He counted his first cow-slaughtering experience in KwaMashu and the “festive” township lifestyle as invaluable and unforgettable moments.
The fundamental lesson was that all people can be classified in two ways: there are pessimists and those who “make the best of their situations and find ways to enjoy life.”
All photographs along with stories were compiled into a book, “Walking the Streets”. It is currently unpublished, but Dolan aspires to do so.
– Naledi Hlefane
