Casting Shadows

Edward West uses the metaphorical power of shadow to foreground the shifting visibility of South Africa's black population post apartheid. From 1997-1999, he traveled in South Africa to photograph the country's townships, squatter camps, and locations during this historic time of transition. In focusing on the private moments of these newly empowered people within their own communities, West has created a complex, visually compelling study of the ways in which identity is inextricably linked to environment. Utilizing the medium of photography in large scale color Giclee prints, West has developed a rich visual language built on the shadow metaphor that at once moves us and grounds us.