Contextual Analysis Workshop

Reflection:

Throughout the process of constructing and conducting the contextual analysis, I learned how to use a wide range of sources and materials in order to develop a cohesive theme. Understanding how to implement graphs, photographs, TedTalks, and speeches taught me to expand my horizons over various mediums. The most difficult aspect of writing for the contextual analysis was expounding on my thoughts without adding too much filler information. Condensing the information and content within the essay posed to be more challenging, as I have a bad habit of overwriting.  After completing the revisions, I learned my writing can become organized due to grammatical issues such as punctuation or sentence structure. Addressing those issues has enabled me to add clarity and cohesiveness in my writing. The aspect of the contextual analysis I enjoyed the most was being able to relate a photograph back to its artist, and to see the history surrounding the photograph. Based on what I have learned from conducting a contextual analysis, the elements of the writing process I will take with me to the next writing process is both the ability to be concise as well as utilize other sources, not just articles on websites. The contextual analysis changed the way I comprehended the photo I analyzed by enabling myself to view the multitude of connections the photo has within the world. Natchwey’s specific connection to the photo allowed myself I understand his modus operandi, as well as to visualize his purpose of the photograph itself. Similarly, the historical connection of South Africa and AIDS to the photo gave me a new perspective into global crises and those who are unheard in the world. Furthermore, this project impacted my understanding of what it means to comprehend images in times of crisis by expanding my realm of knowledge. I had to widen my lens to realize crises are not localized, they are happening right now as we speak, and it is up to humankind to bring attention to such atrocities.

 

The Blindness of the Western World

A Contextual Analysis by Adi DeBenedetto

Our ever evolving world, though fashioned with modernity, is still plagued with continual outbreaks of diseases. The human immunodeficiency virus, more notably referred to as HIV, is among the epidemic class of viruses; the illness was infamous for targeting marginalized groups such as those belonging to the LGBT community due to the nature of transmission. HIV can be transmitted through bodily fluids including blood, semen, and breast milk. Detecting HIV early on can be difficult as the symptoms presenting within HIV mimic the common flu.  If HIV is left untreated, the virus can progress into acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a more serious and life-threatening disease. Though modern medicine has enabled the prolonged longevity of those afflicted with HIV, the early 2000s were not given the same privilege; there was still minimal to no resources within underdeveloped countries. Contrary to the media’s belief of HIV only being prevalent within same-sex communities and relations, there was still a considerable amount of those infected who did not belong to the LGBT community. Those susceptible to HIV lacked the amenities first world countries often take for granted, and thus were caught in the crossfire of the overarching issue of accessibility among undeveloped countries. 

Professional photojournalist James Nachtwey is aware of this prevalent problem, and thus presents his audience with the photograph as shown to the right. James Nachtwey’s famous photograph, Grandmother cared for young girl affected by HIV(2000), depicts the suffering present in underdeveloped countries against the iconography of the birth of the messiah, Jesus. By juxtaposing the visual of the birth of Jesus to the struggling South African family, Nachtwey deliberately makes a comment on the selectiveness of the Western gaze towards global outbreaks. Western iconography allows a window of relation for his audience, which he sought to purposely target in order to incite a humanitarian relief for those in South Africa. First, I will provide an understanding of the political and historical context of South Africa and the HIV epidemic during the 2000s. Next, I will establish the importance of Nachtwey’s modus operandi and how his methodology will come into question; it is pivotal to understand Nachtwey’s rationale for producing such work and thus grasp his true motivations. Lastly, I will analyze Nachtwey’s similar photographic works; his support of humanitarian assistance is apparent through both the isolation of this specific photograph and the exploration of his other works, as well as his knowledge of the failed recognition of such concerns by his American audience. 

In order to grasp the significance of Nachtwey’s work, it is worth noting the specific state in which Sub-Saharan Africa found itself amidst the HIV epidemic. Towards the start of the new millennium, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was ravaging more than sixteen countries located in Sub-Saharan Africa; South Africa brandished the largest population living with HIV. The alarming prevalence of HIV in South Africa was attributed to both the political and cultural climate embedded within the country. There are three main components under the umbrella of political instability: social inequalities in income and employment, mass mobility, and sexual violence. 

At this time in 2000, Apartheid, the discriminatory policy in South Africa, had only ended under 9 years ago. The system encouraged racial segregation, specifically those of African descent. Apartheid promoted well-educated white men to obtain highly skilled professions over their minority counterparts. This system limited the amount of educational and economic opportunities for black citizens, and because of this limited their ability to sustain a suitable living as can be seen via the diagram on the right. These social inequalities encompassing both income and employment are associated with “a greater exposure to risky sexual experiences, diminished access to health information and prevention, higher frequency of sexually transmitted infections generally, absent or delayed diagnosis and treatment, and less concern about one’s health and the future, because of the harshness of the present.”(NCBI) Apartheid played a major role as well within the mobilization of minority populations; mass resettlements occurred on top of the already existing seasonal labor migrations, movements along major trade routes, war refugees fleeing from other parts of Africa, and the return of political exiles and liberation armies. The movement of a mass amount of people, who are already susceptible to infection, exponentially increased the rate of HIV. On top of the mass migration of minority populations, sexual violence occurring within South Africa and other Sub-Saharan African countries facilitated the high transmission rate of HIV. Sexual violence was and is still prevalent among women and children; it is commonly linked with forms of social and political violence is a part of everyday life as can be visualized through the diagram presented on the right. The accumulation of all three factors can be visualized through the practice of “survival sex” by NCBI, whereby “young women in the townships, often migrants from impoverished rural areas, use their bodies as an ordinary economic resource outside the context of prostitution but within the culture of male violence.”(NCBI) In relation to South Africa, racialization is attributed to the effects on the public’s health; epidemics have been utilized in order to enforce racial segregation. In the year of 1900, there was an outbreak of the bubonic plague in Capetown, and the outbreak thus justified the mass removal of Africans from their homes to “native locations” under a segregationist law passed in 1883 known as the Public Health Act; the outbreak of HIV and AIDS affected the people no different. 

When AIDS first appeared in South Africa, it was immediately interpreted through a racist lens; white political leaders supported the idea of African “promiscuity”. Political leaders denounced the danger infected black citizens posed to South Africa, and they even went as far to rejoice over the possible extermination of the black population by the disease. The disease was only politicized further due to former South African president Thabo Mbeki’s neglect of the health of his vulnerable population. Mbeki was infamously known to refuse offers of free medications used to prevent and treat HIV, and thus led to a death toll of “more than a third of a million people in the country, according to research by Harvard university.”(The Guardian) The overarching neglect of the black population in both South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in its entirety alarmed those concerned with humanitarian relief effort in the same way Nachtwey was. 

Since 1984, Nachtwey has been a war photographer for Time magazine. His work mainly consists of documenting wars, conflicts and critical social issues worldwide. Nachtwey was been granted numerous awards throughout his life, some he was even fortunate in winning multiple times: the Robert Capa Gold Medal (1983, 1984, 1986, 1994, 1998), the World Press Photo of the Year (1993, 1995), the Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society (1999), the Dan David Prize (2003), the 12th Annual Heinz Award (2006), one of the three winners of the TED Prize (2007), the Dresden Peace Prize (2012), the Princess of Asturias Award (2016), and the Golden Plate Award (2019) (Wikipedia). It is also worth mentioning Nachtwey’s film, War Photographer (2001), was nominated to receive an Academy Award for best documentary film. Nachtwey’s reputability and ethos as a photographer has thus been built over the course of his career, lending his audience to not only trust his work presented, but his cause as well. Nachtwey’s photograph mentioned previously, Grandmother cared for young girl affected by HIV(2000), depicts Boitumelo Mogorosi, three months old, who is HIV positive and whose mother has AIDS, living with and cared for by her grandmother, Emily Mogorosi, 68, in Thaba ‘Nchu, South Africa. Unlike the Westernized ideal of nuclearity in a household, those suffering from HIV in underdeveloped countries often rely on extended family to bear the weight of caretaking. By photographing he quote on quote “unconventional family”, he was able to finally give their story and situation a voice. 

Emily and Boitumelo Mogorosi were included secondly among Nachtwey’s digital AIDS collection on his website. In addition, the photograph was displayed as the cover photo in Nachtwey’s self-written article, Documenting the Plague of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, which he wrote to his audience in order to “stop the madness, lend a hand, and restore humanity.”(Nieman Reports) Nachtwey is seen as the model war photographer within the realm of media. He is selfless and driven as a photographer, as “his goal is to bear witness, because somebody must, and his pictures, devised to infuriate and move people to action, are finally about us, and our concern or lack of it, at least as much they are about him and his obvious talents.”(New York Times) Nachtwey is thus aware of his audience’s lack of awareness of global issues such as war, famine, and disease. He makes it his priority as a photojournalist to inform his audience of such realities in hopes of them supporting humanitarian relief on a global scale. Nachtwey’s ability to capture such raw moments during the HIV epidemic emphasizes the fact “beauty is a vexed matter in scenes of suffering, cruelty and death. The difference between exploitation and public service comes down to whether the subject of the image aids the ego of the photographer more than the other way around. The two are not mutually exclusive.” (New York Times) Nachtwey’s respective sensitivity towards his subjects such as Emily and Boitumelo demonstrates his compassion and non-egotistical motives for displaying their suffering; he does so in hopes of promoting relief towards those continuing to suffer. Nachtwey presents his other photographic collections in a similar light, highlighting his ongoing battle to achieve aid for those casted invisible by the Western lens.

Nachtwey’s fittingly named website, Witness, lists all the collections in which he has categorized his works: Afghanistan, AIDS, Deeds of War, Romania, Bosnia, South Africa, Famines, Kosovo, Industrial Pollution, Crime and Punishment, Pakistan, Heroin, Rwanda, India, Chechnya, Israel, Indonesia, and 9-11-01. The three images selected from three different collections are: Survivor of Hutu death camp (Rwanda, 1994), Collapse of south tower of World Trade Center        (New York, 2001), and Lifting a dead son to carry him to a mass grave during the famine (Somalia, 1992). Each image depicts a radically different message in which Nachtwey attempts to convey to his audience. The first image, Survivor of Hutu death camp (Rwanda, 1994), shows the devastating effects on a Hutu man who did not support the genocide occuring within Rwanda. He had been imprisoned in a concentration camp, starved and attacked with machetes. He managed to survive after he was freed and was placed in the care of the Red Cross, Rwanda, 1994. (Time) The image of the Hutu man was first published in the 1995 Photo Contest; this was the second year Nachtwey won the World Press Photo of the Year. Similarly, the second image, Collapse of south tower of World Trade Center (New York, 2001) was taken following the destruction of the World Trade Center. The destruction of the Twin Towers was the first instance in which American soil was directly attacked by a foreign enemy. This photo was also first published in the World Press Photo of the Year in 2002, and Nachtwey took home second place. The last image, Lifting a dead son to carry him to a mass grave during the famine (Somalia, 1992) shows a Somalian mother carrying her dead child to a mass grave for famine victims outside the town of Bardera, Somalia. The mother wrapped her son in a shroud, which is a proper burial method in Muslim culture. The famine, which ultimately claimed the lives of more than 200,000, was the result of regional drought and a civil war. Lifting a dead son to carry him to a mass grave during the famine was first published in the World Press Photo of the Year as well, and like the first image, won first place.

Many of Nachtwey’s works as the ones shown here show his testimony to these often silenced issues. Through a TED Talk video embedded within the passage,  “37 photographs. 3 minutes. Millions of lives to save: XDR-TB”, Nachtwey wishes for his audience to experience the same feeling of being a witness as he was, as he is quoted within the video, “I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony.” as well as “We can stop this now. Spread the story. Stop the disease.” (TED) Though the sentences are small in comparison to length, their emotional impact among Nachtwey’s Western audience is immense; this video, though stomach-churning, forces those who are watching to be emotionally influenced in the similar manner as Nachtwey was. In an article written by James Nachtwey himself, he explains his purpose in attaining humanitarian relief through visual rhetoric, “once awareness is raised about an issue, hopefully it will become part of a dialogue among fellow citizens. That’s the process by which an issue stays alive in the mind of the public, and when an issue is being actively talked about in the public realm, policymakers have to take notice. That’s one of the ways in which change happens, and visual journalism can play an important role in that process.” (American Battlefield Trust) Nachtwey’s persistence in making his audience notice those who have been deemed invisible shows his relentless nature in the fight for humanitarian relief; individuals such as Emily and Boitumelo are finally given a voice in a world dominated by Western issues and selfishness.

Nachtwey’s fight against wars, insurrections, famines, and diseases through visual images began an international awareness within Western culture and media. However, after further research into the HIV crisis, the fight is not over for many humanitarian issues. South Africa still currently has the highest population suffering from HIV: 7.5 million people. Nachtwey’s use of photography to capture the stories of Emily and Boitumelo is only the start of the conversation. In order to fully incite humanitarian relief among countries such as South Africa, it is up to the audience alone to cause an outpour of support. Nachtwey is an individual with a large voice, nonetheless, he is still one person. It is of utmost importance for his Western audience, whether they be policymakers, average citizens, young, old, highly educated or menial workers, to spread the word of prevalent issues on a global scale. It is evident there are millions existing in our world right now silently suffering because their voice can not be heard to the Westerner’s ear. Through Nachtwey’s ideology of dialogue ensuing aid, there is still hope to help those in need; the first thing to do is to talk. 

 

Works Cited

Fassin, Didier, and Helen Schneider. “The Politics of AIDS in South Africa: Beyond the Controversies.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 1 Mar. 2003, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125376/. 

James Nachtwey. James Nachtwey’s first experience in conflict photography came during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, after which he documented turbulent events in South Africa, and Mary Koik. Mary Koik is director of communications for the American Battlefield Trust. She has been the editor of Hallowed Ground since 2007. “Eyes of War: Documentary Photographer James Nachtwey.” American Battlefield Trust, 30 Apr. 2021, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/eyes-war-documentary-photographer-james-nachtwey. 

“James Nachtwey.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 July 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Nachtwey. 

Kimmelman, Michael. “World’s Cruelty and Pain, Seen in an Unblinking Lens.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Mar. 2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/arts/design/28nach.html. 

“Mbeki Aids Denial ‘Caused 300,000 Deaths’.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Nov. 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/26/aids-south-africa. 

Nachtwey, James. “Documenting the Plague of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Nieman Reports, 11 June 2021, https://niemanreports.org/articles/documenting-the-plague-of-aids-in-sub-saharan-africa/. 

Nachtwey, James. “When the World Turned Its Back: James Nachtwey’s Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide.” Time, Time, 6 Apr. 2011, https://time.com/3449593/when-the-world-turned-its-back-james-nachtweys-reflections-on-the-rwandan-genocide/. 

UNAIDS. https://data.unaids.org/pub/report/2006/2006_gr_en.pdf.