Matt Kay is a photographer who grew up in the Natal Midlands. After spending some time in Johannesburg studying at the Market Photo Workshop, he subsequently became one of the lecturers. Matt was however drawn back to Durban, where he had lived for some time. The scenery, the beach front, the people of Durban are what Matt needs to construct his photographic narratives. Matt expresses that he builds his narratives from memory and that he regards his work as an introspective investigation.
Matt was awarded the Tierney Fellowship and received the opportunity to work under the renowned photographer David Goldblatt. During his mentorship with Goldblatt Matt produced his series, ‘The Front’. The series is an ongoing exploration of space and who occupies it. In this series Matt seeks to document what the Durban beachfront space was at that moment in time. As has often been said, a photograph captures a moment in time. ‘The Front’ is confrontational and speaks about identity, diversity and the multi functional nature of the shared public space. Challenging preconceived ideas about the Durban beachfront, Matt’s body of work looks at a space that seems integrated however below the surface there are still lines of segregation.
What makes the subject matter of Matt’s photographic investigation of interest is the nature of the beach front: it is a space unlike most in South Africa as it falls outside of race, class or wealth restrictions – the beach is open for all to appreciate. This series opens up a narrative exploration in which it’s consumer will come to recognize that this apparent shares space is not what it appears to be and is in fact a front. Matt’s observation in ‘The Front’, brings up the history of the Durban beachfront and the various bodies that take occupancy in the space.
Matt has the ability to capture moments in photographs that I as a photographer would not necessarily look at with my naked eye and think, “Here is a photo worth taking”. He looks at things that seem ordinary, standard and he elevates these scenes into something extraordinary. Matt works as a documentarian capturing moments as they happen yet at the same time it truly does feel as though there had to be some level of choreographing subjects. I believe he has a unique eye and focus in his work with emphasis on narratives that he can construct from memory.
In an interview with Between 10&5 Matt stated, “I like to think my photographs ask questions although I’m not really interested in the answers.” I feel however that Matt is in some way interested in his answers as his investigative series ‘The Front’ displays.
