Issue14 by The Archive

The Archive

THE ARCHIVE MAGAZINE FEATUERS In this issue: Matt Beynon Rees a cotribution to late David Rubenger Corinna Kern- “Mama Africa” Aleksander Klug - “Land of Stone”

INTERVIEWS Interview with Gilad Kavalerchik

Obituary

David Rubinger 1924 - 2017 Matt Beynon Rees for the FPA There was enough tragedy in David Rubinger’s life that you could have forgiven him any amount of bitterness or anger. From the murder of his mother by the Nazis to the murder of his beloved partner in her own home in Jerusalem’s Greek Colony when David was 80. But you will not find a single person who can remember a truly bitter word from his lips, and the only anger he expressed was a righteous impatience for those who seemed to wish

for more conflict where he saw the possibility of peace (though, just occasionally, he would grit his teeth over something Time Magazine’s photo editor did…) Even then, he carried with him a spark of warmth that attracted those who might otherwise have behaved toward a photojournalist with great calculation or even hostility. When Israel’s leaders saw David, the older ones recalled all their shared history and greeted him warmly; the

younger ones felt privileged, because here was a living connection between them and their early-Zionist heroes, whose faces they knew largely from David’s pictures. Pictures that he never stopped taking, constantly bearing his Leica around his neck. David was born in Vienna in 1924 and died at the age of 92. Among his earliest memories was the sight of Jews being forced to scrub the paving stones by jeering Nazis. In his early

Photo by Ohad Zwigenberg

teens, he left his parents behind to travel to Palestine, living on a kibbutz. He never saw his mother again. During World War II, he served in the British army’s Jewish Brigade, though he cheerfully noted that he was a good way from the front line—he was never given to war stories of the macho kind, despite the proximity to violence and death that he experienced covering

every one of Israel’s wars and its other conflicts. (He was much more likely to undercut the heroic with a witty quip or a mildly cynical observation). Back in Palestine, he opened a photography business in Jerusalem and married a cousin, Anni, with whom he had two children. She managed his photo archive and was a part of the Time Magazine he helped found. The marriage and his work

at Time both lasted a half century. In fact, it was Anni who convinced him not to contest the broad— and unpaid—distribution of his iconic photo of Israeli Paratroopers at the Western Wall in 1967. To Israel’s leadership, to supporters of Israel around the world, this unforgettable image became a symbol of a halcyon time that David, more than anyone, recognized is long past. It is an artefact of a moment when Israel occupied a very different place in the world than it does today. But the photo lives on, just as the Western Wall and Israel itself exist, conveying different meanings to different people. To me it bears the mark of David Rubinger’s inexhaustible fascination with artistic form, with Israel, with Jewish life, with people both famous and unnoticed, and with exciting times.

Amir Lavon

Hiro Tanaka

Julia Berezina

Hiro Tanaka

Oren Ben Hakoon

Omri Shomer

Ohad Zwigenberg

Maria Gutu

Oren Ben Hakoon

Ohad Zwigenberg

Amir Rotgolz

Oren Ben Hakoon

Omri Shomer

Julia Berezina

Yoav Dudkevitch

Ohad Zwigenberg

Omri Shomer

Maria Gutu

Yoav Dudkevitch

Eli Basri

Gabi Ben Avraham

Eli Zuta

Rosie Gray-Jones

Amir Lavon

Gabriela Gleizer

INTERVIEW:

Gilad Kavalerchik

What was your most memorable experience as a photographer? In the year 2002 I got my first ‘’suicide bombing‘’ mission. I heard the explosion during a meeting in Petach Tikva . I wasn’t sure at the beginning if it was an explosion but after a few seconds I heard the first ambulance. I knew for sure that it was real. I found myself in the ice cream shop, that was the site of the explosion . A grandmother and granddaughter were killed. Four days afterwards the family invited me to their home in Ramat Hasharon ,where I showed them images and explained what happened in the first moment as I arrived to the site. What is your favourite colour? Grey What was your favourite book as you were growing up?

Elinchrom Qaudra Brochure

How did you start being a photographer? How important is the During my military role of photography service, I was forced today ? to have a knee surgery. In my humble opinion, Following the surgery, the world of photograI was released from phy has changed a lot the army for severin recent years. For exal months to recover. ample. everyone has a During that period, in smartphone with very order to pass the time, high-quality shooting I started a photography options. As real time course with the late Janews are happening, cob Burstein. The perphoto editors of today son who gave me the rely on phone pictures inspiration to study was that travel faster then the my friend’s father at that professional photojour- time who was an artist nalist. But at the same photographer and he breath we can say that it was actually the reason I is impossible to replace entered the photography the old press photogworld. rapher with experience and high-quality photo- How different is it to graphic equipment that be a freelancer then to will give us more value. work as a staff member As a sports photograof a newspaper? pher, I still have no com- The best thing that petition with the smart- happened to me prophone photographers, fessionally was when I but I see how the techleft “Yedioth Ahronot” nology changes before newspaper. The conveour eyes. nience of a fixed salary

and a regular schedule (more or less) allowed me peace of mind, but professionally I felt like I was standing in place. Today, as an independent photographer, it is much harder for me to create a regular income, but I see how my photography level rises and reaches places I could only imagine about seven years ago. Without a doubt being a salaried employee is good but independent is better. How do you know that you took a good shoot? I have no unequivocal answer. Before I go out for a photography as-

signment, I imagine a certain picture; if I can get it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a success. What was your favourite location to work at? The Dead Sea area is my favourite place to shoot. Nature in its full splendour and the destruction of nature by humans near the sea allows a wide range of very unique types of photography. Can you give an advice to a starting photographer? If you chose to enter the field of photography press or sports for the newspaper make sure your partner (husband

or wife) has: 1. strong nerves 2. job that will support you with dignity. How big is the role of sport photography in your day to day work? Unfortunately, sports photography is not the main source of income for me. In the ongoing work I photograph a lot of things but they are not directly related to sport. In my free time I try to photograph as many different types of sports as possible for personal projects. For me, sports photography is like a therapy from my daily work.

A Land of Stone Aleksander Klug

I have always been interested in how human beings are affected by the society in which they live and especially the influence of structures and physical borders, is something that I have been drawn to as a photographer. Lithuania is a country caught between progressive Europe and Soviet-era stagnation and despite the massive economic and social changes that the country has undergone since the it entered the Eurozone in Jan 1, 2015, the atmosphere of fear at the zenith of Stalinism is still felt in many parts of the country, just beneath the surface. The on-going photographic essay â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Land of Stone,â&#x20AC;? is a journey into sad and emotional connection that Lithuanians have with their country, traditions and their faith. Divided into individual chapters, the essay explores issues such as identity, nationalism and history.

a c i r f A Mama Corinna Kern

Despite a constitution considered one of the most liberal in the world in terms of LGBTI rights, South Africa poses severe challenges for those whose gender identity does not comply to the norm. Especially townships and rural communities are strongly shaped by traditional beliefs that consider nonconforming gender and gender expression ‘un-African’. Hate crimes and institutionalized homophobia are common consequences and often force individuals to perform their gender according to society’s standards. This project gives an intimate glimpse into the lives of four African transgender women in their endeavors to realize themselves as who they are. Rather than letting stigma and fear dictate their identities, they integrate themselves into a society in that hetero-normative gender roles shape peoples lives. By means of their stories, this project explores the tension between gender as a fixed social construct and as a feeling starting from within. The individuals’ opposition to the traditional gender binary conveys the fluidity and ambiguity of gender, inspiring a shift towards an open-minded view on what African gender identity can be as opposed to what society demands it to be.

The Archive Magazine wants to thank all the people involved in the making, especially the photographers that took part in this issue. Thanks to everyone who sent photos, gave advice, and provided moral and artistic support. Special thanks: Yoav Dudkevich Keren Refaeli

See you in the next issue