The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art opened to the public in Cape Town in September with an inaugural exhibition that gives a prominent place to photographic works.
Museum goers are treated to a diverse presentation of photographs by contemporary African artists such as Owanto, from Gabon; Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou of Benin; Kenyan Cyrus Kabiru; Zimbabwean Kudzanai Chiurai; American-born Roger Ballen; and South Africans Zanele Muholi, Athi Patra-Ruga, Mohau Modisakeng, Thania Petersen and Nandipha Mntambo.
In some instances, photography is the exclusive practice of the featured artists; in others it forms part of their medium mix.
Photography emerged in the 19th century, long spawning a debate around its acceptability as an art form. Its critics accused it of being too literal, reducing it to a mere mechanical recording medium, while its advocates praised its ability to capture and elevate the artist’s vision.
There is a distinction between documentary photography and photojournalism, and the more conceptual works produced by artists whose approach stems from the fine arts.
Today, photography is widely recognised as an important art form. Museums collect photography, major exhibitions, fairs and festivals are devoted to the medium, and collectors are actively committing to it.
Photography represents 1% of the total secondary art market. In the first half of 2015, it made up $73m of sales against $7.1bn for fine art as a whole. This doesn’t mean collectors are not paying top dollar for photographic works. German photographer Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II sold in 2011 for $4.3m, the highest price yet paid for a photograph.
The works of Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman take second and third place in the list of most expensive photographs, at just under $4m each. Gursky, Prince and Sherman collectively account for 25% of global turnover in this medium.
But these figures are more the exception than the norm, and, for most collectors, photography is one of the most affordable art forms.
Many fairs and festivals are devoted to photography, making the medium widely accessible. The annual Paris Photo is arguably the largest and is a must-see for anyone interested in the medium. Unseen, which has taken place every year in Amsterdam since 2012, focuses on what’s new.
Major festivals in Africa take a close look at photography. The Bamako Encounters, the photography biennale that was established in 1994 and introduced to the world the legendary Malian photographers Malick Sidibé and Seydou Kaïta, celebrates photography and video produced in Africa
LagosPhoto and Addis Foto Fest are held annually and focus on contemporary African photography.
There are many printing processes to learn while collecting. Photographic prints can be gelatin silver, albumen, chromogenic, dye-transfer or digital, among others
The market for photography is diverse and we give standard advice about personal taste. Start with images that really grab and are likely to retain their impact over time. View as much photography as possible to get a grasp of the various styles and genres and to develop a taste for good work.
Photography is a fragile medium and it is particularly important to understand condition. Damage may include scratches, handling marks that look like curved creases on the paper surface and fading.
There are many printing processes to learn while collecting. Photographic prints can be gelatin silver, albumen, chromogenic, dye-transfer or digital, among others.
Photographs require special care. They must be kept away from direct sunlight and from humid environments, and must be framed with archival material. For further preservation, UV protective glass is a good option.
Photographs printed from the negative are called originals. They are usually issued in an edition — a fixed number that is binding on the artist and the print maker. The edition size affects price, and small editions are more expensive than large ones.
Editions of three, five or eight prints are considered small editions. It can get a bit complicated when the same image has multiple editions in varying sizes so it’s worth finding out about the total number of copies across sizes.
In some instances, the print’s order in the edition can affect price. As availability decreases, prices increase.
Among the things that can increase value are the artists’ signatures and the provenance when works appear on the secondary market. A vintage print is one made shortly after the negative was created and early prints normally fetch higher prices.
The market for photography in SA lags behind other countries. David Goldblatt established the Market Photo Workshop in 1989 to train students technically and conceptually and to ensure that photographic visual literacy is available to all. It has helped develop talents such as Muholi, Jodi Bieber and Musa Nxumalo.
The commitment of local collectors needs development. German-American collector and former Goldman Sachs partner Artur Walther, who started collecting photography in the late 1990s after his retirement, arguably owns the largest collection of African photography.
• Alexia Walker is a partner at Walker Scott, which offers end-to-end art management services.
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