THE BANG BANG CLUB
GREG MARINOVICH
JOAO SILVA
Rooke Gallery exclusively represents the vintage and editioned photographic works of the two surviving members of “The Bang Bang Club” - Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva.
A large-scale “Bang Bang Club” exhibition is planned for 2010 at Rooke Gallery. In the interim, a select series of Podcasts, Videocasts and artist presentations will be made available to all those who are subscribed to the gallery’s mailing list.
Interested buyers can also enquire about signed copies of the Bang Bang Club book.
About the Bang Bang Club
The Bang Bang Club was a name primarily associated with four photographers active within the townships of South Africa during the Apartheid period, particularly in the years running up to the country’s first democratic elections (27 April 1994). While a number of photographers and photojournalists worked alongside the Bang Bang Club (including James Nachtwey and Gary Bernard), Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek, and Joao Silva were the four main men associated with the name.
Original Living Magazine article that coined the phrase “Bang Bang Paparazzi”
Photograph : Joao Silva
Many of the images taken by the Bang Bang Club were transmitted and printed internationally, rarely receiving attention within South Africa (this due to the government's strict control over the press). Publication of the images brought to the fore the reality of the oppressive Apartheid system, and the murderous struggle between ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party sympathisers, in what were the hostel wars.
Vintage “Leafdesk” confirmation print 1992.
Photograph Greg Marinovich
Ultimately the pictures served to increase international pressure on the South African government to allow fully democratic elections.
The name "Bang Bang Club" was born from the culture itself; township residents spoke to the photographers about the “bang-bang” as reference to violence occurring within their communities, but more literally, "bang-bang" refers to the sound of gunfire and is a colloquial form of nomenclature used by conflict photographers.
Vintage hand print 1992.
Photograph Greg Marinovich
In the course of their work, the members accrued two Pulitzer prizes. Greg Marinovich won the Pulitzer for Spot News Photography for his coverage of the killing of Lindsaye Tshabalala in 1990. Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer for Featured Photography in 1994 for his photograph of a vulture that appeared to be stalking a starving child in southern Sudan.
Tragically, the photography of the Bang Bang Club ended with the death of Ken Oosterbroek, killed on April 18, 1994 while photographing a siege in Tokoza, a few days before the elections they had worked so hard to support.
Marinovich, who was also shot, documented the incident in an autobiographical book about the "Bang Bang Club".
Kevin Carter committed suicide on July 27, 1994. Both Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva have remained active photographers.
In 2000, they authored The Bang-Bang Club, a book documenting their experiences. A movie of the book (directed by Steven Silver) is due for release in 2009, and stars Ryan Phillippe, Taylor Kitsch and Malin Ackerman. More.
More about the book
More about the movie
Enquire about the vintage photographs
<![CDATA[
<ul>
<li>
<A href="artists.php" title="ARTISTS - information about artists">ARTISTS</A>
<ul>
<li><a href="about_gallery_schedule.php" target="content2" onClick="top.activate(2);">Gallery viewing schedule</a></li>
<li><a href="about_directions.php" target="content2" onClick="top.activate(2);">Directions to the gallery</a></li>
<li><a href="about_mailinglist.php" target="content2" onClick="top.activate(2);">Join our mailing list</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<A href="exhibitions_latest.php" title="LATEST EXHIBITION - view exhibition work, press coverage and downloads">LATEST EXHIBITION</A></li>
<li><A href="exhibitions.php" title="PAST EXHIBITIONS - view exhibition work, press coverage and downloads">PAST EXHIBITIONS</A></li>
<li><A href="online_sales.php" title="ONLINE SALES">ONLINE SALES</A></li>
</ul>
]]>