Capturing the spirit of South Africa's marginalized communities

By Matthew Knight for CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• "The Edge of Town" is a portrait of some of South Africa's most marginalized communities
• It's the work of South Africa-born photographer Graeme Williams
• He visited over 100 towns in creating the photo essay
• Williams' and other South African photographers' work on display in London from April

(CNN) -- Photographer Graeme Williams has spent over two decades documenting the events that have shaped the lives of millions in Africa.
From the path towards democracy in his native South Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s to sapphire mining in Madagascar in 2000, Williams' images have shed light on some of the continent's struggles during the modern era.

But for "The Edge of Town" -- a study of South Africa's marginalized communities -- Williams moved away from his conventional documentary approach in an attempt to convey the "complex and conflicting" feelings he has towards his country.
So, out went standing back and training his lens from a wider view as Williams traveled to edge-of-town communities. Treading the line between intimacy and intrusion, the 49-year-old photographer has created a vivid portrait of the lives of South Africa's most deprived people.


"For me, it is important that I am part of this country. I wanted to feel that I wasn't separating myself from the photographs," Williams said.
"So the photographs are very intimate, in that I am right inside what's happening rather than sitting back and looking in."

Williams elected to shoot his subjects in low sunlight -- either at the beginning or end of the day -- with inky shadows stretching across many of the scenes which contrast neatly with the vibrant saturated colors, helping create a more dramatic mood, he says.
Despite visiting communities blighted by unemployment -- 40-50% in some of the 100 towns he visited -- Williams says he was constantly amazed by how welcoming and open his subjects were.
"Sometimes there is a real sense of hope, other times there is a sort of frustration or despair. It's always that combination, fluctuating between extremes," he says.
South Africa clearly still has some way to go before the inequalities which persist between rich and poor are reduced, and Williams believes that only a narrowing of this gap will mean that long-term change is taking root.
Nine of the 41 images which make up "The Edge of Town" can be seen alongside other contemporary South African photographer's work at the forthcoming "Figures and Fictions" exhibition which runs at London's Victoria and Albert Museum from April 12 to July 17.