Ursula Bischoff

Inspired by a quote by Desmond Tutu, this is a book of studio portraits with a difference: award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman presents us with 50 people who have nothing in common except their age and success.

The photographs are accompanied by dense and erudite essays by the subjects, and a carefully chosen quote which, to an extent, encapsulates their personal philosophy.

The pictures are hauntingly exquisite: I have worked with photographs most of my life but do not subscribe to the school of thought that classifies them as Fine art. These photographs are art works however, worthy of a place in any National Portrait Gallery.

Unfortunately there are no technical notes about how the images were actually created: did he use film or digital? If film, what speed? Medium format or large? Were the pictures manipulated in anyway – was Photoshop a factor?

Magicians don’t generally explain their illusions, nor would we want them to: suffice it to say that this is not your usual coffee stable book. The viewer looks at the person, not the portrait, and in that perusal should be given pause to ponder.

These subjects, all of whom are over 65, are starkly portrayed against a plain ivory background with a complete absence of props or gimmicks. There is nothing to distract your eyes from the eyes – and by extension – the soul of the subject.

The world is full of sexy, youthful people of 65 or more [Lauren Bacall, Burt Reynolds, Penny Coughlin Ray, to name but a few] but Wisdom is not concerned with professional beauties or those who have had ‘work’ done; it cares about added value.

Andrew Zuckerman, with all the arrogance of a brilliant 30-year-old, has chosen to photograph people whom he feels have made a difference, led by example and left a legacy of wisdom and experience.

Both Zuckerman and his editor, Alex Vlack, are from New York and so – typically one might say – undue attention is given to the USA which supplies 17 of the candidates, Canada clocks in with one, but it seems there are no wise pensions in Central or South America. Africa on the other hand is very well represented, with eight portraits, six of whom come from South Africa.

And it must be said that the South African contingent does us proud: their faces are amongst the more noble, their cvs the more impressive and their personal writings the most altruistic and intelligent of many of the other national groups.

Bryce Courtnay, Nadine Gordimer, Ester Mahlangu, Nelson Mandela, Helen Suzman and Desmond Tutu are heroes, but so are Andre Brink, Evita Bezuidenhout, Mangosutho Buthelezi, FW de Klerk, Winnie Mandela, Alf Khumalo, and many many others. We are very blessed in our aged.

Tutu said ‘One of the greatest gifts we can give to another generation is our experience, our wisdom’ while Bryce ‘The Power of One’ Courtnay is of the optimistic opinion that ‘Generosity overpowers greed’. Obviously, he has lived in Australia far too long.

Nelson Mandela comments ‘A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination’ while another elder statesman, Helen Suzman, remarks simply ‘When you teach, you learn’ and the book ends with Tutu again, reminding us “Each one of us can be an oasis of peace.’

Age is certainly not always synonymous with wisdom although it is with experience: do people who lived much of their lives before the advent of the internet, the iPod, cell phones, laptops, iPhones etc etc have any useful to share with us? The answer, it would seem, is a resounding yes.… (mehr)