The Stares, ICP Reflection

“What are you looking at?”

At the ICP, there were many photos that were interesting, but this photo by Gideon Mendel stood out to me the most. Perhaps it’s because the man in the middle is staring directly at me and makes me directly involved in the photo. The label next to the photo said: “Trade unionist Moses Mayekiso is violently arrested while leading a protest march during wage negotiations in Johannesburg.” The officer’s cold stare at the camera is just priceless. To me, his look conveys the message that what is happening is none of my business; he does not want me to get involved. When I look at him, I imagine this officer saying, “I dare you to do something. See what happens.” The marks, perhaps scars, on his face add on to his serious stare. When someone has scars, you tend to think the person has been through a lot and is tough. In his right hand, he seems to be holding a club that he is using to detain Moses Mayekiso. Near his rear pocket is a gun. Normally, you wouldn’t want to mess with someone wearing a police uniform. However, this looks like a man that you wouldn’t want to mess with, regardless of what he is wearing. The addition of the police uniform just makes him scarier.

Moses Mayekiso’s facial expression also conveys a lot. Although he is being violently detained, he does not look like he is suffering too much. Instead, Mayekiso looks resilient; he is fighting against this police officer’s authority. In a way, I feel like Mayekiso’s expression is encouraging viewers to retaliate. On his shirt is a sticker that has a fist and says “Worker Power,” which adds on to Mayekiso’s expression of encouragement because it shows how together, the workers may win this fight.

Therefore, an interesting contrast exists between the two subjects of this photo. On the one hand, the police officer’s cold expression is telling us to go away; on the other hand, Mayekiso is inviting us to join the fight and retaliate against the police. It is as if they are trying to win over the viewer and make him accept their message. The police officer is trying to win through intimidation and strength, while Mayekiso is trying to win through resiliency. These two are not only fighting physically, but also through their messages.