Africa Is a Country

Photographing Liberia

Photographing Liberia

By
Tom Devriendt

The latest entrant to our series where we ask photographers to talk to us about their five favorite images, is Glenna Gordon.

All images by Glenna Gordon.

We will pretend we did not see Alex Perry’s clichéd description of Liberia (including a reference to Liberian Kreyol as “a patois that is both thuggish and warm”) to accompany a Time LightBox feature on the work of photographer Glenna Gordon. So we will concentrate on Glenna’s work  instead. Glenna, we interviewed her here about her favorite photographers – writes about her work: “I have now been working in Liberia for the better part of the past three years, and while much of the work I do is for publications or organizations, the work I feel most strongly about is my own documentary project which focuses on understanding Liberia’s past and desire to embrace the present.” Along with the images, which includes a series on the recent presidential elections in Liberia, Glenna sent sent us some context.

Further Reading

No one should be surprised we exist

The documentary film, ‘Rolé—Histórias dos Rolezinhos’ by Afro-Brazilian filmmaker Vladimir Seixas uses sharp commentary to expose social, political, and cultural inequalities within Brazilian society.

Kenya’s stalemate

A fundamental contest between two orders is taking place in Kenya. Will its progressives seize the moment to catalyze a vision for social, economic, and political change?

More than a building

The film ‘No Place But Here’ uses VR or 360 media to immerse a viewer inside a housing occupation in Cape Town. In the process, it wants to challenge gentrification and the capitalist logic of home ownership.