View all the individual portraits on www.icollectgingers.com
Why do I collect gingers you ask?
I started photographing gingers in August 2010 and to date have collected over 500! As a ginger myself, what initially interested me was the beautiful, romantic colour palette of a ginger person and all that it connotes. It was my first shoot, where I had seven gingers gathering at the same time, which kick-started my collection process. There was an innate sense of community and collective experience that emerged from amongst the ‘otherness’ of the gingers. Similar stories, both complimentary and derogatory, united this same-haired ‘race’ of people. This indefinable sense of kinship and nationhood has been reinforced countless times during my project, especially at the Redhead Days in the Netherlands. (see gallery)
There has been a heightened interest in gingers in the last few years, as can be seen in shows like South Park and the Catherine Tate show. What is this strange new fascination with gingers? We have always had a mythical quality to us – we are only 2% of the world population and are rumoured to be going extinct; we were considered witches in medieval times; Adam’s first wife Lilith was a disobedient redhead who was considered a demon and fled the Garden of Eden.
But why really..?
Although this project has elements of fun and humour, it also tries to highlight the obscurities of racial classification and discrimination (If people discriminate on the basis of skin colour, is it then that ridiculous to believe that we could discriminate on the basis of hair colour too?) Coming from a South African context which has historically been obsessed and oppressed by skin colour, I hope to suggest an ironic alternative to genetic and pigment-based racial profiling.
I will probably collect gingers for the rest of my life. It has become such a big part of my identity. My short-term goal was to reach 500 gingers and to present my first solo exhibition.
This will be taking place at a prestigious Johannesburg gallery, CIRCA, in January-March 2013.
Where you come in…
I have managed to fund this project (photographic shoots, travel, editing) for the last two years on my own, as well as in kind/with products from sponsors Primi Piatti (venue), Sigma (lenses) and Sandisk (memory cards). But, I don’t think I could have imagined the immense cost of putting up a photographic exhibition, especially with printing and framing.
However, I am asking for contributions towards producing a BOOK – which in essence becomes a miniature exhibition between two covers that can travel anywhere in the world and can be experienced by anyone (whether you can make it to Johannesburg for the exhibition or not)!
I need to raise R100,000/ $10,000 to produce a beautiful (coffee-table-like) book on the project. The book will include all 500 portraits of gingers, as well as additional photos and text that will not be a part of the exhibition. The book is an extremely vital part of the project, not only as it houses supplementary, “behind-the-scenes” material, but also it becomes a memento that everyone involved with the project can own.
(Any money that is raised over and above the requested amount will go towards exhibition costs such as printing and framing.)
What you go home with…
Whether you were involved with this project or not, whether you are a ginger or have a token ginger friend, whether you appreciate beautiful books or engaging art – there is an awesome perk for you!
There are perks on all levels ranging from very low ($1/R9) to medium ($25/R225) to high ($500/R4500) to very high ($5,000/R45,000) and everything in between – so it is possible for everyone to give, even if it is a small amount! If you donate $25, you are essentially pre-ordering the book!
See the details of the all the perks on the side of this page! >>>>
Making your contribution…
It is easy to pay by credit card or if you have a PayPal account.
South Africans – do not fear the $$ signs! It is as easy as booking for a movie through the Ster Kinekor website! The payment will be processed as normal and come through on your card in good ol’ ZAR (rands)
“But I don’t have a credit card!” – Don’t worry, you can still contribute!
If you are unable to make a payment with a credit card, you can make an EFT or direct deposit into my account and I will make the contribution through Indiegogo on your behalf! (Email me at antheapokroy@gmail.com for this option)
Other ways you can help…
And if you can't contribute, please help to spread the word! Tweet it, like and share it on Facebook, send emails out – however you communicate best with people, do it that way! Every time you tell someone about I collect gingers and the campaign, a ginger baby is conceived – oh joy to the world! Really though… the more people that hear about this the better so share, share, share! (Use the Indiegogo share tools below)
Make this campaign VIRAL like gingervitis!
Thank you so much for all your support of this project! I cannot express it enough.
Ginger love x
