Through a Black South African’s Lensby William MeyersThe Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2014
“‘And he did all this between 21 and 26,” said Lynn Gumpert, still incredulous. The director of New York University’s Grey Art Gallery motioned to the exhibition of 120 photographs by Ernest Cole that surrounded us. A black South African in the era of apartheid, Cole (1940-1990) early on determined to document the brutal reality of his country’s racial policies. His precocity and energy are evident in the show and, since it was illegal to photograph much of what he shot, so are his courage and cunning.”