Thursday, September 9, 2010

South African Photographs: David Goldbatt at The Jewish Museum


In congruence with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, Jacaranda Tribal reminds its readers to begin the New Year by visiting the must-see David Goldblatt exhibition ending soon at The Jewish Museum in Manhattan.

David Goldblatt (b. 1930) is one of South Africa's most highly regarded photographers. As both a citizen and photographer, he was witness to apartheid's infiltration into every aspect of South African life. The exhibition includes 150 black and white photographs by Goldblatt that focus on South Africa's human landscape in the apartheid and post-apartheid eras. Very precise captions written by the artist accompany each photo in order to convey context and critical information about the image. His photos do not look at the large events or the public face of violence; rather they focus on the world of ordinary people and the minutiae of everyday life, illuminating the depth of injustice and the character of the people who imposed it and who struggled against it. Goldblatt's Jewish identity is germane to his work. The anti-Semitism that he frequently experienced made him especially sensitive to the deep humiliation and discrimination suffered by blacks under apartheid, informing his artistic vision as well as his attitude toward his country.

South African Photographs: David Goldblatt is presented simultaneously with South African Projections: Films by William Kentridge. The exhibition is on display until September 19th at The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street.

Source: The Jewish Museum Website
Image: "The farmer's son with his nursemaid, on the farm in Heimweeberg, near Nietverdiend in the Marico Bushveld. Transvaal (North-West Province)" 1964

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