The artist as a young man

Over the years, much prized street art has been bought in South Africa and is now to be found in my home and office. This photograph shows one of my favourites. It was one of the first attempts by a young man living in Grahamstown, who was selling artwork through a local bookshop. It cost (but in Rand) £3. It’s an old piece of hardboard cut off from something bigger, painted with decorating paint, with small bits of pavements dirt stuck onto it, cut-up beer cans used to form houses, and nails as powerline poles, with two figures drawn on flimsy paper stuck on. It represents the triumph of hope and ingenuity over penury. It is extraordinarily moving as well as conjuring up, whenever I look at it, the shimmer of heat and the sense of proportion that exists in those places which are often referred to as ‘locations’ or ‘townships’, as well as the representational prowess of the artist.

Last updated:  20 June 2019