Foundations: Johannesburg from the Southwest & Alexander Township

2003
.
Digital print, Photograph
,
98.5x123cm
Tier 3
City & Land
© David Goldblatt
The image presents a landscape marked by contrasts of urban development and apparent economic disparity.

In the foreground, two massive electricity pylots stand towering, their metal frameworks stark against the sky. Beneath them is a scene of undeveloped land or excavation, possibly a quarry, with exposed earth and sparse vegetation. Contrasting with these symbols of infrastructure and industrial might are modest structures that appear to be makeshift homes or shacks, indicating a settlement with limited resources. One figure can be seen in front of the structures, suggesting a sense of human scale and activity within this juxtaposition of environment and living conditions. In the background, a city skyline looms with buildings that suggest a distant downtown, connected to the foreground by a bridge on the left side. This composition speaks to themes of urban expansion, the divide between progress and poverty, and the human impact on the landscape.

David Goldblatt

South Africa
 -  
1930 - 2018

David Goldblatt

South Africa
.
1930 - 2018
David Goldblatt