Since the 1960s, David Goldblatt has tirelessly explored his native country through his photographs, recording South Africa’s history, physical features and inhabitants. His pictures scrupulously examine the complex history of this country, where he witnessed the introduction of Apartheid,its development and its eventual demise. Winner of the Hasselblad Award (2006) and the Prix Henri Cartier-Bresson (2011), Goldblatt isconsidered one of the leading photographers of the 20th Century.
By Dimitris Lempesis Photo: Centre Pompidou Archive
For the first time in France a large-scale retrospective on South African photographer David Goldblatt is on presentation at the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition is taking the visitors through the entire output of the photographer, 255 photographs, 100 previously unpublished documents, taken from the artist’s archives and 7 films produced by the Centre Pompidou especially for the exhibition, in them, David Goldblatt comments on his photographs, providing insights into a fascinating body of work and encouraging an aware and analytical eye. The photographs of the exhibition over his entire career from lesser-known early works, such as the first pictures he took at Randfontein, as well as his most recent photographs. The artist restricts each personal project to a specific place he knows well. This in-depth knowledge of the terrain enables him to find the most apposite form to express all its complexity. While his documentary approach evokes great figures like Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, August Sander and Eugène Atget, Goldblatt has never wanted to adopt already-existing photographic solutions. The singular quality of Goldblatt’s art lies more generally in his personal story and vision of life. Born into a family of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution, he grew up believing in equality and tolerance for people from other cultures and religions. This can be seen in his earliest pictures of dockers, fishermen and miners, taken between the ages of 14 and 18. As well as this respect, there was a sense of curiosity about attitudes he did not share, and a desire to understand rather than dismiss them. After the introduction of Apartheid, he turned his gaze to the small-scale Afrikaner farmers he came across in his father’s clothing store. His disapproval of the Apartheid racial policy and the excesses of the current government underpin a long series of images he began some forty years ago, entitled Structures. His photographs of buildings and landscapes, accompanied by detailed, informative captions, inspire reflection on the relationship between the forms of these environments and the social and political values of the individuals or social groups who build and live in them.
Info: Curator: Karolina Ziebinska-Lewandowska, Centre Pompidou, Centre Pompidou, Place Georges-Pompidou, Paris, Duration: 21/2-13/5/18, Days & Hours: Mon-Wed & Fri-Sun 11:00-21:00, Thu11:00-23:00, www.centrepompidou.fr
Since the 1960s, David Goldblatt has tirelessly explored his native country through his photographs, recording South Africa’s history, physical features and inhabitants. His pictures scrupulously examine the complex history of this country, where he witnessed the introduction of Apartheid,its development and its eventual demise. Winner of the Hasselblad Award (2006) and the Prix Henri Cartier-Bresson (2011), Goldblatt isconsidered one of the leading photographers of the 20th Century.
