oil on board

Artwork date: 1969
Signature details: signed and dated bottom right
Literature: Knight, N., Bester, R. and Koloane, D. (2009). Ephraim Ngatane – A Setting Apart. Johannesburg: Blank Books, illustrated in colour p.57.

(1)

67 x 93.5 cm; framed size: 92 x 119 x 5 cm

Provenance:

Private collection, Johannesburg.

Strauss & Co., Inaugural Auction, 9 March 2009, Lot 146.

Notes:

Ephraim Ngatane’s keen sense of observation and attention to detail led him to produce astute portrayals of daily life and social activities during his time. His mastery in depicting township spirit and urban vibrancy is apparent in the vivid painting, descriptively titled The Carlton Centre Under Construction.

The painting is a valuable visual record by an observing artist documenting the construction of the infamous Carlton Centre, a 50-storey skyscraper, in central Johannesburg. Designed by the American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, excavations for the building began in January 1967 and took two years to complete.

Painted in 1969, mid-way through construction, Ngatane expressively depicts a large group of construction workers, all in blue overalls and bright yellow hard hats, converging at the ground level in front of the building’s foundations with cranes in the background. At the time, the building was proudly hailed as the tallest building in Africa, a sign of progress and development in South Africa – yet at the expense of the country’s black communities who were socially marginalized and economically disadvantaged under institutionalized segregation.

Here, Ngatane subtly comments on issues of (black) labour, capitalism and socio-political structures. His brushwork is fast and emotive, which adds movement and dynamism to the scene. In areas he applies paint with a palette knife (almost like skimming plaster) for dramatic effect. His use of blue is symbolic, celebrating the role and valuable contribution of blue-collar workers in the development of infrastructure and economic growth in South Africa.

As an artist Ngatane was a non-conformist who navigated the unchartered territory of figurative abstraction, which at the time was considered ‘taboo’, especially for black artists who were encouraged to focus on social realism.

Born in Lesotho, Ephraim Ngatane moved with his family to Johannesburg in 1942. He spent his formative years in Soweto. He was one of the early artists who trained at the famed Polly Street, which produced some of the most recognized black artists of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Ngatane was a prolific artist and produced over 300 artworks during his career, many of which can be found in important public and private collections.

Makgati Molebatsi