Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Zwelethu Mthethwa- Untitled, from the 'Sugar Cane' series, 2003


I chose this painting because I really liked the fact that the artist focused on painting something with a lot of meaning to it. For instance, in this picture he is trying to show what it was like for rural migrants living in South Africa. In fact, 'he reveals the continuing hardships they endure' by capturing all of the hard work that they have to do in the sugar-cane fields. Also, 'he allows his subjects' gestures, tools, clothes, and posture to express their individual stories', which I thought was interesting because you can find out so much about the individual just by looking at the painting. What I also really liked was that the back of the picture looks so natural and light, almost a happy feeling, while the front of the picture where the man is standing is so dark, almost as if he is trying to show the tough times the Africans experienced back then. Also, the man in the picture even has an intense gaze that is in 'stark contrast to the often picturesque natural backdrop.'

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