Gerard Sekoto was a South African artist and musician known for his paintings and drawings that depicted the everyday lives of the working-class people in the townships of Johannesburg. His work was a reflection of the social and political climate of South Africa during the apartheid era, and it captured the struggles and resilience of the black community in a powerful and poignant way.
One of the most striking features of Sekoto's artwork is the use of vibrant and bold colors. He often used bright hues to highlight the warmth and vibrancy of the township communities, as well as to convey the joy and resilience of the people living there. In his paintings, Sekoto depicted scenes of everyday life in the townships, such as children playing, women cooking, and men working.
One of Sekoto's most famous works is "The Street," a painting that depicts a bustling street scene in the township of Sophiatown. In this painting, Sekoto used strong lines and bright colors to convey the energy and vitality of the community. The figures in the painting are depicted in various poses and actions, giving the impression of a lively and dynamic community.
Another notable feature of Sekoto's artwork is the use of light and shadow. In many of his paintings, Sekoto used light to highlight certain elements and create a sense of depth and dimension. For example, in "The Street," the sunlight streaming through the windows of the buildings creates a sense of warmth and vitality, while the shadows cast by the figures add a sense of mystery and intrigue.
Overall, Sekoto's artwork is a powerful and poignant reflection of the struggles and triumphs of the black community in South Africa during the apartheid era. Through his use of vibrant colors and dynamic compositions, Sekoto captured the resilience and strength of the people living in the townships, and his work continues to inspire and resonate with audiences today.
Gerard Sekoto: Who is the amazing South African Artist? We will study 1 of his most famous artworks
The figure represents a typical expression of his work during his life at Eastwood in Pretoria where most of his best known paintings originates from. The stylization of the figures reminds one of the shapes of traditional African sculpture. He is wearing light coloured clothing that shows he is not working and he is not getting his hands dirty. Compared to the labourers he looks small and pathetic, even though he depicts an air of authority. Although stimulated to be re-connected with his early works, he was not, even then, inspired to copy and re-produce earlier works.
What changes has Sekoto made in the arrangement of the figures? The street scenes included seemingly unimportant events such as women gossiping, or doing the washing, workers commuting, beer halls, children playing outside. To make money he went to play piano at bars at night, and in the day he would attend drawing lessons in Paris. During this time, Sekoto worked really hard, and his work was exhibited in a number of galleries in Cape Town, namely the Argus Gallery and at the Jerome Gallery. Through these experiences Sekoto gained exposure to the work of White South African Artists who followed international trends, and through them to the major styles of European modern art. She continued her work after his death with the trustees of the Gerard Sekoto foundation which was established in accordance with his will to develop awareness and understanding of the legacy of his forefathers in South African art.
Kentake Page, founded by Meserette Kentake, is a Pan-Afrikan Black history blog that celebrates the diversity of the Afrikan historical experience both on the continent and in the diaspora. In 1989 the Johannesburg Art Gallery honoured him with a retrospective exhibition and the University of Witwatersrand with an honorary doctorate. The non-realistic colour, strong patterns and not entirely realistic drawings and spatial relationships link him to modern movements. This rhythm is achieved by the repetitive right legs and arms. She introduced Sekoto to her circle and they became good friends.
The torso differs in composition, as the Original painting focuses on the whole upper body including the arms, with the hand of the upper arm folded into the curve of the elbow. He held his first solo exhibition in 1939. We need to study and understand Sekoto and realise Gerard Sekoto had a considerable following of art collectors in South Africa and was a familiar name in the media and in art circles — an astonishing and unusual achievement for a black artist at the time in South Africa. In appreciation Sekoto gave her this oil painting and a pastel drawing of a street scene. As all the attention is focused on the foreman one feels that they are about to strike the foreman rather than the earth.
Each child had a little blackboard called a slate with a piece of chalk to work on. The painting is definitively dated, as Prof Schoonraad is on record saying how he acquired the painting. There, he met various new artist friends, one of them, Judith Gluckmanwho taught Sekoto to use oil paints in her studio and Alexis Preller who gave him his first set of oil paints. District Six was this funky, vibey, interracial, mixed area just outside the city centre where people could live together. The Life and Art of Gerard Sekoto Gerard Sekotowas a South African artist and a musician. In 1938 Sekoto moved to Sophiatown, Johannesburg. Art education connects students with their own culture as well as with the wider world.
Gerard Sekoto Artwork Authentication & Art Appraisal
It is hoped this will discourage illegal activity in this secondary market. Through his work, Sekoto created empathy for the ordinary people in South Africa. In 1942 he moved to District Six in Cape Town where he lived with the Manuel family. The use of arbitrary colour and heavy black outline and shadow creating patterns, shows the influence of Post Impressionist artists. Not having proper art supplies he decided to paint on brown wrapping paper using cheap poster paint. The Sekoto certificates of authenticity we issue are based on solid, reliable and fully referenced art investigations, authentication research, analytical work and We are available to You will generally receive your certificates of authenticity and authentication report within two weeks.
It is as if the canvas has been chosen to fit an existing old looking frame, so the subject matter has to conform to the allowed space. Composition of Song of the pick Even though the workers have the same stance, we do see small aspects of individuality where we have varieties in the shapes of the headgear and the colours of the shirts and the pants. The group of people are standing in front of the tent also forms a barrier to what is happening behind it. Gerard Sekoto based this painting, Song of the Pick 1946 , on a photograph by Andrew Goldie taken in the 1930s. Predominantly primary colours are used to really grab the viewers attention, although it cannot be heard, the title of the work evokes the sound of a song related to the sound of picks in the earth. Why was Sophia Town so important? The strong diagonal movement that takes the eye into the distance is interrupted, and focus effectively returned to the immediate vicinity, by the the firm vertical of the blue building to the right.
We perform Gerard Sekoto art authentication, Dancing Senegalese Figures 1967 Gerard Sekoto was a South African artist and musician. Getting a Sekoto If you want to sell your Sekoto painting or drawing use our selling services. In the Copy , this aspect of the arm has been cut off. In his composition, he used perspective in quite a weird way, distorting environments and this was due to a lack of training but does give depth to the artwork. Sekoto painted this painting during the period when he was living in Eastwood in Pretoria, just before he left South Africa in self-exile to France. I hope that this story about Gerard Sekoto inspired you in how you can make your dreams a reality by pursuing your passion. When did Gerard Sekoto have his first exhibition? Why art is valuable towards education? Sekoto played piano and sang on several records.
Back in South Africa, Sekoto has really established a name for himself and Wits University rewarded him with an honorary Doctorate in Art. That is a long, long life with a lot of major events. Gerard Sekoto is widely recognized as the pioneer of South African Art. We can see that at the top for the first three figures, the picks are cut off, putting the viewer right in the action. The lips of the mouth differ in tonality and the subtlety of the paint application is sophisticated in the Original and amateurish, lacking energy, in the Copy. If you have ever watched road-workers involved in this kind of digging, you will have noticed the strong, repetitive, hard, regular rhythm of their sounds and movement.
