Emerging Artists of South Africa - Gerard Sekoto Flashcards
What was Gerard Sekoto’s year of birth?
1913
What was Gerard Sekoto’s year of death?
1993
Name 4 places in South Africa where Gerard Sekoto lived?
Sophiatown, District 6, Eastwood, Pretoria
Where did Gerard Sekoto move to in 1947?
Paris, France.
When did Gerard Sekoto move to Paris, France?
1947
Why did Gerard Sekoto move to Paris, France?
He went to broaden his artistic experience.
Was Gerard Sekoto in political asylum?
No, but the injustices of the SA racial situation did play a role in his decision to leave SA.
Did Gerard Sekoto ever return to SA after moving to Europe?
No, he remained in Paris despite his intermittent unhappiness there.
What is Gerard Sekoto’s preferred media?
Oil paint
How is Gerard Sekoto’s work linked to post-impressionism?
His intuitive sense of colour links his work with post-impressionism.
What was Gerard Sekoto’s main influences?
The vibrancy of the townships that surrounded him and post-impressionism.
What was Gerard Sekoto’s main subject matter and preferred themes?
Urban scenes of everyday life in the townships, figure compositions and portraits. Basically a detailed and loving documentation of people and places he lived in.
List the stylistic characteristics most common to Gerard Sekoto’s work.
Figurative; roundness and solidity of shapes; patterns; distortion of shapes; unusual perspective; Lack of faces on figure depictions
What does Gerard Sekoto use to create emotional impact?
Subjective colours; distorted shapes and a lack of faces create an emotional response to his work.
What does Gerard Sekoto’s work generally depict?
His paintings show an idealised view of township communities instead of the harsh reality. His works are involved in exploration of formal elements.
What issues does Gerard Sekoto’s work raise?
His work is never political or threatening but he shows sympathy for his subjects and their circumstances.
What does Gerard Sekoto’s work document?
Areas of SA that no longer exist. It forms an important historical record of life in Sophiatown and District Six.
Why is Gerard Sekoto considered an influential South African artist?
He was one of the pioneers of black art in SA and one of the first black artists to make a living from their art.
When did Gerard Sekoto paint “The song of the Pick”?
1946-47
What medium is Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
An oil painting.
What type of composition is Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
A figure composition
What is the subject of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
A group of black workers with their picks, while a white pipe-smoking warden watches them.
What is the main focus of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
All the focus is on the workers with their identical postures holding their picks high above their heads.
What was the style of work in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
Figurative
What medium and technique was used in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
Oil painting with strong brush strokes.
What does Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick” show?
That the black workers are actually stronger figures than their white boss.
Why is Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick” considered his most political piece?
It draws a contrast between the physical powers of the workers and the weakness of the white warden. This was in opposition of Apartheid philosophy.
Is the title of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick” appropriate?
Yes, the viewer can nearly ‘hear’ the song of the pick in this visual work.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the shapes in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
Shapes are simplified. He created rounds and solidity in the shapes with strong contrasts between light and dark.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the lines in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
The black figures form a strong diagonal line that makes them the focus of the painting.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the colours in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “The song of the Pick”?
He used predominantly primary colours (red, blue and yellow) which creates an emotional impact in the viewer.
Why did Gerard Sekoto crop “The song of the Pick”?
Cropping the top places the viewer in the middle of the action because the viewer can’t see all the picks.
How is rhythm created in “The song of the Pick”
The repetition of shapes and colours create rhythm in this painting.
Discuss the composition of “The song of the Pick”.
The composition is strongly asymmetrical with the large group of workers on the left that are balanced by the small figure of the warder on the right.
When did Gerard Sekoto paint “Prison Yard”?
1944
What medium is Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
Oil paint
What type of composition is Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
Figure composition
What is the subject of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
A group of black prisoners walk under control of a white prison guard.
What is the main focus of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
The squashed together prisoners with their arms close to their bodies.
What medium and technique was used in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
Oil painting with strong brush strokes.
Discuss the composition of Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
The figures fill the canvas and only on the right hand is a suggestion of a landscape with a mountain.
What inspired Gerard Sekoto to paint “Prison Yard”?
He lived with Mrs Manuel in a house facing the Roeland Street jail which provided inspiration for this work.
What does Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard” explore?
He explores the psychological difference between the prisoners and the guard.
How does Gerard Sekoto illustrate the psychological difference between the prisoners and the guard in his painting “Prison Yard”?
The prisoners are squashed together with their arms close to their bodies while the guard strides easily with open legs.
How does Gerard Sekoto contrast captivity and freedom in his painting “Prison Yard”?
Everything about the prisoners is captive - their postures, clothes and the close group they form - in contrast with the freedom and openness of the guard.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the shapes in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
The shapes are distorted but they have roundness and solidity. They are crowded together with no open spaces for escape.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the colours in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
He used predominantly primary colours (red, blue and yellow) which creates an emotional impact in the viewer.
Which formal art elements can be seen in the lines in Gerard Sekoto’s painting “Prison Yard”?
Diagonal lines create the composition with the prisoners and railing on the right hand side. This explores repetition of form and contrasts the prisoners effectively with the guard.
