Summary

South Africa: The Structure of Things Then is the culmination of fifteen years of photography, research, and writing by acclaimed South African photographer David Goldblatt. In more than 130 evocative black-and-white photographs, Goldblatt probes the relationships between South African structures and the forces that shaped the society from 1652 to 1990, a period he calls the Era of Baasskap, or white domination. His seminal exploration compels a reexamination of South Africa's cultural heritage as manifested in its structures. The hopes and fears of the builders are captured alongside their buildings. In his introduction and in the extended captions to the photographs, Goldblatt gives fascinating insight into the meaning of the structures, and the context from which each photograph emerged. Goldblatt's more than thirty years of experience imbue his carefully composed images with meaningful cultural overtones. The work is complemented by Neville Dubow's illuminating critical appraisal, "Constructs: Reflections on a Thinking Eye."