Inner cities fascinate me – the socio-economic make-up; the
different cycles of decay and regeneration that keep repeating over and over.
Wealth is found adjacent to abject poverty. Slum buildings rub shoulders with
ultra-modern or beautifully restored architectural gems. At the same time,
inner cities are hostile environments which often isolate people from families,
wholesome values and nature. This hopelessness and despair is expressed in
various ways – crime, violence, neglect, vandalism and graffiti – the
expressive art of the streets.
This image was created for the Altered
Realities exhibition at the Pretoria Art Association. It shows existing graffiti photographed on a wall in
Durban. Various foliose and crustose lichens are growing over the image. The
lichen consists entirely of Scripture and partly obscure the graffiti. The
image is a comment on society and the reality of its rejection of traditional
values, while the lichen, in overcoming harsh reality through complex
resilience, becomes a symbol of regeneration and hope.
Digital photographic print, digital print on Perspex,
framed, 900 x 600mm
2 Chronicles 15:3 (detail)
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