Background information
"The photo book 'South Africa. The Structure of Things Then' is the culmination of fifteen years of photography, research, and writing by South African photographer and Hasselblad Award winner David GOLDBLATT. 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. His more than thirty years of experience imbue his carefully composed images with meaningful cultural overtones. Content
In more than 130 evocative black-and-white photographs, David GOLDBLATT probes in 'South Africa. The Structure of Things Then' 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. In his introduction and in the extended captions to the photographs, he gives fascinating insight into the meaning of the structures, and the context from which each photograph emerged. The work is complemented by Neville Dubow's illuminating critical appraisal, 'Constructs: Reflections on a Thinking Eye'."