Triomf, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2001

£200.00

While working in South Africa, Alan Gignoux regularly took photographs of street life.  The resulting collection of images captures moments in the lives of men, women, and children as they go about the business of working, playing, or simply passing the time of day in post-apartheid South Africa.   

This photograph was taken in Triomf, an area in Johannesburg particularly associated with the apartheid era. Originally named Sophiatown, in 1955 it was one of the last places in the city where middle class black residents could own their homes. On 9^th February that year, police forced residents from their homes and relocated them to poorer townships, where home ownership was prohibited.  The area was renamed Triomf, Afrikaans for triumph, proclaiming a victory for apartheid.  Five years after Gignoux took this photo, on the 50^th anniversary of the eviction, Triomf became Sophiatown once again.

This photograph was shown at the Hay Festival, Juan Bravo Teatro, Segovia, Spain in 2009 as part of Gignoux’s solo exhibition If, by chance…

This image was printed by Robin Bell, one of Britain’s most respected black and white printers. It is the second in an edition of 15. It is framed in black stained wood with a cream mount. The framed size is 63 x 88 cm.

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