David Goldblatt: Photographs 1948–2018

Overview

This spring, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will host an extensive retrospective by renowned South African photographer David Goldblatt, as part of the Sydney International Series.

Running from October 19 until March 2019, David Goldblatt: Photographs 1948–2018 will dive deep into the life and work of one of recent history's most legendary photographers, covering a career of more than sixty years. Goldblatt is best known for his portrayal of South Africa's tumultuous history, especially surrounding apartheid.

As the photographer's first major retrospective in the southern hemisphere, the exhibition will feature Goldblatt's most famous photo series, along with early vintage prints, never-before-seen footage from his personal collection and a new feature-length documentary.

As MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE explained, "visitors will discover an extraordinary artist whose documentary eye has not strayed from the complexities of his country of birth, but resonates with other global histories (including Australia's own) through narratives of race and racism, and industry and the land."

The Sydney-exclusive exhibition is the first major retrospective of Goldblatt's work in the southern hemisphere. The exhibition was also the Goldblatt's final project before his death earlier this year.

Images: David Goldblatt, A plot-holder, his wife and their eldest son at lunch, Wheatlands, Randfontein. September 1962 (3_4907), 1962. Image courtesy the artist and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg © the artist; David Goldblatt, Shop assistant, Orlando West, 1972. Image courtesy Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg and Cape Town © The David Goldblatt Legacy Trust.