Notes

“The significance of the present lot lies in its reference to the petroglyph itself, which is located at an extremely vulnerable rock art site. The original petroglyph is one of the most spectacular examples of its kind. At the time, Slingsby employed both his personal understanding of rock art creation and emerging theories from leading authorities in the field, such as Lewis-Williams’ trance image theory. He combined his deep reverence for the original and specific engraving with this theory, aiming to depict the petroglyph as accurately as possible while also evoking the altered state of consciousness associated with trance. This is reflected in the colourful background and the use of entoptic, dotted lines.”—Janis Slingsby, 2025

Thanks to Janis Slingsby for assisting in the cataloguing of this lot.

Exhibited

Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Trance Images of the Richtersveld, 1989.