Lotto I

Notes

Using the national lottery, Lotto, as his starting point Mabaso has created a series of prints that ask more questions than they give answers. Phrases that come to mind when looking at these prints are: “your number is up”, “un/lucky number”, “counting on winning/losing”, “hitting the jackpot”, “dead reckoning”, “a thousand to one”, “counting on something/someone”, “count me in/out”, and “out for the count”.

The numbers like those in the Lotto are random and uncontrolled and yet they fit into a graphic order, supported by either a large one, two or three (seen in the background of the print). These are philosophical questions but there is also the social side to the Lotto and how spending money on taking a chance has become a major drain on the finances of the poor in South Africa. Mabaso, who was no stranger to hard times, understood the allure of suddenly having all your financial problems solved when your number comes in.

https://shop.artprintsa.com/products/lotto-i, accessed: 02/10/2025.