Provenance

Strauss & Co, Cape Town, 21 October 2013, lot 761.

Notes

Ngatane's work is consistently rich and dense. He enjoyed the complexity of colour – not straightforwardly vibrant but rather layered. His brushstrokes are distinctive; often applied with a palette knife, thickly built up in blocks of colour that add to the overall density of the work. Ngatane was known for his interest in depicting the harsh realities of life without adding any layer of gloss over them, following in the tradition of artists such as John Koenakeefe Mohl and Gerard Sekoto.

Not all of his images were sombre, though. Some simply depicted banal scenes, such as men reading the paper or children playing in the streets. Throughout his career, Ngatane painted a few scenes of dancers and musicians, perhaps reflecting his passion for music – he played the penny whistle in jazz bands while also being an artist and a boxer.

In the present lot, the colours that emerge are warm browns, oranges and goldish tones, contrasted with intense blues and a pop of pink on two of the figures' clothes. The image depicts a group of men and women dancing, pulsating with energy. Excitement and joy move through the composition with an interesting rendering of shadows.

Ngatane was very particular in his introduction of atmospheric elements in his compositions. He often showcased exteriors and very rarely painted interiors. What distinguishes his style was his ability to use abstraction to move the work beyond stereotypical and sentimental representations of everyday life. His fragmented forms are a subtle yet powerful observation of social realities.

In his very short life, he was remarkably prolific. Initially, he worked in watercolour, gouache and charcoal, only later turning to oil.