Notes

Ephraim Ngantane's interest in the ambiguities of abstraction set him apart from the descriptive style of other township artists.¹ InThe End of Civilization he fragments the forms of the subjects to the point where they disintegrate into an unstructured patchwork of colour further emphasised by his palette knife application of paint. This treatment is integral to the overall energy of the painting as it captures the movement of the protagonists of the composition.

¹ Stevenson, Michael, South African Art 1850 - Now, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town, 2004, page 13.

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner.