Prelude to Podlashuc
Timed Online Auction, 31 January - 17 February 2025
Prelude to Podlashuc: A Glimpse into the Creative World of Alexander Podlashuc
About the SessionThis curated selection of works by Alexander Podlashuc highlights his sharp observations of industry, Cape Town’s cityscapes, and everyday still lifes. His background in graphic arts and British Modernism shaped a style that blends bold composition with incisive social commentary. Podlashuc’s work captures South Africa’s shifting landscapes—both physical and political—through industrial scenes, harbours, and domestic settings. Each lot in this sale is thoughtfully narrated by the artist’s son, Leopold, who provides insight into the personal and historical contexts that shaped his father’s vision. His reflections reveal the depth behind Podlashuc’s uniquely personal style. Above all, this collection celebrates an artist whose silenced voice continues to echo powerfully throughout South Africa’s art community.
About this Item
signed and dated 2000; inscribed with the title, the date, numbered 21 and 5 on the reverse
Notes
‘The transformation of things. The relentless process of destruction and creation that accompanies capital as it intensifies in pursuit of profit. Old buildings of the past torn down to make way for the new. Here, the ironically named Lifestyle Centre is being built in a pit violently hewn from the ground, its skeleton of steel and concrete soon to be glazed and fashionably decorated.’—Leopold Podlashuc, 2025.
Provenance
The Podlashuc Collection.