More than two decades after the first democratic election in South Africa, more than half of the vast majority still lives below the national poverty line and most of the nation's wealth remains in the hands of a small elite. Not only has income inequality and wealth inequality grown, the segregation of people not necessarily by race or by ethnicity, but by socio-economic class has grown as well.
In a society that suffers extensive poverty and unemployment, the poor see the government as the overall caregiver to them. They take their socio-economic rights as givens, but incomplete realization means they still expect more, generating discontent and creating a culture of dependence.
“Disparity” addresses this issue, with reference to symbolism and painted on two canvases to portray the divide between rich and poor, the haves and the have-not's. It is about the inequality - not just in South Africa, but also elsewhere in the world - between classes as a result of politics, wealth, location and education.
'Disparity'
Oil on canvas
Diptych. Each canvas: 31" x 25" x 1.75", Combined: 62" x 25" x 1.75"
2018
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