Keith Alexander; South African 1946-1998; Hohenzollern ,1992
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Exhibited :
Literature : David Robbins (2000) Keith Al exander: The Artist in Retrospect, Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball, illustrated in colour on page 131.
Notes : In the present lot, Keith Alexander imbues this work with an eerie surrealism reminiscent of Giorgio de Chirico. Long shadows encroach the foreground, except for a doorway of light, where a ghostly shadow is thrown over a pavement onto an empty street. The grand building, backlit with golden light, accompanied by a solitary witness in the form of a gemsbok, reinforces the other-worldly quality in this composition. Built in 1909 as a hotel, and named after a former royal German family, Hohenzollernhaus is one of Swakopmund's most recognisable buildings. The distinctive neo-baroque style façade is further adorned with a life-sized figure of Atlas above the main entrance. In 1972 this building was declared a national monument.
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