Sohnentodt (South Africa)
- Mixed Media
-
47 x 46 in
(119.38 x 116.84 cm)
- Johanna Vogelsang
Thank you to the Eyerman family--artist Johanna Vogelsang’s daughter Kirsten Eyerman, her granddaughter Kyra Eyerman, and her son-in-law Edward Eyerman--for the generous donation of this work.
Also, thank you to the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs and Tourism for the generous grant to mount this exhibit of works by Johanna Vogelsang dealing with Social Justice.
The views expressed in this work are solely those of the artist, and do not reflect the views of Hudson County Community College, the Hudson County Community College Foundation, anyone working at this college, or any local, state or government organization.
The title of this work, Sohnentodt, according to the artist, means deaths of sons. If translated directly, Söhnen todt means, "sons are dead."
The main image in this work is from South Africa’s Soweto action, an early protest against Apartheid, where several children were killed. Apartheid is the term used to describe a 1948-1991 policy in the Republic of South Africa where the ruling class of European immigrant people subjected indigenous African people to racial segregation, and severe economic and political discrimination. When this work was created, Apartheid was still official government policy. Enormous work, cultural protest like this art, and social protest helped to end this policy.
A critical educational question suggested by this work is: How can we protect children from violence?
- Created: 1979
- Current Location: 2 Enos Place - 3rd Floor
- Collections: Art that Includes Writing, Mixed Media, Portrait or Figurative, The Totalitarian State, Works by Women