David GoldblattShop assistant, Orlando West, 1972
David Goldblatt’s ‘Johannesburg’ series includes a group of portraits taken in 1972 that offer a focused and intimate glimpse into the social fabric of the city at the height of apartheid. These photographs, made primarily in the central business district, depict people encountered in public spaces. While often taken with the subject’s awareness, the portraits are quiet and unposed, conveying a sense of mutual regard rather than intrusion. Goldblatt’s interest lay not in documenting spectacle, but in observing the dignity, posture, and presence of individuals moving through a city shaped by division and control.
The 1972 portraits reflect Goldblatt’s broader approach: careful composition, attentiveness to light and form, and a commitment to photographing without judgement. His lens lingers on small details allowing the viewer to consider how people inhabit public space, and how identity is both shaped by and resistant to its surroundings. Set against the rigid racial and spatial hierarchies of apartheid Johannesburg, these portraits are understated yet powerful documents of individuality. They stand as a testament to Goldblatt’s belief in photography as a way of seeing beyond surface divisions.
