Paradis
Fragments of FIETAS by David Goldblat
Between 1948 and 2016, David Goldblatt returned periodically to Fietas, a suburb west of Johannesburg’s city centre, to photograph the impact of punitive segregation and ethnic cleansing wrought by apartheid legislation on its residents and landscape. Moved by the life force of the predominantly Indian community’s families, shopkeepers, and small business owners, Goldblatt attempted ‘to grasp something of their life and what they had built.’
The resulting photographs, collected and published here for the first time, form a vivid social document of Fietas before, during, and after its destruction under the Group Areas Act. Earlier images of storefronts and domestic interiors contrast poignantly with those of their demolition from the late 1970s onwards. Dignified portraits of traders in their stores capture their determined efforts to build a life for their families. Interviews with past and present Fietas residents close the book, recalling the testimonials of Goldblatt’s subjects in The Transported of Kwandebele and Ex-Offenders at the Scene of Crime.
Publishing date: September 2025
Binding: Paperback with flaps
Content: 224 pages
Format: 24 x 28 cm
Language: English
ISBN 978-1-917651-08-0
products.product.pickup_availability.unavailable
Not sure if it's right for you?
At Paradis, every piece we carry is chosen with intention — but we know that discovering something new can sometimes feel like a leap. Browse with confidence: if you have any questions about a product, want to know more about an artist or publisher, or simply need help deciding, we're here. And if something isn't what you expected, we'll make it right.