The Cry of Man

Though much less painterly and in a more muted palette than many of the later oils of his Michaelis years, Cry of Man shows the evolution of Pinker’s idiosyncratic painting language. Much of his symbolism was personal, and he would regularly disavow any interest in being a social realist or propagandistic painter, seeing the canvas as a means of escape from the harsh realities he was surrounded by in his everyday life.

This enigmatic and epic painting may allude to CREATION MYTHS, Christian or otherwise, and features symbols that would recur in Pinker’s work: the donkeys in the central panel, the crucifix, and the insect and bird life dotted throughout. Also typical is his use of irregularly shaped pieces of canvas that make up an opaque narrative. 

Artwork courtesy of Johannesburg Art Gallery.