Jan du Toit – The Fruits of Labour, 1997

Jan du Toit (1974)
The Fruits of Labour (1997)
Metal, wood and found objects / 1470 x 565 x 390 mm
CCAC #0068

Donated by Judith Mason and the artist

The spades represent farm workers' labour on vineyards in the Tulbagh region of the Western Cape, where the artist grew up. The bowl suggests their meagre payment; the cup specifically refers to the dop system where workers were paid, in part, in cheap wine. This notorious practice, now outlawed, resulted in major social damage.