Monday, 24 December 2018

The process - 'ROOM 619' charcoal and mixed pigment, 1340mm x 750mm on Fabriano


STAGE 3:  DRAWING IN PROGRESS
STAGE 2:  DRAWING IN PROGRESS

STAGE 1:  DRAWING IN PROGRESS



Historical background to the work 'Room 619'

"...The security services took Biko to the Walmer police station in Port Elizabeth, where he was held naked in a cell with his legs in shackles. On 6 September, he was transferred from Walmer to room 619 of the security police headquarters in the Sanlam Building in central Port Elizabeth, where he was interrogated for 22 hours, handcuffed and in shackles, and chained to a grille.  Exactly what happened has never been ascertained, but during the interrogation he was severely beaten by at least one of the ten security police officers. He suffered three brain lesions that resulted in a massive brain haemorrage on 6 September.  Following this incident, Biko's captors forced him to remain standing and shackled to the wall. The police later said that Biko had attacked one of them with a chair, forcing them to subdue him and place him in handcuffs and leg irons.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Biko


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