Beware Pas Op

This work is a single-minded look at the familiar household image that adorns many South African homes. Found nearly at every gate this icon depicts lucratively a cataract or carat of the national psyche.







I noticed as I photographed that people particularly in the middle class urban environment that these beware of the dog icons existed while in the working class areas non existent.

The poor areas tended to have no fences and if they had a domesticated dog either tied or roaming freely through the streets.

Since the dogs roamed freely, they grew to be harmless and not threat while the isolated one in the middle class environment, more harmful and aggressive.











The dog represents to some level the fear that rules the richer population, characterised by high fences even electric and 24 hour security response.

The beast of burden is fear and oppression, even this can be seen at multi-levels, in a country where there is a small middle class and a population where 80 % of the country's land is possessed by 2% of the population and where crime is a lifestyle. - Text and photos © Russell Kanas