Tracey Rose
Ciao Bella Ms Cast: San Pedro (2002)
The character in this photograph, San Pedro, is depicted by Rose in a comical pose against a mural painting of the Johannesburg skyline. She stands on a pile of gold bars, stacked like bricks, while bent over with her face between her legs, waving at the viewer. The gold bars form a path that is reminiscent of the yellow brick road in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Here, the road leads to the fulfilment of one’s desires. Wearing minstrel parade make-up, San Pedro squats over, giving her backside to the viewer. Could this be a way of mocking one’s aspirations to acquire wealth?
She jeers at the capitalist greed of the people of Johannesburg, also known as eGoli, the city of gold. Historically, the city was founded as a gold mining settlement. It attracted people known as Randlords, who were driven by ruthless ambition. The figure is a caricature of Saint Peter, whose name means ‘rock’. He was the leader of the early Christian Church. In this photograph, he becomes the jester of consumerism in a society that worships material wealth.