Billy Monk

Billy Monk worked as a bouncer in the notorious Catacombs club in the dock area of Cape Town during the 1960s. He captures the raw energy of the club, its decadence and tragedy, its humanity and joy. The internationally acclaimed photographer David Goldblatt notes: "Monk's non-judgmental, even cool-eyed awareness of the photographic possibilities of the bizarre pervades the work, and yet this awareness is never denigratingly exploitative. There is a strong empathetic spirit throughout." First exhibited in 1982, it is now receiving significant media attention.