The Heroes Of Daily Life - In Memory Of The Painter Helmut Goettl

Card board collector in East London








When working on a project like The Mdantsane Way it is essentital to try to be as true possible as you can to the people who share their life and their stories with you. But you always bring a part of yourself into it and you have to be true to yourself as well.  

When I first used the term " The Heroes of Daily Life " in the book I have been asked where I got the idea from. From my own life.

My father had a friend. A life long best friend. He was a painter. This friendship between the two men lasted as long as it was possible - until the end of the life of one of them. My father's friend died about a year ago. 




A real talent is a curse because you have to do what you feel inside that you must do. You can not esacpe this urge and at times your talent and your work might stay completely unrecognized, and non-appreciated, lead you to great poverty and misery. And worse make you drag your family into it.

My father's friend painted his whole life. He sacrificed everything else for his great talent, that today after many years is undisputed. When young he did not eat at times to buy oil paint. Neither did his family.




He walked the long and hard walk of an artist who does not want to compromise. The question was not: did he believe in himself but rather did he have to paint ? He had to paint !

Belief was not the question !

There was no way of not following the inner voice. Today his paintings are collected by art lovers all over the world. What he painted were the Heroes of Daily Life.



His paintings depict society and reality brutally, without any glorification. 

It was him who created the term " The Heroes of Daily Life " . 






The Heroes of Daily Life are the millions of people, who fight and fight, and do simply not stop battling for a better and more affluent life. They might not be considered beautiful or important by many. But they are the true actors in the theatre of life. They are in Mdantsane. They are on the African continent.

They are in every society and in every land. They are of a great number. They make a choice not to kill you for your sunglasses, stab you for your handbag or hijack cars. They make the choice to collect dirty cardboad instead or to recycle your trash. They are more than the Salt of the Earth or what is commonly called the working class. They are the true Heroes of Daily Life playing their role in the theatre of life. Amongst poverty and a lack of everything they have still chosen an honest fight. And this makes them true and genuine heroes. You might be one of them.




This post was written in memory of Helmut Goettl, a great inspiration in the theatre of life.  

Helmut Goettl Artworks
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