Bubblegum Club

Author: Marcia Elizabeth

  • The female form used as a weapon against the patriarchy

    In the decades after 1960, the authoritarian regimes and dictatorships that towered above most of Latin America fortified the role of women as dependent while inequality was fortified. With these happenings, various femme artists brought the female body to the foreground as a means of expressing themselves. These works were experimental and had a tendency of favoring photography, film, and performance. Introducing a shift in how the female form was represented in art during that time, they questioned regional politics and patriarchal structures. All this considered, not many of these artists would have labeled their work as “feminist” despite the fact that it addressed similar concerns as feminism such as sexual violence. Mexican femme artists, however, were making feminist driven work at this time as they were not governed by a dictatorship (Loiseau 2017). This piece looks at the history behind what I like to think of as a movement for re-contextualizing the female body under femme artists from this region and period of time and how it relates to artists identifying as intersectional feminists’ work within the African diaspora.

    Latin American femme artists creating work focused on the female body and its representation were unswervingly influenced by the widespread resistance of their respective countries as well as the revolutionary struggle. These works were made to indicate the potentiality of the female body as well as reframe the notion of what a body is. Many of these artworks dealt with emancipation and the reconceptualization of the body – a political process in itself.

    Photography by Julia Hango

    The first feminist art collective in Mexico was started in 1983 and was titled Polvo de Gallina Negra (“Black Hen Powder”). For a period of 10 years the collective created experimental, subversive works that questioned the role of women in not only Mexican society but their representation in mass media as well as the effect of machismo. Chicana and Latina artists based in the U.S were using their art as a response to the oppressive patriarchal politics in America and a second wave feminism that was associated with indifference towards the issues faced by women of colour (Loiseau 2017).

    The above information gives us context on what femme artists were expressing and how they were utilizing their bodies as a form of activism in their respective countries during that time. Keeping this in mind I will take a look at two femme artists who deal considerably in performance, photography and use their bodies as a voice.

    ‘Leave Me breathless’ 2014 by Jana Babez

    Cape Town based artist Jana Babez is recognized for her moving and sometimes unsettling performance-based works dealing with topics such as womxnhood, feminism, and celebrity culture. A recent performance, ‘Bound’ is described by the artists as, “A performance of struggle and perseverance”. She explains it in more detail “The use as stockings as a stand-in for rope is an intentional, as a symbol of women’s oppression. It symbolizes how female bodies are restrained, and restricted from accessing power. Restraints on a female body can also evoke sexual connotations. It’s a meditation on of how women’s bodies are treated violently but simultaneously sexualized. Even though womxn have more visibility now than ever before, it’s not enough. We have thousands of years’ of oppression embedded in our skin.” Earlier this year we spoke to Jana about another performance ‘Nightfall’ in which she navigated a public space at night while bricks tied to her feet arrested her movement. This performance was focused on the irony of the apparent safety of public spaces and the difficulty with which womxn have to navigate spaces specifically at night time opposed to how men are able to navigate them. These two performances led to physical pain for the artists as in “Bound” her body was bruised by rope and in “Nightfall” she hurt herself and bled. Jana’s physical pain speaks of the pain and oppression that womxn endure to this day.

    ‘Nightfall’ 2017 by Jana Babez

    The Namibian artist Julia Hango, aka JuliART came into the public eye for her provocative feminist art that challenges notions of gender and sexuality. Using her naked female form and the camera as her weapons Julia’s work confronts society on issues surrounding bodily anatomy, identity, and gender. Living as a nudist she has made some arresting artworks around her own body. Julia has spoken of the conservative nature of Namibian people before and I believe that her work is aimed at challenging not only the position of womxn in society but how the female form is regarded. When looking at some of her works such as ‘Queen Fifi’ we see Julia with her naked frame sitting on top of a white male’s naked body. A powerful work that can mean many things to many people, this man is, in fact, Julia’s lover and there is definitely taste of power play within this body of work.

    ‘Queen Fifi’ by Julia Hango

    What can be taken away from all this? Currently, Latin America is confronted with an increase in femicide and the U.S. is experiencing some of the most oppressive immigration policies seen within their history. This is not effecting a singular community though as womxn today all over the world are still facing prejudice and oppression. It is everywhere, in every country and in every industry. Today still femme artists make up only 30 percent of artists represented in galleries. Shocking, if you don’t believe me, go to the website of any established gallery and press on the ‘artists’ tab. It is time to move forward and not to exclude but to be inclusive of all the voices. “When you see that these women are being empowered, that they’re present, and they’re saying important things—these are important references for the next generation,” – Fajardo Hill.

    Photography by Julia Hango

  • To Zine or not to Zine? – The cultural significance of self-publishing

    The word ‘zine’ is derived from the term fanzine, referring to a publication form that first started circulating in the 1930s. During the 1970s fanzines translated into a more developed type of publishing with the then popular punk fanzines and later the upsurge of queer and feminist driven zines in the late 1980s. This was the result of the fanzine form moving away from fan culture and clearing a space for zinesters who felt misrepresented by mainstream media to have their opinions expressed in print. Zines have been described as “non-commercial, nonprofessional, small-circulation magazines which their creators produce, publish, and distribute by themselves”. With developments in technology, zines have shown growth by incorporating more diverse content such as personal reflections, special interest, literary zines, and fanzines. The unifying elements of zines are their independent production, writing, and design, existing outside of the fringes of mainstream publishing. Zines explore topics that are frequently ignored and overlooked by mainstream media and play a pivotal role in representing the possibilities for counter-hegemonic transformation. Being independent of commercial contemplations and viability, zines address a smaller audience of like-minded individuals and can act as a safe outlet for self-expression (Bold 2017).

    We are living in a time where there has been a large-scale resurgence of older forms of content creation and storing. This can be seen when looking at the popularity of film photography in recent times and the ‘coolness’ that is associated with vinyl, tape and the early ’00s aesthetic. We are currently living in the golden age of paper and there is an increasing interest by creative sugar babies to voice themselves through self-publishing. To find out more about this phenomenon I spoke to the creators of two new South-African zines, ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ and ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’.

    Image from ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ zine

    ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ is a zine created by Capetonian creatives Keenan Oliver, Mzonke Maloney and Dumi Mparutsa. This zine uses the act of waiting for someone to arrive, specifically Joshy Pascoe, as its basis. These zinesters are looking at defining image use as a colloquial language combining the images used with news headlines from the day that they were waiting for Joshy’s arrival. This combination of news headlines as image labels is intended to mimic the way that text is added to imagery in meme creation. They explain in our interview that this union is imposed as an emphasis on the disparity of news image reception in contrast with socially constructed images and how they are received.

    The idea for the self-published piece was brought to life after Joshua Pascoe saw an image of Keenan on an insta story which led to Joshua’s instant engagement. Evidently liking what he saw, he jumped on the DM train and asked Keenan for an impromptu shoot in which he planned to finish the remainder of the frames left on his roll of film. The images that made it into the zine were captured while the act of waiting on Joshua took place. When asked why they believe the act of waiting for someone’s arrival was significant enough to base an entire zine on they tell me that their self-published content is aimed at challenging the entire concept of significance in relation to the fundamental elements of image creation.

    Image from ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ zine

    “The democratization of image making as an industry and a practice, has rendered all images equally significant, specifically within the cultural/social space. Our deliberate use of suburban tedium and non-activity looks to further emphasize the fact that there is no longer an accurate barometer, used to gauge the importance or non-importance of an image.” This statement holds a considerable amount of weight as we are living in a time where there is content on nearly every subject imaginable. We are bombarded by content whenever we open our web browsers. From small pop up adds advertising weight loss products, to celebrity scandals, food recipes, people dyeing their hair with Nutella spread and artistic short films of girls smashing their faces into food (yes I’ve actually watched this). The list is never-ending. Curating your content is a rather new idea and the first time I stumbled upon it was in the book by Michael Bhaskar titled ‘Curation – The Power of Selection in a World of Excess’, published in 2016. This book is a rather useful guide to removing actual bullshit content from your cyberspace experience.

    The team behind ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ explain that this zine was a way for them to express their views on the consumption of news imagery, and what people’s reactions are to them at present. “The rapid technological development of the various image generating mediums has prompted the reimagining of images, as more than just ‘artifacts of technology’ but rather as what Hans Belting has termed as being ‘the boundary between physical and mental existence’”. The inquiry addressed within this zine attempts to create a discernment between images within mental existence and images that move into a physical space within our current social context. “What becomes urgent and what remains trivial.”

    Image from ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ zine

    “I could somehow watch the news and instantly disconnect from the images and their implications (these images would not transcend past mental existence), yet Joshy could watch an insta story and respond immediately, bringing the image to the fore of his physical existence.” This zine thus questions the relevance of news imagery and its significance in modern day society.  This is done by almost saying that their social media interactions that led to a photo shoot and zine were more significant and impactful than news headlines were. They were more inclined to interact with a social post than they were to read the news of that particular day. And let’s be honest, I don’t engage with the news much, I can, however, tell you what my insta connections were doing this weekend in excruciating detail.

    News headlines were used as a form of tagging in this zine which is explained by the team as follows, “In attempting to synthesize those two thoughts; we realized that whilst we were waiting, absorbed by our own daily tedium and taking pictures of mundane suburbia (which is significant to us), much more “significant” events were taking place around the country, and the reconciliation of these two events occurring simultaneously would create the significance of the moment.”

    Utilizing screenshots from the DM thread between Joshua and Keenan, a timeline is visually built to create a context for the imagery that rests on the opposing pages. This timeline provides a temporal space in which the events were taking place and aided in establishing the overriding narrative of the zine. This zine is in my opinion, a storage space for a ‘live’ event taking place and is almost a self-published insta story/documentary piece of work addressing a complex question. All the content within the zine questions the idea of significance. The team tells me that these images are significant because of the mere fact that they exist.

    Image from ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ zine

    Explaining the connections made between social media, the act of image creation, texting and newspapers the creators tell me, “Whether it is the form of a meme, post or photo sharing, social media has made photographing a part of colloquial dialect for our generation. News making (documentary photography) was the most impactful form of image production from the past couple generations, but no longer holds the same weight, due to the rate at which images are being produced. The news now exists in synthesis with this colloquial/new language. The news of the day includes personal images, memes and other forms of social imagery.”

    This zine considers itself an anthropological study. It is explained as, “Regardless, the mass production of art means that all of art has dissolved into life or more accurately all of life has dissolved into art and therefore an inquiry into the use of medium must be considered anthropological.”

    Image from ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ zine

    Following my discussion with the creators of ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ I spoke to the young interracial queer couple behind ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’ zine, Boni Mnisi, and Leal after the launch of their zine on the 30th October in Cape Town. Boni expresses that the zine came about rather unexpectedly, “I wasn’t even entirely sure how to create one when I decided to announce to my Instagram followers that I was going to do it. I wrote and shared a painfully mediocre poem on my Instagram story and quickly explained it away as a sample of writing from a bigger body of work that I was trying to put together. I got DMs from so many people who were interested in getting involved and kinda got trapped into doing what I said I was going to do.”

    Cover image for ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’ zine by Gina Hendrickse

    The zine’s name was inspired by Lana Del Rey’s 2012 single that shares the same title. Boni regrets this title and explains that at the time she did not consider the exclusion that is linked to the word ‘girl’. “While we do actively recognize that trans and non-binary people who identify with our message may not themselves identify as ‘girls’, the word should have no place in our work from now on. As an intersectional feminist zine, we have an obligation to protect our trans and non-binary family, which includes eliminating the violent language that we have ourselves mistakenly employed. We want to rebrand and come back with something more representative of the community we hope to create. As of 2018, this working title is dead.”

    ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’ is made up of mostly contributed content from South African creative womxn that is bound together by Leal’s illustrations. This zine which consists of an online and print version made use of social media to promote itself.

    Photography by Alessia Dossantos

    Speaking about the launch of the first issue Boni tells me that they were overwhelmed by the response they received. Only expecting roughly 50 people, about 250 – 300 attended the event. “We began with an exhibition of our Cape Town based contributors’ work and shortly after began our entirely womxn DJ line-up featuring the insane DJ-duo ‘No Diggity‘. It was an incredibly sweaty night of grinding and vogue-ing. People expressed their gratitude for having a predominately womxn space where they were able to be themselves and feel safe. So we had lots of titties! Lots of girl-on-girl action and not a voyeuristic penis in sight! It was unlike anything I’ve experienced at any party.” Looking at the response that this zine has received as well as the intention of creating a safe and inclusive space for all womxn it can be said that this zine gives a voice to an underrepresented community and a safe space for self-expression.

    ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’ features content created by Afrah Mayet, Jemma Rose, Alice de Beer, Lianne O’Donnell, Claire & Abi Meekel, Amu Mnisi, Keo Borjeszo, Sandra Wilken, Marcia Elizabeth, Kayo Fay, Jesmin, Sasha de la Rey, Phoenix Falconer +30 more. In order to get their vision going, Boni and Leal raised funds in the months leading up to the launch. “This project was made possible by our generous friends and family whom we are so grateful for.” The zine will be available in Johannesburg soon and a digital free version is in the works.

    Photography by Gina Hendrickse

    Zines are a powerful tool for self-expression and can relate to literally anything as there are no rules to making a zine and they do not need to be commercially viable. A zine can be an experimental exploration and can be about something that the creators feel are relevant which is the case with ‘Still Not Joshy Pascoe’ or they can address concerns or grant a voice to a community of likeminded often underrepresented individuals as is the case with ‘This is What Makes Us Girls’. The act of zine making has been described as the “mass amateurisation of publishing” (Bold 2017).  With the rise of digital folk culture over the decades, zines can be executed in a different way and do not necessarily have to be a physical print. Zines’ audiences are engaging differently today than they would have a number of years ago and zinesters are employing all the tools they have to voice themselves, such as social media. With the internet, there are more options for affordable cultural production with the ability of a global audience (Bold 2017). I believe that today, more so than ever it is easier to create a zine. Amateur creators have a space to explore a different type of cultural production with zines. So to zine or not? – yeah, if mainstream media won’t hear you out then please do zine! However, I do believe that there are many topics that were once considered experimental or non-commercial that have received attention from mainstream media in recent times. I like to think that people today are more connected, and aware of the narratives of some misrepresented and underrepresented communities which I attribute to internet culture. Zines do however still hold a place and creative sugar babies seem to love the heck out of them.

    Artwork by Marigold Petros
    Artwork by Kayla Armstrong

  • The affordability of plant-based diets – We speak to three veggie lovers on the topic

    In 2015 two studies were published in the Science and Anthropocene Review that came to the conclusion that human beings are “eating away at our own life support systems” at a pace not perceived in the previous 10,000 years. This startling phenomenon came about through humanoids acts of degradation of land and freshwater systems resulting in the secretion of greenhouse gases as well as the release of vast amounts of agricultural chemicals into the environment. An article in The Guardian states that our current economic system is pushing us towards an unsustainable future (Milman 2015). With our natural resources at an all-time low and the rapid decay of our planet, many people are consciously making an effort towards a greener lifestyle by opting for plant-based diets. It has been contested that vegetarianism and veganism is not only a healthier diet to follow but also much friendlier to the environment than opting to consume animal products. The big question, however, is how affordable and sustainable it is to live organic and be dedicated to this form of food activism. To get some answers I spoke to three femmes who prescribe to a plant-based diet, young artist Anne-Marie Kalumbu, creative Anny Botha and food activist and vegan chef Parusha Naidoo.

    In my interview with Anne-Marie, she expresses that her decision to become a vegetarian was motivated by moral inclinations as well as her desire to live consciously of her environment and her role in it. “I thought I wouldn’t eat my cat so why do I feel ok eating a cow. It’s insane how detrimental the meat industry is to our planet.”

    In her art practice vegetarianism does not come in to play in a straightforward manner. She does, however, enjoy taking pictures of nature and her choice to become vegetarian was motivated by a moral inclination to reduce the amount of man-made damage the planet endures by not contributing to the cycle. Anne-Marie feels that maintaining a plant-based diet has made her feel healthier and be more self-aware of her eating habits, expressing that there are no cons to the lifestyle she leads.

    Anny is a young dynamic creative working as a hair colourist at Cellardoor Hair and a freelance make up artist and stylist. In my interview with her, she tells me that she has been following a vegetarian diet for about three years. She explains that her choice to follow this lifestyle was prompted by her vegan boyfriend at the time that often cooked her meals. “I eventually just went full on vegetarian after a few months.” Anny expresses that since she has stopped eating meat she feels more energetic.

    When asked about the cons of this lifestyle Anny tells me that eating out can be a challenge. She continues to say that over the last two years there are more veggie options and restaurants but that initially, it was very difficult to find a decent meal out. In Anny’s opinion, it is healthier to follow a plant-based diet if your plant of choice is not a deep-fried potato.

    Both Anny and Anne-Marie advocate a vegetarian lifestyle and Anne-Marie quotes the following words of ASAP Rocky to explain her sentiments “you gotta do research on the way they treat like f**king chickens man”. Anny explains her food activism by saying; “I grew up with lots of farm animals around me so eating them has always been an issue for me. Personally, I would rather be friends with a piggy than eating it. Aside from that, we could literally feed hundreds of thousands of hungry children with the grains we feed livestock. Once the demand for meat drops people can focus their energy on using our resources to do a bit more good than harm.” Anny tries to live as green as she possibly can by avoiding brands that test on animals.

    Many a meat eater may ask where vegetarians get their protein from and both Anne-Marie and Anny express that their protein intake is streamlined by eating beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, seeds, grains, quinoa and bean butters.

    When I came to my most pressing question as to the costs of maintaining this lifestyle Anne-Marie tells me that this lifestyle can be rather costly. She continues to say that prices are higher if you choose to go the organic produce route. Anny tells me that when vegetables are bought from markets and your eggs are sourced directly from a farm, being a vegetarian can be a cost-effective lifestyle. Anny estimates her monthly expenditure on groceries for herself and her housemate as R1 800 a month excluding eating out and buying a litre of milk once a week. Both Anne-Marie and Anny are in agreement that this lifestyle can be sustainable.

    Curious about the answers that Anne-Marie and Anny have given as to the health benefits of a plant-based diet I did some of my own research. In a video lecture by Dr. Michael Greger M.D FACLM (Plant-based Diets for improved Mood & Productivity 2015) he states that in 2014 a study was published in The Systematic Review of Met Analysis of Dietary patterns & Depression that came to the conclusion that a healthy diet pattern is associated with reduced chances of depression. The video further states that eating a plant-based diet increases your antioxidant status and might help alleviate depression. Plant-based diets also improve digestion, increase energy levels and results in better sleeping patterns Greger states. The final conclusions of the video are that a vegan diet improves a person’s productivity, quality of life and is low in cost.

    Perhaps a plant-based diet can be sustainable and cost-effective. Looking more into the topic I received an Internet introduction to foraging teacher Roushanna Gray who has been referred to as a wild food innovator. Teaching seasonal workshops to children and adults about foraging she takes her inspiration from local edible indigenous plants. In her kitchen, she experiments with the diversity and stimulating flavours of indigenous fauna, fynbos as well as the culinary offerings that inter-tidal rock pools along the coastline hold. In Roushanna’s classes, she teaches adults the act of sustainable foraging which, if taken on, as a lifestyle may be a very cost-effective way to maintain a plant-based diet. This, of course, will only work if you live in an area where you are able to forage. Johannesburg? No, I don’t think it would work.

    I spoke to Parusha who has elevated the vegan lifestyle to a form of intersectional consciousness to get some more concrete answers. Parusha has become well known for her vegan cooking classes and pop-up events in Johannesburg. In an interview Parusha had with our editor Christa Dee a number of months ago she explains that she started thinking about how eating meat has never been a conscious decision for her. In the interview, she states, “As creative people, I think we don’t question the norms of our societies enough and interrogate why we are doing things. I decided that I needed to look at everything in my life and consciously choose what I’m doing. After some research into it, it made sense to me to try it out veganism for the planet, the animals, and the earth.”

    I asked Parusha whether plant-based diets are healthier than eating animal products to which she responded that that is not necessarily the case. She continues to say that it is dependant on whether a balanced plant-based diet is followed. A balanced plant-based diet consists of a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes Parusha tells me. “In general there are no hormones or antibiotics in plant-based foods. And all animal products contain cholesterol, which is responsible for heart disease. Cheese, milk, yoghurt, eggs and all meat contains hormones and antibiotics, and fish contains mercury.”

    Parusha’s answer in regards to the cons of a plant-based lifestyle corresponds with that of Anny’s. She expresses that eating out in South Africa can be rather inconvenient as not all chefs are creative when cooking vegan or vegetarian meals.

    Providing me with something to think about Parusha states that a vegan diet is not necessarily a plant-based diet and expresses that “You can eat a lot of peanut butter on white bread, and chips with tomato sauce or vegan ice cream, cakes, biscuits, fried samoosas, etc.”. Thus meaning that veganism cannot inescapably be classified as a plant-based lifestyle.

    According to Parusha the pros of this lifestyle is that she feels and looks younger. “With the meat-free lifestyle, you definitely have less chance of getting diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. That’s scientifically proven.” Parusha feels that as creative individuals, we should be creative about our decisions.

    “Be curious about alternatives to the mainstream. Question what you are actually doing. We live in a world that encourages independent thinking but not when it comes to food. If we all lived on whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes it would not make anyone any money – the meat and dairy industries would collapse and so would the pharmaceutical industry, and most medical professionals would be out of jobs. Veganism is not expensive. You don’t need super foods. Beans and rice are really cheap. Spinach is cheap too. Apples and oranges are cheap.” A previous comment by Anny corresponds with this statement by Parusha indicating that if all people followed plant based diets the meat and dairy industries would fold.

    Parusha’s advice for persons who are interested in following this lifestyle is the following, “Don’t just live on boiled vegetables! Be curious. Be creative. Eat delicious food! If you have any questions, Google is your friend. Try going meat-free for a day or a week, or a month. Whatever you do just TRY!”

    Parusha has combined art with her vegan cooking classes and explains that this decision was prompted by her work as a graphic designer in advertising before she became a vegan chef. “I am combining my love of food with art. I like that everyone can have a conversation about food.”

    Continuing the thread on sustainability and affordability Parusha tells me about black veganism. This diet is about more than a diet and can be seen as a framework for analysing various oppressions. It is an intersectional veganism and can include whole grains such as brown rice, vegetables like spinach and carrots, legumes such as lentils and beans as well as fruits. Black veganism is about creating more hearty, simple dishes rather than superfood salads. She states that this lifestyle can be very sustainable, as you don’t require a lot of super foods, seeds, nuts or upmarket oils. Eating Dhal and rice as her staple, Parusha expresses that this diet can be very affordable.

    When prompted to estimate the cost of living as a vegetarian or vegan Parusha states that it is dependent on where food is purchased. Stating that it could cost R100 a week or it could cost over R1000 a week. This variation in cost will be subject to whether you choose to prepare meals at home as well as where you decide to purchase your groceries. Eating out and purchasing from Woolworths is a lot more costly than home-cooked meals and purchasing from markets, independent shops, and street vendors.

    After my own research and interviews with Anne-Marie, Anny and Parusha I am of the opinion that a plant-based diet can be better for your health when a balanced diet is followed that doesn’t just consist of carbs, sugars and Fry’s Foods. Furthermore, the cost of living as a vegetarian or vegan will be determined by an individual’s choice of either cooking at home or getting take out. It is also dependent on where you decide to buy from markets, vendors and small independent shops or from chains such as Woolworths or Pick n Pay.

     

  • AKJP // ‘The Permanent Collection’ – Where fashion and art meet

    AKJP // ‘The Permanent Collection’ – Where fashion and art meet

    The fashion line AKJP came about through the collaboration ‘Adriaan Kuiters + Jody Paulsen’ between artists Jody Paulsen and Adriaan Kuiters designer, Keith Henning. The duo of AKJP both live and work in Cape Town and are well known for their artistic implementation and cutting edge kink on modern pragmatic mens and womenswear.The brand’s identity has been defined with sport enthused motifs and the expansion of robust prints for each collection that has been produced. Their signature style features have been defined with boxy silhouettes, asymmetrical detailing and the use of layering. AKJP is recognised both locally and abroad as one of the country’s most innovative brands and has showcased their latest collection the ‘Permanent Collection’ at SMAC gallery Johannesburg this past Tuesday. How the duo went about creating their new collection, what inspired them as well as the concept behind their campaign will be discussed.

    The ‘Permanent Collection’ is built on modish wardrobe staples as well as limited edition artistic prints created by Jody Paulsen. Intended to set a new foundation for the label and make allowance for the evolution of future lines. The collection is at present centred towards offering everyday wear for South Africans though there are plans to create high end capsule collections focussed on an international audience grounded in the ‘Permanent Collection’.

    The line consists of some defined men’s and women’s silhouettes and the larger majority of the range is comprised of unisex pieces. Classic styles with a renewed touch accompany chic easy to wear shapes available in twills and crisp cottons. The line contains its breaths of lavishness with pieces constructed from hemp, silk and leather.

    Experimentation with collage aided in the development of the artistic prints that enhance some of the pieces within the collection. Jody has drawn his inspiration from artists such as Hans Arp, Henri Matisse and David Hockney and created every design paper cut outs that were digitized and finally printed. To apply patterns to the collection different printing techniques were combined with fabric collage and embroidery.

    Conceiving the concept for the campaign during their design implementation, connections were drawn between the collection silhouettes and prints, and the kind of work that SMAC gallery artists produce. The campaign was photographed at SMAC gallery and takes a look at the relationship between three friends/lovers who have been locked inside the gallery over night. A strong sense of intimacy was captured between the three models by photographer Neil Roberts. The intimacy needed in the photographs were accomplished with ease which might be attributed to the models familiarity with one another due to working together on previous AKJP brand campaigns. The faces of the campaign are Jae Kim who has worked with AKJP from the age of fifteen, AKJP campaign and runway darling, Nina Milner as well as Daniel Defty.

    Jody and Keith’s intention to have the ‘Permanent Collection’ as everyday wear for South Africans is an aspiration that I believe is not wholly attainable as many of the pieces from the range evoke a lux mood because of the use of materials such as silk and delicate intricate sheer detailed pieces. Jody’s artistic prints inspired by artists such as Matisse and Hans Arp also contribute to this lux emotion that is evoked. There are however pieces that might fall into this bracket such as jeans and easy to wear shirt designs. The entire range can thus not be regarded as everyday wear. The brand continues its recognition locally and abroad as one of the country’s most innovative brands and a pioneer of modern day cool in the South African fashion vista.

    Credits

    Jewellery by Steffany Roup

    Hair and Makeup by Gareth Coleman

  • Adrienne Raquel // Self portraiture in pastels and tropical motifs

    Adrienne Raquel // Self portraiture in pastels and tropical motifs

    Adrienne Raquel is a photographer and art director based in New York. Drawing her inspiration from Summer, femininity and tropical motifs, her work evokes playfulness, vibrancy, and nostalgia. With the use of distinct colour and composition, Adrienne’s striking imagery has led to many large-scale brand collaborations. She has been deemed an influencer and one of the top female creatives to follow by publications such as TIME magazine. I would like to look at one of Adrienne’s projects that is removed from her commercial identity, namely, ‘Self Portraiture’. This series is noteworthy as Adrienne took an unconventional approach to capturing self portraits. Whether this body of work can be constituted as self portraits will be evaluated.

    In the traditional sense, a self portrait is thought of as an image that captures your likeness, this then means an image taken by you of your face. Adrienne warps this idea in her series containing hands, half a face reflected in a mirror, a silhouette of her naked body captured from behind, a foot and tropical plants. All of these images are tied together with pastels and the use of minimalist patterns.

    What is remarkable about this series is Adrienne’s minimalist approach and her choice of composition. These images do not contain any surplus visual information. By this I mean that the images purely contain the subject, the eye is thus not distracted by anything within the image frame and will focus on the subject with ease. Her composition that brings about the question as to whether these can be considered self portraits comes from her choice to not show the full picture, but instead to show single limbs or parts of Adrienne such as her lips reflected in a mirror. This choice was masterfully combined with soft, playful colours, minimizing the possibility of discomfort of looking at separate limbs.

    Adrienne’s series is a powerful testament to femininity and her selection of props tie her images together to create a seamless effect. Another observation is that the titles of the works speak about Adrienne’s character, such as the image of her floating arm extended and her hand clasping a glass, titled ‘Glass Half Full’. This image may be referring to her as a person who tries to view things the “glass half full” way. These images capturing fragmented parts of the photographer might also be an indication that Adrienne is a relatively private person and is not comfortable with sharing her likeness boldly.

    Can this series be regarded as self portraiture? I believe so as Adrienne is establishing a new framework around the definition of what constitutes an image as a self portrait. Why do I express this? As Adrienne is including herself in the images and just because she chooses not to do it in a traditional sense, does not mean that it is not correct. Adrienne is showing her viewer an extremely intimate look at the parts of herself that make up who she is as can be seen with the ‘Glass Half Full’ image.

     

  • Namsa Leuba and the representation of Guinean Identity

    Namsa Leuba and the representation of Guinean Identity

    Namsa Leuba was born in Switzerland in 1982 and studied photography at the university of Art and Design Lausanne where she also obtained a Masters in Art Direction. Her diverse photographic practice takes a look at how African identity is represented through the Western imagination. Her work comes together as a culmination of fashion photography, documentary photography and performance art. However, from reading through her explanation of her ‘YA KALA BEN’ series, there is an element of her approach which problematically asks people from her ancestral home in Guinea to perform their culture for a Western framework. In this article I will delve into Leuba’s technique and images with this critical stance in mind.

    Creating imagery exploring the signs and symbols of her cultural heritage, Namsa’s work takes signifiers from rituals, ceremonies, masquerade practices and religious idols bound to specific cultures. Namsa’s projects have a strong anthropological flow and take an interest in traditional customs. Her aesthetic, informed by fashion as well as design sensibilities, is captured either on location in areas such as her ancestral hometown in Guinea or in constructed studio based environments. Namsa executes both these stylistic choices with immense ease and precision.

    Her theatrical approach to her practice indicates clear-cut attention paid to colour, props and the use of gestures. In her work she questions the relationships between actualities and fabrication, action and depiction as well as the sanctified and the sacrilegious. Namsa’s work has not shown any indications of coyness and has received plenty of attention by various publications and exhibitions. Her work has travelled the world and Namsa currently bases her life between Africa and Europe.

    All of the above considered, let’s take a closer look at her photographic series titled ‘YA KALA BEN’. Namsa’s series was photographed on a trip that she took to the capital of Guinea, Conakry. Namsa explains that in this body of work she took particular interest in the construction and deconstruction of the human body as well as depictions of what cannot be seen with the eye – here she is referring to occurrences on a spiritual or mystical level.

    Namsa has studied the ritual artifacts that are usual to the cosmology of the Guineans such as the religious idols that form part of their ceremonial structure. “They are from another world, they are the roots of the living. Thereby, I sought to touch the untouchable.” Namsa expresses.

    Namsa continues to state that these idols represent a variety of things such as modesty, fertility, luck or a channel with which to practice exorcism, and hold cultural significance through what they symbolise and represent. With this body of work Namsa transforms these artifacts that are cosmological symbols of the Guinea community and traditionally contain religious significance when used to perform ritualistic practices.

    “These objects are part of a collective that they must not be separated from, or risk loosing their value. They are not the gods of this community but their prayers. They are integrated in a rigorous symbolic order, where every component has its place. They are ritual tools that I have animated by staging live models and in a way to desecrate them by giving them another meaning; an unfamiliar meaning in the Guinean context.”

    Namsa also makes the following statement, “In recontextualizing these sacred objects through the lens, I brought them in a framework meant for Western aesthetic choices and taste. This photographic eye would make them speak differently. Throughout my fieldwork, I had to deal with sometimes violent reactions from Guineans who viewed my procedures/practices as a form of sacrilege. Some were afraid and were struck with astonishment.”

    Coming back to the issues expressed at the beginning of this piece, I believe that in some regards Namsa’s series, ‘YA KALA BEN’ can be considered a deliberate attempt to portray elements of Guinean culture with a Western view point. This can be drawn back to the fact that she is firstly European born, and secondly she states that she is causing an act of desecration, and that her practice within the area was met with violent reactions from the Guinean people. However it can again be argued that Namsa is in fact contesting this Western viewpoint with work that can be considered to be extremely loaded and plays on satire, as her heritage traces back to Guinea. Namsa’s work is executed well and it is evident that she plans meticulously. Her use of performance, fashion and documentary style photography all weave into one another and work together to create powerful imagery, evidently appealing to her audience.

     

  • ‘Bigger, Rounder, Blacker’ // Body Positivity with Rochelle Brock

    ‘Bigger, Rounder, Blacker’ // Body Positivity with Rochelle Brock

    Rochelle Brock is a young photographer of colour from Brooklyn, New York. With her brand Fat Leopard Photography she has been revolutionizing the concept of the ideal body type. Her work challenges conventional beauty standards in America featuring beautiful curvy women of colour styled in the latest fashion trends. Here I will analyse Rochelle’s methodology and technique.

    Her work can be deemed out of the ordinary by the way in which she documents the confidence that radiates from her models. Using colour palettes that shift from very vibrant tones to nitty gritty and the concrete jungle, Rochelle seems to have an uncanny know-how of evoking mood with her colour choices. While Rochelle’s work focuses predominantly on the bodies of women of colour and their curves she does not leave out slimmer body types and some of her series’ revolve around slim women.

    Photograph from ‘Kidnap snap’

    Rochelle has an amazing ability to move from a studio set up with soft defused light and pastels that amplify her subjects to a more documentary style of shooting which is an outstanding achievement to ascertain as so many photographers are stuck in one form of image creation.

    Rochelle’s motivation behind celebrating marginalized body types came from her frustration with not seeing her own body type represented in any fashion campaigns and she set out to change that. Today, Rochelle has worked on various fashion campaigns and is a true ambassador of body positivity who expresses that she wants a bigger, rounder, blacker movement.

    Photograph from ‘Jarae Hollieway’

    What Rochelle enjoys about the body positive movement is that it has helped her come to terms with her own body shape and love herself for all that she is. Her advice to women who have larger body types is this, “Take up more space. If we don’t fit the ideal norm in society or even in the BOPO movement, we need to make sure we step into that “room” when we get the chance. Take up space and be heard!”

    Femme photographers like Rochelle are actively trying to normalize larger body types and the fact that this kind of intervention is necessary is dismaying. Why should larger women have to fight or campaign or have movements for body positivity and acceptance when they are already beautiful? I am thankful for the body positive movement, as this is a societal problem that requires resolve. I do hope that with time the movement will have a larger impact and create more change into what is considered the ideal body type. Fair and accurate representation of all women is the norm that we need to strive for. All women are beautiful, and that’s that.

    Photograph from ‘Jarae Hollieway’
    Photograph from ‘Girls Girls Girls’
    Photograph from ‘Girls Girls Girls’

     

     

  • The #MeToo image going viral

    The trending #metoo that is flooding social media has led to the creation of a haunting image by Brooklyn based graphic designer and artist, Victoria Siemer, better known as Witchoria. The image has been received with appreciation by women the world over. It has been reposted on your social media feed at least once and features on my personal timeline. What is #metoo all about? Why is it important and why has Victoria created this image featuring a foggy desolate landscape illuminated with a number of “Me Too” neon lights going into the distance? Let’s review.

    Victoria’s ethereal image has cast a visual identity to the choir of status updates posted by women all over the globe. It is a general consensus that the #metoo movement was sparked by a Twitter Update Alyssa Milano created that reads, “Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” Victoria in an interview with Format Magazine, however, states that the ‘Me Too’ campaign was started by the activist Tarana Burke ten years prior to the recent social media whiplash.

    “While it’s cool Milano helped make this into a viral phenomena, you have to give credit to the woman who has been working on this cause for a decade. Burke created ‘Me Too’ as a campaign to aid sexual assault survivors in underprivileged communities where rape crisis centres and sexual assault workers weren’t going. She launched this website: www.metoo.support.”

    Victoria expresses that she does not often participate in these types of viral campaigns as she feels that frequently the content creators for these campaigns are promoted and not the cause itself. Like most of us, social media users Victoria went onto Facebook one morning and saw a friend of hers sharing a personal account of rape. Her friend’s personal account was met with aggressive attacks by ‘not all men’ trolls.

    “And I saw more and more and more stories and it really clicked that I don’t know any women who didn’t have a story. I was forced to reflect on the things that have happened to me, that has happened to nearly all of us. Honestly, I was fucking livid. And so I created the piece in sort of an emotional frenzy.”

    She explains her choice for making her hi-res image available for reposting as a decision she made because of a desire to let her own pain out yet is inclusive of the pain of other femme beings.

    “I shot the photo this past spring in the Marin Headlands during a photography residency. I picked it specifically because it matched the tone of what I wanted to create, but because I was also terrified when I shot it. There was this distinct moment when I had ventured down a trail quite far and realized I was completely alone. And I had to figure out if it was worth putting myself in a potentially dangerous situation for ‘the shot’ or if I should turn around and quickly go back to a more public place. I was spooked. I grew up in a place where women get raped and killed on bike paths was fairly commonplace. A woman in Queens last year was brutally murdered jogging through an area that was eerily similar to the one I was shooting in.”

    When asked about the unapologetically female tone of her work and if she ever fears being stigmatized, Victoria responds in the following words, “My whole thing is putting it all out there, and because I am a woman, a lot of the experiences that I share through my artwork naturally have that feminine tone/energy in them. I can’t control how that’s interpreted and I really don’t care if that stigmatizes me. I used to fear vulnerability and one day just said “Fuck it” and started letting it all out, no filter. It was the first time I was making work entirely for myself and I didn’t give a heck if other people didn’t like it. It was really liberating. Now that raw openness is a fundamental part of my identity as an artist. I think the reason my artwork has been so well received and has grown the audience it has, is because we’re all human and a lot of experiences are universal. We’re all in this together. And to be honest, if you’re not in it with the rest of us, feel free to unfollow.”

    Victoria’s response to this question posed by Format Magazine is powerful and liberating. The fact that we all know women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted is an incredibly painful reality that has been silenced for too long. Like Victoria is unapologetic with her femme voice so must all of us females. Do not allow yourself to be silenced as so many of us have been. I do hope that #metoo has brought some insight to the men who for some reason tried to make this campaign about them when there is a way bigger picture and problem at hand. Thanks for the visual identity Witchoria, it resonates deeply.

  • ‘Aquarium’ by Camilla Ferrari

    ‘Aquarium’ by Camilla Ferrari

    Camilla Ferrari was born in 1992 and took her first photograph when she was 14 years old. Camilla did not study photography. She instead majored in Communication and Humanistic Studies at Università degli Studi in Milan, Italy. After her studies she decided to dedicate herself to capturing images and developed her skills via workshops with photographers she looked up to such as Harry Gruyaert, John Stanmeyer and Gueorgui Pinkhassov. Here I take a look at Camilla’s technique through reference to her body of work, ‘Aquarium’.

    Camilla’s work is concerned with the relationships human beings have with their surroundings and their stories. Selected by Photo Boîte as a part of their 30 Under 30 Woman Photographers for 2017, she was also chosen to feature in their exhibition in Rome from 30 September to 30 October 2017.

    Her artist’s statement for ‘Aquarium’ reads, “The sound of the hands moving the bathroom curtains is so loud that it’s almost disturbing. And so it is the noise coming out the karaoke bars during the night and the chitchatting of the people walking on the sidewalk. Sometimes you observe and sometimes you’re being observed. It’s almost like seeing through a glass that distorts what your eyes see, that makes the light flicker in front of you second after second and inserts you in a completely different world. And suddenly you are on the other side of that glass. You cannot hear what others say but you can feel the sweet cuddle of the water that surrounds you. And before you know it, that sound of the hands moving the bathroom curtains become a lullaby. The noise of the karaoke bars turns into music and the chitchatting evolves into rhythm. Everything becomes so gentle, even the unknown.”

    Camilla here talks about how she perceives the city, and viewing and observing people in the city to be like an aquarium that works both ways around. Sometimes you are the beautiful sea turtle, and sometimes you are the person viewing the sea turtle. She speaks of a constant shift and this idea is visually mimicked in the way that she has chosen to photograph this series.

    At heart Camilla is a documentarian and she thus relies heavily on the available light technique, which can be seen upon examination. A characteristic of available light photography is its quality to be as accurate a depiction of the scene in front of the photographer’s lens as possible. Detail in shadow or harsh light is often lost to attain authenticity. Camilla’s series strikes a middle point, as this body of work is very focused on it’s purpose and it fulfills its purpose beautifully. Namely, to capture this aquarium feeling that she experiences from being an observer and being observed. Her images are thus often taken through windows and other transparent surfaces. The reflections on these surfaces add to the depth of this work and the natural light casting from external light sources add to the ethereal quality of her work.

    Camilla’s series is striking and beautiful and makes use of off-centre framing, slow shutter speeds, perspectives that seem clearly observational and are not extremely intimate. She has the ability to create intimacy by means of playing with available lighting and her play on reflections and certain light castings to evoke moods within her viewers. All of this is good but the fact that she links the idea of looking at people to an aquarium could be regarded as problematic.

     

  • A comprehensive look at South African femme artists practicing Surrealism and Expressionism

    So what is Surrealism and what is Expressionism in art? Surrealism was defined by André Bretonin the Surrealist manifesto of 1924 as “Pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought. Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.” Surrealism focuses thus on an intuitive processes of creation not meant to be an accurate depiction of the world and is not concerned with what is regarded as beautiful but is centred around the functioning of thought. Surrealism often relies on alternative realities and dreams, and the psychoanalytic. Expressionism can be explained as follows, “Expressionist artists tried to express meaning or emotional experience rather than physical reality. The artists manipulated their subjects’ appearance to express what cannot be easily seen.” Here I look at three South African femme artists who might fall into these classifications. I discuss why they might fall into these classifications, as well as whether these classifications are still of relevance today.

    Marlene Steyn is a Capetonian artist who obtained her Master of Fine Art degree in 2014 in London from the Royal College of Art. Her immersive installation focused work creates an experience nurturing an eagerness for her constructed surreal worlds. Her idiosyncratic motifs morph through unnerving established notions surrounding themes such as historical art narratives, psychoanalytic theory and popular tokens from modern culture. With repetition and irregular combinations, Marlene creates eerie themes surrounding her work. Her symbolic visual language consisting of fried eggs, braided ropes of hair and the androgynous figure, molds into one as the key element of her practice.

    Marlene has a peculiar ability to make violence playful in her work. When looking purely at the visual aspects of her art it can be described as disjointed body parts, animated features separated from faces, frying pans, fragments and distortions. The human body is depicted in her work as vulnerable, nude and disfigured with a strange beauty. This body represented in her surreal world seems to be provoked by various objects and sinister beasts. At the same time the work evokes a sense of happiness.

    ‘Aura hour with cucumber’ 2016 by Marlene Steyn

    Some examples of pieces that display these mutilated bodies is ‘Ponytails Continued’ – a set of legs without a torso and a floating head with no neck as well as ‘In My other half’s other half’ – a single large blue eye skewered through a large sculpture peering up at the eyebrow above.

    Marlene’s work can be considered to be surrealist in nature as she works with symbolism, a dreamlike, constructed reality and is concerned with psychoanalytic theory.

    The next femme artist that falls into my list is Tash Brown. Tash is a Johannesburg-based painter who is currently completing her studies at WITS. I had an interview with her to see where she fits into the framework.

    Tash expresses that her work can be regarded as surreal but that it is her reality. She prefers not to have her work tied down to a specific classification. Her preference is to let other people interpret her paintings, “A classmate once looked at a piece of mine and said it felt like a man had just killed someone but that was okay because his mom made him feel like it wasn’t his fault. I find that statement far richer than I could ever find my paintings.”

    Tash has been known to venture from the traditional canvas to Perspex. Her colour pallet consists of pastels with exaggerated use of yellow and pink, “it is easy to turn them from something little-girl-pretty into vomit and vagina skin.”

    ‘Everything you’re not supposed to be’ 2017 by Tash Brown

    As subject matter these grotesque haunting figures represent the artists, her lover, her family, her celebrity crushes and her dog. It is both strange and interesting that Tash would consciously choose to portray her loved ones (except for the dog, he always looks good) with such harshness. Tash’s surreal world is frightening, I dare say, but at the same time it depends on how you look at it. Tash doesn’t care if you believe that her work is self-indulgent trash. She doesn’t make work as a social commentary and in fact seems to just make art for herself instead of having some deeper meaning in mind.

    Tash explains that the titles of her works come to her in the sense of automatic writing, when she finishes a painting she writes down whatever comes to mind. “I want the titles to be as vague as the works.”

    When asked about the voyeuristic tone of her work Tash expresses that she couldn’t help but add a bizarre sexual undertone to her paintings. She believes that it explains why her work has a tendency to make people feel uncomfortable, yet fascinated. “I like to change a boy into a girl and cut off their lips and put it on a spoon and make the spoon have sex with a sardine and then force people to face it like maybe that is a spoon having sex with sardine, but maybe I like it.”

    Her favourite work, ‘Everything you’re not supposed to be’, belongs to a larger series that was derived from screenshots of films she admires. “On the day it was painted I had just finished watching Tom at the Farm, a strange French sexual thriller. This painting is Tom and it’s also me watching Tom.”

    ‘Afterward, I’m going to have you all in tears’ 2017 by Tash Brown

    Despite the fact that Tash doesn’t like to classify her work it is evident that it has surreal as well as expressionist tendencies. Surrealism can be seen as she creates an alternative warped reality with haunting figures and her work flows rather automatically. As was often associated with the Surrealist movement, Tash explains her work in a peculiar nonsensical manner, yet another characteristic. Her work leans to expressionism as she is clearly depicting a certain emotional and psychological state within her works.

    Our last femme under the magnifying glass is Johannesburg artist Yolanda Mazwana, whose paintings depict the everyday, human elements in her life. Yolanda has confirmed that neo-expressionism is an influence for her raw, enthralling portraits.

    Yolanda’s work is centered around mental illness, popular culture, phobias, relationships and storytelling. The figures in her work are sometimes disjointed as you can see a bodiless head floating in one of her paintings. It is clear to me that Yolanda has an interest in capturing the emotional states of her subjects in her work and that her work is not an accurate depiction of reality. Instead, appearances have been altered to show what cannot be seen with the naked eye.

    Artwork by Yolanda Mazwana

    Marlene, Tash and Yolanda’s work all share the common trait of either broken up human bodies or strange hybrid human forms. Marlene and Tash’s work are centered around an alternate reality. Marlene’s work is the closest to surrealism to me as she often makes use of symbolism in her work. All three these artists share very similar colour pallets in their work and are not interested in giving an accurate depiction of the world. Tash and Yolanda are both interested in the psychological states of their subjects. Tash’s work could be considered to fall in between both surrealism and expressionism, while Yolanda’s work is much more expressionist. Are these classifications important however? Perhaps. Perhaps not. As both Surrealism and Expressionism are definitely not practiced as it was intended with their formations. People sometimes refer to neo-surrealism and neo-expressionism now. I do however feel like we are living in a time where artists no longer feel a need to be bound to a specific classification and choose to work more freely.

    Artwork by Yolanda Mazwana

  • In Bloom // Not just another white cube exhibition

    In Bloom is Ja.’s first exhibition held at the KZNSA Gallery. The exhibition features 11 South African artists but what differentiates it from the traditional exhibition is that each featured artist’s work received a personalized backdrop. I spoke to the curators for the exhibition, Niamh Walsh-Vorster, Youlendree Appasamy and Dave Mann to find out more about the featured artists, their curatorial strategy for the exhibition as well as the work on display

    The team tells me that the exhibition came about after their launch of their free studio and workshop space within The Green Camp Gallery. After this launch, they joked about doing an exhibition that became a serious goal for them and was met with the generous sharing of space and resources provided by the KZNSA gallery. They continue to tell me that they decided to pursue the idea to have their first exhibition, as they wanted to move from an URL space to an irl space.

    Expressing that there is no overarching concept for the exhibition the team explains that the works featured celebrate a variety of art forms such as poetry, short stories, paintings, illustrations, films, photography, and graffiti. Having read the artists’ statements, however, I feel like there is a definite link to artists creating work that speak about topics such as sexism, identity as well as mental health.

    ‘Fantasma’ by Hannah Shone

    This is illustrated for example when looking at the artist’s statement by Nosipho Nxele where she explains her work ‘Shared Greatness’ as follows, “The greatest threat to women and by extension humanity is the growth and acceptance of male chauvinistic, illiberal and brutal culture of hawkishness. This system then requires that women raise up their voices to empower themselves and those without any voice to fight against society’s systems that belittle women. Meaning we are greater together than apart. My inspiration [for the piece] was drawn from the great saying of Pakistani activist for female education, Malala Yousafzai: ‘I raise up my voice – not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back’. The illustration embodies the spirit and passion of Mahala.” This statement speaks not only of sexism but feminine identity as well as solidarity among women.

    The team tell me that the title of the exhibition ‘In Bloom’ was chosen as the artists’ work in the exhibition represents an exploration and engagement with one’s identity. “Coming into bloom is a difficult act but the bloom itself is a beautiful thing. Even though some of the work unpacks uncomfortable themes it’s through the experiences of young artists who are finding imaginative ways of expression.” The title is also a reflection of the opening during spring, a time that flowers are in bloom.

    Artists for the exhibition were selected by medium and geographic region as an attempt to showcase work that was as far reaching as possible by means of concept and geographical location of the artists.

    ‘Blazers’ by Shalom Mushwana

    When asked about the curatorial strategy that was followed for this exhibition they explain that the exhibition features both written and visual work and expresses that finding a way to situate literature within a conventionally visual space was a fun challenge for them. They continue to explain that written works were incorporated in the form of postcards, small zines, a poem draped down a stairway entrance of the Mezzanine and film-based work created by the guest visual editor, Mandisa Buthelezi.

    Focussing on various points of entry and layouts for visual works they experimented with placement for the works that fell under this category. With the help of graffiti artist, Kev Sevin backdrops were painted for each artist’s work allowing them to come into their own as distinct clusters the team expresses. This strategy alone lends a different element to the ‘In Bloom’ exhibition and aids in tying the work rather seamlessly.

    The team express their hopes for ‘In Bloom’ as follows, “We hope that it contributes to the careers of the artists involved, as well as inspires more artists to create new work. And also, to show that it’s possible to pull off an exhibition on a shoestring budget that’s successful and engaging without the usual white cube nonsense.”

    ‘In Bloom’ opened on the 26 September ran up until the 15 October in the Mezzanine space at the KZNSA gallery in Durban. Featured artists included Robyn Perros, Hannah Shone, Nosipho Nxele, Shalom Mushwana, Dani O’Neill, Andy Mkosi, Maya Surya Pillay, Werner Goss-Ross, Kev Sevin and Julie Nxadi with a visual adaptation of ‘This is Not a Sad Story’.

    ‘Rat Dog’ and ‘Existential Zebra’ by Werner Goss-Ross

  • Fully Automated Luxury Influencer a film by Cuss Group // The Centre for the Less Good Idea

    Cuss Group was founded in 2011 by Ravi Govender, Jamal Nxedlana and Zamani Xolo. Standing out as one of the first South African arts collective focussing on digital technologies, they don’t need much of an introduction. Since their formation they have gone viral and infiltrated a variety of spaces such as Internet cafes and hair salons in South Africa, car booths in Zimbabwe, MoMa in Poland and gallery and project spaces in Switzerland, Australia and London. Over time the collective has expanded to include Lex Trickett and Christopher McMichael. Their most recent project, ‘Fully Automated Luxury Influencer’ is an immersive film experience and will be showcased as a part of Season 2 by the Centre of the Less Good Idea, co-curated by our co-founder Jamal Nxedlana. “Fully Automated Luxury Influencer uses the genre tropes of science fiction and horror to map the surreal and baroque dimensions of influence”.

    “Our conceptual focus is on the rise of ‘influencer culture’, a contemporary corporate strategy in which a brand symbiotically attaches itself to an existent consumer group. Marketing discourse presents this as a mutually beneficial relationship but we can’t help but see the darker, and parasitic ramifications of such attachment.” Cuss Group explains further that influencer culture materializes from fast paced media evolution, technology and commodity.

    “Politically, individual influencers and small groups can increasingly mobilize extremist sentiments to leverage themselves into power, as more saliently evidenced in the rise of Donald Trump.” They continue to say that this influence is mediated across esoteric assemblies of secret algorithms, corporate lobbying, government psychological operations, and emotional engineering. Cuss Group expresses that the concept of the influencer is vague and functionally endless. They state that the influencer seems to be a strategy of power that is flawlessly aligned for the era of augmented reality which is mediated through social media experiences as well as the Internet.

    Their aim however is not to create a literal, sociological treatise but to examine the various facets found in contemporary influence through the use of an extended metaphor. “We want to use the genre tropes of science fiction and horror to map the surreal and baroque dimensions of influence.” ‘Fully Automated Luxury Influencer’ focuses on the parasitic aspects of influencer culture, of a cognitive virus infestation, that distorts and re-creates a new reality in perverse ways. Their approach to this project was influenced by the tradition of pulp films with a political narrative. Specifically they list ‘They Live to Get Out’ a film depicting monstrosity that functions as grotesque commentary on a twisted reality as inspiration.

    ‘Fully Automated Luxury Influencer’ is set in a postcolonial Johannesburg metropolis, embodying the extremes of late capitalism. Decaying slums are towered over with menace by shiny corporate headquarters, threatening over the site like large unwelcome spaceships. Toxic mine dumps frame paranoid suburbs and the noiseless streets are fortified by military grade technology. The film shows however, that the city is also a cultural hub and the home of the latest mutations in style and sound. “With the help of the production network we already have in the city, we will tap into this aesthetic to produce a story of influence running amok.” It is a natural step for Cuss Group to move into influencer culture as their practice has always been deeply rooted in Internet culture and digital technology.

    Made up of three chapters, the film will be presented as a multiple screen installation from the 11th to the 14th October 2017 at The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Maboneng. The Cuss film experience will consist of live music, performances and DJ sets transporting sonic and visual narrative into real life. After each screening there will be an after party with musicians who formed a part of the film such as Zamani Xolo and Desire Marea from FAKA.

    Book Now For This Immersive Film Experience

    Credits

    Christopher McMichael – screenwriter

    Ravi Govender – Director/editor

    Jamal Nxedlana– art direction/director

    Lex Trickett – DIT/visual effects

    Zamani Xolo – sound design

    Allison Swank – Producer

    Mandisi Msingaphantsi – art direction

    Kutlwano Makgalemele– cinematographer

    Liezl Durand – sound

    Orli Meiri – make up

    Marchay Linderoth – hair

    Mimi Duma – hair

    Ndivhuwo Mokono – gaffer

    Nomxolisi Masango – camera assistant

    Sibusiso Mazibuko (CamChild) – camera assistant

    Ronewa Nekhambele – spark

    Vusani Mphepo – spark

    Wandisile (Wander) Boo – Production assistant

    Bobby Kamnga – Production Assitant

    Marcia Elizabeth – Art Asst./wardrobe

    Lebo Ramfate – art asst.

    Alex Higgins – drone operator

    actors:

    Amanda – Lisle Collins

    Oliver – Zenzelisphesihle “Sparky” Xulu

    Stakka – Langa Mavuso

    Felix – Jordan Major

    Security Official – Gerard Bester

    Security Official – Patricia Boyer

    Scientist – Haleigh Evans

    Syringe Scientist – Ayanda Nhlapo

    Nguni Security Guard (driver) – Nhlanhla

    Nguni Guard 2 – Cornwell Zulu

    Nguni Gaurd 3 – Thulani Zwane

    Robber – Desire Marea

    Street Vendor – Sparks

    Party extras:

    Themba Mashele

    Siya Myaka

    Barney Modise