Embodiment
MARGUERITE KIRSTEN WINS ABSA L’ATELIER
SA R36,90 (incl. VAT) - October 2018
10018 9
771607
519004
BUILDING A LEGACY BUSKAID: 21 YEARS LATER
2 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Congratulations to the Absa L’Atelier finalists 2018
CONTENTS
COVER IMAGE Embodiment, Marguerite Kirsten. Copper, urine, laboratory glassware, LED lights and medical interview and sounds. 200 x 160 x 200cm COURTESY Absa
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cover story 18 EXCEPTIONAL SA WOMEN CLAIM TOP SPOTS IN ABSA L’ATELIER AWARDS In a prodigious event in September, the highly-
Cape Town and Johannesburg this November.
42 BECOMING FREDDIE: A NEW BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic
the five winners who will soon be making their
songs and revolutionary sound.
way to various residencies.
46 #ARTMYJOZI The JDA and Trinity Session continue to bring art to Johannesburg.
BUILDING A LEGACY
50 IMPECCABLE QUALITY & PROVENANCE A magisterial floral still life by Irma Stern, South Africa’s
Buskaid’s 21-year legacy is a unique coming-of-age
foremost painter, is the highlight of Strauss & Co’s
story; from humble beginnings to today’s thriving
bountiful crop of offerings at its forthcoming spring sale
Academy of String Teaching and Performance, a
in Cape Town on 15 October.
heart of Soweto.
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the East, Profeti della Quinta will be performing in
eleven exceptional young artists and announced
world-renowned music ensemble situated in the
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In high demand in America, England, Europe and
sought-after Absa L’Atelier awards honoured
arts and culture 26
THE PROFETI ARE COMING
JOSH GROBAN: BRIDGES
52 THE MTN FOUNDATION & UJ CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS Last year, the University of Johannesburg and MTN
Internationally renowned singer, songwriter and
Foundation were Shifting Conversations, this October they
actor, Josh Groban has just released his highly
have brought even more artworks out of both institutions’
anticipated eighth studio album, Bridges.
collections for an exhibition and development programme
LOVE IS HERE TO STAY Tony Bennett and Diana Krall celebrate their
titled Continuing Conversations.
56 PAPER IMPROVISATIONS IN COLOUR
shared love of the music of George and Ira
Artist and PhD candidate Kolodi Senong examines John
Gershwin on their new collaborative album, Love Is
Vusi Mfupi’s artistic practice, with a particular focus on
Here To Stay.
his most recent works.
4 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Roberto Vaccaro: Panzer Cat 3 | 200x175x80cm | Mixed Metal Sculpture (Leopard walking along a branch) | 2018
EXPONENTS OF CONTEMPORARY ART 11 ALICE LANE | SANDTON | SOUTH AFRICA gallery@bermancontemporary.co.za | 010 880 2580
CONTENTS
74 MNCEDISI SHABANGU ON TELLING THE STORY OF TSHEPANG WITH HONESTY AND INTEGRITY Written and directed by Lara Foot, the multi-
58 ART, SILVER AND ANTIQUE BOOKS HIGHLIGHTED AT STEPHAN WELZ & CO.’S OCTOBER AUCTION
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award-winning production Tshepang: The Third Testament comes to The Fringe at Joburg Theatre in October, starring the original cast, Mncedisi Shabangu and Nonceba Constance Didi, in a
Stephan Welz & Co.’s spring sale in Cape
haunting and uplifting story.
Town features a number of highlights, across numerous categories, that are sure to pique the interest of collectors.
A RETURN TO MAKING Now in its ninth year, the 2018 Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair (SHMC) will celebrate a ‘return to making’ this October.
68 EXCITING TIMES AHEAD FOR CAPE TOWN BALLET Debbie Turner, one of the South African dance
lifestyle and entertainment 78 79
contributors 46
THE ART OF PERFORMANCE
Dave Mann looks at the role of sound in the arts.
community’s most respected names, has been
54
announced as the new CEO of Cape Town City Ballet
Ruarc Peffers uses William Kentridge’s enormously
RISE: A STORY OF HOPE For the first time since 2014, Gregory Maqoma will present a work at Vuyani Week in 2018.
COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE successful career as a case study for investing in art.
(CTCB) and took up her post on 1 October.
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BOOK REVIEWS CD REVIEWS
72
ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES
Ismail Mahomed congratulates the Market Photo Workshop and Dada Masilo on their Prince Claus Awards.
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LITERARY LANDSCAPES Science and the arts are two complementary disciplines, Indra Wussow explores their connectedness throughout history.
6 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Maggie Laubser, Cat and Pumpkin R1 500 000 - 2 000 000
Important South African and International Art, Decorative Arts and Jewellery including a selection of paintings from the Labia Family Collection and the Late Peter and Regina Strack Collection
Auction, Monday 15 October 2018, The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands Preview 12-14 October, 10am - 5pm Walkabouts 13-14 October at 11am
Lectures
12 October at 12 noon 13-14 October at 2.30pm
www.straussart.co.za
Strauss & Co: The global leader in the South African art market
Enquiries
021 683 6560 ct@straussart.co.za
EDITOR’S NOTE
CELEBRATIONS AND SUCCESS
W
ith the current doom and gloom of accusations, suspensions and
the Minister of Arts and Culture’s intervention being so gleefully reported in newspapers and on social media platforms, now is the time to look at the great successes achieved by arts organisations in South Africa over the last 20 years and, in some cases, even longer. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that mismanagement and poor governance need to be made public and be addressed. After all, it is our
tax money that is being misused. At the end of the line, it is our fragile arts scene that suffers. For us at Creative Feel, it is a difficult scenario as we know many of the people who are being accused at the moment
and Rosemary Nalden’s 21-year anniversary, we decided to
quite personally and, in many cases, have admired what they
go all-out and set aside enough pages in the magazine to
have achieved within their mandates. As a small publishing
make a real impact for them. It helps, of course, to have such
company, we do not have the manpower to set aside the
beautiful images, taken by Graham De Lacy.
hours it would take to follow the investigations and to report
We have followed this amazing music academy right
on them – and, in many cases, to also check the actual facts.
from their first few, quite humble, years and feel very proud
At the same time we do know that scandal would sell many
to be part of what these amazing children have achieved
more copies of the magazine and increase our social media
together with their teachers. Very often the key to success
presence, that’s just human nature.
is Passion with a capital ‘P’, without that passion there is no
So, once again, we will leave that type of reporting to the
success. So, stay with us to see many more amazing stories
mainstream media houses and rather stick to what Creative
in the world of the arts, there are many special anniversaries
Feel is good at and celebrate the successes and achievements
being celebrated right now and also right through 2019.
of the arts world – and there are many! Here, again, we got
We shall overcome the doom of gloom and, instead,
to know the people who are involved personally and witness
spend the next few months engaging with the amazing
first-hand their passion and dedication to their projects.
NGOs who have built strong foundations and lasting
We have worked with them for the last 17 years, ever since
legacies; NGOs who are sustainable, successful and who
the very first issue of what was then called Classic Feel in
are truly South African ambassadors.
September 2001. When we were asked to celebrate Buskaid
8 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Lore
TONY BENNETT AND DIANA KRALL CELEBRATE THE GERSHWINS ON THEIR NEW COLLABORATIVE ALBUM
AVAILABLE NOW
TEAM PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lore Watterson; lore@desklink.co.za COPUBLISHER & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Chris Watterson; chris@desklink.co.za DEPUTY EDITOR Tamaryn Greer; tammy@desklink.co.za DIGITAL CONTENT CURATOR Angelia Muller; angelia@desklink.co.za ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL CONTENT: Ismail Mahomed Indra Wussow Dave Mann SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Zama-Africa Mkhize; zama@desklink.co.za SALES & MARKETING sales@desklink.co.za, sales@creativefeel.co.za Tshepang Ralekgari; tshepang@desklink.co.za DESIGN Leigh Forrest; leigh@desklink.co.za DISPATCH Khumbulani Dube SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION subs@creativefeel.co.za Published by DeskLink™ Media PO Box 3670, Randburg, 2125 Tel: 011 787 0252 Fax: 011 787 8204 www.creativefeel.co.za
We love this! Rainbow beads earrings by Erika Wessels, available from Tinsel Gallery. Tinsel has been chosen as the Featured Designer of the jewellery pavilion at this year's Sanlam
www.desklink.co.za Printed and bound by
, a Novus Holdings
Company © Copyright DeskLink™ Media The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
Handmade Contemporary Fair. 'This year's theme is "a return to making" which we are very happy to get behind, since we have always been champions of handmade,
While every last effort has been made to check that
one-of-a-kind local jewellery,' says Tinsel.
the information in this magazine is correct at the time
At their stand, visitors will be able to see some of the jewellers at work handcrafting some special pieces at the show. They will also be hosting workshops where you can make your own piece of paper jewellery.
10 / Creative Feel / October 2018
of going to press, the publisher and their agents will not be held liable for any damages incurred through any inaccuracies.
Alexis Preller, Adam, 1972, oil on canvas, 102 x 102 cm, R8 000 000 – 10 000 000
SPRING AUCTION
Johannesburg | 28 October 2018 Historic, Modern & Contemporary Art PUBLIC PREVIEW 25 – 28 OCTOBER ENQUIRIES & SALE CONTACT JOHANNESBURG +27 11 243 5243 enquiries@aspireart.net
www.aspireart.net
VENUE | Gordon Institute of Business Science 26 Melville Road, Illovo, Johannesburg
Peaceful Music
Max Richter
Ólafur Arnalds
Joep Beving
A new playlist for the mindful listener Universal Music Group recently launched the new, ever-evolving Peaceful Music playlist on Apple Music. This is the first playlist brand to be co-created by Universal Music Group in conjunction with Apple Music and a host of leading artist ambassadors.
P
eaceful Music is a living, breathing collection of
classical and alternative popular musical styles. Following
contemporary and calming music, specially curated
his groundbreaking Sleep project – an eight-hour journey
by today’s leading composers and superstar artists
through a full night’s rest, he is one of the most prolific
of the genre. Pioneering composer Max Richter
musical artists, an iconic curator for the first iteration of
is the first artist ambassador to preside over Peaceful Music,
Peaceful Music.
making expert selections to provide listeners with moments of calm and inner focus. With more legendary and exciting names due to join the movement, Peaceful Music is for everyone and available now exclusively via Apple Music. Peaceful Music is a one-stop playlist for those looking to relax and reclaim some tranquillity. Whether on the commute to work, studying for an exam, or even for a yoga class, listeners will be safe in the knowledge that they have found the home of the highest quality soundtrack from an innovative new genre of artists. The mix of contemporary,
“Launching the playlist as the first artist ambassador is the world’s leading classical composer, the most in-demand writer of his generation, Max Richter”
ambient, chill out, and electronic music is perfect for the mindful listener and lets Peaceful Music do the work for them. Launching the playlist as the first artist ambassador is
‘The Peaceful Music playlist ranges widely but all the
the world’s leading classical composer, the most in-demand
track selections share a common fingerprint – they don’t
writer of his generation, Max Richter. As one of the most
flood your consciousness and leave enough space for you
respected names in the field, Richter is the influential voice
to think,’ says Richter. ‘It’s like a landscape that enables the
in post-minimalist composition, melding contemporary
listener to find a place to rest and reflect.’ CF
12 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 13
Your escape from the ‘hustle and bustle’
N
estled on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg mountain range, this stunningly beautiful boutique hotel is hidden away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Gauteng. At Casta Diva, people come together to have fun and relax…
Casta Diva Boutique Hotel’s 29 luxurious rooms are all
air-conditioned. With its beautiful garden, frequent on-site entertainment, and access to hiking trails on the mountain, Casta Diva truly offers an escape from the hectic cities. Little treasures and many hidden nooks can be found spread across the property (which is almost two hectares); among breathtaking views and serene surroundings. Perfect for a ‘retreat’ on any day of the week. With spring now here, the Jacaranda trees are quickly turning the property purple. Take that special someone, enjoy a weekend away at Pretoria’s best-kept secret, and experience the elegance
Boutique Hotel A unique venue, nestled high on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg amidst peaceful and tranquil surroundings that offer stunning views and an unsurpassed setting of natural beauty and elegance in an oasis of peace and serenity in the city.
and rejuvenation of Casta Diva Boutique Hotel. Casta Diva’s Charisma Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from à la carte menus. Charisma delivers exactly what its name suggests – charm, personality, appeal, magnetism and allure. The restaurant is open to the public but booking for this delightful restaurant is essential. On Stage at Casta Diva’s Vissi d’Arte Theatre in October: Baritone Duo presents Pick a Song on Sunday 7 October at 15:00 Spring is most definitely here and the celebrations are still underway. Baritone Duo, Dikgang Mantoro and Thabang Senekal, will pick up where they left off with their concert at Casta Diva in September. This time, they will be letting the audience ‘pick a
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song’. To encourage audience members to join in the celebration and feel part of the performance, the Baritone Duo will have a top hat available that the audience can randomly pick songs from for them to sing. This promises to be an exciting concert – not even the performers know what is planned! A Night In Paris on Saturday 27 October at 19:30 This powerful show, starring poised and powerful performer Tonya Koenderman, encapsulates the love of drama and romance as only the French can. It features songs from the ever passionate Édith Piaf: ‘La Vie En Rose’, ‘Mon Dieu’, ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’, ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘La Foule’. Not to be forgotten are classics from Jacques Brel such as ‘Ne me quitte pas’ or Charles Aznavour’s ‘Quiet Love’. On a lighter note, Koenderman will portray the fun and folly of Paris with classics such as ‘C’est si bon’, ‘Habanera’, and the ever-sassy ‘Le Jazz Hot’. The show is half English and half French, so those without a flair for the French language can still understand and be transported by this poised and powerful performer. A Night in Paris is sheer entertainment and is bound to pull at your heartstrings. To book, call 012 542 4449, email info@castadiva.co.za or Whatsapp: 081 542 4449. CF
14 / Creative Feel / October 2018
The Baritone Duo:
Dikgang Mantoro & Thabang Senekal
Casta Diva’s Vissi D’Arte Theatre takes its name from the famous soprano’s aria from Act II of Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. The aria begins with ‘I lived for my art, I lived for love, I never did harm to a living soul!’ It is only natural, then, that the main focus of the venue is the exposure and development of arts and culture. The Baritone Duo, made up of Dikgang Mantoro and Thabang Senekal, are regular performers at the theatre, and proof of Casta Diva’s commitment to artists while providing quality entertainment to their guests. Dikgang Mantoro
Thabang Senekal
D
ikgang Mantoro was born in Parys in the Free State.
Thabang Senekal also originates from the Free State, having
After finishing school, he went to Bloemfontein,
been born in Bloemfontein. He started his singing career at
initially studying mechanical engineering, but he was
the age of 9, singing in school choirs as well as with the Good
introduced to opera and fell in love with it. Mantoro’s
Male Singers and the Dinakangwedi Church Choir where he
sister encouraged him to audition for the Free State Musicon,
was a conductor. In 2001, he too started vocal training with
where he did well. He left his studies in mechanical engineering
Theunissen and early in 2003, he passed an audition for the
behind and studied opera under Wilhelm Theunissen. His first
BTE’s Incubator Scheme where he received vocal coaching from
major performance was at the Macufe Festival in 2002/03
Eric Muller and was also mentored by Coertse and Hansen.
After three years of studying with Theunissen, in 2004,
Following the completion of his three years in the Incubator
Mantoro travelled to Pretoria to audition for the Black Tie
Scheme, in 2007 Senekal joined BTE as a soloist. He has since
Ensemble (BTE) and was accepted into their Incubator
then been involved with several BTE productions, including
Scheme. Here he spent three years training under the
An Edwardian Soiree and An Autumn Enchantment, and he
leadership of South African opera legends like Mimi Coertse
performed on the first Black Tie Ensemble DVD, Bravo Mozart.
and the late Neels Hansen. In his third year, he sang the role
He has performed in numerous full-length operas,
of Belcore in the BTE production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.
including La bohème, Gianni Schicchi, Die Fledermaus,
After his successful third-year assessment, Mantoro was
La traviata, Suzanne’s Secret and Lucia di Lammermoor,
soon offered a position as a BTE senior soloist. He has done
some of which he has performed the title role. In 2009, he
many full-length productions, such as La bohème, Gianni
participated in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere
Schicchi, The Barber of Seville, Lucia di Lammermoor, Cavalleria
Singing Competition and was chosen to take masterclasses
rusticana, Pagliacci, and The Merry Widow, to name a few. On 28
with world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming. Since
April 2011, he was a member of the cast for the world premiere
becoming a freelance artist in 2011, he has performed the
of Winnie the Opera. Later on in that year, he was a soloist in the
role of Nelson Mandela in Madiba the African Opera and has
BTE production One Voice: An African Celebration, and joined
toured Denmark.
the ensemble in various other productions such as The Tribute Concert for Mimi Coertse and Forté: Power of the Voice.
The Baritone Duo will perform Pick a Song at Casta Diva on Sunday 7 October at 15:00. CF Creative Feel / October 2018 / 15
The Nutcracker
is a sparkling treat for the whole family with Joburg Ballet Joburg Ballet brings to life one of the most popular and beloved classical ballets in the world with an enchanting new production of The Nutcracker for ten performances from 5 to 14 October at Joburg Theatre. With exquisite dancing, sumptuous sets and Tchaikovsky’s captivating music played live by the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, The Nutcracker promises to be an unforgettable treat for children and adults alike.
C
horeographed by Angela Malan, a former senior principal dancer with Joburg Ballet, The Nutcracker will transport audiences to a fairy-tale world, as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince dance through
snowflakes, journey to the kingdom of sweets, encounter waltzing flowers and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. ‘I want this production to showcase all the wonder and magic of The Nutcracker, while at the same time capturing the timelessness of the great classical ballet tradition,’ says Malan. ‘I’m creating a sparkling new version for Joburg Ballet, while remaining faithful to the original 19th-century classic.’ Beautiful new sets and lighting by designer Wilhelm Disbergen will bring this magical world to life on stage, while conductor Eddie Clayton and the full Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra will conjure Tchaikovsky’s shimmering score at nine out of ten performances. The 11:00 performance on 9 October is without the JPO and will be to recorded music while the company films the production for DVD release – sure to prove a popular Christmas gift for dance lovers. The JPO is generously sponsored for the Nutcracker season by The Michel Tesson Performing Arts Trust. ‘I’m really looking forward to working with both South Africa’s premier ballet company and the finest orchestra in the country,’ Clayton says. ‘This will be my first time conducting Tchaikovsky’s famous music and it promises to be a glorious and joyous production at Joburg Theatre.’ The role of Fritz, Clara’s brother, will be shared throughout the season between Joburg Ballet School students Jayden Samuels and Otsile Lekasapa, while other children from the school will have the chance to gain some valuable stage experience performing at five of the ten shows, including on opening night. Joburg Ballet offers its usual range of affordable ticket
Keep up to date with all Joburg Ballet’s news on
options for The Nutcracker, including half price on opening night,
www.joburgballet.com / Twitter @JoburgBallet / Facebook
two budget-priced morning matinees with all seats just R100 and
@JoburgBalletCompany / Instagram @joburgballet
discounts for pensioners and groups. You can see the company’s DVD catalogue, which includes Giselle, Snow White and Carmen, on the Friends of the Ballet website – fotb.co.za CF
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#ArtMyJozi
ArtMyJozi
City of Johannesburg Johannesburg Development Agency No 3 Helen Joseph Street The Bus Factory Newtown Johannesburg, 2000
PO Box 61877 Marshalltown 2107
Tel +27(0) 11 688 7851 (O) Fax +27(0) 11 688 7899/63 www.joburg.org.za
Exceptional SA women claim top spots in Absa L’Atelier awards In a prodigious event in September, the highly-sought-after Absa L’Atelier awards honoured eleven exceptional young artists and announced the five winners, who will soon be making their way to various residencies across the globe.
20 / Creative Feel / October 2018
M
arguerite Kirsten, a fine artist from Cape Town, fought off stiff competition from visual artists from across Africa to take top honours in the 2018 Absa L’Atelier awards for her work
Embodiment. Her compatriot, Philiswa Lila, a fine artist and scholar from the Eastern Cape (based in Gauteng), walked away with this year’s Gerard Sekoto Award for her work Self-Titled. The three Merit Award winners this year were Stacey Gillian Abe of Uganda (Seat of Honour), Henry Obeng of Ghana (Recycle Frame 2) and Kirsten Eksteen of South Africa (Patterns and Pattern Body). These three artists, along with overall winner Marguerite Kirsten, Carli Bassin (SA) (Shaped), Lemeeze Davids (SA) (Thank you for my lunch), Christiaan Kritzinger (SA) (Meltdown: new aesthetics in old landscapes), Ayo Akinwande (Nigeria) (Shrine), Lodewyk Barkhuizen (SA) (Hat disguised as map), and Sikelela Damane (SA) (Toyi, Toyi, Act 1) were selected as the Top 10 finalists for 2018.
“Bringing to light the best art on the continent, lighting up the careers of artists from all over Africa, putting the spotlight firmly on African artists for more than three decades, and investing in Africa’s creative economy for this length of time, all represent the spirit of Africanacity.”
The Absa L’Atelier awards have become a touchstone for the concerns consuming young people on the continent. Works referencing hairstyles as a form of expression, identity and a site of contestation were prominent in previous years
identity. ‘Bringing to light the best art on the continent,
and remained important to a number of this year’s entrants,
lighting up the careers of artists from all over Africa, putting
such as Nonkululeko Sibande, Lebohang Motaung (both from
the spotlight firmly on African artists for more than three
South Africa) and Darlyne Komukama (Uganda).
decades, and investing in Africa’s creative economy for
Some artworks offered insights into the particular
this length of time, all represent the spirit of Africanacity.
conditions and contexts from the artist’s countries of origin
These are the physical manifestations of the inspirational
– constant power outages in Lagos, Nigeria, accounted for
Africanacity idea in action,’ he says.
the unexpected metaphor between electricity generators and
The Absa L’Atelier art competition is jointly sponsored
religious shrines by Ayo Akinwande, for example. Pressing
by Absa and the South African National Association for the
political issues regarding land ownership in South Africa
Visual Arts (SANAVA), and is one of the longest-running
surfaced in works by Vianca Malan, Mhlonishwa Chiliza,
and most prestigious visual arts competitions on the African
Karla Nixon and Ciara Struwig, while forced removals
continent. It was established in South Africa 33 years ago,
and land ownership were mirrored in Bya’bazzukulu (For
but in recent years has been expanded to include a number
Grandchildren) by Donald Wasswa.
of other African countries in order to reach more young
Challenging fixed gender roles was again a prominent theme, as seen in the work of Mzoxolo Mayongo and Matimu Lloyd Maluleke. These artworks affirm not only
artists and further the unparalleled opportunities it affords those who participate in the competition. ‘The Absa L’Atelier awards embrace emerging artists from
the dominance of sociopolitical discourse, but the artists’
our continent. This competition has become the voice and lens
perceptions that contemporary practice is irretrievably tied
through which we experience and access various societies, and
to addressing them.
has rendered the borders between our country and the rest of
Absa L’Atelier has been shining a light on promising young African artists’ work for over 33 years. Not only do the awards
Africa, porous,’ says Avitha Sooful, president of SANAVA. This year was the first time that the awards were
identify bright young talent but they provide a solid foundation
extended to include Nigeria and Namibia. The newcomers
for the further growth of these artists’ potential, giving them
really shone, with a vast number of outstanding pieces
the opportunity to step into the spotlight on the world stage.
catching the eye of the adjudicators, who appreciated their
By highlighting the work of new artists from the African continent, Absa L’Atelier proves that they are committed to taking work from where it may have been unknown, in the dark, and presenting it to a global audience – bringing it to light. Dr Paul Bayliss, Absa Art and Museum Curator, says this idea is also in line with the ethos of Absa’s new Africanacity
interpretation of ‘the contemporary’ with the African visual art context. A total of twelve countries now participate in the competition which, aside from Nigeria and Namibia, include South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, Seychelles and Mozambique. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 21
FINDING DIGNITY IN DISEASE Marguerite Kirsten has won the overall Absa
L’Atelier prize for her installation, Embodiment.
22 / Creative Feel / October 2018
FIRST PRIZE Six months in Paris R330 000 and a return ticket to Paris The prize money must be used for a study term of between three and six months in the studio apartment at the CitĂŠ Internationale des Arts, available when the winner leaves for Paris
E
mbodiment is a piece that is highly personal to Marguerite Kirsten. Having been born with kidney problems and living with Chronic Kidney Disease, Kirsten has spent a lot of her life in and out of hospitals
and medical institutions. ‘My work is investigated by the internal workings (or the disappointment) of my own body,’ she says. ‘The materials I use in my art installations, such as various bodily fluids (urine), copper and glass, represent the ephemeral nature of my body and therefore, [as the materials decay over time], reminding viewers of their own visceral flesh. My work references how the body is rendered abject through the psychological effects of the medical industry, specifically my own body. Embodiment attempts to strengthen and dignify my body, which has become an object and instrument of the medical institution. In this work, my presence is rendered through using [urine] which references my medical condition.’ Embodiment consists of laboratory glassware placed on an elaborate structure made using copper plumbing tubing – alluding to the euphemistic term for one’s urinary system as one’s ‘plumbing’. The medical test tubes contain her urine as well as her sister’s. ‘Her diseased body also inspired me, as she has gone through leukaemia and had partial kidney failure,’ she says. The installation also includes a soundscape – a heart rate monitor is heard as well as a muffled conversation between Kirsten and one of her doctors. In creating this piece, Kirsten has also attempted to find ways to better communicate with those around her about what is going on in her body. ‘I realised that to dignify myself is to tell people about it and communicate about it rather than hiding it.’ A big influence in creating Embodiment is ‘being a bit more vulnerable and looking for those spaces to be vulnerable, but also being comfortable in having that vulnerability.’ This frankness was encouraged by Isabel Mertz, her university supervisor, who is a past recipient of the Absa L’Atelier
Embodiment, Marguerite Kirsten. Copper, urine, laboratory glassware, LED lights and medical interview and sounds. 200 x 160 x 200cm
Gerard Sekoto Award and created the trophies given to this year’s five award winners. ‘[Isabel] really pushed and motivated me to make this piece and be more vulnerable with it. She gave me the confidence to enter. ‘I didn’t believe I could be in the Top 10… I still have “what the hell is happening?” moments. It means everything, it means a lot. I think it is a starting point for me and has made my confidence as an artist very stable,’ says Kirsten. Congratulations to an incredible young artist, this award is so deserved and we will certainly be watching her career closely! Kirsten grew up in Blouberg in the Western Cape in a family of ‘creative minds’. She graduated with a Fine Arts Degree last year from the University of Stellenbosch and is currently busy with her Master’s. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 23
Self-Titled, Philiswa Lila. Beads. 7 x 116 x 38cm
HEALING THROUGH THE SELF Self-Titled by Philiswa Lila has won her the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award.
S
GERARD SEKOTO AWARD Three months in Paris The Alliance Française, the Institut Français Afrique
elf-Titled forms part of Philiswa Lila’s series entitled
du Sud and the French Embassy sponsor the Gerard
Self-Portraits, which ‘relates to my name Philiswa,
Sekoto Award for a South African artist who has
meaning “be healed”. I used my name to explore
demonstrated continual improvement in the quality
the nuances of language, meaning and experiences
of their entry year-on-year in the Absa L’Atelier
of individualism,’ says Lila. ‘A name carries with it different
competition.
narratives in relation to diverse surroundings.
This prize consists of a return flight ticket to
‘Self-Portraits is an ongoing project about individual
Paris, three months’ stay in the Cité Internationale
experiences as recognisable or familiar to collective
des Arts, nationwide touring exhibitions, Institut
frameworks of culture – mainly in isiXhosa but also aware of
Français Afrique du Sud language lessons. The Cité
the interconnectedness of cultures in South Africa,’ says Lila.
Internationale des Arts in Paris residencies are made
‘Many of the techniques used in this artwork are linked
available by SANAVA.
to forms which will fit the body. I see the body as an anchor to which most beadwork, text and wood are attached or interrelated. Moreover, in this project bodies are involved in ceremony – a life and/or art concept.’ Lila has worked with the medium of beads for quite a while, originally working with it in a two-dimensional way or for performance pieces. The main thread that runs through
To have made it into the Top Ten is an incredible feat in itself, says Lila. ‘It builds your confidence and it means people are seeing potential in your work. So I am very lucky and appreciative of this.’ Philiswa Lila was born in 1988 in Port Elizabeth, South
all of the pieces she creates, however, is getting to know
Africa and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Art History
herself better. The process of creating plays a big role in this
at Rhodes University. She holds a B. Tech in Fine and Applied
self-reflection. ‘It is very meditative as well as strenuous,’
Art from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and
she says. ‘Within that, there is a lot of thinking as I am
an Honours Degree in Curatorship from the University of
working.’
Cape Town. CF
24 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Stacey Gillian Abe. Photographic stills. 50 x 50cm
A SEAT OF HONOUR With Seat of Honour, Stacey Gillian Abe takes home the Absa L’Atelier First Merit Award.
FIRST MERIT AWARD A three-month residency at the Bag Factory Artists’ Studio, a return flight to Johannesburg and a monthly stipend
S
tacey Gillian Abe’s concepts highlight the mind’s suppleness as seen as autobiographical and drawn from past experiences; they attempt to critique stereotypical depictions of her as a black woman. These materialise into created imagined spaces that instigate a surreal mystical feel to the work at their best borne
of two realms contrasting and complementing each other. The work probes unsettling narratives on the subject of identity and gender. On Seat
of Honor – ‘I am not who I believe to be, I am lacked to a place of influence, to hunt deep inside for my soul. I am torn between what is and what could be. As I conjure and manifest my inner being, I encounter and come to be that which you must only feel, only see through my eyes. But fertility and loss of youth, the urge to keep my ripeness is traded for my sanity and sanctity. I will take the throne with all might and blistering pain and seat on my vaginas, my womanly essence and feel them pressed hard against my balls (sic).’ Abe lives and works in Uganda. She graduated with a BA Honours in Art and Industrial Design from Kyambogo University Kampala, Uganda, in 2014. Her installations and performances integrate man and the spiritual realm and the belief that these spheres influence and form our individual identities. She has incorporated a metaphorical and experimental approach to her work through her interest in exploring new techniques with parallel mediums like glass and ceramics, fibres, textures and light photography. They draw attention to the hand-made through the method of tying together and binding, stitching, clustering and pairing, which are then assembled and layered. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 25
Recycle Frame 2, Henry Obeng. Handmade paper from jute. 182 x 152cm
RECYCLING STORIES
Henry Obeng and his artwork Recycle Frame 2 have won the Absa L’Atelier Second Merit Award.
G
SECOND MERIT AWARD
hanaian artist Henry Obeng graduated with a BA Fine Art with a focus on sculpture
Two months on the Island of Sylt
from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2016. Following
The Sylt Foundation Residency
his graduation, he worked as a teaching assistant to a paper-making lecturer and then
This prize includes a return
interned with Mary Hack, Professor in Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin,
flight to Germany and a
when she was working in her studio in Ghana. His work Recycle Frame 2 is influenced by his community and the people around him. The drainage systems in Ghana are unreliable, so when it rains there are often floods. To create this work, he first photographed aspects of these drainage systems and then printed the image on paper that he had handmade from bamboo found at the site where he took the image – ‘to have a link between the paper and the image,’ he says. In repurposing the bamboo, he also looks at how those living in Ghana use recycling. ‘I am inspired by the way that people in the area find creative ways to adapt to the environment. This is often done by sourcing or repurposing materials from the same space. While people are answering a basic need, they are also telling their own stories. ‘The individuals in the community, therefore, solve problems in artistic ways – sometimes even subconsciously – and this has inspired me to make work using materials and repurposing them so that I can tell my own story,’ says Obeng. ‘Showcasing your work in Ghana is quite difficult and there are fewer competitions you can go to, but as an artist, you are supposed to have solo exhibitions right? The Absa L’Atelier has given me a platform to showcase my work, not just in Ghana but across Africa,’ he says. ‘ I am just so impressed that my work has been accepted not just in Ghana but across Africa and that people are appreciating the work.’ CF
26 / Creative Feel / October 2018
monthly stipend
Patterns, Kirsten Eksteen. Metal installation. 50 x 167 x 50cm
Pattern Body, Kirsten Eksteen. Metal print. 59 x 84cm
THE PATTERN AS BODY
For her two works, Patterns and Pattern Body, Kirsten Eksteen has been awarded the Absa L’Atelier Third Merit Award.
K
irsten Eksteen made history at this year’s L’Atelier when two of her artworks made it into the top ten. Usually, only one work per artist is chosen, but this year’s judges felt both were equally deserving and, in a sense, are connected to one another.
Eksteen’s mother was a pattern-maker, and as such she ‘grew up under the pattern-
making table’ and also witnessed first-hand the slow death of the clothing industry. Through her work Pattern Body, Eksteen says that she taps into her ‘younger self’s perception of the pattern as a “body”. I view it as a “family member” as it’s been visually accessible to me, gathering in the living room from a young age. The pattern speaks of life among the death within the clothing industry. These images shed light on how
THIRD MERIT AWARD
the pattern has found itself in the home since the majority of clothing factories have
One month in New York
liquidated. The empty seat next to the pattern body depicts the absent presence within
The Ampersand
the industry. A visual dialogue takes place between subject and object in each image.
Foundation Residency
The empty chair represents the unemployed, while the pattern figure represents the
The prize includes a one month
survival of the home industry.’
residency at the Ampersand
With Patterns, which consists of five life-size rails with hanging sheet metal patterns
Foundation in New York. The
hung on clothing hooks, Eksteen says that ‘the entire installation captures themes of
artist becomes a Fellow of the
erosion, erasure, restoration and preservation. Here erosion is seen as a generative force.
Ampersand Foundation and
The patterns appear as these pseudo bodies which, much like human bodies, require salt
has access to the American
to survive. Salt eats away at the metal yet, at the same time, the salt desperately aims to
Association of Museums (AAM)
preserve the trade and the body that is the pattern. The absurd notion of preservation
card that allows free access to
through erosion therefore occurs. The visual dialogue that occurs between metal and
most museums in New York
salt is what interests me. The materiality of using salt also playfully links back to factory
City. The prize includes return
locations such as Salt River and Atlantis. The metal prints will stand as preservation while
flights to New York City and a
the rusted installation echoes erosion.’
monthly stipend.
Eksteen was born in 1995 in Cape Town. She attended the Peter Clarke Art Centre and is currently working towards a BA Honours at Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 27
Rosemary Nalden PHOTO Graham De Lacy
legacy BUILDING A
28 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Buskaid’s 21-year legacy is a unique coming-ofage story; from humble beginnings to today’s thriving Academy of String Teaching and Performance, a worldrenowned music ensemble situated in the heart of Soweto.
PHOTOS Graham De Lacy
A
s so often, it is the passion and dedication of an
children who were so thirsty for violin lessons and couldn’t
individual person that drives a project to success
turn back, although she says that she doesn’t remember
and recognition. In the case of Buskaid, this
making a conscious decision. ‘I was just captivated and had
person always has been, and still is, Rosemary
this feeling that after having shown them what was possible,
Nalden MBE. In 1992, Nalden, a British viola player, organised a fundraising event for 120 professional musicians, her close-
I couldn’t walk away.’ At the time, Nalden had her own illustrious career,
knit group of friends who all regularly played together, to
playing under such conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir
‘busk’ simultaneously in 16 British Rail stations across the UK.
Roger Norrington, Sir Simon Rattle, Christopher Hogwood,
This fundraiser was in response to a BBC radio interview that
Frans Brüggen and Gustav Leonhardt. Her incredible success,
highlighted the difficulties of a group of young string players
both in her own career and with Buskaid, is truly remarkable.
in Diepkloof, Soweto. Nalden has explained before that there was something
Teaching has always played an important role in Nalden’s professional life and she employs a highly
novel about being a professional musician and going out and
specialised teaching approach, pioneered by the late Paul
playing in a railway station. Nothing like that had happened
Rolland and developed by her close friend Sheila Nelson,
before on that scale. That it was for young children in South
the distinguished British string pedagogue. Her combined
Africa at a very sensitive time really captured people’s
interest in performance practice and teaching has placed her
hearts. When she took the initial monies raised out to the
in a unique position to develop the innate musicianship and
original school in 1992, the country was still coming to terms
stylistic flair of her young South African students.
with the official end to apartheid. She has since described
After the initial busk, the Buskaid Trust was formed
her first visit as ‘a mutual fascination’ that snowballed as her
in the UK in 1992 and further fundraising ventures were
relationships with the children deepened. She was fascinated
organised over the next few years. But when the township
by the whole phenomenon of these incredibly talented
project ran into unresolvable internal difficulties, Nalden
Building legacies
started a new project in one room in a tiny, dilapidated house in Diepkloof in 1997, in response to requests from several of the children and their parents. Around 15 children from the original project formed the nucleus of this new venture; soon many more were applying to join. With the help and support of a number of South African companies and trusts, Buskaid opened its own purpose-built music school in 1999, also in Diepkloof. By then, the number of students had more than doubled, and Nalden was inundated with requests from many more children to join. Today, the school has grown to accommodate 128 students and twelve teachers, of whom the majority are Buskaid musicians. In late 1999, Nalden was joined by Sonja Bass, Buskaid’s current cello and bass teacher. Faced with the challenge of teaching ever-increasing numbers of children, and the reluctance of local teachers to drive into Soweto, Nalden and Bass decided in 2002 to launch an ‘in-house’ teacher-training programme. Since then, every child who is a member of Buskaid, apart from the newest beginners, has been encouraged to learn teaching skills and assist in classes.
30 / Creative Feel / October 2018
PHOTOS Graham De Lacy
It is Nalden who, since 1997, has built Buskaid into an
to five musicians to mark its 200th birthday. Nalden
internationally known music school that has performed for
was given an Honorary Membership for having made a
Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth and then First Lady of the
‘profound difference’ with her work. This is a rare and highly
United States, Michelle Obama.
prestigious award that has been granted to fewer than 140
In 2002, Nalden was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, and in 2003, the University of Auckland’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Also in 2003, Buskaid was named the joint winner of the Most Successful Arts & Culture Trust-funded Project. In 2006, Nalden was Highly Commended in the category
musicians in the past 200 years. In 2015, Buskaid was chosen to receive the 2015 Art Award from the Turquoise Harmony Institute. Over the past 21 years, Buskaid and its partners and sponsors have been nominated for and won numerous Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Awards in recognition
of Community Builder for the UK’s prestigious Beacon
of the incredible work that Buskaid and its sponsors are
Fellowship Awards. In October 2007, Buskaid won the Arts &
doing to uplift and grow the arts in South Africa.
Culture Trusts (ACT) Arts Education Project Award. In 2009, The Buskaid Ensemble was listed by Gramophone
In the school’s profile, Nalden shares that over the past 21 years, The Buskaid Ensemble has undertaken 26
Magazine as one of the world’s ten most inspiring
highly acclaimed international tours and is the only African
orchestras, alongside the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the
classical orchestra ever to have performed at the BBC
London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic,
Proms (2007).
the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar. In 2013, the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) announced that it awarded its most prestigious honour
The Ensemble is well-known for its knowledge of stylistic performance practice, and its unique format of performing classical, classic pop, Afro-pop and township kwela in one concert is a great attraction for its public concerts. Ensemble
Building legacies
PHOTOS Graham De Lacy
members have also created the largest collection of string
While providing a first-class training ground for the
arrangements of traditional township music in South Africa,
exceptional musical talent to be found throughout the
and this is a continuing process. Buskaid musicians are
townships, Buskaid also challenges its members to attain
known for their ability to memorise entire classical works
to high standards in all aspects of their lives, giving them
and perform them with choreographed actions: a further
confidence and a great sense of optimism about their future.
innovative approach to classical performance. In breaking
In all senses, they are role models and fine examples of how
the conventional mould, Buskaid has thus introduced new
a modest endeavour can impact powerfully on both local and
audiences to classical music.
international communities.
Such achievements are a tribute to the young musicians’
Buskaid has also enabled seven of its most talented
dedication and discipline, basic requirements for anyone
students to undertake tertiary study at both the Royal
wishing to master the complex skill of playing a stringed
Northern College of Music, Manchester, and Royal Academy
instrument. Inevitably, this training has a powerful influence
of Music, London. One of these, Samson Diamond, who
on all other aspects of their lives. Many are high achievers in
gained his BMus with Distinction, is now the leader of the
their academic work. These young musicians, who battle with
University of the Free State’s resident string quartet.
problems such as difficult home circumstances, drug abuse and bereavement, find both support and solace at the Music School.
32 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Twenty-one years later, Buskaid will once again be performing their annual concert on 29 September at the
Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg and Creative Feel caught up with Rosemary Nalden to find out more: Creative Feel: Over the past 21 years, which musicians and other people do you feel helped and inspired you? Rosemary Nalden: Without question – my father comes first. Given away by his mother when he was three weeks old, he was brought up in a tough, Victorian-style London orphanage. At 14, he was compulsorily drafted into the Army. Against impossible odds, he gained two Music Doctorates from British universities, before taking his wife and two young children to New Zealand in 1947 to make a new life. He rose to become Professor of Music at Auckland University and founded the first Conservatorium of Music in New Zealand. He was also a fine harpist, French horn player and conductor. He was obstinate, determined and a true pioneer. He has always been with me in spirit. Sheila Nelson, the great British violin pedagogue, was a close personal friend from the early 1970s. Without her mentorship and extraordinary teaching material, quite simply I couldn’t have achieved what I have. Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Roger Norrington, and all my musician colleagues and friends back in the UK, were, and still are, a huge inspiration.
Building legacies
PHOTOS Graham De Lacy
34 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Out here in South Africa, Sonja Bass, our cello and bass
by unemployment, overcrowding, alcohol, drugs, violence
teacher, has been my constant support, friend, and colleague.
against women, etc. We have to pick up the pieces when our
I’ve always maintained that she and I alone understand how
students manifest anti-social, self-destructive behaviour,
tough it is to do what we do. Musician trustees such as Jill
which obviously has an impact on everyone at the school,
Richards, who has devoted countless hours to playing for
because we are such a close-knit community. But I do remind
our exam candidates, and other trustees both here and in
myself at such times that that’s precisely why we are there!
the UK who have worked tirelessly to raise funds… the list of
Some of our students and ex-students have lost their lives
supporters is endless
at a very young age: Gift Moloisane was a talented, naughty, humorous kid who became a drug addict, left Buskaid, and
CF: What have been the most important points for you
came back clean after rehabilitating himself. Just as he was
personally during these years, both highs and lows?
establishing a career in the JPO, he was murdered. When
RM: Definitely more highs than lows! The highs can vary from
you’ve taught and loved someone since he was a child, that’s
the happiness I feel when driving home from Soweto after
really tough!
a really good rehearsal; the moments of near-ecstasy I have experienced in concerts when one of our musicians moves
CF: What are your own personal future plans for the project
me to tears; the thrill of playing to international audiences
and how do you see your legacy surviving and even growing?
(in the UK, Holland, France, Italy , Germany, Ireland, the USA,
RM: From the age of 60 I’ve been saying that I would stay
Brazil, Colombia, Syria, New Zealand) and feeling so proud
just five more years, then retire. I’m afraid the time is fast
when we receive standing ovations (which we always do!);
approaching when there may not be five ‘competent’ years
the excitement of teaching children and young adults and
ahead! I feel confident that Sonja Bass will be the perfect
witnessing their progress as musicians; the fun of teaching a
person to take Buskaid forward, though I know that it will
class of tiny, eager new beginners… Of course, performing at a
be hugely challenging for her. In the meantime, I want to
Prom in the Royal Albert Hall was utterly surreal – I still can’t
help make Buskaid financially secure, continue training
quite believe it happened! And I think it’s also important to
more young teachers, and assist with the building of bigger
highlight the thrill of being awarded a sponsorship: it’s a bit
premises in Diepkloof that we so desperately need. Sadly,
like winning the lottery (not that I know how that feels!).
some other dreams will remain unfulfilled: for years I’ve
The lows are very much to do with feeling constantly
wanted to open an academic school in Diepkloof with an
overwhelmed by work, because my job doesn’t just involve
arts bias, but very strong in core academic subjects. There
teaching! I worry all the time about funding and I’m deeply
are many many problems in the state education system and
involved in this aspect of the organisation. We employ
they have a direct impact on us: children don’t have the time
upwards of a couple dozen young people from Soweto, many
after school and at weekends to come to Buskaid, as they
of whom support their families from their Buskaid earnings.
often have to attend compulsory extra classes at school. We
This is a huge responsibility and it causes me a lot of stress.
recently implemented a tiny move in the right direction.
In addition, we are very understaffed in the Buskaid office
We now employ a part-time tutor to help a few of our pupils
and we all multitask. I find that I have almost no time for
with maths and life science. I would love to develop this as
personal stuff, and I haven’t been able to visit my family in
part of a bigger programme, so that our young musicians
New Zealand for several years.
can enjoy more time out at Buskaid, while receiving the
The other challenges are caused, for the most part,
academic help they need on a one-to-one basis. One thing
by the environment in which we work. We’re waging a
that Buskaid has taught me – if you are really determined,
constant battle against the damage to families wrought
the sky’s the limit! CF
Building legacies
Josh Groban:
Bridges
Internationally renowned singer, songwriter and actor, Josh Groban, has entertained fans across the globe for the last two decades with his multi-platinum albums and DVDs (selling more than 30 million worldwide), electrifying live performances, and comedic film and television appearances. His instantly recognisable voice is unparalleled among his peers – who doesn’t know songs like ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘To Where You Are’, ‘You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)’, ‘Bring Him Home’, ‘You’re Still You’, ‘Believe’, ‘Brave’ and ‘Granted’? With his highly anticipated eighth studio album, Bridges, Groban will continue to enthral his fans.
J
osh Groban says of his new record, Bridges, ‘I wanted
this way and, while the conversation is getting better, it’s not
to find a balance and that’s one of the reasons behind
talked about nearly enough. I hope this song and video are
the title. I’ve always enjoyed singing about light
a reminder that it’s the simple steps, the smallest gestures,
and dark and love and loss as well as friendship. I
that can pull us back to the light. It’s those things for me.
really emphasised choosing the songs and the order to serve a continuity of energy. The album is about learning lessons,
Find your “river”.’ Speaking about the conceptualisation of the music video,
appreciating when love comes your way, being Zen about it when
Groban says, ‘This song is different from anything I’ve ever
love leaves, and keeping a more energetic and positive spirit
recorded, both in style and sonics, and I wanted the video
moving forward. Music has that way of uniting people unlike
to represent the mood of the song and be different as well.
anything else in the world. This time, I felt more comfortable
I have always loved Matt Mahurin’s gorgeous videos. He’s
writing. I’m really conveying my message and story.’
a real artist and has a very special way of shooting and
The first single to be released off the album is ‘River’, in
creating. He connected with the song and I put it in his
which Groban sings about life’s trials and tribulations. The
hands. It’s better than I could have hoped. Very powerful and
music video’s simple but stunning, black-and-white visuals
raw and hopeful at the same time.
emphasise the track’s uplifting lyrics: ‘So I walk down to the
‘I think in some ways it represents the spirit of how the
river / Where the troubles, they can’t find me / Let the waters
album was made. Every song came from such an inspired and
there remind me / The sun will be there when we wake’.
vulnerable place. But “River” is also its own unique stamp on
The message of the song seems to be particularly
the album as well. Steve Jordan produced it and played the
pertinent at the moment with mental health taking greater
drums, and I definitely hope to do more work with him in the
precedence than before and people speaking more openly
future. It was just a very organic studio day. I will say it’s the
about their personal struggles. In an interview with People,
darkest song on the album in mood but in many ways, it’s
Groban opened up and explained: ‘Whenever we have dark
the song I’m most proud of.’
times in our lives, whether we suffer from depression, or
Over the years, Groban’s voice has been described by
addiction, or anxiety, or even just having a really bad day, the
critics as both a tenor and a baritone. Groban’s music can
worst is that it feels like we are suffering alone. In a world of
go as low as G2, and can reach up to at least B4. This places
billions connected by social media, far too many people feel
his voice lower than the tenor range, just short of tenor C,
36 / Creative Feel / October 2018
“Whenever we have dark times in our lives, whether we suffer from depression, or addiction, or anxiety, or even just having a really bad day, the worst is that it feels like we are suffering alone�
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 37
38 / Creative Creative Feel Feel / October / October 20182018 / 38
and above the baritone range. On The Late Show with David Letterman in 2013, he said that he is a high lyric baritone. Groban’s career has spanned nearly 20 years, having been launched when he served as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli at the 1999 GRAMMY Awards, where he rehearsed Foster’s ‘The Prayer’ with Céline Dion. According to his then-manager,
“The album is about learning lessons, appreciating when love comes your way, being Zen about it when love leaves, and keeping a more energetic and positive spirit moving forward” PHOTOS courtesy Warner Music
Brian Avnet, Groban was very nervous about standing in
Groban carry an uplifting message of unity to the heavens
for Bocelli and had to be talked into it, but his performance
and back with inspiring charisma and spirit as the hook.
prompted the show’s hostess, Rosie O’Donnell, to ask him
The standard edition of the record features twelve new
to appear on her show the following week, which then led to
songs, including a historic Italian duet with Andrea Bocelli
an appearance on Ally McBeal. The show’s creator David E.
entitled ‘We Will Meet Once Again’, in addition to the
Kelley wrote the character Malcolm Wyatt for Groban in the
studio recording of the live fan-favourite ‘Run’ featuring
season finale, which aired in May 2001. The character was so
Sarah McLachlan, and a collaboration alongside Sugarland’s
popular, prompting 8 000 emails from viewers, that Groban
Jennifer Nettles, ‘99 Years’.
was asked to return the next season to reprise his role and to perform ‘To Where You Are’. Bridges is, in its entirety, a dynamic, diverse and
The deluxe edition features a soulful and striking cover of Billy Joel’s ‘She’s Always A Woman’, as well as one other song. To bring his vision of the album to life, Groban recorded
definitive body of work. ‘River’ stands out as an emotional
in Los Angeles, London and New York with multiple
track wherein his powerhouse tone underscores the details
producers, including Bernie Herms and Toby Gad, Steve
of the rejuvenating effect of walking to the Hudson River
Jordan, Dan Huff, and others.
alongside his dog. Meanwhile, ‘Musica Del Corazon’
Expanding his pop-culture influence, Groban co-stars
continues his lifelong affair with the romance languages as
on the highly anticipated new Netflix original series,
Groban belts out in Spanish, backed by the fleet-fingered fret
The Good Cop, alongside Tony Danza. The series began
fireworks of world-renowned virtuosic classical guitarist,
streaming on 21 September, the same day that Bridges
Vicente Amigo. The conclusion, ‘Bigger Than Us’, sees
made its exciting arrival. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 39
Love is here to stay
Tony Bennett and Diana Krall celebrate their shared love of the music of George and Ira Gershwin on their new collaborative album, Love Is Here To Stay, a September release on Verve Records/Columbia Records just in time for the 120th anniversary of George Gershwin’s birth.
T
ony Bennett, who celebrated his 92nd birthday
Concurrently with the Gershwins’ musical theatre and
recently, has been friends with Diana Krall for over 20
film work, George attained great success in the concert
years. Love Is Here To Stay marks their first full album
arena as a piano virtuoso, conductor, and composer of such
project together. When they sing the music of the
celebrated works as Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris,
Gershwins, it’s truly the consummate artistic pairing of singers
and the Concerto in F.
and songwriting. It’s one of those recordings that when you
George wrote several important songs before he began
listen to it, you recognise instantly that it had to happen – it
working with Ira and, consequently, Ira kept on writing for
was just a matter of getting these two extraordinary performers
decades after his younger brother’s tragically early death
into a studio and putting the Gershwin songbook in front of
from a brain tumour at age 38, but the classic songs that they
them, as Danny Bennett, the executive producer, explains.
wrote together, from 1924 to 1937, are beloved by the entire
The Gershwin Brothers, George (1898 – 1937) and his older
world. George and Ira Gershwin will always be remembered
brother, Ira (1896 – 1983), are often considered the greatest
as the songwriting team whose voice was synonymous with
of the songwriting teams to make a permanent and indelible
the sounds and style of the Jazz Age.
contribution to the art form known as ‘The Great American
No one in popular American music has recorded for
Songbook’ – and to world musical culture in general. The
as long and at such a high level of excellence as Tony
brothers were the children of Russian Jewish immigrants,
Bennett. In the last ten years alone, he has sold ten
both born in Brooklyn (and except for the occasional job in
million records. The essence of his longevity and high
Hollywood, were lifelong New Yorkers) in 1898 and 1896,
artistic achievement was imbued in him in his loving
respectively. George was originally a piano prodigy and Ira
childhood home in the Astoria section of Queens where
showed an early gift for poetry, rhymes and wordplay. Writing
he was born on 3 August 1926. As a teenager, Bennett
mostly for Broadway shows and Hollywood musicals (and
sang while waiting tables and then enlisted in the Army
for top stars like Fred Astaire and Ethel Merman), the two
during World War II. While in Europe he performed with
brothers created dozens and dozens of the most beloved
military bands. Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when
songs ever written, like ‘Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off’,
comedian Bob Hope noticed him working with Pearl Bailey
‘Embraceable You’, ‘The Man I Love’, and ‘But Not For Me’.
in Greenwich Village in New York City.
The apogee of their working relationship was Porgy and Bess,
Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new
the 1935 masterpiece that is virtually unchallenged as the
albums charting in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and
greatest of all American operas (which features such iconic
now in the first two decades of the 21st century. He has
songs as ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ and ‘Summertime’).
introduced a multitude of songs into The Great American
40 / Creative Feel / October 2018
George and Ira Gershwin
Songbook that have since become standards for popular
‘
George and Ira Gershwin will always be remembered as the songwriting team whose voice was synonymous with the sounds and style of the Jazz Age.
‘
Krall’s success continued with her subsequent releases
music. With millions of records sold worldwide and
All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio, and Love
platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has
Scenes, but her watershed moment came in 1999 with
received 19 GRAMMY Awards, including the GRAMMY
the release of When I Look in Your Eyes, her first release
Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also an Emmy Award
for the historic Verve Records. The recording spent an
Winner, a Kennedy Center Honoree, NEA Jazz Master
unprecedented 52 weeks in the No. 1 position on Billboard’s
and the first interpretive singer to receive The Library
Jazz chart, won two GRAMMY Awards and went platinum in
of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Bennett
the US and Canada.
accomplished painter, three of his works are in the
Krall’s next album, The Look of Love, continued her
permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute, and he
international success and became a top ten seller on
has authored four books.
Billboard’s Top 200 Album charts. Since then, she has
Diana Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums
released a string of recordings that have created an
debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. To date,
impressive body of work, including recordings featured
her albums have garnered five GRAMMY Awards, ten Juno
in several film soundtracks. Krall has expanded upon her
Awards and have also earned nine gold, three platinum
role as a performer to include songwriting, producing and
and seven multi-platinum albums. Krall’s unique artistry
arranging and has brought her talents to collaborate with
transcends any single musical style and has made her one
many other artists, including Sir Paul McCartney and Barbra
of the most recognisable artists of our time. As The New
Streisand. She tours extensively around the globe to sold-out
York Times recently noted, Krall possesses, ‘A voice at once
audiences, appearing at premier jazz festivals and concert
cool and sultry, wielded with a rhythmic sophistication.’
halls throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, outside of Vancouver,
Love Is Here To Stay was recorded with the GRAMMY
Krall grew up in the western part of Canada and began
Award-winning Bill Charlap Trio and the stunning result
studying the piano when she was 4 years old. Krall was
is a subtle, sophisticated and beautifully rendered love
still a teenager when she was awarded a scholarship to the
letter to The Gershwins’ music and their status as premier
prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1994, she
songwriters of the American popular standard. It is a
signed with GRP Records and recorded Only Trust Your Heart,
masterclass in vocal delivery and phrasing and the command
which marked the beginning of her association with Tommy
that Bennett and Krall display of the material in both their
LiPuma, a collaboration that would continue until LiPuma’s
duets and solo tracks makes it appear effortless, belying the
untimely passing in 2017.
honed skill of the vocalists. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 41
The Profeti are coming In high demand in America, England, Europe and the East, Profeti della Quinta will be performing in Cape Town and Johannesburg this November – their first performance in the Southern Hemisphere. WORDS: ADAM H. GOLDING
I
t was a freezing December in Berlin, 2016. A number
Synagogal Ensemble Berlin. They sang from the lofts,
of top choirs from around the world had gathered for a
accompanied by an instrumental ensemble on stage. Then,
festival dedicated to the music of the late Renaissance and
the harpsichord was removed and another brought on. Six
Early Baroque master, Salomone Rossi.
young men, dressed in black, walked on stage. We slowly
Working alongside Monteverdi at the court of Mantua in
realised that one of the visiting choirs had been invited
Italy, Rossi was regarded with esteem by the ruling Gonzaga
not only to perform in this prestigious event, but to give a
family and musical cognoscenti. He was a bold innovator,
concert on their own. What was so superior about them?
revered by his peers, and composed the earliest continuo
Why the special treatment?
madrigals and trio sonatas, spearheading the Baroque era.
All was revealed within seconds. As specialists in
However, Rossi’s work was lost for over 230 years when
the genre, they were simply in a different league. When
the Habsburg mercenaries overran the city in 1630 and
the Profeti della Quinta sang their first few notes, it
destroyed the ghetto. Rossi’s music was only rediscovered
was as though a spell had been cast over the audience
when a monk discovered some manuscripts, realised their
– no-one moved, and it felt as if no-one even breathed.
value, and handed them to Baron Edmond de Rothschild who
All were awestruck.
happened to be visiting the town in the mid-19th century.
The Profeti della Quinta performed music by Rossi and
The music of Rossi experienced its own renaissance and
original compositions in the same Renaissance/Baroque
remains a treasury for ensembles and choirs who revel in the
style by the ensemble’s founder and musical director, Dr
complexity and originality of his work.
Elam Rotem. The audience was enraptured as the voices
The 2016 Berlin festival opened with a ceremony featuring a few songs performed by the host choir, the
42 / Creative Feel / October 2018
of the group soared through the vaulted space. At the end of the performance, the entire room – which included
“Profeti della Quinta are recognised as the foremost performers of the music of Rossi and are worldrenowned interpreters of early music”
Profeti della Quinta SOURCE Adam H. Golding
choristers from around the world – leapt to its collective
only rediscovered recently. Profeti della Quinta unearthed
feet, in thunderous applause.
this music and brought its splendour back to life.
I have travelled around the world, following and listening
This November, for the first time in the Southern
to fine and famous musicians but nothing I had heard before
Hemisphere, the ensemble will be performing in Cape Town
compared to the sublime musicality and technical mastery
and Johannesburg. Even if early music isn’t your passion, this
of the Profeti della Quinta. It was then that I decided I had
concert is simply unmissable for all music lovers. The music
to bring this group to South Africa to share its unique and
is timeless and universal in its appeal. Its beauty unearthing,
unparalleled sound with music lovers at home.
while the full effect can only be truly experienced in the
Profeti della Quinta was founded in Galilee, by bass
ensemble’s electric live performances, for a taste of what you
singer and harpsichordist, Dr Elam Rotem, and is now based
can expect, visit www.quintaprofeti.com or find the Profeti
in Basel, Switzerland. The ensemble focuses on the vocal
della Quinta on YouTube.
repertoire of the 16th and early 17th centuries, particularly that composed on the cusp between the Renaissance and
Tickets are available online at profetidellaquinta.nutickets.co.za CF
Baroque periods. Profeti della Quinta are recognised as the foremost performers of the music of Rossi and are world-renowned
CONCERTS
interpreters of early music. They sing to packed houses across Europe, the Far East and North America, and have
THE SONGS OF SOLOMON
graced some of the most prestigious stages in the world,
Sacred music by Salomone Rossi and Elam Rotem
from the Shanghai Concert Hall to the Metropolitan Museum
11 November, 19:00 – The Gardens Synagogue, 88 Hatfield
of Art in New York.
Street, Cape Town
While the group has performed the popular repertoire of the time extensively, from Monteverdi’s madrigals to
14 November, 20:00 – Great Park Synagogue, 75 4th Street, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg
his most famous opera, L’Orfeo, they also specialise in the revival of lesser-known composers from the period. The
LAMENTO D’ARIANNA
ensemble’s most recent recording is the world premiere of
Madrigals from Rore to Monteverdi
the Carlo G Manuscript. The early 17th-century manuscript,
15 November, 20:00 – St George’s Church, 7 Sherborne Road,
containing truly virtuosic music, was lost for 400 years and
Parktown, Johannesburg
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 43
Becoming
Freddie
A NEW BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Mercury defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success but in an unexpected turn, Mercury, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Suffering greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Mercury reunites with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. Bravely facing a recent Aids diagnosis, Mercury leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cemented a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
44 / Creative Feel / October 2018
you have to take on with this legendary man who lives in the hearts of so many people and is revered as one of the most talented artists of anyone’s generation. So you can imagine the immense weight of that. Now there’s also some ambitious part of me that gets wildly excited and starts thinking about how to begin to inhabit this unique and magnificent creature. CF: How did you prepare for the role? RM: I began to look through the songs that Freddie wrote and look for the themes that underlined every track, so that through the songs I could understand the man. My thinking was that if you are going to write something so passionately, you are going to draw on some deep emotions. CF: And did you find a theme in his songs? RM: Without a doubt it’s love; the search and desperate need to find love and how that has escaped him. Here’s a man who, throughout his life, was constantly searching for love. Another theme is identity. I tried to build from the ground up, so I looked at his childhood. Here’s a boy who was born in Zanzibar and shipped off to St. Peter’s boarding school in Bombay at a very young age. He returns home to Zanzibar and there’s a revolution going on and his family is forced to seek refuge in England. So there he is with the name Farrokh Bulsara. He refers to his childhood as an ‘upheaval of an upbringing’, so I just started to somehow appropriate that to my own life in a way, being a first Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury), and Joe Mazzello (John Deacon) star in Bohemian Rhapsody.
generation American. My parents moved to America from Egypt to seek a better life for me, and when I told them that I was going to be an artist, that was a very difficult stance for me to take, so there were things that I could relate to,
PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Bailey © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
which somehow allowed it to be less of a daunting task of Rami Malek plays Mercury in this highly anticipated film, and
looking at Freddie Mercury the superstar. There was the man
if the recently released stills and trailers are anything to go by,
on stage versus this young man who was trying to use any
not only does he look unbelievably like the rockstar, he has his
of his God-given talent and the tenacity he had to just make
stage moves down – from the aggressive glam of the band’s
a home for himself in this new land. And then, given the
early days to the butch fist-pumping of his 1980s incarnation
opportunity, rise to be who he inevitably was.
– and his drop-dead humour as well. Creative Feel spoke to Malek about his dazzling new role.
CF: There’s also a physical transformation on screen. We see you, as Freddie, change from the shy young man who
CF: What was your initial reaction when they asked you to
joins an unknown band into the incredible showman who
play Freddie Mercury?
captivated an audience of more than a billion people when
RM: At first it was shock. As an actor, I don’t think there’s
Queen played Live Aid. Was this physicality also a way into
ever this law of depreciating excitement when things like
finding him?
this happen in your career – especially when you are being
RM: It gives me chills just thinking about it because he is
asked to play Freddie Mercury – so it’s a moment that halts
exactly that, he transforms. It’s always Freddie but there
you in your tracks and it is at once euphoric and thrilling
are different versions of him, which I think is beautiful. It’s
and then there’s a hit of the magnitude and of the weight
not like he’s hiding anything, it’s not Jekyll and Hyde, they
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 45
are all him. It’s who he wants to be in the given moment
some work with Polly Bennett, a movement coach. The way Polly
and the given situation, which I find so endearing. I saw one
worked was fantastic. She understood how to approach this and
interview where he said, ‘on stage I can be the macho man
we began just talking about Freddie’s heritage and his youth and
that everybody wants me to be.’ And I think you see that in
how his shyness would be articulated.
the 80s, this performer who throws his fists in the air and holds the crowd with the raising of one arm. Whereas in his
CF: In what way?
younger days he was very fluid and erratic when he was trying
RM: Well, in just the way he would sit on the couch and pick up
to find himself and there was more of a wispiness to him. So I
a cup of tea or the way he would cover his teeth because they
started to identify that and worked on the progression of the
were a unique size. And how that would evolve into things that
character in that way. What was incredibly useful was when
he could manipulate as he got more comfortable with himself.
I started to find a team of people who were going to help me
And it explained for me why he had this kind of ethereal nature
assemble him, essentially.
to him early on, and how there was an evolution to his stage
Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek, and Joe Mazzello star in Bohemian Rhapsody
CF: How did you do that?
presence and his physical presence as he grew older. Polly was
RM: I remember when we started shooting Live Aid and I said,
invaluable in helping me identify that.
‘look, what I know about Freddie is that he was not deliberate about what he was going to do on the stage the night before
CF: When did Brian May and Roger Taylor first hear you sing
he went on.’ He didn’t think about what his moves would be
as Freddie? And what was their reaction?
throughout the course of the next evening when he would
RM: Oh, that was an earth-shattering experience (laughs).
be on stage – things happened in the moment, depending
It was quite funny because I went to Abbey Road to record
on the feeling and it was always inspired. Our producers
everything, which was a completely unforgettable moment.
would talk about working with a choreographer and I said,
It is the holy grail of recording studios and it’s full of
‘it’s not choreographed.’ There’s nothing about him that’s
photographs of the legends who have recorded there, and it’s
choreographed. The word ‘choreographed’ just doesn’t even
incredibly inspiring. On my last day, when we got to go back
belong close to the name ‘Freddie Mercury’. I wanted to find
and do a little more recording, I got to play a little bit on the
someone who could essentially understand the way he moved
piano that The Beatles used. It was incredible. This film has
and why he moved the way he did. So I found a movement coach.
run the gamut of emotions for me but the highs have been
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything was a big inspiration
higher than any you could hope for. Sharing what I got to
for me and I studied how he played Stephen Hawking and I said
record, which is a tape of me emulating Freddie, with Brian
to myself ‘that’s not choreographed,’ and I believe Eddie was
and Roger was quite a moment. I thought they had seen it
working with a movement coach. I met a few people and then did
before they showed up at Abbey Road and halfway through
46 / Creative Feel / October 2018
our conversation I realised that they hadn’t. And so I had to
I don’t think we would have had the Freddie Mercury we
watch myself interpreting Freddie for the first time standing
know today.
between two of the people who know him better than anyone. You can imagine how intimidating that was. What I knew
CF: Freddie kept his sexuality from the public. Do you
immediately was, ‘I can move like that. I can get that down.’
think that was simply because it was a different, less
That was where I tried to pull all of my confidence from. I also
enlightened time?
knew that I could get that shyness that he had and that I could
RM: The most extraordinary thing about his sexuality and that
get that gregarious showman aspect too when I worked on it.
aspect of his life is that he never spoke about it. He transcends
It was the singing that was going to be the most challenging.
all these stringent labels and boxes that we try to impose on people. He never confined himself in that way. He just was. And
CF: You said that while making Bohemian Rhapsody you ran a
I think that’s what will make him an even greater icon, if that’s
whole gamut of emotions. Could you expand on that?
even possible. That’s why he is so accessible to everyone.
PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Bailey © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
Joe Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Rami Malek, and Gwilym Lee star in Bohemian Rhapsody
RM: It was an unconventional way of working, to say the
In addition to the film, which stars Rami Malek, Lucy
least. There are upsides and, of course, downsides about a
Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan
way of working that can be erratic at times, but ultimately
Gillen, Tom Hollander and Mike Myers and is directed
everyone collects themselves and comes together, putting
by Bryan Singer, for the first time ever audio tracks from
their best foot forward.
Queen’s legendary performance at Live Aid are being released as part of the soundtrack album to Bohemian
CF: Let’s talk about Freddie’s relationship with Mary Austin
Rhapsody. Recorded at the historic Wembley concert in July
(Lucy Boynton)…
1985, these Live Aid songs are among the rare gems and
RM: Mary meant the world to Freddie and surprisingly few
unheard versions from the band’s rich catalogue.
people are aware of the impact she had on his life. They
The album features other rare live tracks spanning
will be when they see the film. He referred to Mary as the
Queen’s entire career, new versions of old favourites, and
love of his life and wrote the iconic song (‘Love of My Life’)
a choice selection of the band’s finest studio recordings,
for her. She was his confidante for so much of his life. She
among them are some of Queen’s biggest hits. The 22 songs
was someone who understood him in a way that no one
on the soundtrack were produced by Brian May and Roger
else could or would and vice versa. They were in a romantic
Taylor, with engineering and co-production by long-time
relationship for six years and were tethered together till
Queen studio collaborators Justin Shirley-Smith, Kris
the end of his life. He referred to her as his common-law
Fredriksson and Joshua J. Macrae, and mastering by Adam
wife, and the person he trusted the most. Without Mary,
Ayan and Bob Ludwig. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 47
THE ART OF PERFORMANCE |
DAVE MANN
The activity of sound:
Art and music
Kyle Shepherd performs at Igshaan Adams' When Dust Settles
W
hen it comes to pieces of performance or
One of the many reasons I love what Cage says here
visual art such as dance and theatre, or media
is that it shows how he views music and sound as media
such as sculpture, painting or film, music
that can communicate in various ways, and how they can
is often seen as an organic complement – a
not only comprise of, but also feed off of things such as
necessary soundtrack or bit of ambience. The trouble with
emotions or ideas, or even the everyday sonic events like a
this is that it relegates music to a secondary role, rather than
terse silence or the movements of traffic.
viewing it as a potential, equal-footed collaborator. Here’s a quote that I love by the composer John Cage:
I especially enjoy Cage’s ideas of sound as something that can act, as it demonstrates how, as a singular medium,
‘When I hear what we call music, it seems to me that
sound can move out of what we conventionally understand it
someone is talking, and talking about [their] feelings and
to be, and become a more tangible means of communication.
about [their] ideas of relationships. But when I hear traffic
Later on, Cage references the artist Marcel Duchamp and
– the sound of traffic here on Sixth Avenue for instance – I
explains how Duchamp began thinking of music as an art
don’t have the feeling that anyone is talking. I have the
form that was not of time, but of space. Duchamp’s Sculpture
feeling that sound is acting, and I love the activity of sound.
Musicale is a prime example of this – ‘Different sounds
What it does is it gets louder and quieter, and it gets higher
coming from different places and lasting, producing a
and lower, and it gets longer and shorter. It does all those
sculpture which is sonorous and which remains.’
things and I’m completely satisfied with that, I don’t need sound to talk to me.’
48 / Creative Feel / October 2018
On a Thursday evening in the Johannesburg CBD, the musician Kyle Shepherd sat down at a piano situated in
the middle of the Standard Bank Gallery and played some
gripping narratives out of nothing more than a stage, a small
improvisational work. The sounds he produced – long, lilting
set and a team of actors, something like live and improvised
notes and short, sharp trills across the keys – were made in
music can ultimately detract from the overall work. In
response to Igshaan Adams’ recent exhibition When Dust
the case of Gaslight, Bamberger was able to work with the
Settles. The exhibition comprised of seemingly endless
themes present in the play and produce a bespoke set of
amounts of vinyl and linoleum flooring – some bits scuffed
sounds and musical accompaniments for each scene as the
and worn, others glossy and pristine – as well as a number
performers carried them out. This resulted in lighter scenes
of sculptural pieces crafted out of washcloths, yarn, and wire.
taking on a soft and sometimes comedic sound, while certain
Adams explains how the body of work as a whole deals
moments of dialogue – a fight between the two characters,
with themes of hybrid identities, religion and sexuality, and
or a romantic vignette – were enhanced through a simple
that personal inquiry and notions of selfhood are central to
change in tempo or colour.
the work. Shepherd’s job, then, was to take these complex
One of the other recent examples of music and
themes that Adams had teased out through his work, and
performance speaking to one another in a collaborative
bring about a new way of understanding them through
way would be Percy Mabandu’s Tribute To Mankunku’s
sound, essentially creating a sonic counterpart to the work.
Yakhal’inkomo. Mabandu is a well-known journalist, writer
I had seen When Dust Settles when it opened at the 2018
and artist, and at this year’s Standard Bank Jazz Festival, he
National Arts Festival and, admittedly, it didn’t resonate
took the opportunity to merge all of these skills. Tribute To
with me. I had read the artist statement and I understood
Mankunku’s Yakhal’inkomo saw Mabandu teaming up with
what Adams said he was grappling with in his work, but
local jazz giants Sisonke Xonti, Linda Sikhakhane, Andile
something about it wasn’t quite reaching me. I didn’t think
Yenana, Shane Cooper, and Ayanda Sikade to pay tribute to
much of it. These things happen, after all – not every piece
the late saxophonist and composer Winston ‘Mankunku’
of art you see has to move you, greatly, or even make sense
Ngozi. The result was spoken word, music, live drawing,
to you. Seeing and hearing Shepherd perform a musical
and all-round improvisation taking place on stage, with
accompaniment to the exhibition, however, seemed to
Mabandu creating visual art inspired by both the music
unlock some further understanding of Adams’ work for me.
being played and the narratives inherent in Ngozi’s work.
I could sense the nostalgia apparent in the works and
Certainly, without the involvement of music in this case, the
I could feel the tensions at play: the pushing and pulling,
visual art could not have existed, and without the visual art,
the confusion, the detachment, and even the playfulness
the music would be without this rich and enlightening layer
that manifested in the exhibition. All of this revealed itself
of meaning.
to me through the musical accompaniment of Shepherd
There are countless more examples where visual art,
which, as a piece of musical performance, was his own
performance, and music converge to rich and innovative
immediate interpretation and subsequent communication
ends. And perhaps local works like these have always existed
of Adams’ work. Music, then, was simply another way – and
and I’m only now appreciating them, or perhaps what’s
in my case, a more direct way – of understanding pieces
taking place is a more considered move towards art that
of art. On the way home that night, all I could think about
embraces collaboration and conversation between media in
was the relationship between art and music, or music and
a way that enhances our understandings of them. If it’s the
performance, and how a collaboration between the two can
latter, let’s hope for more of it, because while we continue to
allow for other avenues of understanding and engagement.
puzzle everything out and try to make sense of what we’re all
In some cases, the collaboration between art and music
doing here, collaboration can only be a good thing. CF
can even stand to highlight or enhance elements of a piece of art or performance. Gaslight, for example, a staged theatre work directed by Laine Butler that follows the relationships between a young, tech-savvy couple and their new fullyautomated AI home, makes use of a live musician, Noah
DAVE MANN is an editor and
Bamberger, to provide an improvised musical score. Live
award-winning arts journalist.
music is not something you’ll commonly find in theatre, and for good reason, too. With much of the magic of a piece of theatre lying in its ability to produce rich scenes and
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 49
2m
Prototype Model: Orange Grove, #ArtmyJozi, Artists workshop and performance programme, June 2018
small x 8
The JDA and Trinity Session continue to bring art to Johannesburg 500
3670
medium x 8
600
large x 8
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), lead implementing TYPICAL PLAN VIEW.
agent of the City of Johannesburg, has appointed the Trinity Session as curator/coordinator for all placemaking processes: emphasising 100
collective community oriented artistic projects for the next three 28
°
Potential wind-driven top section with suitable bearing to allow for easy movement to Engineers design.
years. With an emphasis on community-level co-production and Round bar spokes to be fixed to rotating top pin at >45° with supporting triangulation to Engineers design.
collective participatory design processes, the artworks programme 43°
seeks to breathe life into the streets of Johannesburg through a 24 x recycled birds in 3 x sizes (S, M, L) by Artworks team fixed to 8 x 10mm round bar spokes to Engineers design.
5000
refreshed approach to place.
100mm MS post with galvanised and 2k finished to Engineers design.
2500
TYPICAL 3D VIEW. (NOT TO SCALE)
3m
N PARK ARTWORKS
LIGHT
ArtMyJozi:
#
400
4233
4m
50 / Creative Feel / October 2018 5m
TYPICAL SIDE ELEVATION VIEW.
Concrete footing flush to FFL for ease of maintenance to Engineers design and Landscape Architects approval.
Ivy Rd Fence
Tree Benches
Gateway Sculpture
Humming Bird
Hillbrow Tower
Birds Mobile
NOT TO SCALE THE TRINITY SESSION: PATTERSON PARK ARTWORKS
Mielie Feeders
MASTER PLAN
A
rt My Jozi is a JDA creative programme that
Art My Jozi was launched in October 2017 and the design
highlights the importance of placemaking
and rollout of artworks has started in both the Louis Botha
through art along the Transit-Oriented Corridors
Avenue and Empire-Perth Development Corridors. Calls for
and their surrounding neighbourhoods. The
submission of proposed artworks closed in June 2018 and
Trinity Session is mandated to coordinate and curate all
have been assessed. Selected artworks were chosen based
related design processes.
on how best their outcomes can meet both the artistic and
Designing artwork for the Art My Jozi project provides an opportunity for all creatives and storytellers to work within a collaborative and skills transference environment.
technical requirements of final translation and fabrication of the artworks. Communities have collaborated on special performances,
As commuters, future commuters and cultural producers
events and installations designed to unearth and express
within their communities, participants have the opportunity
new ideas about local placemaking through community
to capture the environment, translate experiences and
participation. As the JDA, we give much emphasis to
stories and make creative statements. Collective creative
working with stakeholders to enhance areas and we believe
experiences and stories will be used to inspire the
the co-production of solutions in partnership with local
development of the design process and eventually inform
communities and stakeholders allows for our programmes to
many outcomes-based projects in and around the Transit-
meet local needs. And this is a key component when creating
Oriented Corridors.
great places. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 51
Fritz Krampe, Village Scene with Woman Smoking Pipe, recto; Fishing Boat, verso, signed and dated 58. Oil on canvas. 128 x 95,5cm; 85,5 x 116cm. The Late Peter and Regina Strack Collection. Estimate: R 250 000 - 350 000
IMPECCABLE QUALITY AND PROVENANCE a hallmark of Strauss & Co’s OCTOBER SALE
A magisterial floral still life by Irma Stern,
Irma Stern, Dahlias, signed and dated 1947. Inscribed with the artist’s name, address and the title on the stretcher. Oil on canvas. 96 x 84cm. The Labia Family Collection. Estimate: R8 000 000 – 12 000 000
P
ainted in 1947, Dahlias (estimate R8 – 12 million) is a peak-period Stern depicting a favoured flower and additionally claims an impeccable provenance. Originally owned by renowned art collectors
Ben and Cecilia Jaffe, Stern’s brilliantly coloured oil was acquired by noted Cape Town collector Count Luccio Labia in 1994 at a sale handled by auctioneer Stephan Welz, who, in 2009, helped establish Strauss & Co, now South Africa’s leading auction house. Part of a consignment of 22 paintings from the Labia Family Collection, Dahlias exhibits Stern’s masterful brushwork and authoritative handling of paint. Dahlias were a recurrent subject in Stern’s paintings
South Africa’s foremost painter, is the
from the 1930s and 40s. The artist produced five such still
highlight of Strauss & Co’s bountiful crop
painting is the fifth. Dahlias has been characterised by noted
of offerings at its forthcoming spring sale in Cape Town on 15 October.
52 / Creative Feel / October 2018
lifes featuring these sumptuous cut flowers, of which this Stern scholar Marion Arnold as an ‘exuberant composition’ that bursts ‘beyond the confines of the frame’ (Irma Stern: A Feast for the Eye, 1995).
The intersection of quality and provenance is a hallmark of Strauss & Co’s October sale. The catalogue includes 22 paintings released from the Labia Family Collection, as well as 20 works in various media from the Peter and Regina Strack Collection, notably three rare paintings on canvas by Adolph Jentsch. Count Luccio Labia, who passed away in November 2016, was well known for his judicious taste, both in art and cars. The son of Count Natale Teodato Labia and Princess Ida Labia, née Robinson, daughter of South African mining
“Part of a consignment of 22 paintings from the Labia Family Collection, Dahlias exhibits Stern’s masterful brushwork and authoritative handling of paint”
magnate and art collector Sir Joseph Benjamin Robinson (1840 – 1929), Count Luccio Labia’s art collection included works by South African, European and British artists. Aside from the excellent Stern, other notable works released from the Labia Family Collection include an important landscape painting from 1918 by Pieter Wenning, The Yellow House: Bishopscourt in Winter (estimate R500 000 – 700 000). Executed on an overcast day in August 1918, the work shows Wenning at the pinnacle of his perceptive mastery. British modernist Ivon Hitchens’ Felled Trees (estimate R500 000 – 700 000) was painted in 1946 and originates from the same period as a work held in the Tate Collection. German-born Peter Strack immigrated to Namibia in 1950 and was a partner in the architectural firm Stauch & Partners. He began honing his skills as an artist and collector under the tutelage of Adolph Jentsch and principally collected 20th-century Namibian art, notably works by Jentsch, Fritz Krampe and John Muafangejo. Highlights include Vlei on Farm Teufelsbach (estimate R600 000 – 800 000), which offers a delightfully verdant view of the Otjihavera River, and Ibenstein, SW Afrika (estimate R600 000 – 700 000), a masterfully achieved night scene in grey. ‘Artworks owned by esteemed and visionary collectors are always sought after by newer generations of collectors,’
Pieter Wenning, The Yellow House (Bishopscourt in Winter), executed 12 August 1918. Signed. Oil on canvas. 27,5 x 37,5cm. The Labia Family Collection. Estimate: R500 000 – 700 000
says Bina Genovese, joint managing director of Strauss & Co. ‘Discerning collectors recognise that collecting not only
in South Africa. Stern’s Dahlias (lot 513) will go under
involves connoisseurship but also custodianship, and by
the hammer on the evening of Monday 15 October at the
owning a work previously held by an important collector,
Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town. The public can view
they are participating in a lineage of discernment.’
this important work, along with other works mentioned,
Other notable works from single-owner collections on
from 12 to 14 October, from 10:00 to 17:00. Strauss & Co will
offer at Strauss & Co’s spring sale include two drawings and
also be hosting an extensive programme of public talks and
two paintings from the Irma Stern Trust Collection, as well
social events in the lead-up to the sale. CF
as four relief paintings by mid-century artist Kenneth Bakker who, in 1963, was the first local painter to receive an award
VENUE | The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, Cape Town, Colinton
at the São Paulo Biennale.
Road (off Protea Road)
A global leader for South African art, Strauss & Co has sold nine of the ten most expensive paintings ever auctioned
PREVIEW | Friday 12 to Sunday 14 October 10:00 to 17:00 WALKABOUTS | S aturday 13 and Sunday 14 October at 11:00
ENQUIRIES AND CATALOGUES +27 (0) 21 683 6560 | Mobile +27 (0) 78 044 8185 | Fax: +27 (0) 21 683 6085 | www.straussart.co.za Creative Feel / October 2018 / 53
Unknown artist (Baule, Ivory Coast), Kpan Kpan mask representing Mami Wata, mid-20th Century, MTN Art Collection
The MTN Foundation & UJ
CONTINUE
CONVER SATIONS Last year, the University of Johannesburg and MTN Foundation were Shifting Conversations, this October they have brought even more artworks out of both institutions’ collections for an exhibition and development programme titled Continuing Conversations. WORDS: JOHAN MYBURG
W
hat is the purpose of a carefully collected
Last year, Niel Nortje, manager of the MTN Foundation’s
and well-looked-after art collection when
art collection, and Annali Dempsey, curator of the University
only a number of people have access to the
of Johannesburg (UJ) art collection, joined forces, expertise
artworks? More so in the case of an extensive
and energy to further their curatorial relationship in
collection owned by an academic institution or a corporate
commissioning two curators to assemble an exhibition
company. Apart from the pieces visible in offices and entrance
drawn from the two institutions’ collections. Under the title
halls, the bulk of the collection usually sits in storage, out of
Shifting Conversations, this exhibition was shown last year at
sight and out of mind.
the UJ Gallery and in July this year in the Albany Museum in
It calls for vision and enthusiasm to bring the hidden treasures out into the public domain where the work can be
Makhanda as part of the National Arts Festival. This collaborative drive to assemble curated selections
viewed and appreciated, and where the public can pick up on
from the vast collections – UJ boasts a collection of
dialogues started by artists in their works and continue their
2 000 works and MTN one of 1 400 works – is followed
own conversations with the art.
up in October and November this year in Continuing
54 / Creative Feel / October 2018
canvas and oil and sticker vinyl on mirror to microscopic prints and a video installation. In collaboration with UJ’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), the curators and the project manager, Rika Nortje, offered three FADA B Tech (Visual Arts) students – Mia van Schalkwyk, Nico Ras and Alexia Ferreira – masterclasses in curating, on collection management, practical in-house label making and marketing. These courses provided the mentees first-hand experience of curatorial practice. Under the mentorship of the project manager and two curators, the mentees were expected to run an educational programme designed for this particular exhibition. They had the opportunity to decide which age group to target (and give reasons why), and then to set up an educational programme and run the programme for the duration of Edoardo Daniele Villa (1915 – 2011), Afrika-Masker, (undated). Steel, 202.5 cm. UJ Art Collection
the exhibition. Important aspects of the planning of the educational programme were to ensure that school groups who regularly visit the UJ Gallery were included and to work within the budget constraints.
Conversations, an exhibition drawing on portraiture from the respective collections.
On so many levels, Continuing Conversations continues to solidify the MTN Foundation/UJ partnership and the
In curating Continuing Conversations, Dempsey and
mutual aim to make their respective collections visible to
Nortje’s focus was on concepts of power, the juxtaposition
a wider public. But more than showing a fine collection of
of power and powerlessness, identity and body politics,
artworks, the curators and project manager have broadened
perceptions of the other and the exotic, memory, and the
the horizon to include engagement with the works in the
masks we wear. Works included in this exhibition are by
exhibition, to enter a conversation, to shift conversations
artists such as Gerard Bhengu, Reshada Crouse, Wilma
and to continue conversations.
Cruise, Phillemon Hlungwani, Maggie Laubser, Judith Mason, George Pemba, Cecil Skotnes, Irma Stern and Edoardo Villa. In their aim to extend the reach and scope of this
Continuing Conversations is at the UJ Gallery, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, from 17 October to 21 November 2018. CF
exhibition even further, Dempsey and Nortje ran three programmes specifically aimed at developing participation in the portraiture conversation: a Mentorship Programme, an Emerging Artists Portrait Development Programme and an Educational Programme. For the Emerging Artists Portrait Development Programme, the curators invited artists, through public advertising, to submit an artwork in response to, or in conversation with, modern and contemporary South African portraiture. Ten works selected from the entries received will be shown as part of Continuing Conversations, alongside the Bhengus, Hlungwanis and Masons of the world. The most promising artist will be awarded prize money of R30 000 and the other nine will each receive R3 000. The winner will be announced at the opening of the exhibition on 17 October. The ten artists, in alphabetical order, are Lana Combrinck, Mogau Kekana, Hemali Khoosal, Neo Mahlangu, Modema Mayhew, Keneilwe Mokoena, Henrietta Scholtz, Nonkululeko Sibande, Selwyn Steyn and Devlin Tim. Portraits in a surprising variety of media were selected – from oil on
Lana Combrinck (1989 – ), Masked reflections on the smiley/ self(ie), 2017. Oil and sticker vinyl on mirror, 60 cm in diameter. Emerging Artist Portrait Development Programme
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 55
COLLECTING FOR THE FUTURE |
RUARC PEFFERS
William Kentridge, Drawing from Stereoscope (Double page, Soho in two rooms), 1999
COLLECTOR’S CASE STUDY:
William Kentridge
W
hen starting out, many young collectors want
collections, and so on. The rarity of a work, for example in a
a crystal ball. Of course, many simply want
small edition of prints or sculptures, or a singular work that
to collect art that they believe in and that
has not appeared before on the market, can have an effect
moves them, but others want to put money
on pricing and escalating value. It is not normally the case
into something that will offer future returns, and want to
that an artist’s death creates a posthumous value for their
know which artists are going to show an escalating value in
work, though we have seen, for example, the value of work
the market.
by New York-based artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died in
The first thing to say is that there is a major difference between the primary market, which comprises dealers and galleries, and the secondary market, which is mainly fine
the 1980s, multiply in value hundreds of times in subsequent years at auction. When gauging whether to invest in artwork for future
art auction houses. Value in the secondary market is largely
returns versus one’s collecting tastes, it’s easy to be seduced
derived from precedent at prior auctions, while primary
by such potentially massive returns in what is generally a
market value resides in the artist’s reputation, comprising
buoyant market for collectors, with global auction turnover
factors like which work by that artist is selected for top
up by 18%. The picture can be skewed by the very top end
exhibitions and group shows, is bought by prestigious
of the market, where prices of over $50 million are not
56 / Creative Feel / October 2018
“The rarity of a work, for example in a small edition of prints or sculptures, or a singular work that has not appeared before on the market, can have an effect on pricing and escalating value” uncommon, but these prices are only achievable by a small
the Museums of Modern Art in San Francisco and New York,
elite of high-net-worth individuals.
is definitely a factor in the increase in his value for collectors
While much rides on the performance of these works at auction, it also detracts from the fact that healthy growth exists at lower price points, which in turn points to a resilience in the market for investing in art. This can be easily seen if we look at South Africa’s most
over the last decade, as again we can see in his performance at auction locally in the graph. Returns on work by Kentridge for local collectors is therefore in line with the spikes in growth for the whole market, and for important signatures like his, globally.
significant living artist, William Kentridge. While there is no
Contemporary art alone, in global terms, averages an 88%
doubt that, overall, if one had invested in Kentridge’s work
increase! The South African record price of R5 456 640 for
early on in his career, you would be in an attractive position
a William Kentridge drawing from one of the 9 Drawings for
for returns right now. His reputation is cemented as one of the
Projection, Drawing from Mine (Soho with coffee plunger and
most significant of contemporary global multimedia artists,
cup) (1991), was fetched by Aspire Art Auctions in November
nowhere better demonstrated than by his recent invitation
last year. Another of these drawings features on an
to stage a massive performance piece at the Tate Modern in
upcoming auction sale in October. Drawing from Stereoscope
London for the centenary of the end of World War I.
(Double page, Soho in two rooms) (1999), is a rare chance to
Kentridge has, however, been prolific in many different
capitalise on the stellar fortunes of the artist at the high end
mediums and artforms since starting out as a theatre
of the market. Those collectors who acquired a Kentridge
designer, director and actor in the 1970s. Early work in
early on in his career for relatively little, and who have kept
the form of prints and works on paper will gain significant
themselves informed of market shifts and the artist’s career,
returns today if they were acquired at the time, since
can now put their knowledge to good use. CF
those acquisitions would have been at reasonable price points. In other parts of his extensive multimedia output, the initial outlay will have been substantial, but, as the graph demonstrates, returns on Kentridge’s works are still significant at the top end of his market. His work on the 9 Drawings for Projection series of
Every month the MD of Aspire Art Auctions,
RUARC PEFFERS, contributes a
animated films through the 1990s into the early 2000s
column on the business of collecting and
is regarded critically as among his most significant. The
investing in art.
compilation of the films as part of a huge travelling international retrospective in 2009 and 2010, commencing at
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 57
Paper improvisations in colour Artist and PhD candidate Kolodi Senong examines John Vusi Mfupi’s artistic practice, with a particular focus on his most recent works.
P
oet, artist and philosopher Lefifi Tladi’s insistence
Picasso and Georges Braque during the early part of the
that works of art have an intricate idiom that
1900s in France. These artists started pasting materials
artists themselves often struggle to apprehend
such as ropes, paper and cloth into their compositions
seems to embrace John Vusi Mfupi’s body of work.
to interrupt the illusionistic tendencies of painting and
Although Mfupi approaches collage in a manner reminiscent
therefore extend the modernist visual language. In contrast,
of documentary photography, he is always looking to surprise
Mfupi adopted collage as his medium of expression in 2005.
himself through depicting positive swirls of social life. Magazines are his chosen medium and scatter meticulously
Lack of resources motivated him to start experimenting with alternative and non-traditional media and materials – a process
in the corner of his studio in Selby, Johannesburg. The artist’s
which led him to collage. He says the technique pushes him
sacred workspace looks like a shrine where he meditates and
to ‘improvise as you cannot always mix the right colours on a
improvises with music in the background, because, ‘once I get
palette as you’ll normally do with painting.’ This inventiveness
inside there I start swimming and lose myself in the process.’
led to him unearthing the bright blotches that suggest rain in
Looking at his work, one cannot help but notice an
some of his work – Showers of Wealth and Spring Has Sprung.
affinity with the collage-cum-plastic paintings of Mbongeni
Although the collages lack any particular line work,
Buthelezi, his former art instructor at Funda Community
the inclined quality of drawing is in the detailing of torn
College in Diepkloof, Soweto. Similar to Buthelezi – whom
paper strips. Mfupi’s aptitude and competency for drawing
he credits with instilling in him the values of hard work –
the human figure measures up to fellow South African
Mfupi’s subject matter is generally influenced by what he
contemporary artists such as Sizwe Khoza, Phillemon
sees happening around him, albeit with a tinge of nostalgia
Hlungwani, Lionel Smit, Nelson Makamo, Mbongeni
for his childhood experiences. ‘I don’t normally struggle
Buthelezi and Bambo Sibiya.
with the subject matter as I travel with a camera to capture images that speak to me,’ says the artist. The recorded history of collage as an independent art technique can be attributed to the experiments of Pablo
58 / Creative Feel / October 2018
The process of cutting, tearing and pasting strips of paper to construct images about the daily life experiences of (mostly) ordinary people from glossy magazines – Fairlady, Woman & Home and Elle – lends an interesting contrast to
his compositions. Although the method of selecting colours
African athlete. A rendered figure that looks like the queue
through tearing might insinuate violent encounters with
marshal, dressed in white t-shirt and navy trousers, is in the
the paper, this is often balanced out by the sensitivity of the
process of opening the door for the approaching passengers.
finished work. His collages do not attempt to psychologically
Although these locally produced, 16-seater vehicles were
render some unknown spheres of the human experience, but
expected to have been phased out as part of the taxi
rather figures in action – ‘I prefer sticking to the basics to avoid
recapitalisation programme by 2012, they are still part of
confusing myself.’ Mfupi adds: ‘sometimes I combine different
the country’s transport system. In contrast to the Zola Budd,
images in my compositions, while at times I use [the images]
Mfupi depicts Four-Four Masilhlalisane III, which captures
as they are.’ This is apparent in artworks such as Sunday at the
the new Toyota Quantum model with its characteristic red,
Beach, Fresh Produce and For the Love of the Game.
yellow, green and blue undulating strip. It is alleged that
Similar to documentary photography, Mfupi’s compositions follow after his travels to different parts of the land. The collages are often representations of rural and urban
some of these vehicles were panel vans illegally converted into taxis to ferry passengers. The dynamism of the two works owes much to Mfupi’s
scenes depicting issues of the day, such as children amusing
expert treatment of armature to juxtapose lines that twist
themselves on a beach, others playing soccer on an empty
in different directions against contrasting foreground
field or women working with their hands or carrying buckets
and background colours. The cheeky title refers to when
on their heads. For example, in 2016, about 30 schools, as
commuters would be ‘asked’ to share a seat meant for three
well as government buildings in Vuwani’s Vhembe District
people with a fourth one. Although this tendency is no
in Limpopo, were torched down as part of rebellions against
longer as widespread, it often happens during peak hours
demarcations. At the time, Mfupi mobilised his creative
when people are desperate to arrive at work on time or to get
imagination to experiment with burnt paper. He subsequently
home to be with their families before preparing for the same
created monochromatic works titled Looking Forward, Hope,
grind the following day.
After Church and Happiness is an Inside Job to explore positive human emotions out of the harmful actions. His latest works, Four-Four Masilhlalisane II and III,
Although Mfupi hardly considers himself spiritual, his life and the methodical approach to colour, form and compositional harmonies are ceremonial. The staunch
explore the plight of commuters in the public transport
Kaizer Chiefs supporter and former art teacher is health
system – particularly the minibus taxi industry. The collage,
conscious. He visits the gym four times a week and also plays
Four-Four Masilhlalisane II raises pertinent questions
tennis on Sundays ‘to keep my mind healthy and sharp…
about the state of transport post-1994. It captures a group
[as] I need my body to carry me to create more art.’ In
of people in the process of entering a white Toyota Hiace
conclusion, and borrowing from Peter Tosh, Mfupi is such a
minibus taxi, nicknamed Zola Budd after the famous South
mystic man. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 59
Walter Battiss
Art, silver and antique books highlighted at
Stephan Welz & Co.’s
OCTOBER AUCTION
Stephan Welz & Co.’s spring sale in Cape Town features a number of highlights, across numerous categories, that are sure to pique the interest of collectors. As one of South Africa’s most established auction houses offering items in a number of categories, Stephan Welz & Co. is proud to showcase quality across various departments.
60 / Creative Feel / October 2018
JH Pierneef
S
tarting off with art, works by Alexis Preller,
One of the more interesting lots in the book session is
Walter Battiss, JH Pierneef and Robert Gwelo
twelve volumes of the New English Dictionary by James
Goodman are among the almost 180 works on
Murray. This was the first dictionary in history and the
offer. The Battiss abstract is a wonderful example
precursor to what became the Oxford English Dictionary and
of the artist at his whimsical best, while the Pierneef oil again shows why he was considered a master of the South African landscape. The decorative arts department has a number of interesting
will be sold with a bespoke fitted cabinet. Silver and jewellery have a number of items of interest. An 18ct gold chain and bracelet by Cartier, a Georg Jensen silver plated cutlery set, as well as an English silver epergne
items. A Lalique Penthievre deep amber and white-stained
by Edward and John Barnard, London, 1864, headline each
glass vase, circa 1930 is something that is seldom seen at
session. The Georg Jensen silver plated cutlery showcases
auction and is a fine example of Rene Lalique’s work in
the elegance and simplicity of Scandinavian design.
moulded glass. A second Bacchantes amber frosted glass vase
Stephan Welz & Co. has also launched their online
offers collectors another opportunity to acquire a work by
auction platform, Welzonline, which enables bidders to
Lalique. Ceramics by Esias Bosch have been doing rather well at
register, view and bid from anywhere in the world. Combined
auction. A small tile of three guinea fowls headlines the items
with their app, available from October on the iOS App Store
and is sure to continue the trend at auction.
and Google Play Store, this new platform further cements
The furniture department has a number of mid-century modern items on the auction, continuing the emphasis that Stephan Welz & Co. has placed on this category since 2010. A
Stephan Welz & Co.’s standing as one of the country’s top auction houses. Stephan Welz & Co. look forward to seeing you at
set of four Trinidad chairs designed by Nanna Ditzel in 1993 for
Kirstenbosch Gardens from 26 October for their viewing, and
Fredericia Furniture is one of the more unusual lots in the sale.
at their sale on 29 and 30 October. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 61
From 12 to 14 October, the rooftop of Hyde Park Corner will be transformed into a mecca of design, food and wine from the best artisans on the African continent. Now in its ninth year, the 2018 Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair (SHMC) will celebrate a ‘return to making’, which seeks to amplify the journey of how products are made while highlighting the unique stories told through their craftsmanship.
A return to making
T
he Sanlam FoodWineDesign Fair was inaugurated
an international trend for trade shows in the creative
in November 2010 on the rooftop of Hyde Park
spheres to take place in unusual and custom-made spaces,
Corner. The Fair was the first event to combine
the venue of the Fair creates a fittingly bespoke experience.
food, wine and design – all lifestyle areas that
Fair Curator Cassandra Twala, who is now in her
converge on high-quality production and craftsmanship.
second year, says, ‘Approaching a milestone has a way
Each producer is hand-picked, and the number of
of urging us to look back at how we got to where we are
participants is limited to focus on the best and most unique.
and interrogate why we do what we do. With a decade
In 2014, the event name began its transition, changing to the
of the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary on the horizon,
Sanlam Handmade Contemporary FoodWineDesign Fair. It
it is fitting to reflect on the essence of this much-loved
is now known as the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair.
event. It is with this in mind that we started to map out
The Fair is an upmarket event that showcases and celebrates the best produce in these three fields. Following
62 / Creative Feel / October 2018
the creative and strategic direction for the 2018 edition: a return to making.
‘The ninth edition of SHMC is about a restored focus on our
promise to once again deliver on a beautifully curated
founding sentiment – celebrating the beauty of making. We
wonderland of food, wine and design. It is both a pleasure
have set out to amplify the journey of how products are created,
and an honour to be a part of it.’
the richness in their materiality and the uniqueness of the beautiful stories told through their craftsmanship. ‘What started in 2010 as the first of its kind, bringing together food, wine and design, has now become a champion
Each year, dynamic special projects give SHMC a unique edge, cementing its position as the most coveted lifestyle event on Joburg’s social calendar. Five Featured Designers will lead each of the newly
for African creativity. For eleven months of the year we chip
created pavilions that string together exhibitors with
away, add on, join together and craft a new experience for
similar offerings. The chosen designers are to curate seating
visitors to enjoy each year.
areas within each pavilion that serve as conceptual foci
‘With an exciting new layout, special projects and the continuation of the Well Made in Africa narrative, we
throughout the fair. The 2018 Featured Designers include: textile designer Sindiso Khumalo, who will headline the
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 63
Textile Pavilion; ceramicist Michael Chandler is set to champion the Homeware Pavilion; South Africa’s pioneering lifestyle brand Babylonstoren will be at the forefront of the Lifestyle Pavilion; leading contemporary jewellers, Tinsel Gallery will champion the Jewellery Pavilion; and wine expert Nkululeko Mkhwanazi will curate the selection of wineries that will participate in the Wine Village, which is to be designed by Detail’24’s Manini Rampola. Making its debut this year, Makers Corner will comprise a series of interactive ‘making’ workshops within Hyde Park Corner. 2018 has seen a significant rise in the popularity of workshops led by artisans that invite customers to become a part of the experience in making their own bespoke pieces. It allows creative businesses to step out from behind the workshop/studio and interact with potential clients. Making the Masters makes a return with another panel discussion, hosted in conjunction with Creative Mornings
64 / Creative Feel / October 2018
on 13 October. This initiative aims to impart knowledge and years of experience from the selected speaker to budding artisans and peers. Twala says, ‘We feature both emerging and established local fashion, lifestyle and homeware brands, top SA chefs, high-end wine labels, microbreweries and speciality foods. Artlogic prides itself on providing a retail and marketing platform that connects entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized businesses with a discerning and supportive audience.’ Over the years, SHMC has built steadfast relationships with people who have become ‘friends of SHMC’ as well as household names. The Fair aims to continue following their growth and telling their unique stories. Exhibitors who have been with SHMC for four years or more include Mungo, Richard Bosman, Jorgensen’s, Franco Esposito, Graham Beck, Tutto, Henriette Botha, Father Coffee, Coobs and Simon & Mary. SHMC has become a conduit for growing small- and medium-sized businesses both in turnover as well as in access to new markets. New exhibitors joining this year include The
ALL PHOTOS Mike Turner
Kuni Collection, Gugu Intimates & Sisi Collection, Sindiso Khumalo, Saba Studio, Adele Dejak and Suki Suki. Mariska Oosthuizen, Head of Brand at the Sanlam Group says, ‘In our centenary, while we celebrate the past, we look to the future and how we, together with our partners, can create a better world so people can live their best lives for generations to come. We know that SMEs and the people of this continent have the potential to transform Africa’s economy and we actively encourage South Africans to support fellow Africans by choosing content from this continent when possible.’ CF Pre-sale tickets are available online via www.sanlamhmc.co.za for R130 each, or at the door for R150 (kids under 12 enter free). The Fair is open on Friday, 12 October from 12:00 to 21:00 on Saturday, 13 October from 10:00 to 21:00 and from Sunday, 14 October from 10:00 to 16:00.
66 / Creative Feel / October 2018
A charcutier
extraordinaire As the countdown to the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair begins, Creative Feel sat down with Richard Bosman of Richard Bosman’s Quality Cured Meats to find out a bit more about the charcuterie whose cured meats are in highdemand among chefs and gourmets alike. Creative Feel: Please give us a short synopsis of what you
Town, Prince Albert, Haenertsburg and Johannesburg where
do, why you do it, and why you love it?
I teach people how to make cured meats at home. They are
Richard Bosman: We make a select range of cured meats
extremely popular and a lot of fun. It is also great to spend
using traditional methods. We have built up relationships with
time with amateur enthusiasts and share experiences. As a
farmers who breed pigs to our specifications, which results in a
producer, we try to retain the essence of ‘handmade’ even as
quality product. I started making charcuterie in 2007 as a hobby
our volumes increase so that our products have integrity.
at home when I owned a delicatessen, and after two years of experimenting, I opened my charcuterie in Cape Town in 2009.
CF: What is the most exciting part of the creative process in
I love cooking and eating, and making something that takes a
the making of your product(s)?
lot of time and patience is very rewarding. It is also an art that
RB: We make a range of salamis and chorizos, which is where we
has been practised for thousands of years and I love the fact
play with creativity. In the past, we have made a Korean chorizo
that we are continuing a long-standing tradition.
with Gochujang, a Thai chorizo with lemongrass, coconut milk and fresh coriander, a Turkish chorizo with saffron, and a black
CF: What is the origin story of Richard Bosman’s Quality
salami with activated charcoal, fish sauce and sherry. Waiting for
Cured Meats? Tell us a bit more about yourself and the
them to be ready to taste is very frustrating as the process takes
people behind your brand?
between six weeks and three months before you get an idea of
RB: I started my career in retail, both in the UK and South
how your creation has turned out. We are also experimenting
Africa, before leaving the corporate life for a small delicatessen
with some new techniques in curing using Koji from Japan, which
in Hermanus. I used to sell imported Italian and Spanish cured
is proving to be very exciting.
meats and during this time I started making some of my own cured meats. In 2009, I moved back to Cape Town and took the
CF: What trends are currently impacting your industry, both
plunge by setting up a charcuterie in Killarney Gardens. We
locally and globally?
now have over 150 customers that we supply to in the Western
RB: Current trends that are affecting us are the move away
Cape and Gauteng. One of the most important aspects of our
from mass-produced products to small batch production
business is the pork and the farmers that supply me are the real
products. This is borne out in the number of new craft
heroes as without them our products would not be as good.
breweries, micro coffee roasters and artisanal products now available. We fit very much into the same category and have
CF: What does handmade and ‘a return to making’ mean to you?
seen growth in sales in markets such as the Oranjezicht
RB: ‘Handmade’ and ‘a return to making’ capture some of
Market at Granger Bay, which is frequented by customers who
the current trends in food at the moment. Consumers are
shop for their vegetables, meats, cheese, fish and charcuterie
becoming very particular about what they eat and where
on a weekly basis. At the market, we can also sell a lot of our
their food comes from. They are also becoming more
products loose without lots of packaging, which is another
interested in making things at home. I run courses in Cape
trend that is both local and global. CF
Contact Richard Bosman on 083 277 3494, richard@richardbosman.co.za or social media: @bosmanrichard
mungo 20 years of honest, transparent and sustainable textile manufacturing
Since the company was founded in 1998, Mungo’s towels, bedding and kitchen linens have quickly become South Africa’s most desirable – both for their exceptional quality and the brand’s admirable heritage and positive impact on the local community. Creative Feel chatted to the Mungo team to find out a bit more.
68 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Creative Feel: Please give us a short synopsis of what you
prototype is taken home and lived with, so that the fabric’s
do, why you do it, and why you love it?
usefulness and individual characteristics can be taken note
Mungo: Mungo is a proudly South African textile company
of. A product then grows from the cloth as we become more
that produces a wide range of natural fibre homeware products,
familiar with it.
all of which are individually woven at the Mungo Mill in
From here, the appropriate loom is then scheduled
Plettenberg Bay. We are best known for our iconic range of flat
to weave a run. We have 16 looms, all second hand and
weave towels, 100% linen bedding, table and kitchen linens.
carefully restored to their former glory.
As an independently owned, family-run business, it has
Once the cloth comes off the loom, it goes through
been rewarding to see how we can make a positive impact
rigorous inspection, and any faults are fixed by hand. After
by focusing on manufacturing in a sustainable way – from
the fabric is washed, it is sent to our CMT (Cut, Make and
sourcing the raw materials we use, to empowering the local
Trim) department where it is sewn up into the Mungo pieces
community through job creation and skills development.
you see in our stores.
South Africa has seen its once-thriving textile industry on a steady decline due to the rise in cheap imports. We
CF: What trends are currently impacting the textile industry,
are trying to preserve the traditional art and heritage of
both locally and globally?
weaving, and make it accessible to the public. It has been
M: Locally and internationally we are seeing a shift away
wonderful to see people’s awe and appreciation in being able
from fast fashion, and this concept is just as relevant to the
to reconnect with the way in which something is made.
homeware industry. People are looking for quality products that are made to last, and there is also an increased demand
CF: What is the origin story of Mungo? Tell us a bit more about yourself and the people behind your brand?
for natural fibre products over synthetic alternatives. With the rise of ‘conscious consumerism’, people have
M: Mungo was founded by Master Weaver, Stuart Holding
come to realise that they have the power to make a change
in 1998. An apprenticeship in the Yorkshire mills during his
in the world simply through their purchasing decisions. The
formative years cultivated a life-long passion for woven textiles.
conscious consumers of today want to see transparency in the
After being involved in many weaving ventures, Stuart was gifted
supply chain. They want to support brands that are making a
two abandoned Hattersley looms. One loom was resurrected
real effort to conduct business in a sustainable way.
from the working parts of both and this is where Mungo began,
From an aesthetic perspective, seasonal trends may
on an old dairy farm in the Crags, just outside Plettenberg Bay.
change and evolve, but there is always space in the home for
Stuart really pushed the boundaries of what was possible, failing
good quality, classic design.
at times and winning at others. Those successes and learnings shaped the company and spearheaded the Mungo vision. Fast forward 20 years, and Mungo remains in family
CF: Transparency and integrity are integral to the Mungo brand. How do you go about ensuring transparency, and how
hands. Stuart’s son Dax has taken the role of managing
does the new Mungo Mill aid in this? What can visitors to
director, while his daughter Tessa heads up marketing.
the new Mungo Mill expect?
We now employ close to 80 people, which spans from our
M: The idea of the Mungo Mill was conceived years ago
production and retail in Plettenberg Bay, to our satellite
with a vision to share our collection of looms and weaving
stores in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
knowledge with the public. Through industrialisation, people have lost touch with the process of how the goods we use are
CF: How is each towel/blanket/throw/tablecloth made? Tell
made. There is a growing disconnect between manufacturer
us a bit about the manufacturing process.
and consumer, and our aim is to bridge this gap.
M: Mungo possesses the rare ability to produce fabric from
The Mungo Mill showcases a cross-section of weaving
the initial concept right through to the finished product.
production, from pre-industrial revolution to present day. By
This allows us to be organic in our design process. Many
opening our mill to the public, we hope to inspire a reconnection
of the designs draw inspiration from Stuart Holding’s vast
with the way textiles are made, and an appreciation for the
library of historic pattern books, which are tweaked to give a
makers that are the heartbeat of the industry.
contemporary look and feel.
On weekdays, when the mill is in full activity, visitors
Moving into the digital age, we are in the process of
have the opportunity to view the entire process of how
archiving our library of patterns cards through a design
our fine-woven textiles are produced from the elevated
software program, which allows for later adaptations and
viewing deck that weaves around the exterior of the mill. On
colour experimentation through 3D simulations.
weekends, we offer hour-long guided tours; a chance to walk
Once a design has been made, it is hand punched onto a pattern card and the sampling process begins. The first
through the mill floor and learn a bit more about the design process and how each loom operates. CF
FIND MUNGO AT: Plettenberg Bay | Old Nick Village | 044 533 1395 | Cape Town | 78 Hout Street | 021 201 2374 | Johannesburg | 44 Stanley | 087 135 5988 | Shop Online | www.mungo.co.za Creative Feel / October 2018 / 69
Exciting times ahead for Cape Town ballet Debbie Turner, one of the South African dance community’s most respected names, has been announced as the new CEO of Cape Town City Ballet (CTCB) and took up her post on 1 October. Turner’s contributions to dance are enormous. She is the executive and artistic director of the Cape Dance Company (CDC), founding director and owner of the associated vocational dance school, the Cape Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA) and, more recently, appeared on the prestigious judging panel of M-Net’s inaugural Dancing with The Stars, South Africa, earlier this year. Creative Feel: Since you started CAPA and the CDC, your professional identity has almost become intertwined with them, will you still continue to serve as artistic director of the CDC? If not, it must be hard to step away? Who will be taking over the reigns/taking on a bigger role? Debbie Turner: After nearly 35 years as the founder and owner of CAPA, it is natural that one would be solidly intertwined with the school and the associated company, CDC, as part of a professional identity, and it will remain so. A productive school is the solid foundation of any dance company, as is an excellent and varied repertoire of a dance company. The existence of the CDC grew from the need for a stimulating outlet for the skilled young dancers that started emerging from the school as early as 1995, and this continues. Since then, the CDC has acted as a conduit for these dancers to build sustainable careers in dance and its related fields. The project-based nature of the CDC – working only part of each year – has been somewhat of a frustration in the continued building on an upward trajectory. Going forward, there is an obvious and natural synergy between the two companies given that the work is based in a strong classical foundation of technique and collectively encompasses a repertoire of the traditional classics, neo-classical, contemporary classical, and contemporary dance works. This broad range approach to repertoire is the basis from which open-minded ballet companies are working today. The slow merging of the entities and their repertoires over a period of time and in a sensible manner, as well as the purchase of new works, will give the CTCB a formidable artistic base from which to move forward in a
‘
positive and productive way. A succession plan is essential for any arts organisation and future leaders need to be identified
and nurtured over a significant period of time so that they are able to mature systematically into a role rather than being
thrust into one. Change is inevitable in any given arena and
I see this progression as a significantly positive one that can
only benefit dance all round in both our city and the country. CF: CTCB is the oldest ballet company in the Southern
Change is inevitable in any given arena and I see this progression as a significantly positive one that can only benefit dance all round in both our city and the country
‘
Hemisphere and one of the oldest in the world, do you find
present role models who would provide a reflection of the
this daunting?
self in what is observed. I have experienced South African
DT: The gravitas of the company’s history is not lost on
dance artists to be far more appreciated and valued for their
me, and it is acknowledged that I take on the responsibility
varied artistic voices in foreign countries, far more so than
and management of the artistic heritage, as well as the very
their own. I have observed our dance spaces having to adapt
necessary artistic evolution of the company as an important
to the lack of stable and reliable funding resources resulting
structure in the cultural life of South Africa. The performing
in little growth in the artistic programming, little risk-
arts form part of the creative industries and have a pivotal
taking, and minimal development of new ideas. There are
role to play in all societies. I look forward to the contribution
pods of excellence but true interaction and cross-learning,
dance can continue to make to the artistic future of both the
both locally and internationally, is minimal.
province and the country.
Artistic voices become more defined and clear through cultural exchange and interaction with
CF: On their website, CTCB’s goals are: ‘To become a world-
diverse dance communities around the world; a space
class ballet company, to delight anew our loyal supporters,
where commonalities are explored and diversities are
to inspire new audiences to love ballet.’ How would you start
acknowledged and appreciated. Sustainability is key for
tackling these goals?
dance going forward, and this sustainability is possible if it
DT: The first task is to imbue and maintain a sense of strong
is based in great art that is well managed, well marketed and
management, financial sustainability and an assurance and
promotes an ethos of excellence and social responsibility.
excitement around what lies in the future artistically for our artists, our longstanding audiences, and our new audiences.
CF: What lessons/strategies that you have learned as founder/
All art spaces carry the responsibility of constantly
artistic director of CDC do you plan on bringing with you to
seeking, educating and inspiring new audiences, as well as
CTCB? Is there anything new or different you would introduce?
maintaining the interest of existing audiences. A strong
DT: My approach has always operated from a headspace of
focus will be placed on opening doors – inviting people to
serving the art form of dance – dance was around long before
engage with the artistic space; to provide a space in which
I was born and will be long after I expire.
dancers can be in constant training and mentoring to elevate
Dancers are often not exposed to the fiscal realities
and maintain standards; to reinvigorate the repertoire so
of a dance space. This is not their fault. A pragmatic and
that new art is constantly emerging; to promote education
realistic approach with artists in which they are able to have
both in schools programmes and offer insight opportunities
an understanding of what is required to operate a dance
for our audiences and potential new audiences; and to
company invites personal investment and interest in the
nurture and develop new choreographic voices that explore
operational aspects of their space. Awareness is crucial.
and reflect the complex 21st century global environment.
They are first and foremost artists, and the significance of a performance needing to be a successful one is something
CF: How have you seen the South African dance world
my artists have always taken responsibility for. There is
change/adapt/grow over the last two decades? What
a tendency for talented artistic individuals to live in a
changes/growth do you feel is needed?
bubble and everything that nurtures their talent happens
DT: I have observed the significant loss of fine South African
miraculously around them. I like to work with thinking
talent and skill to foreign shores because the opportunity to
artists that join the creative team on an artistic journey to
expand artistically and have a solid financial income rests
make something great happen. A company is only ever as
there. This ‘arts drain’ results in an insufficiency of visually
good as its last performance. CF
Become a Friend Of Cape Town City Ballet today and invest in the beauty and exhilarating physicality of dance. Please contact Suzette Raymond, Chairperson CTCB, at suzetteraymond@yahoo.com Creative Feel / October 2018 / 71
Rise
A STORY OF HOPE
For the first time since 2014, Gregory Maqoma will present a work at Vuyani Week in 2018. As is to be expected from the acclaimed choreographer, the piece is one which will spark dialogue and potentially change the way we think of the future.
SOURCE Vuyani Dance Theatre
72 / Creative Feel / October 2018
“Vuyani Week is a platform for emerging dance creatives to explore their craft and to choreograph pieces that express their individual voice” SOURCE Vuyani Dance Theatre
W
ith our country having gone into a technical
company has seen the likes of Luyanda Sidiya creating his
recession, Gregory Maqoma, founder of
own aesthetic, a fusion of African rhythms and movement
Vuyani Dance Theatre, choreographer,
in a piece he created for Vuyani Week, Umnikelo. This was
dancer and recipient of the French
a creation with live music, alluding to the act of being
government’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
submissive by will towards a deity form or a force beyond
(Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters), felt that it is very
physical comprehension.
important to create a piece that can motivate and give hope
Otto Nhlapo, in a stirring production, Interpellation,
to South African youth. Rise, Maqoma’s new work, will be
challenged how society exists within the confines of an
an opportunity to start a discourse among youth that it is
endless force that has evolved over time. How it prospers
up to them to rise to the occasion and be determined and
through tightening its grip on us and how we loyally obey
committed to rebuilding our country’s spirit of ubuntu and
its demands. Even after its architects have long gone, a
be hopeful of a greater South Africa. After four years of not
foundation so strong has been laid that it surpasses the
creating for the annual Vuyani Week platform, Maqoma will
boundaries of time.
present Rise, casting the full company in the work. Maqoma’s last work that was presented at Vuyani Week
The annual platform has also seen very strong female choreographers emerging with thought-provoking pieces
in 2014 was Blind, a duet that confronted traditional and
that challenge the way society treats its women, demanding a
contemporary forms of life and dance. He interrogated
moment to reflect on the state of our country. In Matlou, Julia
how the pulse of urban metropolises change traditional
Burnham was inspired by the ‘addiction’ to abuse, the cause of
cultural techniques, what the relationship between deeply
excuses behind the common threads of mental, physical and
anchored and painfully repressed history and global currents
emotional entrapment. Lulu Mlangeni added her voice with
is and how movements, tempos and rhythms mix. The
Page 27, speaking directly to societies and interrogating our
piece acknowledged that the political landscape in South
actions regarding inequalities and gender equities.
Africa is very complex, with tensions always present, and it
These choreographers have gone on to enjoy successful
highlighted the individual power to dare to break, to change
careers in their own rights, and forms a foundational platform
modes, and to find synergies.
that will continue to ensure that a new generation of dancers in
Vuyani Week is a platform for emerging dance creatives
the Vuyani stable will find their voices and be able to tell their
to explore their craft and to choreograph pieces that
own stories through movement. CF
express their individual voice within a company. The
Vuyani Week takes place from 30 November to 2 December.
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 73
ARTLOOKS & ARTLINES |
ISMAIL MAHOMED
Market Photo Workshop wins international accolade
©Sipho Gongxeka
T
he 29-year-old Market Photo Workshop, founded
images. Its graduates, which include Zanele Muholi, Jodi
by the late David Goldblatt, has been announced as
Bieber and Sabelo Mlangeni, are among the most influential
the winner of the prestigious 2018 Principal Prince
photographers on the African continent.
Claus Award. The Award honours outstanding
The Market Photo Workshop stands to honour the legacy
achievements in the field of culture and development and is
of its founder and now, under the leadership of Lekgetho
presented annually to individuals, groups and organisations
Makola, the Market Photo Workshop continues to break new
whose cultural actions have a positive impact on the
ground as it develops innovative methodology that combines
development of their societies.
technical training with social consciousness raising and
The Market Photo Workshop was selected by an esteemed international panel that adjudicated 85 nominations from across the globe. Founded in 1989 by Goldblatt, the Market Photo
extends its presence through collaborations and exchanges that extend into the continent. Last year, Makola participated in a number of international events, including a three-day conference
Workshop – a training institution of the Market Theatre
on Art, Public Space and Closing Societies in Morocco.
Foundation – instils and promotes the ideals of socially
He was a member of the curatorial advisory committee
committed photography. It was the first South African
for the eleventh edition of Bamako Encounters and was
institution to provide photographic training, equipment
invited to the 2017 Lubumbashi Biennale in the DRC as
and support to black South African photographers during
part of stakeholder relationship building between like-
the apartheid era, giving huge impetus to the visual
minded photography organisations in order to enhance the
expression of black perspectives on local realities, expositing
growth of the practice collaboratively in the SADC region.
discrimination, injustices and oppression in powerful
Makola also sits on the International Advisory Committee
74 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Africa’s constitutional democracy. Through its three decades of revolutionary work, the Market Photo Workshop Graziano Villa and Francesca F. Fellini, Market Photo Workshop, Market Square, Johannesburg, 2017 ©Siphosihle Mkhwanaz
has created a vast image archive of unique historical and social importance. The verdict from the Prince Claus Fund is that the ‘Market Photo Workshop is honoured for its political courage and historically significant act of opening photography to black South Africans during apartheid; for sustaining the radical spirit and ideals that grew out of the struggle against apartheid, stimulating critical reflection and enabling a continuing evolution of photographic expression of social realities and injustices; for creating a dynamic education process that propagates the role of photography as a proactive agent in social development; for providing access to essential storytelling tools and supportive networks, enabling young people, including the marginalised and disadvantaged, to envision and share their experiences; and for its integrity over 30 years of dedication as a catalyst and springboard for talent, consistently empowering generations of remarkable photographers.’ The Award, which carries a prize of €100 000, will be
to the Board of the California-based visual storytelling
presented to the Market Photo Workshop on 6 December at
organisation CatchLight.
the Royal Palace of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, in the
Under Makola’s leadership, the Market Photo Workshop offers critical photography courses to communities, weekend
presence of the Royal Family. Internationally acclaimed South African dancer and
classes, an interactive module on archiving photography
choreographer, Dada Masilo will also be awarded the 2018
to practitioners and intensive incubator programmes
Prince Claus Next Generation Award. Known for deconstructing
for emerging artists. Many of its students and alumni
all-time classic ballets into powerfully grounded, hip-
explore complex issues such as state violence, migration,
shaking moves of African dance, Masilo has created a unique
homelessness, memory and identity in a transitional society,
choreographic signature of challenging prejudice by turning
capturing post-apartheid realities.
race, class and gender stereotypes on their heads through her
‘This Award gives the Market Photo Workshop and its community of photographers the ultimate recognition of
modern interpretations of the classics. ‘I would like to congratulate both the Market Photo
the impact of its intensive and relevant programmes. It also
Workshop and Dada Masilo on this incredible achievement.
endorses energies of the Market Photo Workshop on both
They were selected out of a group of 85 other individuals and
continental and global levels. The outstanding creative and
projects – all equally deserving. Ms Masilo and the Market
administrative contributions and funding support from
Photo Workshop are shining examples of the richness
progressive individuals and organisations have created a new
of South Africa’s cultural and artistic expression and
type of artistic knowledge cultivation realm, championed
possibility,’ says Han Peters, the Ambassador Designate of
by critical, compelling young minds and attitudes inspired
the Netherlands to South Africa. CF
by lived dynamic experiences of this continent and we are delighted that the Prince Claus Fund has honoured us with this glorious accolade,’ Makola says. The Award presents the Market Photo Workshop
Artlooks & Artlines is a monthly column
with the opportunity to further diversify its programmes
written by ISMAIL
MAHOMED,
and solidify its activities by investing in the research,
CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation.
development and activation of a critical, post-apartheid, Pan-African photography archive that represents the artistic and advocacy energies of the 25 years of South
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 75
Mncedisi Shabangu in The Inconvenience of Wings PHOTO Oscar O’Ryan
Written and directed by Lara Foot, the multi-award-winning production Tshepang: The Third Testament comes to The Fringe at Joburg Theatre in October. It stars the original cast, Mncedisi Shabangu and Nonceba Constance Didi, in a haunting and uplifting story. Shabangu received the 2003 Fleur du Cap Best Actor Award for his performance as Simon. Creative Feel chatted to him about his career, his role in Tshepang and working with writer and director Lara Foot.
MNCEDISI SHABANGU
on telling the story of Tshepang with honesty and integrity Creative Feel: You have performed in quite a few of Lara Foot’s plays, why do you think that you work so well together? What is it about her writing/directing style that appeals to you? Mncedisi Shabangu: I was in Paris when Lara was appointed associate artistic director of The Market Theatre and I got a call from her. She was in Johannesburg at the time; she asked me if I would like to join her workshop team to adapt and devise Ways of Dying, based on the novel by Zakes Mda, and I agreed. We started working on the project and that was when I realised that she didn’t know I was an actor. She thought I was a theatremaker because my play had won The Zwakala Festival and got a season at The Market Theatre. She was charmed, I must say, by my play. It was only later during rehearsals when I stepped on stage that she began to realise that I was, in fact, an actor. I guess Lara knows how much respect I have for her writing, we can be open and honest with each other. The beauty of it all is that I’m comfortable in being me Mncedisi Shabangu PHOTO Oscar O’Ryan
76 / Creative Feel / October 2018
and she trusts me with her work. I give all of me, all the
provoked all sorts of emotions in me. The approach for
time, without holding back. As a director, she gives me
me really, in terms of characterisation, was to find an
all of her as well and that includes her family. She is
emotional balance so that the story could be told. That’s
serious and I’m the funny guy and that is probably why
how the character of Simon developed his journey. In a
we complement each other so well. I understand her and
nutshell, the idea of acting in Tshepang never crossed my
I want to shine with her. I mean, come on, who doesn’t
mind. I am Simon. I have to be the character to make him
want to work with Lara Foot in this country? The work is
believable and, therefore, tell the story successfully.
Mncedisi Shabangu and Nonceba Constance Didi in Tshepang, written and directed by Lara Foot PHOTO Andrew Brown
important, but it is also important to derive fun without
CF: It must be quite hard to play a role like this, how do
losing the pure meaning of the story. Above all, we both
you prepare for it? And how do you emotionally/mentally
strive for honesty and integrity.
prepare yourself? MS: Indeed. It is very hard to play any role in Tshepang. It’s hard
CF: You have performed the role of Simon in Tshepang so
for my co-actor [Nonceba Constance Didi] too. It’s also hard for
many times over the last 15 years. Do you always approach
Lara to direct. And it’s hard for the audience. It is also hard for
it in exactly the same way or have there been small
Siesie and her community of Louisvaleweg. It should be hard for
adjustments/changes over the years?
all of us. But hard as it is, I’m willing to sacrifice my own happiness
MS: The character of Simon was never based on any
and go to the dark places of the story. I have learnt over the
specific character, but on one that I created for myself
years to prepare better by not even bothering to think too much
in the play. In 2003 when we started, we read so many
because, whatever I do, the story will hit me hard. I guess the exit
articles around the subject of infant and child rape.
after telling the story is more important than how you prepare for
So those articles served as a springboard and a base
the play. A debriefing process is what helps us heal. At the end of
to develop an understanding of the situation, which
the play we are all wounded and that’s the first step to healing. CF
Tshepang: The Last Testament is at The Fringe, Joburg Theatre, from 16 to 28 Oct at 20:00, 15:00 and 11:00. Book on 0861 670 670 or via joburgtheatre.com. School groups can also book via Happiness Mnyandu on 011 877 6853, or happiness@joburgtheatre.com.
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 77
LITERARY LANDSCAPES |
INDRA WUSSOW
Across disciplinary
boundaries
‘T
here are two kinds of truth: the truth that
individualistic salon concept and connected the artists,
lights the way, and the truth that warms the
scientists and visionaries of her time. It was more a
heart. The first of these is science, and the
philosophical and psychological meeting point than
second is art. Neither is independent of the
the previous literary salons. Though very interested
other or more important than the other. Without art,
and competent in literature, Varnhagen was even more
science would be as useless as a pair of high forceps in the
fascinated by living people, their thoughts, feelings,
hands of a plumber. Without science, art would become
opinions and perceptions. Apart from traditional sources
a crude mess of folklore and emotional quackery. The
of thinking and contemporary philosophical influence,
truth of art keeps science from becoming inhuman, and
the English philosopher Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd
the truth of science keeps art from becoming ridiculous.’
Earl of Shaftesbury (1671–1713), had formed her mind
Raymond Chandler’s famous quote from 1938 explains the
and way of thinking: that misconceptions, clichés and
interdependence of both art and science and how critical it
prejudices must be continually counteracted by ever
is to use both together for change and development.
new and never-ending reflection about the world (and
And do not be misled into thinking that connecting
oneself ). Herein lies the root of Varnhagen’s frequently
arts and science is a current trend. Quite the contrary, as
quoted ‘originality’ and of her important influence on
the collision of arts and science is an ancient practice.
the spirit of Berlin Salons.
Aboriginal people, for example, combined science,
The salons were most important for forming new ideas
storytelling, land management, customs, painting, dance and
and visions in all disciplines, and also led to questioning
agriculture for more than 50 000 years.
social parameters, forms of government within the arts and
Another example of conversations and connections between the two disciplines is the salon culture that
the research of the time. The culture of man is understood most by knowing
developed in Vienna, and later Berlin, in the late 18th century
the forms of expression of the arts as well as those of
during the Age of Enlightenment. A typical salon was a
science. ‘Who only knows the arts does not know it and
gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host and
this is true for science as well’ is how German historian
was generally defined as a cultural event linked to literature,
of science and science publicist, Ernst Peter Fischer,
art or discussion. The salon became an important vehicle for
explains the interrelation. He wrote an important book on
the exchanging of ideas and for the creation of networks to
how science and the arts interact and complement each
discuss culture, social change and innovation.
other. The disintegration of the dichotomies of causality
The Berlin Salons owed both their existence and the
and coincidence, finding and inventing, rationality and
form of their development to Jewish women. These early
creativity, are brought forward to apply both disciplines that
salons were the result of a unique interrelation between the
are not contrasting pairs but two sides of one coin that we
German Enlightenment and Haskalah, on the one hand, and,
call culture. Fischer explains that it is no coincidence that
on the other, young, educated Jewish women from well-to-
science and the arts took the road to abstraction together,
do families who were searching for a new role in life outside
almost simultaneously. The exciting search for the source of
the patriarchal structures of their families. These salons
the inner relationship of both revolutionised the intellectual
highlight the process of women’s emancipation in Germany
world at the beginning of the 20th century. Fischer connects
Rahel Levin Varnhagen (1771 – 1833) was the most famous host at the time and created a very
78 / Creative Feel / October 2018
Einstein’s idea of space-time with Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Ávignon, explains how Schönberg’s twelve-tone
Stephanus Rademeyer, Branches in Time II
Rahel Varnhagen
technique is related to the discovery of the atom and how
hunger to learn with his aesthetic abilities to create a
Freud’s psychoanalysis is linked to the theory of relativity
new ideal of the artist. Today, many artists work together
and the films of Sergei Eisenstein.
in teams with scientists and other intellectuals to create
Today, the arts and science remain integral to our lives.
artworks that connect scientific research and the vast
The combination of design and engineering that is required
knowledge of the highly diverse team to transcend ideas
to create elegant and functional structures, the integration
and perceptions together in an innovative work that
of music and mathematics to deliver innovative scores, the
often also extends our ideas of functionality and purpose.
medical discoveries that have been inspired by creative
The shift from mechanical thinking to systems thinking
thinking, the invention of new materials in fashion, the
offers new ways of artistic practice, as do the melting
functionality and aesthetics in our technology, the fusion of
boundaries and changing identities that come with our
flavour and science in the foods we eat.
global postmodernity. The shifting narratives of our ethics
Nearly every future-focused sector, from artificial
and views of mankind and its role and purpose, open an
intelligence and machine thinking to space travel, requires
enormous resonance chamber that requires new forms
both curiosity and creativity for its success. Creativity
and creative practices and new ways of collaborating. The
is a topic of enormous importance – and one that poses
collective of different disciplines seems to be the most able,
enormous challenges. Studying it from a scientific
most integral and most innovative model to respond to
perspective, as opposed to an aesthetic one, raises a
today’s challenges and discoveries. So too does (political)
daunting series of questions. How should it be defined?
activism become part of the creative process of change –
Should we conceive of it as a unitary construct, or should
an important tool that is able to introduce new ideas and
we posit that there are ‘multiple creativities’, that there are
art forms to a broader audience to allow society to enable
‘multiple intelligences’? What methods can be used to study
change together. CF
these creativities? During our golden age of neuroscience, we are able to understand its neural mechanisms and, therewith, our perception of the arts and its creative processes are re-discussed. We have moved away from the perception of the artist as the ingenious creator of groundbreaking new realities,
Literary Landscapes is a monthly column by
INDRA WUSSOW, a writer, translator and director of the Sylt Foundation.
thoughts and perception as epitomised by Leonardo Da Vinci, who revolutionised the arts/science of the Renaissance while combining his scientific research and
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 79
BOOK REVIEWS |
R E C E N T LY P U B L I S H E D
ELEMENTAL: HOW THE PERIODIC TABLE CAN NOW EXPLAIN (NEARLY) EVERYTHING | By Tim James | Publisher: Robinson, an imprint of Little Brown Book Group | ISBN: 9781468317022 If you want to understand how our world works, the periodic table holds the answers. When the seventh row of the periodic table of elements was completed in June 2016 we could, at last, identify all the ingredients necessary to construct our world. In Elemental, chemist and science educator Tim James provides an informative, entertaining, and quirkily illustrated guide to the table that shows clearly how this abstract and seemingly jumbled graphic is relevant to our day-to-day lives. James tells the story of the periodic table from its ancient Greek roots, when you could count the number of elements humans were aware of on one hand, to the modern alchemists of the 20th and 21st centuries who have used nuclear chemistry and physics to generate new elements and complete the periodic table. In addition to this, he answers questions such as: What is the chemical symbol for a human? Why is the medieval dream of transmuting lead into gold now a reality? Whether you’re studying the periodic table for the first time or are simply interested in the fundamental building blocks of the universe – from the core of the sun to the networks in your brain – Elemental is the perfect guide.
THE ORIGIN OF (ALMOST) EVERYTHING | By Graham Lawton with introduction by Professor Stephen Hawking | Publisher: John Murray Publishers | ISBN: 9781473629356 From what actually happened in the Big Bang to the accidental discovery of post-it notes, the history of science is packed with surprising discoveries. Did you know, for instance, that if you were to get too close to a black hole it would suck you up like a noodle (it’s called spaghettification), why your keyboard is laid out in QWERTY (it’s not to make it easier to type) or why animals never evolved wheels? New Scientist does. New Scientist and award-winning illustrator Jennifer Daniel want to take you on a colourful, whistle-stop journey from the start of our universe (through the history of stars, galaxies, meteorites, the Moon and dark energy) to our planet (through oceans and weather and oil) and life (through dinosaurs to emotions and sex) to civilization (from cities to alcohol and cooking), knowledge (from alphabets to alchemy), ending with technology (from computers to rocket science). After a degree in biochemistry and a MSc in science communication, both from Imperial College, Graham Lawton landed at New Scientist, where he has been for almost all of the 21st century, first as features editor and now as executive editor.
DO ROBOTS MAKE LOVE? FROM AI TO IMMORTALITY | By Jean-Michel Besnier and Laurent Alexandre | Publishers: Cassell, an imprint of Octopus Publishing group | ISBN: 9781788400701 Should we enhance the human condition with technology? Does anyone really want to live for a thousand years? Could AI end up destroying mankind? Discover the incredible potential of mankind’s near future as a doctor and a philosopher debate the big questions surrounding the incredible potential of transhumanism. As scientists in California make great strides in using advanced technology to enhance human intellect and physiology, the ethical and moral questions surrounding its possibilities have never been more pressing. Should we change the way we reproduce? Could we enhance the human body with technology to the point where we are all technically cyborgs? Is it possible to make love to a robot? Doctor and entrepreneur Laurent Alexandre and tech-philosopher Jean Michel Besnier go head-to-head on the big questions in an entertaining and thought-provoking debate on the fundamental principles of transhumanism.
80 / Creative Feel / October 2018
R E C E N T LY R E L E A S E D
| CD REVIEWS
An extraordinary artistic friendship To mark Krzysztof Penderecki’s 85th birthday, Deutsche Grammophon is releasing a double album showcasing a number of the composer’s works for violin and piano or violin and ©Bartek Barczyk / DG
orchestra. All of them feature the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, whose name is closely associated with that of Penderecki.
V
iolinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki are among the leading musical figures of our age. For more than 30 years, these two outstanding
musicians have been close friends, and during that time their friendship has proved a fruitful one, repeatedly inspiring and challenging both parties. This very special
and provide thrilling evidence of his ability to explore the
double album features Mutter both as a soloist and in
emotional extremes of human existence.
partnership with a number of colleagues. All the works
This double album brings together various pieces that
that are included here reflect Penderecki’s unique musical
Penderecki has written for the violin and that are performed
language in fascinatingly intense and multifaceted ways.
by Mutter in ways that bring out their wealth of tone colours
The result is a sensitive and moving homage on the part of
and captivating expressivity, while also striking a personal
the violinist to a musical friend.
note. In addition to La Follia, a virtuoso set of variations
They first got to know each other in the early 1980s,
for unaccompanied violin, and the dialogue-like concert
although it was not until 1988 that they began to work
duet for violin and double bass that Mutter has recorded
together closely. From the outset, the conductor was
with the bass player Roman Patkoló, it is two large-scale,
fascinated by her musical maturity.
complex works that are at the heart of the present release.
Penderecki says, ‘I like travelling uncharted pathways. I
Laid out along symphonic lines, the Second Violin Concerto
have to do this whenever I compose, otherwise nothing comes
– subtitled Metamorphosen – was premiered by Mutter in
out. I start somewhere in the middle of a work, before moving
1995: ‘For me, this task is physically and psychologically
to the right or left and time and again having to get back on
challenging, but it is a challenge that I am grateful to
course, which often means retracing my steps. I continue
accept,’ says the violinist about the extremely demanding
to compose until it becomes clear to me that I could really
and contrastive work. Like the Second Violin Concerto,
do it much better. I then start at the beginning.’ Penderecki
the Second Violin Sonata is dedicated to Mutter, who has
has retained this self-critical attitude right up to the present
recorded it for the present album with the pianist Lambert
day. It is an attitude that places enormous demands on him.
Orkis. The piece is in five movements and resembles a
The works that have come into existence in this way afford
dramatic disquisition on life that ultimately leaves the
impressive proof of his uncompromising dedication to music
listener emotionally moved. CF
Creative Feel / October 2018 / 81
ENCORE ROSEMARY NALDEN is currently the founder and director of Buskaid, a music academy in Soweto offering high-quality string teaching to local children and youth. Before she started Buskaid, Nalden worked in London and internationally as a freelance viola player for many well-known ensembles and orchestras specialising in ‘authentic performance practice’.
Name three artworks that you love and why.
Have the arts industries in South Africa changed over the last
First on my list: Ich habe genug (JS Bach Cantata no 82) sung
ten years?
by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson when she was terminally ill. Hunt
Yes, but not enough. There are far more opportunities for creative young
Lieberson was also a viola player, which makes her very special for
people, although there’s still not enough attention paid to arts education
me. There are no words to describe the poignancy of this recording.
in schools. And I’m guessing that career guidance practitioners rarely
Akenfield, a film by Peter Hall, made a deep impression on me in the
promote the arts as a career option.
1970s. All the actors were local villagers, the dialogue was largely improvised, and filming took place in Suffolk over one year to
What is your most treasured possession?
capture rural life during the changing seasons. The music is Michael
She’s not a possession, she’s my dog! She is my third township rescue
Tippett’s sublime Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli. Thirdly,
dog, and all of them have been the most loving companions you could
I own a very large canvas by Ricky Dyaloyi that depicts a miner
possibly imagine.
leaning on his shovel. The title is Trying and it’s a very powerful, moving work. Dyaloyi is very clear about his role as an artist in
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
highlighting the human condition, particularly in the townships.
Witnessing cruelty to animals, particularly dogs. I’m afraid that this exists purely through lack of education. I’ve seen far too much of it, and
Name one artist you would love to meet.
it breaks my heart.
I’m taking a liberty with the tense of this question because I’ve always thought I would love to have met Mozart. Bach and Beethoven would
What is it that makes you happy?
be totally daunting, but I’m fascinated by Mozart’s wit and wickedness.
Being in my garden with my dog on a Sunday – my day off; teaching my children in Soweto and seeing their progress. That’s
What are you reading at the moment?
the ultimate pleasure!
I’m reading The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. It’s a dense, evocative memoir about the author’s travels through Europe before,
Describe a defining moment in your life.
during and after World War I. I am constantly struck by Zweig’s
It has to be the moment in November 1991 when I happened to have
modesty, humanity and complete lack of ego, despite his own fame
the radio on in my flat in London one morning and heard a brief news
and the illustrious company he kept. What a contrast with the
item about a string project in Soweto that was in difficulties. That
‘celebrity culture’ of the world we now inhabit! Zweig was Jewish, and
changed my life completely – I reacted, responded, and as a result, I’ve
his almost naïve realisation that Hitler was in the process of crushing
spent the past 21 years working in Soweto.
not only him, but also the Europe he loved, became too much for him, and he took his own life in 1942.
What projects will you be busy with during 2018 and into 2019? We have a wonderful concert coming up on 29 September in which the
What is in your car’s CD player?
guest artist will be the international pianist Melvyn Tan performing
There’s keen competition between our soon-to-be-released new
a Mozart piano concerto and Saint-Saens’ Wedding Cake Waltz with
album, Movies and More, which we recorded live at a concert last
the Ensemble; we’re also releasing two new CDs; and a week after the
year, and the Biber Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas played by my very
concert, 19 of our students are taking international exams from Grade
dear friend Maya Homburger. Two of my students are playing
2 right up to LRSM. Busy times!
movements for their Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) exams. I guess the contrast between Biber and movie
Name one goal you would like to achieve in the next
music rather sums up our somewhat eclectic approach to music!
twelve months. It’s imperative that we start to build a new school on a bigger site.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
We are hugely short of space and this is stressful for all of us.
Only one?! I think if I lowered my stupidly high expectations of
We’ve identified the site – now we have to go all out to raise the
myself and of others, life might be less of a struggle!
funds to build! CF
84 / Creative Feel / October 2018