Disparate issue #5

LEAGAN PEFFER // ANELE TSHABALALA KARLA NIXON // 100% CO-OP

100% CO-OP Gateway Theatre of Shopping // Shop Number, F211 031 584 7550

Issue no.5// 2014 Editors-in-Chief Li Joshua Yoshen Nair Photography DISPARATE Heloise Alexandra Marshall Layout and Design DISPARATE Editorial Lydia Smerdon DISPARATE Mayuri Sanichur Anele Tshabalala Media & Reviews Nivesh Rawatllal Taryn Kettle Craig Malan Digital Production Sean Lynch Yoshen Nair www.disparate.co.za facebook.com/DisparateOnlineMag @Disparate_Mag

06

disparate // editor’s letter

SIMPLICITY ...SAID NO ONE EVER. LI: So we’ve accepted a reader’s challenge by compiling and entire issue in Black and White, reverting back to basic attributes like shape and form.

YOSHEN: My friend Britney once said, “You Better Work Bitch”.

This has pretty much been the state of Disparate for the past few weeks.

Blood, tears, arguments and healthy doses of caffeine, but what an awesome few weeks it has been.

LI: Preach. We at DISPARATE haven’t had a creative work out like this in a while. I now understand why there are as many Black and White tumblr blogs than there are bicycles in Beijing. A greater personal appreciation for the aesthetics of Black and White art has been formed.

YOSHEN: As artists we sometimes get lost with all the bells and whistles that come with, well, being artists. Its 2014, and that means, tools, media, and choices abound.

LI: So here we have it, Durbs in various shapes, sizes and shades. Check out the amazing work of Karla Nixon and classical movements of dancer Leagan Peffer...

YOSHEN: ...also, our hottest new contributor, the ever trendy, Anele T. LI: I would give you a really deep Maya Angelou quote right about now to conclude, but to pay tribute we’ve given you a picture instead. Enjoy!

Yosh DISPARATE Editor

Li DISPARATE Editor

disparate // contributors

Mayuri Sanichur

Anele Tshabalala

Heloise Hunter

Back again after a sabatcle in Honduras critting the artwork of various indigenous tribes on the brink of extinction, May has decided to turn her eye to one of the biggest art gigs to happen in durban for a long time.

An expat from Swaziland who got kicked out the country for having way too much swag.

Fuck formal training I say. Heloise has been submitting work for DISPARATE since issue#2

17000 humble square kilometers, could not contain this girls opinions on fashion. Thus, she has been granted asylum within the pages of DISPARATE’s style section.

Our resident documentary photographer, she spends most of her time conversing with woodland creatures and broken down farm equipment in the middle of the Underberg.

check her out in the events section.

Anyone who is able to hike 30 kilometers for a shot is worth their salt in our books.

09

CONTENTS

68

Its SHAPE Anele takes a look at trends regarding shape and silohettes in fashion.

42

DEEP CUTS DISPARATE chats with fine artist, Karla Nixon

15 30

MOVE We explore the idea of Shape and Form with dancer, Leegan Peffer

What If This City?

May takes a look at one of the biggest art events in Durban for 2014

12

WHAT

ANELE

SAYS,GOES.

disparate // profile

If you are asking the question, who the actual is this chick?, then clearly you have not tweeted in quite a while. On one occasion, averaging at 2 tweets per minute for 4 hours straight (It was the SAMA’s after all.) Seeing that she is sometimes mistaken for a mermaid due to her impeccable styling and fashion sense; We at DISPARATE decided that Issue#5 was the perfect opportunity to inject this great talent into our style section.

disparate // feature

MOVE. Beauty in motion.

Legan Peffer, a current resident dancer of the Durban Playhouse Company, glides all up and through the DISPARATE studio.

Using the body as her artistic tool of choice, Leagan gives us a true representation of timeless, artistic form.

15

disparate // feature

17

Leagan started dancing ballet at the age of eleven years old, with the Betty Blake Academy of dancing. Ballet became her first love. Five years into her dancing, she was drawn to other forms of dancing such as tap, modern, ballroom and Latin. After matriculating from school she completed her RAD (Royal Academy of Dancing) Advanced 2 exam.

In 2008 she spent a month in Japan participating in workshops with dance schools all of the country, as well as attending open dance class with a Japanese company. By the time she returned to South Africa she was totally, and completely, in love with ballet.

19

In 2009 she began teaching ballet to the local break dance school “Dance movement”, soon after, accompanying the Dance Movement team to Scotland to attend the Aberdeen International Dance Festival.

She also took part in the Cape Town International Dance competition.

The competition really opened her eyes to the world of dance, to see so many amazing dancers from all over the world. “It was one of the most exciting and nervous moments of my life.” By the end of 2010 she was chosen to attend the Mzansi Production Graduate Program in Johannesburg. Leaving the sunny shores of the 031, Leagan attended a graduate program based at the dance Factory in Newtown Johannesburg. Here she was introduced to a whole new world of dance. It took a lot of adaptation to life in a contemporary/ ballet company. “It was very challenging but I was extremely fortunate in that I was trained by some of the best teachers in South Africa, as well as guest teachers from the National ballet school in Cuba.”

disparate // feature

She travelled with the Mzansi dance company as a graduate and was fortunate enough to perform with them in Don Quixote in the corde ballet, as well as Mzansi’s ‘Somebody to love’. At the end of 2011 she was unfortunately not offered a contract. “It was a difficult time for me and I returned to Durban with thoughts of never dancing again.

However the exact opposite happened. I did quite a lot corporate gigs during this time.”

Leagan set her sights on auditioning for the flat foot dance company’s production titled ‘South South’. She was selected, and in March 2014, performed in ‘South South’ which was a tribute to Ahmud Kathrada.

Choreographed by Australian choreographer Liz Lea. “Meeting and dancing for Mr. Kathrada was a very emotionally moving experience, another memory that I will never forget. The last show of ‘South South’ ended on a Friday, by Monday, I was auditioning to be in the Playhouse Dance Residency.”

She was selected, and by April 2011 she was a Playhouse Residency Dancer.” I truly believe that when one door closes there’s always a window. Playhouse became my window. It was the light at the end of a dark tunnel. We train in all forms of dancing. Ballet, Tap, Contemporary dancing, Spanish flamingo dancing, kathak (classical Indian), Indlamu (Tradition Zulu dancing), as well as body conditioning and Pilate’s to name a few”.

disparate // feature

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Since dancing for the Playhouse Leagan has performed in productions such as ‘Worlds Apart’, ‘Christmas gospel extravaganza’, ‘BRICS Summit’, Imvula, Song for Zinhle, West Side Story, Uniting our youth through dancing-schools program and Freedom. Leagan has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Adele Blank, Christopher Kindo, David Mathamela, and Casey Swales. “The people I have met along the way have been absolutely incredible.”

“The Playhouse Residency dancers are an amazing group of extremely talented dancers who are just amazing at heart and words cannot express how much they mean to me. The late Zinhle Gumede was one of the founding dancers of the residency as well as the dance captain and she had a huge impression on my life. I feel completely blessed and the only explanation is that God has blessed me in the most amazing ways. My life has been a complete roller coaster ride and I never seem to know when it’s going to do a complete 180 degree turn on me. I feel that the world is an amazing place, we just have to take the time to stop and notice how much we have.”

Leagan is one of the founding members of The KZN Dance Productions NPC which was established in 2014 by herself, Rachel Abrahams, Nkanyiso Kunene, Sandile Mkize, Pavishen Padyia and Thobeka Quvane. They also run a dance academy every Saturday at the Playhouse Company studios, to promote and assist in making dancing as accessible and affordable to as many children as possible.

Upcoming events for the Academy, is a Children’s day dance workshop held on Sunday 01 June 2014 at 369 Ridge Road.

Catch Leagan in an upcoming production during the South African Women’s arts Festival (SAWAF).

disparate // feature

There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.

- Maya Angelou

remembers the late and great Maya Angelou 1928-2014

disparate // thobani khanyile // illustrator

disparate // feature

What if this City was the titties. Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event this awesome for one reason and that is that it was completely free. Free spirited, free minded and free entrance – which by the way, really helped pack Durban University of Technology’s Art Gallery to capacity.

Article by Mayuri Sanichur

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WHAT IF THIS CITY?

disparate // feature

From the Chicken Licken across the road, the Art Gallery was alit with laser neon colours and the sounds of a number of amazing Durban musicians that drew the crowd in like a moth to a flame.

It was a meeting of some of the city’s coolest artists and a culmination of everything uber about Durban’s creative kultcha.

disparate // feature

The event sought to open Durban’s emerging and current artistic community to more exposure through a free forum and to generate discussion and collaboration on multiple levels inside and outside the community. I can’t think of an event more successful and more on point than this. It totally delivered on its modus operandi.

The entrance of the Art Gallery got you immersed from the get go. Knee deep in the insanity was a bunch of artists tagging (a scene of Margaret Thatcher with a monkey on her lap on one side was totally unforgettable) while others painted and drew through a variety of mediums on bare blocks (like Nivesh Rawatlall’s almost-bare-to-the-bum “What is this City” body piece). Flanked on either side of this craziness was a music platform, which through the night lent itself to the folk sounds of Iris and the Tokoloshe and the fabulous Nje, and a dance stage erected for the likes of Flatfoot Dance Company whose performers graced us with a number of intense interpretive pieces.

Inside, the entrance of the venue bore more artists creating dark intense pieces and emotionally eerie ones that blew my mind like Skye T. Steen’s “Cloud State” (I keep going back to the event’s Facebook page to look at this one). Live tattooing took place on one side and sketching and drawings of interpretations of the night’s affair on the other with Les Demoiselle in a tight minidress, in all her hair-legged glory, standing proudly in the middle of the staircase leading up to the official gallery.

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disparate // feature

In the gallery was a live nude model and easels surrounding her and artists painted the walls with the most graphically provocative scenes. I have to say my “oh my God” moment came with a wall of wooden block illustrations and paintings of widely expressive faces and sexual acts that completely blew my thought process into another dimension. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something so thoroughly wide-open. People gravitated towards this piece with the most thought-provoking expressions on their faces.

This event is something Durban and its organizers should be seriously proud of. It was genuinely everything it had said it would be and more. What if this city let you eat up everything you could? It did.

It was a cultural explosion in the best way possible and the most beautiful jol the city will see for a while.

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Outside we drank beer and watched students draw by lamplight and on the floor while surrounded by third year DUT student videos (which included the likes of some seriously far-out stop-animation) and of course, Durban’s beautiful night sky.

disparate // photography // Heloise Alexandra Hunter

The immensely talented Karla Nixon’s work is nothing short of breath taking. Her unique take on paper craft leaves many of her viewers in a bare state of appreciation. With her modern adaptation on a traditional medium, Karla sits down with DISPARATE to give us her take on paper cutting as a contemporary art form.

So Karla, you’re no stranger to the Durban art scene. How did you actually get into this interesting art form?

It kind of started for me with a stencil project I had to do in school. I found myself more intrigued by the cut out stencil than the product that the stencil would produce. About three years ago, was when I really got into it. It was through looking at street artists, thanks to my boyfriend Dane who is a street artist - his very influential (laughs). There was a particular artist named Swoon, who does a lot of wheat pastes and prints. She’s probably considered more fine artist in terms of street art and I suppose that’s what appealed to me. There was a particular method of wheat pasting her stencil work with her prints, which really excited me. From there I started my 1st large paper cut piece.

We distinctly remember your work been showcased for an Emma Smith award. Tell us a bit about the submission.

Well I dedicated my B-tech year to studying paper cutting as a contemporary art form, as its traditionally seen as a craft.

I used the technique along with a bit of paper sculpture to explore issues of suburbia, a sort of middle ground between the city and nature. There was a bit of self-reflection seeing that I am from a middle class, white, suburban upbringing.

I was kind of looking at some of the issues that arise in the suburbs, the ideals, that sort of thing.

disparate // artist

47

Well you sure made suburbia look beautiful.

(Laughs) Well I would hope so, I spent a year doing it (Laughs) I used a lot of patterning and extracted a lot of visual dynamic from suburban surroundings. Mixing the masculine and feminine, and then of course nature, and just exploring the visual interest that could be found in that space.

disparate // artist

disparate // artist

I think a lot of the time, the first reaction that people have to your work is the “How long did that take you to make?!” Do you have a specific way in which you deal with the whole process?

It depends, on my time frame. I do have my little shortcuts that I have developed over time. In terms of my paper cuts, there are times where I would just hand draw it out. Taking my own reference photos is something I always do. It also saves be a generous amount of time. I then manipulate it to its required form in black and white so it works effectively in terms of positive and negative shape. It takes a bit of mathematics as one incorrect cut can cause an entire piece to fall out.

With your craft being so intricate and time consuming, do you find yourself becoming frustrated at times?

During the process, it’s actually quite therapeutic. Unless I make a mistake, then the cursing begins, because once that mistake is made you have to start from scratch.

Do ever feel limited by your medium?

There are times when I get bait complex with the grammage of my chosen papers. Personally it comes down to what I can cut and what I cant. I have to find the fine middle ground, if the paper is too thin; I tend to execute my cuts at a much faster pace, which could result in me making more mistakes.

Then again if the paper is too thick its much more difficult to cut and I don’t get my clean lines. Oh and the blisters that come along with that.

disparate // artist

Currently, what’s happening with your artistic evolution?

This year I’m really excited as I’m doing my masters. In my B-tech year I focused solely on paper cutting, which I was very strict about, I tried as much as possible to just be as authentic to the technique as possible. This year i now have the opportunity to get more in depth with paper sculpture, but still incorporating my paper cutting technique. I also want to start incorporating other sculptural materials, stuff like wire and metal, together with my treatment of paper.

So paper seems to be the catalyst for something much more mixed media and sculpture like.

Yeah, I think mostly it will still be paper, the other materials would be used to aid it I suppose.

What about content? What do you hope to focus on with this evolution of technique?

Whooooooooooooa, that is a heavy question (laughs) Its something I’m currently grappling with right now. Lets come back to that question later (laughs).

Either way, we can’t wait to see it.

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SYMMETRY IS WHAT WE SEE AT A GLANCE; BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANY DIFFERENCE...

LIVING

BREATHING

BLEEDING

SHAPES The human body can also serve as inspiration with regards to figure drawing. In recent decades, the body has moved from being the subject of traditional portraiture to become an active presence in live and participatory events.

Art historical, socio-political and cultural developments, from radical feminism in the 1970s to contemporary scientific breakthroughs, have all had a profound influence on artists’ attitudes to, and representations of the human form.

59

The human body and art‌a partnership that dates decades back and still continues to evolve, these days the human body can be used as a canvas, we see this with tattoos and the creative pieces people carry around on them.

62

disparate // editorial

We see that figure drawing and tattoos are two of the most used ways in which the human body influences art. Through figure drawing; an artist hones their drawing skills through drawing the human form. It is considered one of the most difficult subjects to master as the body is alive, and capable of being in a multitude of positions. And, we all are more critical of drawings of people. We know what people should look like, and can instinctively tell when something isn’t right.

These days, it’s more common to have a tattoo than not, and as changing societal norms make it acceptable for even the most clean-cut of crews to be inked up, more and more people are going under the gun. During the last three decades, tattoo designs and trends has been heavily influenced by fine art and the aesthetics of Asian and Pacific cultures.

disparate.co.za

ON OUR

RADAR << Just when we had come to terms with the fact that The Knife would be no more, they deliver a punch to the gut with the release of a new remixed album titled “Shaken Up”.

blk is what happens when fulvic trace minerals are added to pure water. blk has powerful electrolytes and a high pH. blk is serious hydration, and God damn stylish if we do say so ourselves. >>

<<

In the process of compiling the current issue, Editor Yoshen’s hair had become unacceptably distracting. We managed to get our hands on this sick snap back, from Swede & Crowe, to combat the problem.

ISSUE 6

COMING SOON

68

disparate // editorial

IT’S SHAPE. PURE AND

SIMPLE This month’s issue focuses on the human shape and form.

The fashion spreads have taken their inspiration from the silhouettes our bodies make. With movement, some staple fashion pieces and out photographer’s expertise, we capture and appreciate the human body in it’s most basic form.

A rather ‘norm-core’ approach to our fashion garments, we’ve deliberately decided to keep it simple, so as not to take away from what this issue is celebrating. A pair of jeans and a tee in low lighting? silhouettes have never looked this good. Ladies, keep your mom jeans, ‘normcore’ is trending for sure!

Words: Anele T

Images: DISPARATE

disparate // editorial

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THE THINGS WE LIKE BROUGHT TO YOU BY 100% CO-OP 100% Co-Op at Gateway is a boutique thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about supporting local design talent and high quality, authentic products.

Clockwise from top: Perspex twist cuff, Belinda - R285 Gingham Box - R240 Oldschool Helmit - R750 Square Bone Dice Box - R480 Plaited Rope Necklace - R270

Opposite Page: White Ceramic Origami Birds R55 each

MUSIC

Niv and TK get back to basics, taking something old and something new

Arctic Monkeys AM Domino Recording Company Its hard to take a band named the Arctic monkeys seriously, so it begs the question whether or not to take the actual salt of their worth seriously. That being said, I have had this album on repeat in various psychedelic playlists since its release last year, so for longevity sake its lasting well past any kind of expiry date. That and Alex turner (Vocals, songwriting) along with whoever else is in this band makes some pretty decent rock ‘n roll to get fucked up to.

In a sum its radio friendly stoner rock with a groove that goes from deep to melancholy with some bits that sound fairly shit and shouldn’t probably be there other than to fill space and waste wasted time. The influence of the likes of Queens of the Stoneage’s Joshua Homme (production and additional writing and guitar) are felt throughout the better tracks, Black Sabbathy sounding drum kicks and heavy guitar make this album very catchy.

The experimentation is not a complete unholy clusterfuck of funk and rap which at times seem out of place on a solid rock album but tend to make better sense after a couple of joints or any other sort of substance abuse. So if you are considering if you should only listen to this album under the influence you will find it stick in your brain like bad cocaine, and won’t leave till you find something better. You will have these songs playing in your head for a while, or maybe its just the drugs.

All in all its hard to find much wrong with this album, old fans probably won’t like it, but then they can fuck off. New fans will take various coping mechanisms to escape their dull lives and find some pleasant melancholy and hard rocking beats in-between the sounds of this decent yet not completely epic album.

Favorite track: ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’

disparate // review

Lykke Li I Never Learn LL / Atlantic Records She strikes again! It’s been 3 years since her last LP, whicht transformed Lykke Li from that innocent sounding lass into a feisty young woman!

A lot has since her previous works, Youth Novels (2008) and Wounded Rhymes (2011). Li has experienced an inevitable desolation of memories caused by a romantic blunder with her past lover - Well to put it lightly.

Don’t you worry! Don’t you worry Li, there are way more of you out there, no really, you’re not alone in this Miss!

Although, as much as the above is the case… that’s not all of her worries! As quoted in a Rolling Stone interview “If anything I want to be seen as a singer-songwriter rather than a pop artist.” Much Like many singers within the music industry, being classified as more than just a singer is quite a tough task to play out…hhayi shem.

Due to these factors of progression, a downhearted album was born! The 2014 LP, ‘I Never Learn’ is a series of lovelorn ballads unlike her lighthearted composition in the past. Pretty deep if you ask me! Li focuses more on her songwriting aptitudes in this album…so you have to give her credit for such an expressive banter … buuuut I have to be honest here, not everyone wants to hear her wallowing for a whole 33mins! I mean I could barely hold onto my existence, that’s how it dragged on…gaaaaaah! It’s the type of album you could slit your wrists to, and if you’re still alive after your poor attempt, you better hope on your f@#%ing life that this LP is not hovering in the background, like a dark cumulonimbus!

Now now Lykke Li, lets not haunt the living, earth needs it’s sunshine back…we beg of you! Should this be your colossal volley at becoming anything but an international pop star…you got to come back to the rhythm lady!

Favorite track: ‘No Rest For The Wicked’

APPS

Meneer Malan gives us his tech savy opinion on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot and happening in the app world.

disparate // review

UBER.

DEBONAIRS

ExpenZa

Os + android

Os + android

Android

Awesome credit card

I’m not a massive

Every time nearing the

only taxi app. I’m

Debonairs fan. I would

end of the month, I whine

sure you’ve seen the

much rather have

about the ridiculous

promotional posters

a proper fired oven

things I bought. Like

stuck in your favorite

preparing my Mafiosa

a whisk that whisks

bar’s toilets. Besides the

than a silly conveyor belt

10 times faster than a

stench the posters have

inside a toaster. BUT, I

traditional whisk… dam

absorbed, the company

can’t help but feel like

fine sales man at the

is classy as fuck. Nice

Sandra Bullock from the

Royal show this month.

cars, decent pick up

Net every time I use this

And every month I

times, and cheaper than

app.

pretend to make a

most taxi companies.

budget to stick to.

My Sandra Bullock

The best part of the app

feeling can be viewed

This app takes the sms

is watching the little car

here:

notifications from your

meandering around,

https://www.

bank and categorizes it

on a map of various

youtube.com/

for you. Pretty nifty for

whorehouses, to find

watch?v=2CnWs8jDbXo

when you want to self

you. It then sends you

reflect after scratching

a notification once it’s

for coins to buy a loose

there. You can also split

cigarette.

the taxi fair with what ever you picked up at the club. Classy ne?

http://aneletshabalala.blogspot.com/ http://milktart21.wordpress.com/ http://karlanixon.weebly.com/ https://www.facebook.com/whatifthiscity http://getblk.com/ http://swede-and-crowe.tumblr.com/ http://www.karockimedia.com/ https://www.facebook.com/visuallanguageimages

OUR

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