ENJIN Magazine Issue 47

A CREATIVE REVIEW ISSUE 47 OCT/NOV 2009 R150/year www.enjin.co.za

Welcome to the magazine for the rest of us. As the Web is full of all kinds of stuff, and there are no barriers to publication, we needed to find a way to make the magazine more relevant.

The result: a participatory platform merging writers and readers and turning the public into producers. The new website is a place where anyone can submit their work or make suggestions for the next issue – an interactive space in which the word magazine takes on a new meaning comprising both paper and pixels.

22

49

60

Team Uncool will show you that uncool is the new black – showcasing the fashion on the streets of a nation

Charl Blignaut looks at how a boutique agency is pioneering the use of uniquely South African illustration in their work

peet for president

Mokena Makeka is an architect with a clean-shaven head and a distinctive preference for button shirts with colourful verticals

Here at ENJIN we’ve always been fans of Peet Pienaar’s wonderfully eclectic work. His Afromag – a collection of stickers, posters and graphic elements – gave us a fresh take on what a magazine could be. Pienaar’s studio, The President, has since opened in Buenos Aires, and was earlier this year approached by DStv to produce MK Bruce Lee – a publication that would capture the imagination of the music channel’s hard-to-please demographic.

The solution is radical but simple, and blithely disobeys conventional magazine formulas by dividing its content into a collection of folded posters, packets of cards and stickers and a mini-book, all held in a Lucky Packet envelope. There are two versions of the magazine: Bruce for boys, and Lee for girls, meaning that editorial content and advertising can be targeted to gender groups.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 1

Design your way to The Big Apple!* Entries open!

BREINSTORM21072009

Work produced between 1 July 2008 & 30 June 2010 and printed on exclusive Antalis papers are eligible for entry in the following categories:

Cards Bound Brochures Unbound Brochures Corporate Identity Open Category Digital Category Annual Reports Student Category √

All entries need to reach Antalis by 23 July 2010

Visit antalis.co.za for information or request your entry kit for all competition details at aod@antalis.co.za * The Antalis Art of Design Grand Prix winner gets a trip to New York worth R50 000!

BLOEMFONTEIN O51 447 8681 • BOTSWANA +OO 267 391 2139 • CAPE TOWN 021 959 9600 • DURBAN 031 714 4000 • EXPORTS +27 11 688 6000 2 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 JOHANNESBURG 011 688 6000 • PIETERMARITZBURG 033 386 1078 • PORT ELIZABETH 041 486 2020 • PRETORIA 012 379 0060

contents

click

47

COVER

THE PRESIDENT/MK BRUCE LEE

POST

ENJIN BLOG....................................................................4

CREATIVE DIRECTORY

CLASSIFIEDS...................................................................6

PLAKBOOK

PRINT VIDEOS...............................................................10

COMMENT

THIS MAGAZINE IS INCOMPLETE........................12

AGENDA

HAPPENING....................................................................14 READ..................................................................................16 REVIEW.............................................................................18 WIREDNESS.....................................................................20

WORK

TEAM UNCOOL FASHION BLOG...........................22 STEPPIN’ OUT WITH MISTER WALKER...............28 BARE WITCH PROJECT...............................................30 PEET FOR PREZ..............................................................34

AGENCY

THE ANTI-USUALISTS................................................36

PHOTOGRAPHY

OUR PHOTOS.................................................................40

ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATING THE TIMES......................................49

ART FASHION

HARD HATS....................................................................56

ARCHITECTURE

THE HIP-HOP ARCHITECT.......................................60

REVIEW

A LOERIES 2009 POSTMORTEM..............................64 INTERVIEW WITH BRENDAN WADE....................69 PUBLISH OR PERISH....................................................70 PHOTOGRAPHERS’ CARDS.......................................73

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 3

www.enjin.co.za/blog

post sarah britten advertising/strategy/insults

Sarah Britten is Strategic Planning Director at Y&R Joburg.

With a doctorate from Wits University, Sarah has a fascination with nationalism and national identity and has published many opinions. In her spare time, she writes books on South African insults. On her recent move back to Johannesburg from Sydney, “The contribution of advertising to South African culture is one of my passions, and one of the reasons I am so excited by the opportunities offered by a rejuvenated Y&R. This also gives me the opportunity to work with some of my favourite people in the industry.”

debbie smit haywire/wiredness/innovations

Debbie Smit is the creator of Haywire, a column in The Sunday Independent newspaper that tries to get as near-as-dammit to online. She is also designer, layout lackey and decoder-in-chief of ill-conceived Word documents at Quba Design and Motion, a design company in the heart of Joburg suburbia. She would rather be gardening.

mister walker design/thought/photograhy

Garth Walker founded Orange Juice Design in Durban in 1994.

In 2008 he started up a new venture, Mister Walker. The studio intends to emulate the success earned by his former company, which had quickly earned a reputation for being one of SA’s best design studios, before being snapped up by Ogilvy. Walker says, “It’s a fallacy that design doesn’t matter when times are tough – if anything, now is when the decisions consumers make are determined by brand loyalty.”

sean o’toole art/cycle design/footwear

Sean O’Toole is a Cape Town-based journalist and writer.

Currently editor of Art South Africa, a quarterly print magazine focusing on contemporary South African and African art, he also writes a weekly column on photography for the Sunday Times and a biweekly art column for the Financial Mail. His journalism has appeared in, among other titles, BBC Focus on Africa, Colors, Creative Review, Eye, frieze, GEO, ID and Kyoto Journal.

4 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

guest post gabrielle guy Over the last decade, and following in the wake of the massive uptake in contemporary art, South Africa has been witness to a flourishing of art book publishing. More often than not produced on miniscule budgets, in small print runs and on pernicious deadlines, this niche industry is perhaps more famous for its various imprints (David Krut Publishing, Michael Stevenson, Bell-Roberts Publishing, Jacana, Fernwood) than its invisible coterie of designers, the best of whom exhibit a restrained flair. One such designer is Gabrielle Guy, arguably the leading light amongst her generation.

View the full profile and gallery at www.enjin.co.za _Sean O’Toole

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 5

www.enjin.co.za/directory

classyfieds silvertone international Fine Art Printing Silvertone International was established specifically for the discerning artist and photographer – those demanding the highest standards of image reproduction for books, art catalogues, digital fine art prints (in colour or black & white), B&W film processing and hand prints. n Fine art printing n Hand printing n Scanning t: +27 11 482-7413/4 dennis@silvertone.co.za www.fine-art-printing.co.za Contact: Dennis da Silva

concept interactive Schools Founded in 1992, Concept Interactive is Cape Town’s leading digital design college, providing internationally accredited and recognised training. n Adobe Authorised Training Centre n Quark Authorised Training Centre n Corel Training Partner

t: +27 21 685-0750 info@conceptinteractive.net conceptinteractive.net Contact: Anne Centner

graphica supplies Cover Materials Graphica Supplies offers innovative cover materials of the highest quality and value, and is the leading supplier for the book, stationery, specialty packaging and jewellery industries. n Publishing n Stationery n Packaging t: +27 11 493-6833 sales@graphica.co.za www.graphica.co.za Contact: Simon Grose

great! stock Image Libraries Great! Stock is aleading South African image library offering many of the world’s finest international collections, in addition to its comprehensive local image collections. n Rights-Managed n Royalty-Free n Editorial & Research t: +27 11 880-7826 enquiries@greatstock.co.za www.greatstock.co.za Contact: Melanie Scheepers

6 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

bowens Digital Printing Bowens offers a range of services that make print-on-demand in today’s high-tech world both profitable and easy for you. n Web-to-Print n Personalisation n Photo books t: 0861 269-367 shaun@bowens.co.za www.bowens.co.za Contact: Shaun Bowen

picturenet africa Image Libraries Founded in 1992, PictureNET Africa represents some of South Africa’s top award-winning and iconic photographers. n Image collections n Assignments n Editorial features t: +27 11 614-1566 desk@picturenet.co.za www.picturenet.co.za Contact: Naudé van der Merwe

the training school Schools The Training School offers creative training solutions to enable you to master the skills needed to get the most out of your Adobe software. Their mission is to empower you. n Adobe Authorised Training Centre n Adobe Photoshop n Adobe Illustrator n Adobe InDesign t: +27 11 442-5136 pam@thetrainingschool.co.za www.thetrainingschool.co.za Contact: Pam Shoulder

learn2 digital media academy Schools Learn2 Digital Media Academy can help you to transform your artistry into a rewarding and profitable career in animation, visualisation or visual effects when you earn your Autodesk certification. n Autodesk Authorised Training Centre n Full-time courses n Part-time courses t: +27 21 421-5501 leigh@touchvision.co.za www.learn2.co.za/ Contact: Leigh Pearson

directorY

the open window Schools The Open Window offers complete education in the various fields of Visual Communication. n Diploma in Visual Communication Design n BA Degree in Visual Communication Design n Honours Degree in Visual Communication

lost and found

t:+ 27 12 470-8680/1 info@openwindow.co.za www.openwindow.co.za Contact: Janette Engelbrecht

blaze a trail through the

friends of design

clutter. Find stuff and have

Schools Friends of Design offers training by professionals for professionals. Open days every Friday. No appointment needed, just pop in and see for yourself. n Adobe Authorised Training Centre n Apple Authorised Training Centre n Games & Advertising

others find your stuff.Get a Directory Listing on these

t: +27 21 461-0971 info@friendsofdesign.net www.friendsofdesign.net Contact: Eva Csernyanszky

pages as well as the web site

vega orbit

at ww.enjin.co.za. Simply

Schools Vega Orbit is the Continuing Professional Development division of Vega. Specialists in Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Creative Communications and Innovation, Vega Orbit offers innovative part-time qualifications and short learning programmes. Orbit provides you with new levels of awareness, creativity and skill, preparing you for a future when great ideas will be the only global currency.

register on www.enjin.co.za and log-in to create a free

t: +27 11 521-4600 (Jhb) t: +27 31 266-2595 (Dbn) t: +27 21 425-7491 (Ct) www.facebook.com/vegaschool

profile, list your company,

newmage

速

t 011-880-7734 f 011-447-2494 c 083-600-9969 kshoulder@newmage.co.za

t: +27 11 880-7334 kshoulder@newmage.co.za Contact: Kevin Shoulder

and much more.

2 Tottenham Ave (Cnr Glenhove & Tottenham) Melrose Estate 2196

Hard/software Newmage supplies products to the professional photographic market. High-end cameras, printer, scanner, etc. Supplier of high-end Epson large-format printers and media. n Cameras n Printers n Software n Consumables

Kevin Shoulder ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 7

8 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

©2009 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Creative Suite, Flash, and InDesign are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Genevieve Gauckler’s Shortcut to Brilliant

Inspiration should know no boundaries. With the new Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Design Premium software your ideas can evolve from 2D to 3D and from print to engaging digital media.

And now you can export Adobe InDesign® layouts seamlessly into Adobe Flash® to create rich, interactive experiences. Allowing your idea to get in front of as many people as possible, no matter what type of media they’re viewing it in. Find your shortcut to brilliant at adobe.com/go/brilliant

imprint EDITOR Gregor Naudé gregor@enjin.co.za DESIGN & ART DIRECTION QUBA Design & Motion Francois Smit francois@quba.co.za FLASH DEVELOPMENT Dennis Rolls ldrolls@gmail.com ADVERTISING Gregor Naudé advertising@enjin.co.za PUBLISHING Softmachine, PO Box 91938, Auckland Park, 2006.

PRODUCTION Enjin Creative Review is produced with Adobe Creative Suite 4.

PAPER Cover and text printed on Hi-Q Titan Plus supplied by Antalis South Africa. Hi-Q Titan Plus is totally chlorine free, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified, FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) accredited with Chain of Custody certification.

CONTRIBUTORS Sean O’Toole, Charl Blignaut, Sarah Britten, Greg Geddes, Garth, Walker, Pete Case.

SUBMIT WORK Readers can submit work directly via the Submit section of the ENJIN website. If you would like to submit work for possibleinclusion in ENJIN Magazine or the blog, you may send JPEGs, PDFS or TIFFs via email, but please note that we cannot accept files larger than 5mb. Alternatively, you may submit work on CD or DVD for links to the work. Please include some brief background material about the project concerned and credits.

COPYRIGHT Contributions are welcome. All due care will be taken with material submitted, but the magazine and publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damages. The editor reserves the right to edit, amend or alter material in any way deemed necessary.

THE SMALL PRINT Enjin Magazine is produced in South Africa and published by Softmachine. The title ‘Enjin’ and logotype are registered trademarks.

Neither this publication nor any part thereof may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to ENJIN Magazine and win double your money back!

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Immediate benefits • Get your copy of ENJIN Creative Review before everyone else – delivered straight to your door.

• Save money every month.

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Pay your cash into Softmachine, ABSA, branch code 632005, account number 4055586968.

E-mail your deposit slip and name, postal address and contact details to subscribe@enjin.co.za *Promotion ends 31 March 2010

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 9

videos from haywire.co.za

plakbook

Paperclip boogie

JUST ONE BULLET AND IT’S OVER

This video was shot on the Rokko Liner, an automated guideway transit system in Kobe, Japan which links the man-made Rokko Island to Sumiyoshi Station on the JR Kobe Line. The paperclips were placed on the floor of the train. When the train accelerates and brakes, the paperclips stand on end and appear to dance in response to the magnetism, which is produced by the electric current that drives the motors located under the floor. The Kobe New Transit Company, which operates the liner says extra shielding is being installed just in case the magnetism could harm the human body.

According to online reports, Neda Agha-Soltan was urged by a friend not to take part in the protest on Saturday last week where she was singled out by a sniper and shot in the chest.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “It’s just one bullet and it’s over.” The video of Neda’s death on YouTube is accompanied by this message from the user who posted it: “At 19:05 June 20th Place: Kargar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father (he was later identified as her music teacher) watching the protests was shot by a Basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim’s chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know.”

FLINGING PHONES IN FINLAND

CLOUDS OF HAPPINESS

Most cellphone users will admit that they have had the urge to lob the oftimes offensive instruments at some stage (either at nothing and sometimes at somebody, like the notoriously noxious Naomi Campbell once famously did). Finns make a sport of it – at the annual Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships held in Savonlinna, Finland.

“Have you ever, looking up, seen a cloud like to a Centaur, a Wolf, or a Bull?” So said ancient Athenian comic playwright Aristophanes. Banking on this age-old fascination with clouds, quilted jacket maker Moncler (moncler.it) collaborated with British artist Stuart Semple (stuartsemple.com) and released 2,000 ‘smiley faces’ made of tightly-packed bubbles into the Milanese sky, a spectacle which pulled a mostly adult crowd eager to interact with the happy clouds, which wafted dreamily into the blue sky and then dissolved.

Translation and interpretation company Fennolingua provides the phones (old ones with batteries still installed) for the event. Competitors are not allowed to throw their own phones, even if they strongly feel that they would like to, but can choose a phone from those provided that they feel is best suited to their stature and throwing style. Throws are judged on distance (in the Traditional or Original category) and aesthetics and creativity (this year the prize went to a dog called Cara).

While the event is mostly about fun it also aims to promote environmental issues. Flung phones are collected afterwards to be disposed of in the correct manner.

Bubbly dolphins

in celebration of the DRIVE-in interval

For the ultimate feel-good animal video, look up “dolphin bubble rings” on YouTube and see how bottlenose dolphins create rings of trapped air underwater and then play with them.

According to snopes.com, the behaviour was described in an article published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology in 2000 and notes that making these bubble rings, in contrast with other bubbles blown by dolphins, requires skill and practice and is passed on to other members of the pod. The bubbles also drift downwards, unlike normal bubbles which float towards the water’s surface. Apparently the rings are formed when the dolphins blow air from their blowholes into vortices which they stir up with their dorsal fins. Because the water around the eye of the vortex is travelling at a higher speed than the water further away a low pressure zone forms and takes up the air injected into it by the dolphin. The silver halo is then moved around under the water and manipulated into various configurations. The energy stored in the vortex keeps propelling it downwards.

The first drive-in movie theatre opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933. A patent had been awarded the previous month to chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. He advertised his drive-in theater with the slogan, “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are”. Entrance cost 25 cents a car and 25 cents a person. YouTube has a number of videos featuring a montage of the ads shown during interval – a vital component of the experience since it brought in revenues from visits to the snack bar or concessions stand.

My mother would pack supper – mashed pilchard and mayonnaise sandwiches – in a cake tin, so we were very seldom treated to the junk food they offered. Reminiscing YouTube viewers, in response to the vintage commercials, recall drive-in intervals with fondness, probably because it was synonymous with food: “My parents could never understand why these were my favorite part of the Drive-In movie program”. Another’s response is more philosophical: “I wish it was still like this now ... things were so much better and the men respected the women ... and the same for the women now its the total opposite its sad then theres the economy.”

10 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

videos from haywire.co.za

Tales of Mere Existence

Arty ellie

Tales of Mere Existence is a series of sketched animations by artist Levni (Lev) Yilmaz. In My Darling? featured here, the main character spots “a really cute gir”l across the room at a party and begins to fantasise about whether she would fit his ideal of the perfect partner – the kind who would “tell me that I look cool when I drive ... not talk about her ex-boyfriends that often ... not be bothered that my overbite makes me a slightly messy eater ... and make me feel like I’m the only guy in the world.” The story ends with the character approaching his potential conquest: “Anyway, so then I went up to her and tried talking to her. I dunno why but it was kind of awkward for some reason and so I went home.

This video on funnyordie.com shows an elephant painting a self-portrait. To the strains of Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek, our intrepid elephant first scans the canvas and then, in bold flourishes, proceeds to create the unmistakeable outlines of a pachyderm. As a final touch, while his peers are jogging around in the background, he paints a disproportionately large orange flower (about as big as the painted elephant’s head) held aloft in his trunk. This, I believe, gives the game away. No self-respecting elephant could get it so wrong.

SOUTH AMERICAN VIDEO VIRUS

CYCLIST SQUEEZE

Perhaps it’s the swine flu epidemic that prompted US citizens to remember that there is another continent that shares the name America. Blog Boing Boing is awash with reports of viral video action from South America. There is a clip of Venezuelan president and serial bad-mouther Hugo Chavez pointing out to a small and frightened looking supporter that “The rich are not human, they are animals in human form.” One Venezuelan Boing Boing reader was so alarmed by the outburst that he has vowed to leave the country at once. Then there’s Cuba Tiene Hambre, a video of Pánfilo, an ordinary guy, yelling “What Cuba needs right now is FOOD. Cuba is HUNGRY.” Finally there is the saga of lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg, whose posthumouslyposted YouTube video blames Guatemalan president, Álvaro Colom, for his assassination on Sunday last week. The video has prompted a nationwide call for Colom to be impeached.

Cyclists should be loved. After all, they are reducing the burden on Mother Earth by eschewing more convenient forms of transport. Even though they can be a tad irritating: those spandex-covered air-humping butts sometimes look so self-righteous you just want to nudge them. Most people who commented on this video of Danish police hugging passing cyclists and then fitting them with helmets were cynical. They either accused the coppers of being “gheyy” because they only stopped male riders (my guess is that they wanted to avoid sexual harrassment charges) or concluded that it was all a ploy to make policeman look better.

Another said: “The NYPD cop who pushed over the Critical Mass cyclist should be ordered to do this for about 1,000 hours.”

Smoking’s not smart(ie)

Modular Chair

Silicon Alley Insider’s Benjamin Wayne warns that YouTube, which he calls a “monument to the sloughed-off detritus of our exponentially-exploding digital culture” is very likely, in the face of a projected 2009 loss of $470 billion, to die. Google, who bought the ridiculously popular video sharing site in 2006, for $1.65 billion has been desperately scrambling ever since to improve its ad revenues in an effort to cover the $711 billion it must fork out for operating costs. Wayne prophesies that unless YouTube cuts content which it cannot monetise, it is doomed. This would of course be anathema to YouTube’s founding principle of sharing and free-for-all branding. For instance, where else could you find video of kids, posted by kids and probably filmed by kids, demonstrating how to smoke sweets? American “Smarties” are similar to those fizzy, chalky discs that can be bought here in a cellophane tube in an assortment of pastel shades. To “smoke” them children first crush them into a powder and then inhale the fine dust into their mouths. When exhaled it resembles cigarette smoke. Not surprisingly, the habit can cause laryngospasm and doctors warn that sugar that finds its way down the wrong pipe could cause infection.

One YouTube user was so blown away by this video that he remarked: “Looks like a 3D animation ! Is it ?” At the outset, the chair in the video looks as though it might be perfect for a child and a bit of a squeeze for a small adult, until the exhibitor lets fly and begins flipping and twisting the lightweight construction into a dozen different combinations. It morphs first into what looks like half a mushroom. When it is upended it becomes seating in the round for at least four bums. A tug on one end and the slinky spring construction becomes a long settee for even more bottoms. Finally, it hugs its arms together to make a cosy love seat big enough for two.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 11

COMMENT/edcetera

this magazine is incomplete A New site, a bigger reality Welcome to the magazine for the rest of us. As the Web is full of all kinds of stuff, and there are no barriers to publication, we needed to find a way to make the magazine more relevant. The result is a participatory platform merging writers and readers and turning the public into producers. The new website is a place where anyone can submit their work or make suggestions for the next issue – an interactive space in which the word magazine takes on a new meaning comprising both paper and pixels. We publish all your stories on the website, and the best stories get published in the magazine. So it’s a place where anyone can become a journalist. We found that even though anyone can publish on a blog, people really like the idea of being published in a magazine. Ink and paper still has value. So, we hope to get amazing stories from people we’ve never heard of or seen before. To add layers to the magazine means we can have a still photo which starts moving, right on the page. It means we can hear the voice of the person in the photograph. It means they can tell their story in their own words. This ‘enhanced reality’ will be implemented further within the next couple of months. In short, Enjin Magazine attempts to bridge the two worlds by uniting readers with editorial contributors in a new collaborative space. Writers, photographers and readers are invited to submit their work to www.enjin.co.za/submit Hell, if this were real life, we’d encourage you with sharpened pencils. _Gregor Naudé

guest font In

lalibela

this

issue

we

feature

Johannesburg

typographer Jan Erasmus’s

new

typeface Lalibela. The motivation for designing the

Lalibela family (which is based on Bodoni) was to pay homage to

Ethiopic script. The script

has been around for about 3 000 years, but Erasmus took artistic licence to deviate from the original model and add personal touches. Erasmus chose Bodoni as a historical model because of its display value and not its text size as the extreme contrast made it difficult to read at small sizes. The result is a unique combination of homage, alchemy and fanciful reinterpretation.

Lalibela is available from www.CyberGrapics.bz, Fonts.com and Linotype.

12 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 13

agenda/paper, magazine, contests, call for entry, tweets

happening Williams said contributions come from some of the best creatives in the world including graphic designers, illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, writers and artists.

They come from as far as Poland and Cuba as well as France, England, Sweden, Italy and Wales. There are also a couple of local voices.

Prominent names featured include German Christoph Niemann, a graphic designer, illustrator and animator working in New York and Tomer Hanuka, a cartoonist and illustrator, also based in New York City.

Here little piggy For the launch of a new paper range – Zeta Micro – Antalis South Africa commissioned design agency Bittersuite to raise awareness within the advertising and design communities. Realising that these industries (as other industries) have been hit hard by the global recession, Bittersuite decided to focus on the cost-effectiveness of the Zeta range. To communicate the proposition ‘save money, save your designs’, Bittersuite offered creatives a real money saving-solution: a glueless piggy bank made out of Zeta Micro that they could use to deposit their spare change. The message on the kit made people aware of the affordability of Zeta Micro, and the practicality and originality of the design compell creatives to keep it on their desks and so keep Zeta top of mind.

Niemann’s work has appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, Wired, The New York Times Magazine and American Illustration. Hanuka has won multiple gold medals from the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication Designers, and was showcased in Print magazine and American Illustration. “We seek themes that push our contributors’ imagination and innovation and the result is always enthralling,” says Andrew Human, Editor of the magazine and CEO of The Loerie Awards.

“You will not be disappointed!” Order your free copy.

Order your free copy: info@theloerieawards.co.za

Wing your way to New York

marketing@antalis.co.za

Magazine of the times The latest edition of The Loerie Awards’ Migrate Magazine offers a myriad of intriguing interpretations of the theme “A Sign of the Times.” From the good, the bad to the quirky, the magazine’s contributors from across the globe have delivered a thought provoking issue. “This theme has resulted in some interesting and fascinating interpretations,’’ says Roanna Williams, Creative Director of Migrate. “The issue is a powerful visual publication filled with contributions from amazingly talented individuals that will certainly inspire and challenge creative minds.”

14 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

Antalis South Africa has enthusiastically hosted the Art of Design competition for the last 23 years. For the 2010 Call for Entry, the company commissioned 2008 Art of Design Grand Prix winners Breinstorm Brand Architects to assist with creating the campaign.

The talented Eben Keun, Joanna Peters and their team designed and illustrated the magnificent ‘SmörgåsBox’ – based on a Swedish Smörgåsbord. The entry kit serves to inspire designers to execute and enter superior designs printed on one of Antalis’ exclusive paper ranges.

The aim of competition, held every two years, is to encourage designers to consider paper as an important aspect of design. Just as the use of colour, balance, photography and illustration is part of the design process, paper – with its choice of stock, printing techniques and finishes - is another tactile tool at the designer’s disposal. The Grand Prix winner will win a trip to New York valued at R50 000.

Entry and category guidelines: aod@antalis.co.za

agenda t

Call for entry August 2010 will see over 50 cities and towns in the Ruhr Valley in Germany hosting the 16th International Symposium on Electronic Arts (ISEA). The event is one of the world’s premier showcases of experimental electronic art and culture and will feature artist presentations, exhibition projects, live performances and art projects in public spaces. Organised under the auspices of the Inter-Society for Electronic Arts since 1988, the Symposium has been an internationally important platform for work that explores the artistic and critical potential of electronic and digital media.

The event will coincide with the celebration of the Ruhr as Europe’s 2010 Capital of Culture. Andreas Broeckmann is the newly appointed Creative Director of the Festival in 2010, and he has made it one of his objectives to open up the events to participants from outside the usual EuropeUSA axis of electronic art. He recently demonstrated his commitment to this goal with a visit to South Africa where he presented ISEA2010 information seminars in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.

Where’s the f*!!? is Seymour!

Seymour has hit the road. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Sure, you might velcro him to your desktop, lock him in your drawer, even sleep with him under your pillow, but slowly the evidence will mount...he’s getting around.

And we’re not just talking about a quick trip to the corner cafe. Over the next few weeks Seymour will be popping up in the strangest places. It could be deep in the Amazon, or in a Manhattan department store. It could be at a film premiere in Cannes or a teenage slumber party in Tokyo. Like we said, he gets around. The good news is that you can follow him!

Every week you receive photographic evidence of his wanderings and each week you are invited to log on to corbis. com and figure out where exactly he’s been. Work out his movements and you could win! seymour@greatstock.co.za

Creative twits

The seminars were a direct invitation for participation by South African visual artists, musicians, designers, engineers, software artists, researchers, theorists and media activists in ISEA2010. Broeckmann is art historian who moved from the academic study of machine art in the 20th century (an interest which continues) into festival organisation. Before taking up his new position at ISEA, he was Director of the Transmediale Festival of Media Arts in Berlin. During the seven years of his leadership, he took the event from being a small segment of video art on the Berlin Film Festival to becoming one of the major new media events in Europe.

Now at ISEA, he is taking a new direction. Not only is he striving to open up the festival to fresh perspectives from the global South, but he is also trying to open the event to artists using traditional media to explore the implications and expressive possibilities of the digitized world.Broeckmann illustrated this perspective with examples from an exhibition he recently curated for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Entitled ‘Deep Screen’, the exhibition featured a wide range of contemporary artists ranging from the digitally manipulated news photographs of Margit Lukacs and Persijn Broersen, in which the subject has been removed leaving only enigmatic formal landscapes, to the sculptures of David Jablonowski which use elements from painting and graphic art to explore the significance of a static medium such as sculpture in the moving image culture of today.

In other words, the field at ISEA is now open for both new media artists and traditional artists who seek to explore and comment upon the digital world, particularly those artists from the global South. _Christo Doherty

Alistair King Creative Director King James www.twitter.com/Alsparkles Alex van Tonder Creative Head King James www.twitter.com/MyBrandedLifeTM Jennifer McFarlane Art Director Ogilvy www.twitter.com/captainjennifer Livio Tronchin Creative Director The Jupiter Drawing Room www.twitter.com/theliviot Khaya Dlanga Strategist Metropolitan Republic www.twitter.com/khayadlanga

www.isea2010ruhr.org

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 15

agenda/read

books A typographer’s universe A new book presents the typographic experiments and experimental typography of Israeli designer Oded Ezer Ezer has an almost scientific approach to type design in which he explores the anatomy of letters and alphabets. His Hebrew and Latin characters and alphabets are influenced by calligraphy and integrate elements that are not typical for font design, such as ornamental and organic shapes that resemble creatures.The book introduces his type art and hybrid typo creatures, including projects from his Biotypography series. Here, Ezer applies biological systems and organic livings to create and modify type into hybrid type insects and animals as well as cloned sperm creatures that are half sperm, half human with typographic information implanted in their DNA with Typosperma. Further experiments such as his Tortured Letters series, Typoplastic Surgeries and Typo Mythologies are included.

In addition to these projects, this monograph also documents elegant and concise logo designs that Oded Ezer has created for international brands and institutions, as well as his collection of font designs. _Paola Antonelli http://twitter.com/Biblioteq

Food for thought Located in the provincial town of Cala Monjoi, Spain, lies the surprisingly unassuming elBulli...

The three Michelin starred eatery has been voted best restaurant in the world a staggering four times. To celebrate this well deserved fact, muchlauded chef Ferran Adrià, in conjunction with father of Pop-Art, Richard Hamilton and the Director of Tate Modern Vincente Todoli, has launched Food for Thought – a dense, high-colour tome probing the way in which Ferran’s unique approach has taken him to the frontline of culinary artistry.

With a menu changing almost daily in accordance with available produce, and the pursuit of the most innovative cooking processes, Ferran was asked, back in 2007, to partake in the Documenta 12 art festival - a focal point for the book. For his Documenta offering, Ferran invited 100 diners to elBulli for a one-off dining experience. Featuring a specifically created menu (this time, themed by oils – Ferran is one for themes), dishes such as frozen parmesan air with muesli, tiger nut milk flower, Thai pink grapefruit risotto and virgin olive oil caramel springs were among just a few of the 40-strong selection. http://twitter.com/Biblioteq

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agenda

Edgy, cute From Neo-Pop to Low Brow and back again

DATANoiD

— Hommes / Femmes

— An Underground Disco information organisation

DATANoiD

For more than a decade, Harry Saylor, owner of Orbit Gallery in New York, has been an advocate of art ranging from Neo-Pop to Low Brow, having represented the likes of Gary Baseman, Kathie Olivas, Travis Lampe, Angelique Hautkamp and Michael Caines. With this new book Saylor has utilized his vast expertise to compile a contemporary look at practitioners of an aesthetic dubbed EdgyCute. Doe-eyed girls in pink dresses, animated desserts, bubble cartoon characters – at first blush these qualities seem to define the work contained in EdgyCute.

But a closer look reveals the dead rat on a plate, lurking skeletons, the crying birdhouse; there is nothing sugary-sweet about those cupcakes and Pinocchio will use that revolver he’s holding. Saylor’s motley crew of artists dwells in the nether regions of our imaginations where malevolence and immortality transmogrify purity and naivety, breeding the EdgyCute aesthetic. Other featured artists include Robbie Busch, Shag, Brandi Milne, Jarod Eastman, Kevin Scalzo and more, both known and unknown. While the work of all the artists varies greatly, it all strikes irresistible poses that have found their ways into museums and galleries, marketing campaigns and our dreams. www.markbattypublisher.com

Go with the data flow More and more information is being visualised. A new book shows you how it’s done Diagrams, data and information graphics are utilised wherever increasingly complex elements are present, whether it is in magazines, non-fiction books or business reports, packages or exhibition designs.

Data Flow presents an abundant range of possibilities in visualising data and information. Diagrams are being applied beyond their classical fields of use. In addition to archetypical diagrams such as pie charts and histograms, there are manifold types of diagrams developed for use in distinct cases and categories. These range from chart-like diagrams such as bar, plot, line diagrams and spider charts, graph-based diagrams including line, matrix, process flow, and molecular diagrams to extremely complex three-dimensional diagrams. The more concrete the variables, the more aesthetically elaborate the graphics – sometimes reaching the point of art – the more abstract, the simpler the readability. The abundant examples in Data Flow showcase the various methodologies behind information design with solutions concerning complexity, simplification, readability and the (over)production of information. http://twitter.com/Biblioteq

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 17

agenda/software

fcp7 After two years solid but modest improvements

It has been more than two long years since Apple released Final Cut Pro, its flagship pro-level nonlinear video editing app. While there are a few extremely sexy new features in Final Cut Pro 7 – among them new ProRes flavours, iChat Theater, and Easy Export that will attract lots of attention – the main focus of this new version seems to be enhancing stability, speed and productivity. The only real issue seems to be that FCP7 runs only on Intel-based Macs and not older PowerPC-based systems – but heck, who cares? As space is limited, here are a few features that impressed me. If you’ve used older versions of Final Cut Pro you’ll be pleased to find the new workspace is identical. The Browser, Viewer, Canvas and Timeline are virtually identical apart from a few little colour changes.

One of the main features of the new version is the new Apple ProRes format, which is an intermediate codec designed to retain as much of the quality of the original uncompressed video as possible. You now have more than one version of ProRes to choose from. So from higher data rates to more hard drive space, it suits any job. If you use a device that records in AVC-Intra like Panasonic’s P2 you’ll be pleased to learn that FCP7 now supports that format natively, greatly speeding up ingest times and saving you loads of disk space. The Automatic Transfer of XDCAM and P2 footage now optionally copies to designated scratch directories as soon as the media is detected, and custom metadata can be added automatically.

Footage can start importing as soon as media is connected, which allows faster, more efficient workflows as well as potentially automated workflows. A new interface for the Change Speed window lets you set Ease In and Ease Out and it has an option that lets you keep the timeline from rippling, without pushing the rest of your timeline further down the sequence, Unfortunately, it does not take advantage of Apple’s Optical Flow technology (high-quality motion and pixel blending technology from Shake) that could result in smoother frame blending – but it’s not bad. iChat Theater takes things a step further by connecting the editor with anyone over a live video chat. Review edits with your director or client for feedback, or approval, accompanied by Burnt-in Timecode so both of you are on the same page. Of course, how well this works is dependent on how fast your internet connection is. Easy Export will probably be the favourite new feature of most editors – it is user friendly and a great time saver.

You can assign multiple format settings for output such as Web, iPod, AppleTV, or DVD, directly in Final Cut Pro without having to launch Compressor. You can also burn a Blu-ray disc directly from within Final Cut Pro 7. The downside is that Apple still doesn’t sell a Blu-ray capable SuperDrive, (that I know of ) and as for DVD Studio Pro it does

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not support Blu-ray at all. All this happens in the background, meaning you can export from Final Cut Pro and keep editing, even on the same sequence you’re currently exporting and any changes made to the sequence will not affect the export. So no more excuses to clients of Oh, I’m exporting’.

Final Cut Pro even takes advantage of Compressor clusters to accelerate the process. The alpha transitions use an animated graphic element with a matte to do a wipe between two shots. However, in order for you to start playing with it you must first go to Apple’s Final Cut website and download more than 800 Mb of clips. It’s a bit of a shame that they aren’t included in the install discs. Sadly, there have been no other noticeable changes to Transitions. But one nice add-on is that you can apply a single transition to multiple cut points in one step. If I were you and have got a few extra bob invest in genarts or fxfactory. This also applies to FCP’s text tools. Boris is still there and the title crawl is worse than FCP 6, with the text staggering across the screen – god knows why they changed it. It just seems too many steps to use Motion. With the new timecode window, previously only available as a third-party app, you can display a floating window that shows the timecode. This is great for that client with bad eyesight. However, it does not run if you are playing out or capturing.

Markers can now colour-code your clip and sequence, search and jump to them, and add information to them as the clip plays on the fly, as well as choose whether to have them ripple with the sequence or remain static.

And finally, the render management reduces the need to re-render as you trim and move clips, saving a lot of render time.

The Final Cut team has clearly read the wish lists in the forums, and appear to have done a great job trying to incorporate most of them. Apple says there are speed improvements with Snow Leopard, but to be honest, I have not really noticed. As editing suits go it’s very strong, and can handle most things you throw at it. It scores an ‘A’ in my books. _Greg Geddes works at Red Pepper Pictures as a senior editor and compositor www.zastore.co.za

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agenda/APPLICATIONS, workflow, GAME, STORAGE

wiredness and share project files within one interface. The latest release adds several new features, such as Share Maps and support for Adobe CS4.

Other functions provide users with real-time access tracking, and timetracking of how much time was spent on a file or project. The Share Maps allow groups of professionals using multiple computers to view the same Workflow map across the network, regardless of where the files are stored or who created them. With the added CS4 support users now have an Adobe Flow Flash Panel, which provides access to Flow directly from within Adobe CS4. www.gridironsoftware.com

Cool AIR Should you come up for AIR? Adobe aims to go one step further to merging the Web with your desktop with its AIR platform for Web applications. AIR apps are connected to the Web, but live on your desktop, bringing you constant updates. There’s also the Adobe Media Player built with AIR, for online and offline video playback. It all sounds impressive, but is this really anything we haven’t seen before? AIR seems to have a few key advantages for Web users: Mobile apps One of the goals Adobe has referred to is to allow Web applications to run on several platforms.

Apps are being created for Windows, Mac and Linux. But the potential killer is mobile phones. Five years ago this might have been ambitious, but now, did someone say Android or iPhone? Instant updates Realtime updates are nothing new; the magic is in AIR’s ability to handle mammoth amounts of data. No fiddling with passwords and Web site logins: OK, so you’ll probably still need logins, but at least you won’t be constantly opening browser tabs and loading HTML pages. AIR apps let you upload and monitor Web sites like Flickr without opening your browser. Desktop Web apps are not new, but AIR supposedly does stuff in a way that’s more sophisticated. http://blogs.adobe.com/air/

Flow, like Ridiculously cool workflow software Gridiron Software’s Flow is a workflow tool for professional product management.

The application provides creative professionals and workgroups with the ability to see, access

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Fight or flight Flight Control is a simple yet highly addictive game for the iPhone In this game you are given the responsibility of landing planes and helicopters on the appropriate runways and helipads. This is done by simply dragging the aircraft’s icon onto the runway, creating a path between the aircraft’s current position and the start of the runway.

The aircraft will then follow this path to the runway and land when it reaches the runway. The aim is to avoid any mid-air collisions between planes and helicopters. The game starts becoming a little chaotic when about 15 or so aircraft fill your screen and proximity warning signs keep alerting you to possible collisions. In truth, I don’t know why the developers provided five digits for the score, presumably allowing for a maximum score of 99999. _Rein Hillmann was a Microsoft loyalist for a short while

agenda

LaCie Starck •

Designed by Philippe Starck; includes iconic signature

•

Protect your data with thick resistant aluminum casing

•

Launch any application with touch-sensitive surface

•

Schedule automatic backup via intuitive software

•

320Mb, 500Mb, 1Tb, 2Tb

www.directservices.co.za

Iomega BlackBelt •

The Iomega Drop Guard Xtreme feature raises the bar on drop protection – protects the drive when dropped up to 7 feet

•

Compact black design with included black Power Grip band slips easily into a back pack or briefcase

•

EMC Retrospect software and MozyHome Online software

•

500Gb

www.iomega.com/europe

Buffalo DriveStation •

Full Automatic Encryption securely protects your data

•

Shock resistant

•

Easy Log-on with SecureLockManager Easy

•

Eco Manager – power saving feature

•

TurboUSB – enhances data transfer speed

•

500Mb, 1Tb, 1.5Tb, 2Tb

www.directservices.co.za

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 21

work/fashion blog

uncool cool What’s hip in the heart of South Africa? Ask Johannesburg fashion collective Team Uncool and they’ll show you the eclectic fashion scene on the streets of the nation.

Brown on the inside, multi-coloured on the outside, the Smarteez are a tribe of young ghetto-fresh fashioinistas. An interview with Team Uncool about the Team Uncool Fashion Blog.

What is the Team Uncool Fashion Blog?

What is a “Fashion Blog”+ How did it start?+Tell us more about the people behind it? the teamuncool fashion blog is a collaboration between Chris Saunders (photographer), Murray Turpin(multi media artist and researcher) and Bee Diamondhead(Stylist)

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What’s it about?

What does it have to do with fashion?

its serves as a group project/vehicle if you will, to expose who ever is interested in high(avant garde,haute couture),street fashion+shoots,innovative and sometimes ground breaking fashion and fashion related ideas, concepts,products,accesso ries,sneakers etc

everything and nothing, that’s what makes it interesting to many not directly involved in fashion and its not hinded by the general pretentious atmosphere of fashion and the like.

Is it about photography?

great. we had comments and interest from everyone from the man/woman on the web who make a curious find, GQ Magazine to Adidas to other fashion and related creative field bloggers etc

yes and no...lets say 50/50. The photographic part of the blog is done in between all the other posts, consisting of street shoots/party shoots/our own concept shoots(BEE,MT AND CS involved once again) and or Brand collaborations we’ve done for example with Adidas etc What is the idea behind it? teamuncool collaborating in a group area of interest and just having fun while doing it to be honest.

What has been the response?

Do you link to other sites? fashion and or style blogs we find of high quality that we put up against one another for our entertainment and to share with our reader/viewership.

What other social media do you use?

What’s (un)cool about it?

non really besides, facebook to a degree for now.

because being cool these days is just another product people are trying to sell you everyday and besides being uncool is way cooler than being cool. uncool is the new black.

http://teamuncoolfashion.blogspot.com/

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work

If a book was a hat If we were to imagine that a coffee table was a person, then the Tale of How coffee table book could be considered to be some sort of fabulous wig or magical hat that the above-mentioned person could wear out to parties and things. Following the success of the Tale of How animation, The Blackheart Gang has finally gotten ‘round to finish the final stage of the project by creating a coffee table book. The 40 page book includes a DVD with the animation, the print series and a biography of the author and the never-before-heard-account of how the Blackheart gang murdered the above-mentioned author and stole his story. The Tale of How coffee table book makes for a great present for children and widows alike. To order the book:

production variables. “[It’s] encouraging to have international brands and advertising partners trusting us to bring their big ideas to life ahead of 2010, as all eyes turn to SA and its creative capabilities,” said Conduit director Marc Ziman. Bang! www.conduit.co.za

http://theblackheartgang.com/2009/05/27/the-tale-of-how-book/

Eat my Adidas shorts Conduit Productions is busy producing two short films for Adidas and its global advertising partner 180 Amsterdam. The animated short films feature celebrity footballers, iconic football locations and conceptual and

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 25

29078 - Call4Entries Enjin p.indd 1

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10/29/09 11:05:16 AM

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work/design

steppin’ out Mister Walker does sexy

How do you make something appealing enough so that even laymen will make the effort to read it? Get Mister Walker to do it. Mister Walker Design is almost Garth Walker’s legendary Orange Juice Design under a new name. ‘We don’t have ties to any ‘communication brand’, so are free to work with other agencies and studios as a total independent,’ says Garth.

‘Currently we are working on helping a few London studios who are understaffed and undertalented on design projects. Not least their measly £s make us in SA cheap as chips to work with.

Everyone is happy.’

MrW is actively looking for clients from previously design deprived backgrounds and rising to the challenge of ‘doing good design where there usually isn’t.’

Says Garth, ‘Anyone can do good work if you have a brand or client that is sexy. Its much harder to do good work on ‘unsexy’ products, services or industrial clients.’ One such project was the design of the eThekwini Municipality’s Biodiversity Report 2009. The City of Durban is one of the leading biodiverse cities globally. The report covers eco issues facing Durban, and offers some solutions for business, government, educators and, not least, Durban’s citizens.

The brief was to make a technical and scientific subject interesting, even sexy, so ordinary folk would be prepared to read the report. www.misterwalkerdesign.com

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A memento booklet for a marriage ceremony at the Department of Home Affairs in Durban. The booklet tells the story of each of the couples who were married on the chosen day, together with a portrait of each couple after the simple ceremony was completed by the official.

work Conceptual identities in collaboration with a major London design studio as part of a submission for the design of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s call for a ‘new logo for London’. The pitch was open to designers globally and thousands of submissions were received. The selection process is underway and successful studios will be advised in due course.

A booklet on the poetry of struggle writer and poet Mazisi Kunene as an introduction to indigenous language writing (in this case Zulu) for high school children. The booklet was privately published and distributed by the KZN Department of Education to schools.

Part of an installation at an exhibition at the 2008 International Design Biennale in Saint-Etienne, France. The installation took the form of a typical South Africa ‘AIDS gave’, onto which were mounted a satirical RIP motif to George Bush and Tony Blair and another to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla. The theme of the exhibition was ‘Saint-Etienne as seen by an African in the year 2036’.

A profile for BPO (Bidfreight Port Operations), the shipping and logistics giant. BPO was the merger of Rennies and South African Stevedors, a result of both companies being acquired by Bidvest. This is a hugely important sector within the SA economy as everything in and out of our ports is handled by BPO.

Design for the eThekwini Municipality’s Biodiversity Report for 2009. The City of Durban is one of the leading ‘biodiverse’ city’s globally. The report covers eco issues facing Durban, and some solutions for both business, government, educators and not least Durban’s citizens.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 29

work/ART

bare naked

The BARE project marries in-house talents with a handpicked crop of artists to share in a common vision – provoking boundary pushing art while helping others

The Am i collective’s latest project marries their in-house talents with a select few artists to promote a single thought-provoking idea – help others while making amazing art. The BARES were designed with three objectives in mind. Firstly, to give something back to the community by donating funds to Child Welfare; secondly, to give many extremely talented, but unknown artists in the community a platform to earn recognition; and, finally, to have loads of fun doing it. After many prototypes Todwill in Cape Town perfected the mould and was commissioned to produce 100 of these fun characters.

The boxes were hand painted and each BARE allocated a unique number.

Artists were then invited to send in their customized bares which can be seen online. The BARES were exhibited and auctioned in September at the newly launched Am I collective gallery in Cape Town. On the same day an online auction was held, with proceeds donated to Child Welfare

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of South Africa. After just two weeks of launching on a local blog, Am i collective had 2000 hits and enquiries from 42 countries. They also had galleries from as far afield as London, Los Angeles and New York offer to exhibit them, and are hopeful that these little creatures will get to see the world before returning home to their new owners. www.bare.amicollective.com

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 31

work/ART

clinton campbell

alfred khuzwayo

wringham

alfred, alias ak-47 is a zulu warrior, gangztacharmza from the sweaty streets of kwamashu. when the heat is on, he and his amanita kick back with umqombothi and shies nyama. before the ama-get-down, he pays a visit to the smooth waves barber to get some fresh cuts ‘cos he’s the skhokho.

this bare isn’t based on a preconceived idea, rather linsey chose to randomly allow his thoughts and intricate artwork to flow organically and flourish without constraint. he opted to render his bare in black-and-white to capture an ominous essence.

daniel ting chong

miné jonker

sloppy honey hand

ganesha bare

the process started with researching various different bears in popular stories with the intention of combining them with goldilocks and the three bears, finally settling on an organic technique, letting the ideas just pour onto the bare like honey from the pot in his paw.

ganesha had an unfortunate start in life. suspecting that he wasn’t ganesha’s biological father, shiva beheaded him. realizing his mistake, he quickly replaced the head with that of an elephant, hoping that no-one would notice. ganesha bare can be worshipped at home as the remover of obstacles.

kronk

sindiso nyoni

tripod is all about sexy times. wouldn’t you be if your johnson was like a third leg. tripod loves getting around, that’s why he looks kinda beatup and old school. when the ladies like it rough and weird, tripod’s there like a bare. He also has a freakin’ big melon.

The bare is based on the african occult and depicts a sangoma. it also serves as a social awareness commentary, addressing the albino people in tanzania, who are being murdered in ritual killings for their body parts to be used in mystical potions.

tripod

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linsey levendaal

baba mkhulu

work

nicola meiring

ruan vermeulen

bare bear

africa man

this bear is barer in places in order to reveal his insides. in the front lungs, heart, stomach, liver, small intestines, at the back his brain. he is bare – a bare bear..

inspired by the two main things killing africa: disease and violence. african people express anger through violence as seen in the media on a daily basis, thus killing itself from within. the ones that are left will most likely get targeted by many of the incurable diseases, leaving the africa man living in fear.

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work/DESIGN

E E L E C U R B K M : R E COV r:

Continued from cove

s Ever y surface seethe ns er tt with colourful pa sive made up of subver n symbols half-hidde

by Dingbat-style visual deliver y. A 2006 conversationhis offers insight into tice experimental prace is as a designer. “On e allowed to do mor t in design than in ar because people arend not so critical aroun push design and you ca g things in interestinr directions,” Pienaa ge said. “You can chant people’s ideas abou themselves, their can own identity. You r influence how otheing, people start design especially in Southe is Africa where ther not a big identity of local design.”

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work

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 35

 Candy Store – lends itself to having fun and becoming child-like, so to speak, with regards to the imagination – anything is possible.

 Cerebro – taken from X-men – the rationale was that it is a space where a single person can connect with anyone in the world.

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 The Jedi – take a closer look at the illustration. Poking fun at the fact that there is sometimes not much to choose between right and wrong.

agencY/YRB

the anti-usualists Young & Rubicam Brands (YRB) is one of the largest groups of communications services companies within WPP – and is built on the proposition that each of the companies is ‘Best Alone’, but are collaboratively ‘Better Together.’ YRB South Africa is the umbrella entity for ad agencies, Y&R – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, plus Wunderman SA (direct marketing agency), aquaonline (digital agency), MediaEdge MEC (media planning), Burson Marsteller in the affiliate form of Arcay Communications (PR), Sudler & Hennessey (healthcare) and Landor (design).

Unusual place In June 2009, YRB moved into new premises, which were selected based on a desire to encourage clients to want to spend more time with the agency, and to provide an inspirational environment for the origination of great ideas and further stimulate collaboration between the group companies.

Unusual people 2008 saw the appointment of Group CEO, Fraser Lamb, Group Chief Creative Officer, Mick Blore and Group PR Director, Michelle Cavé to bolster the existing South African team, including finance and human resources. This leadership team focuses on growing the bottom line, pushing for insight-based creative and generating big ideas that are strategically relevant, simple and memorable.

The group is guided by a left-brain, right-brain philosophy that promotes the combination of creative and business leadership available to any client partner, to bring their brand stories to life. This is demonstrated in many ways, but none more so than the joint headship of Fraser Lamb and Mick Blore. In 2009, Sarah Britten joined YRB as Strategic Planning Director. With a doctorate from Wits University, Sarah’s fascination with nationalism and national identity – and her many publicised opinions – will greatly boost the value of the agency’s strategic offering to its client base.

 The Unknown – represents the future – one should overcome the fear of it – and to replace this fear with curiosity.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 37

agencY/YRB

the anti-usualists

Unusual insight During the past year, the agency has helped raise the level of discussion in the industry around key marketing and business concerns, through the release of insightful new books. John Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer: Y&R and Ed Lebar, Chief Executive Officer of BrandAsset Consulting co-authored The Brand Bubble book to reveal clear evidence that the value that business allocates to brands far exceeds the value that consumers believe it’s worth. They explain that if this bubble should burst, it could send the next financial shock wave through the global economy.

Simon Silvester, EVP, Head of Planning: Y&R EMEA and Executive Planning Director: Wunderman EMEA authored AAAGH! – A look at the profound impact of the recession on marketing. The book analyses the likely consumer impact of the recession, and how it will affect different consumer mentalities.

Unusual practice Part of the group’s three-year vision was to launch a new business drive, which has seen them win some key accounts.

Said Fraser Lamb, ‘YRB has more than simply an integrated offering; we are rooted in a collaborative culture that ensures that our clients are getting the most appropriate and most powerful combination of marketing communications resources, talent and work. We are committed to helping our clients meet their challenges and find their opportunities in today’s marketplace.’

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 Farside – based on the famous comic strip – the artwork represents a graphic journey through the imagination.

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feature/Photography

our photos

There is an urgent need to reclaim our photographic heritage

by Garth Walker

By Garth Walker

Visual images, especially photographs, can evoke the most powerful sense of a moment in history; there are countless examples of iconic turning points in the 20th century. Unfortunately, photography also has a destructive legacy, in the so-called ‘scientific’ images of Africans made during the colonial era. Much has been written about the cold scrutiny of the lens such people were subjected to in that process. The fact that photography was appropriated as an African art form, and quickly absorbed as part of urban African domestic life, has been largely overlooked though.

It is precisely because photographs produced an instantaneous visual image that they became so popular. During the early part of the 20th century, while an African migrant labour force was basically denied education and access to literacy, photographs became a means of communication. For communities who were still close to the traditions of oral history, the image of a person spoke volumes of their character and provided a record of the individual.

Families recognised the inherent power of photographs to record their simple domestic histories in a visual account of weddings, births, birthdays and other celebrations. As more and more people gained access to cheaper cameras, the ordinary rituals of family life were also recorded during that time. These images from Soweto, kwaMashu and Khayelitsha have been neglected as part of South African photographic history, and there has been little effort to document and publish them. Despite the global economic turndown, fine art presently remains at a premium.

Talent scouts from the centres of the industry (for that is what it has become) in New York and London constantly scour the world for new sources of artworks. Photography has recently emerged as a stronger force in the international art trade, due to prior lack of exposure compared with other branches of the fine arts such as painting or

Later, when the process of urbanisation and industrialisation was experienced in full force, vast numbers of people left rural areas to live in segregated ‘townships’. These dense peri-urban areas that were consolidated by the Apartheid government also provided great opportunities for African photographers who worked in the townships.

At first, photographs were only taken in makeshift studios, but these still provide a priceless archive of African family life during the middle of the 20th century.

  Moses Khubisa ‘Excellent Photos’ – Clermont Township, Durban An orphan, Moses Khubisa was forced to find his own way through school in 1960s Durban. His first camera, a Box Brownie, was a gift from a friend.

Taking portraits and selling them provided enough of an income for Moses to finish high school and graduate with a Matric. He then opened a small office in Clermont in the late 70s, a township on the outskirts of Durban, to trade as a professional photographer. Initially only covering weddings and events, demand soon saw the addition of a portrait studio.

Township rioting and political turmoil in the mid to late 80s forced the closure of Excellent Photos, but Moses’ images offer a rare view of an era otherwise known for its violence and dissent. Moses then enrolled as a self-funded photography student at Technikon Natal to pursue a diploma in photography. He was employed thereafter by the Technikon’s photographic department, which later led to his appointment as a department lecturer. He currently teaches photography at the Durban Institute of Technology (a merger of the two local Technikons), and is studying for his Masters degree. Moses has many stories to tell of a street photographer’s life in the townships. Many of his colleagues are no longer with us, and their images of life, death, love and suffering are gone forever. Thankfully Moses has managed to keep much of his Excellent Photos archive, a gentler view of those turbulent times.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 41

 ‘Bobby’ Bobson Mohanllal ‘Bobson Studio’ – Cross Street, Durban Bobson was a Durban institution active from the 60s to the early 90s, shooting commercial portraits for Indian and black clients. Most migrant black workers sought him out to shoot portraits to send home to family and loved ones. Very camp shots and a wild variety of ‘tribal attire’. Shot 120 col neg on Rolleiflex and Hasselblad and processed/printed in house. Was murdered in a botched robbery in the early 90s, his archive is held by the family who are waiting for ‘someone to make them rich’. Knowing Durban’s climate, when the time comes, the negatives will be beyond help.

42 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

 Unknown

sculpture. There is intense interest in the ‘hidden’ photographic records of places previously ignored by the mainstream. South Africa is precisely such a place.

There is therefore an urgent need to claim our own photographic heritage before it is claimed by others.

This requires a comprehensive survey of African vernacular photography, which are the images produced by African photographers for African communities. While these pictures tell a story that is both universal and unique to our country, they also compose a continuation of the ancient tradition of oral history. The family albums of South African townships could be presented in the form of an exhibition or book, as a vital part of the story of our nation’s growth.

 Unknown

South Africans love pictures of themselves. Research has shown that we use more film per person than anywhere in the world. Pictures of the kids, pictures of pets, pictures of weddings, braais, holidays. During the seventies, photography was one option for a black entrepreneur to own a business that apartheid law otherwise prohibited. And done right, it could be very lucrative.

This led to literally thousands of photographers in townships and settlements throughout the country. Always dressed to the nines and never without a camera, the street photographers garnered respect and admiration wherever they went. Their photographs captured a history in pictures, the people, the culture and the emotion of life on the streets.

The elite among these photographers created ornate portrait studios, owned cars and held credit accounts with professional photo-labs. Their pictures have a unique quality that comes from a self-taught passion and a perfectionist’s attention to detail.

Known for their “anything goes approach” customers were encouraged to dress for the occasion, a choice of exotic backdrops, designer or office furniture and plastic flowers as props, and strange and wonderful floor coverings. The pose of the sitter/s was somewhat of a hit or miss.

The final prints were often hand coloured or flashily framed. Much of their legacy is lost already, scattered by unrest, destroyed by flooding and the art rendered obsolete by new technology. The remnants still decorate walls and cabinets, or lie undiscovered in boxes in backrooms. The pictures themselves reflect a time before the armed struggle had properly begun, where the anger hadn’t yet come to the boil.

It really is the only broad record of the peaceful side of township life that we have.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 43

44 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009



David Varden ‘Photographic Studio’ – Stanger

David’s Photographic Studio opened in 1981. Still going, but now dabbling more in video and digital. Hand-painted backdrop depicting an exotic jungle waterfall scene painted by a migrant ‘painter’ from Mozambique. Clients mainly local blacks and Indians. Shoots anything, in any way, for anyone.

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 45

 Vijay Singh ‘Lyric Studios’ – Tongaat A North Coast institution, started by the father, taken over in the 80s by son Vijay. Lyric Studios was battling to survive when I visited (they all are thanks to video and digital technology). These images were ‘lying around’ and were given to me gratis. The studio was also the ‘Airbrush King’ under Vijay’s father and many Indian couples had family photos ‘restored’ by over-brushing and retouching.

46 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

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9/30/09 3:23:20 PM

feature/illustration

Illustrating th e

ZEITGEIST In the world of

design, illustr ation rises an d falls in popularity – b ut at Breinsto rm Brand Arc hitects it’s always in fa shion. Charl B lignaut looks at how th e boutique bra nding agency is pion eering the use of South African illustr ation in their w ork.

Breinstorm Br

and Architect

s | Architectur

al Short Film Co

mpetition

have to make a virt ual coffee date w ith the ow ers of Breinstor nm Brand A rch itects. They’re busy to meet fo to o r an interv iew today, so we de do it by e-mail cide to – and imag ine w e’ re someplace lik exot ic restaura e an nt. It’s not so m uch that Brein h as too m any st or m jobs – wel l, of ten they do – th at they ta ke as it is such met ic u lo u s, passion at ca re w it h each e job the desig n st u d io ta kes on .

The y’re busy putt ing to bed a ridic ulously tious ca ll-to- en ambitr y package fo r the 2010 A n of Desig n aw ar ta li s A rt d s. It ’s in the form of a reci card box. The p e index cards inside ac tually do cont as wel l as the ai n re cipes, compet it ion d et ai ls and a se te x t b y hostess le ct ion of Mar ia Mojaji.

She w rites a fr w it ty etiquett es h and e guide for the moder n South how to th row A fr ican on the per fect par ty. She is il lust Joanna Peters ra ted by , a zest y A fro re make of those guides of the F et iquette if ties and Si xt ies. The photos Mojaji’s recip of Mar ia es show the co mpleted d ish out of paper an – m odeled d then photog raphed .

Desig n ing the ca ll-to -ent ry is pa rt of your pr when you w in ize the Gra nd Pri x at the bi-a n nu al A ntalis

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ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 49

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Hannah Hughes for Breinstorm BA | ATK V

la inf uses the air. The of str awberry and va nil rm sto ein Br ich wh tion, let I’m paging Ar t of De sig n competi ad mi res the at kv book s es itr wa d an ies n n th ree categ or aw ing s,” she pu rrs. Ila did in 20 08 . They wo th rough. “Such cool dr e th g tin en es pr ile book let storm , sm s the ma in pr ize with a e other ow ner of Brein th n, ee Gr ur ltu Ku rikaanse Taal en nk… He y. It’s a vir tual annual projects of the Af her. She gives him a wi at ers an rik Af g un inv ite yo Vereenig ing (atkv). They inter vie w. out in the spotlight) e om (C l” ators for the at kv ko die in uit to “kom “We chose all the illustr g, gin sin – s itie ra l ac tiv colou rfu l, ex pres siv e and en ga ge with cu ltu Projects Pack for their borators range from debating, wr iti ng… les,” says Keun. The colla sty kv at ’s rm sto t Brein sc ulptor s, The str iking thing abou rybook illustr ators to sto ’s ren ild ch is – rm’s work in general ators… book let – and Brein sto s to cutti ng edge an im tures. It ca rtoon ist fea it on ati str al natu re of illu al tu ep loc nc the abunda nce of “D ue to the broa d co wn gro me ho a ing ud , ex way too lim iti ng tumbles from every page kv project it would be at e th n tio olu rev e of a cultural ex pla ins Green. “So th innocence and the sense to en force one style,” d an y div er sit in the air. of styles implies the y sit er div ys sa ,” to ou r work cts an d the Af rik aa ns “Il lus tration is vit al vib ra nc y of the pr oje s es itr wa a as , un Eben Ke Brein storm co -ow ner langu age.” coladas. “Illustration a pin r inn ing book let is ou th wi es ch oa appr Br ein storm’s aw ard-w e Th ” nt. nte co t s abstrac represent the has vitality and animate illustr ation is able to at th f oo pr le tab e island tu ne and th underly ing na rrative, ba nd sta rts to play an angibles of desig n, an int ell sm e Th e. hookah pip on s and qu alities th at ne xt to us lig ht s up a hidden concepts, emoti t the rea l. How do you represent more th an jus eist? That’s exactly what depict the cultural zeitg e with the at kv job. In th Brein storm tried to do e a verit able who’s who process, it also reads lik or igi na l illustr ators… of South Af rica’s most you’re greeted by a Open the book let and k : Happy four-leg ged fol Ha nn ah Hughes fam ily , ng and waving, batting singing, tal king, puckeri ed ck r characters are sta bobbing and bir thing. He king like their on ly goal on top of one another loo e love. on ea rth is to spread th ident illustr ators at Hughes, one of two res atly) descr ibes her illustr Breinstorm , (reluctan r bly. Ironic. Honest.” He tion style as “Raw. Scrib l and markers – not vir tua great love in life is pens style ha s an ev olv ed inter vie ws . “H an na h’s isi ng from simple and na ive ty with be auty ar s Green. “It’s a highbrow humorous strokes,” say “It ’s almost Asian in ap na ivety,” adds Keun . r ate gr ing from a cheese proach in th at ever yth and persona lit y.” to a sausage gets a voice | ATK V Hannah Hughes for Bre

50 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

instorm BA

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Her sausage ha s perso na lit y, that’s for sure. Fo r youtf ul ca set tehea a Vega prospectu s it d image in the ev en ha s its ow n comi c at kv bo ok let str ip – The Adve nt ures . W hat Peters and of a Creative Sausage.

Brein storm are doing Hughes ’s ch ild like ch with ar ac ter s ar e dece pt ive . th e Ma ria Mo jaji Their innocence ha s an br an d, underly ing naughtiness though , is wh at excit that is more pronounced es the deeper you dig into me. I gesture for anoth her portfolio. Her mo er re cla ssica l Things Th at round of pin a co Live in Trees in ink, paste lad as. l and watercolour show In effec t, they ar e delicious monster s that could live ea sily in your using illustration to bu more pleasant nig ht ma ild res or as illu str ation s a br and th at is revers in a slightly om inous ch ion ild ren’s book. Like her ing popu lar cu ltu re. Ma sweet ghosts (th at also ria tra nslate very nicely to Mojaji’s iconogr aphy snea kers and wa ll mural in the s) that ma ke you aw are An ta lis en try kit cla th at the air around yo im s th e u is alive… kit ch en fro m a lin e This is what a few simple of lily wh ite strokes of illustra- Am erica n homema kers ru tion ca n do – evoke a far nn ing th roug h deeper na rrative than a from Betty Croc ke photograph or pa rag rap r to Ma rth a Ste wa rt. Sh h could. For Breinstorm e’s , Af ro ch ic, infor ma illustration ca n br ing the l an d gutsy – ye t sti ll th sa me depth to a brand. e model of etiquette, deco “Il lustration ca n help ru m and usefu l advice. create a un ique ident ity At the sa me time, Ma for br ands in the inc rea ria Mojaji is a po we rfu sing visua l monotony l counter to the Ma Ma of the globa lising world be l slave fig ure, cotto ,” says Keun . Ta ke at kv n pic kin g an d blues sin for ex ample . “We need gin g. She’s an empo wed to help the at kv to ered role model with a reposition itself as a co playfu l demeanou r an lou rfu l, proudly South d a ne w sc hool Af rican Af rican cu ltu ral orga niz pr ide . Her rec ipe s are a ation that represents a blend of popu lar tradit mu ltit ude of different ion al food from all people, from Gh ar ies to ov er the world , with a tw Groenk loof.” Illustratio ist – Af rican n wa s a perfect way of ing red ients, Af ric an str doing th at. Illustrated ee tfood and ch aracters ca n be rac e- Af rican hospita lit free and exude a cultural y.

Sh e’s perfect for excitement that doesn’t the Brein storm un iverse seem as fake as a photo . .

Or, of cour se, they ca n be a ma sterst roke of rac ial reversion ing.

Look at Ma ria Mojaji, me tic ulously illustr ated in vector by Brein storm’s other resident illustrato r, Joanna Peters. “Joanna is the vector queen of Brein storm ,” says Keun , referr ing to a techn iqu e that allow s for a clean er, sharper, more selectively detailed desig n image.

“She’s a ch ameleon wi th an ex treme talent for morphin g va rious sty les to str ategic all y and ae sthetica lly su it the project,” sa ys Green.

Pe ter s’s wo rk is de ta ile d with a fem ini ne touch – even when she’s being sc ru ffy, like her

Joanna Peters for Breinstorm BA | Antalis Art of Design

Illustration can

help create a unique

identity for brands in

the increasing visual

monotony of the globalising world.

Joanna Peters for Breinstorm BA | ATK V

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ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 51

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are not un fam ilia r It’s a world Brein storm by d rte sta , cy en ag n were be hind The brand desig A few year s ago they . th wi de ca de a t the rel au nc hed Ke un and Gree n almos the stu nn ing de sig n of at s nt de stu as t me l of ago after they zine for its fir st ha nd fu th ing s Tr ibute maga do to t ou t se ol, ho Vega sc . ha s made a ed itions sta ck of differently. Brein storm rk my wa y th ro ug h a wo I ndsettre of ur vo fla w ne its sig ns. I’m str uck by na me for ein storm’s Tr ibute de Br y all gic ate str a th combination of icons ting brand desig n wi rth Wa lker’s heraldic Ga nt ity. It rei nvents the South Af rican tw ist . a piece on nationa l ide for a at s rm sto ain , br p. Du rbanBrein storm , for example ltr ati ng it with the po infi by c ssi cla ll wa ts on a pile of wh ite hind the magazine gla ss tabletop th at res Wa lker is is the force be sed ba e lik inbra a by the desig n rrounded helped put Du rban on taxi tyres. The table is su ich wh si, i-ju n wi d by Ro wa n and Er ation work an ac t alg ae cu rta in de sig ne He br ing s to his illustr p. ma , on co co is th d e frond s of to uncommon places an Beroull ac . Th roug h th of “retriev al – of going l ica etr mm sy ide th gu wi at s th inted you ca n see a wa ll pa ref resh the visua l code adwork. length s to be an ric Af of s being s”. l -up cia se s as so pattern s – ult ra clo ou r ever yd ay encounter m ro “F y. ett pr t ou just ab It’s prett y, but it’s not t Green, “we stressed tha s when we sta rted,” say cs. tion first, then aestheti it would be communica al loc st storm from mo That different iates Brein agencies.” ria Mojaji illustr aLook ing th rough the Ma y ob vious th at it would tions , it’s im mediatel g, nn ing , sourcing, stylin take a great deal of pla lar to create such a particu modeling and shooting astr Mojaji. In Peter s’ illu iconography for Ma ria es an the rea l thing. It tak tions, Ma ria’s better th e th str ator to consider a pa rticu lar kind of illu e the big ger pic tu re. Sh detai ls th at construct e at we ca n all referenc hit s home in a style th a tw ist s it. W hen fac ing rig ht aw ay – and then d nsider the concept an ne w job, she says, “I co e th it su t my style to contex t and then ad ap cation.” subject matter or appli r portfolio I rea lise gh W hen I look th rou he seleon , but rem ain s cla Peter s rea lly is a ch am n hio cla ssic like old fas sic in her approach – n ns . W hi le ill us tra tio ma ga zin e ill us tra tio r de pu lar ity in the broa may rise and fal l in po in n, it rem ain s de rigeur world of gr aphic desig . es dely used in maga zin fashion desig n and wi Joanna Peters for Breins

52 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

torm BA | Antalis Art of

Design

Garth Walker for Breins

Breinstorm BA Headfood

ine

torm BA | Tribute Magaz

feature/illustration

P at rick L at im er is anot her of Bre in stor m favourite free ’s la nce collabor at or s. Lat imer is Cape Tow n-b a ased il lust rato r whose work included in th w as e prest ig ious Lü rzer ’s A rch and the m an ive ’s a bit of a le ge nd . It ’s ea sy understand w to hy. He is posses sed of a partic sen sibi lit y th ular at is able to tr an sl ate broad complex conc an d epts to simple and char ming trat ion. For a T illusribute feat ure on the mechan of tr an sfor m ics at ion , he cr ea te s a th re e- st guide for turn ep ing a business man into a figh jet. It ’s an imp te r ossible ta sk m ade ea sy – and as much a par is ody as it is pra ct ical .

For a Veg a sc hool fl yer on thei r flex ible and in nov at iv e approach to a bu si ness m anagement deg re e, L at imer red es ig n s a sn akes and ladder s bo ard . T he sn ak es h ave become tw isty ladder s. T he ga me h as ch an ged . For the at k v book let’s cou rse in ch ild ren’s book w riti n g, L at im er ’s se ve red h an d ty pes on a ty pew riter an d off the page fl y an ex plosion of ch ild ren’s book ch ar ac te rs , te st ament to the power of the im ag in at io n.

Patrick Latim er

for Breinstorm

Patrick Latim er

BA | Tribute M

for Breinstorm

agazine

BA | Vega

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ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 53

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and public ar t. He ha s and av ant ga rde theatre s it’ , let ok bo kv th e at and worked in A few pa ge s lat er in d 15 ch ild ren’s book s ate str illu pio r he d lle cti ve , an ot te feature on ubuntu an th e tu rn of th e am ico an imation . For a Tr ibu . on ati str illu on an ati h Af ric s a cla ssic, biblical illustr ne er ing for ce in So ut rout healing , he create sp s nt me tru ins s’ ian e a histor y of the nation For at kv, their music th characters that evok wi o tw ct, oje pr te r the deba of the fut ure. a rustic tree of love. Fo . and pa int a pic tu re les bb bu ch ee sp ing sh cla tu red in the at kv thug-like boffin s have Another fine ar tist fea l oo sch a to on d Du Toit scratche ala ng a-bor n Ma rin da um They look like something Mp is ok bo l fee r intellec tual. They na lly created for a desk by a bored ga ng ste e jun k sc ulptu res, or igi os wh used e vuvu zela. rm photogr aphed and as South Af rican as th - shor t film , Brein sto an d an let ok bo kv .

Ke ep going in the at ation in the at kv book for m of in an illustr e th in elf its An glo Go ld ts en for es s, ot he r cont ra st pr An ot he r of th eir job y ctl rfe pe , ish on rto t, ca desig n competiDiek Grobler ’s innocen ’s AuDITIONS jewellery nti ha As on ing nd tterfl y ne t sta character illustr ation s fin ished bo y with a bu tion, features a series of u yo rk wo ’s ler ob In Gr from gold digger a mountai n of book s. ting the Urban Tr ibes – en res rep in as – re a love of cu ltu p homebo y to pa msense a love of ar t and old mone y hone y, hip -ho to ler ob Gr or, lpt scu ist and re created as Breinstorm’s. A fine art ess. The characters we inc pr red pe t ar ce self in perform an ha s also involved him

am i collective for Breins

54 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

torm BA | ATKV

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the im ag in ar y cl ients for th e entr ants in compet it ion . the It ’s the gr and oi l-pai nti ng st yl of the il lu st ra e tion s th at off er s a wow fact Pop m ade gr an or . d.

Back at the ex ot ic rest au ra nt, we order fr ied pl anta in s when the pin a co lad as ar rive.

I ask Brein stor m if it ’s a con sc io u s th ing – the w ay they br id ge fine ar t and gr ap hic ar t in their u se of il lu st ra tion . Keu n sm il es . “T he on ly d ifference be tween ar t and d es ig n , I th in k, is that ar t doesn’ t necessar ily ca re as much about an aud ience. In desig n the en d -user is alw ay the st ar ti ng p s oi nt. People ig n or e desig n th at ig nores peopl e. But aest het ical ly, most of il lu st ration s the w e produce an d publ ish in ou work wou ld be r at home in an y ga ller y.” B

…art doesn’t

necessarily care as much about an audience. In design though, the e nd-user is alw ays the starting poin t. People igno re design that ignores p eople.

Breinstorm BA

Marinda Du To

| ANGLO GOLD

it for Breinsto

AuDITIONS Ur

rm BA | ATKV

ban Tribes

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 55

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56 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

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hard hats

Of all the paraphernalia surrounding football in South Africa, the pimped-up construction hats, or makarapas, worn by devotees of the game, are the weirdest and most wonderful

Generally made by cutting into the plastic hard-hat shell with a hand held cutting knife, folding the desired profile up with the softening assistance of a gas stove, and painting the exuberant profile in the colours of your favourite team, Makarapas are set to take the 2010 soccer world by storm. If you get off the plane in Germany, San Paolo, London, Logos, Sydney or Tokyo without a Makarapa on your head, who will believe you were really there?

As Brand South Africa’s web site, www.southafrica.info says, ‘The sound of the vuvuzela might take getting used to, the Makarapa might get in some people’s line of sight, but there is no better way of creating that unique, energetic South African atmosphere during a soccer match’.

Inspired by the inventor, Alfred ‘the magistrate’ Baloi, and with his son Klaas as a key member of the production team, newtownprojects was established earlier this year as a creative arts center to produce Makarapas in response to expected demand generated around 2010 soccer mania. Retaining the individually hand-painted exuberance, whilst substituting the arduous and arm-wrenching box-cutter with digital robotic cutting technology, has made it possible to provide employment to sometimes in excess 30 previously unemployed artists, heat-benders, base painters, finishers and packers.

Keiso is one such person. Having done serious time in prison, he vowed to put things right on his re-entry into society. On his release he started the Naledi Art Center in Naledi Soweto, teaching art to school kids two friday’s a month at the Michael Seagang Senior Primary School in the area. Every other day of the week he works at newtownprojects as part of the team producing Makarapas for individual orders, corporate promotions, or key South African retail or product brands looking to use this icon of South African soccer mania as a key carrier of their brand message.

Says Paul Wygers of newtownprojects Our production line is set up to produce larger than normal quantities of the Makarapa without compromising the individuality of each produced. The pinch point in terms of making these amazing art pieces is only in the cutting of them. We have mechanised the cutting process and can therefore increase the number of artists that are employed to do the hand painting. www.newtownprojects.co.za

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 57

58 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

The shack reeks of paint and Baloyi’s workshop is packed with fantastical designs including a helmet dedicated to one womanising player with a half woman/half devil reclining on top.

Makarapas are made from the hard plastic hats worn by construction workers and range from simple painted designs to intricate stand-up cut-outs of players, teams or animals, often paired with giant mock spectacles. While the incessant blare of vuvuzela trumpets stirred controversy during the Confederations Cup in June – a dress rehearsal for next year’s tournament – it was the extraordinary helmets worn by the fans that grabbed the eye.

The helmets are bound to stand out again in the globe’s most watched event, giving unexpected fame to a humble invention. Alfred Baloyi, 53, a die-hard Kaizer Chiefs supporter, had the idea while sitting in a stadium. “Someone threw a bottle and hit someone on the head,” says Baloyi, sitting in a dark corner of his shack in a squatter camp outside Germiston, where he still makes the colourful crowns. At his next game Baloyi, who worked as a cleaner in Limpopo at the time, wore his work’s safety helmet decorated with football imagery.

As the helmets gained currency among club football fans, he began cutting them and bending them. Soon Baloyi, a talented natural artist, painted his helmet in the black and yellow of Kaizer Chiefs and then started taking orders, working in a cramped workshop at his home. “First I was just painting them. Then as days went by I used to add horns, like goats’ horns, and then I decided to start cutting and putting players on the helmets,” he said. “I am not from school, I am not educated. It is just a gift from God.” The shack reeks of paint and Baloyi’s workshop is packed with fantastical designs including a helmet dedicated to one womanising player with a half woman/half devil reclining on top. “I am the enemy of plastic,” Baloyi jokes about the designs he cuts with a simple box knife. He is nicknamed “The Magistrate” and wears a robe to games. “They call me this because I sentence helmets to become something else.”

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 59

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Hip-hop architect Mokena Makeka has a clean-shaven head and a

Photographs by Jonx Pillemer from Word of Art. Images courtesy of Design Indaba.

60 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

distinctive preference for button shirts with colourful verticals

By Sean O’Toole

On occasion, he might finish off the look with a snappy fedora, as he did the night I publically interviewed him at the Cape Town Library.

Not sure how to kick-start things, I asked Makeka, comfortably seated on a big white couch, unperturbed by the public attention, how he came to architecture and what his favourite building material is. As part of the stage-act, the interview forming part of publisher Ntone Edjabe’s Chimurenga Sessions, I read a snippet from Ivan Vladislavic’s 1989 short story “Journal of a Wall”, using the writer’s loving description of a brick as my cue. “It isn’t a brick,” responded the Transkei-born Lesothoraised architect. He then quickly detoured into an explanation of how hip hop has played a key role in his evolution as an architect, retreading a familiar path, one we’d walked seven years before. “I am an odd fish,” Makeka told me in 2002, in what he later revealed was his first ever media interview. “I come from conflicting contexts.

“I was born in Transkei, but I grew up in Lesotho with my family. My dad was the ambassador from Lesotho to the UN so I actually grew up

in New York for a large portion of my youth, until I was 12 years old.”

After that he was recalled back to Lesotho; “I did my high school there, and then, in 1994, I came and did my tertiary education at UCT.” It was in New York that Makeka, founder and principal architect at Makeka Design Lab (MDL), was introduced to hip hop.

“I was there when hip hop was starting up, the really early days: Run DMC, Fresh Prince, before he was Will Smith. It was really an amazing time to be there. If I show you the hairstyles I had at that time, the straight hair, it was crazy stuff.” But it wasn’t always a comfortable time. “His African American classmates often teased Makeka about his African heritage. “Do you have clothes back home?” they cruelly joked.

“I wasn’t exactly the coolest person at school.”

Time and a change of address have seen Makeka evolve from being the odd-one-out into a high profile public figure, the very antithesis of his dopey schoolboy self. It helped that the would-be engineering

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feature/architecture student turned architectural graduate had ambition. Loads of it. When I first interviewed Makeka in 2002 he had just recently pitched his idea to retrofit Cape Town’s Heerengracht, a wide public avenue that feeds off Adderley Street and terminates under the N2 flyover near Duncan Dock, to the Department of Arts and Culture. Billed as the Africa Gateway Millennium Precinct, it aimed to “promote appropriate use patterns and social imprinting on the station, as part of a broader strategy for the ultimate creation of high order public space that maximizes amenity, choice, and makes no sacrifice in terms of quality”.

Part of the project’s scope included retaining Jan van Riebeeck’s statue in the redesign, a rather brave ideological proposition some might argue. “I am not interested in the erasure of history, or cultural perspectives,” he explained, “unlike what happened in Eastern Europe. We need to develop a culture that has an inclusive view of history. History has always been the version written by the victors. I think it would be incredibly interesting to have the version of victor, but include that of the vanquished.” Nothing ever came of the wildly ambitious project, although the detailed research Makeka put into it later proved invaluable when he pitched on – and then won – the tender to redesign Cape Town’s central railway station. Although MDL is sharing the project with Comrie + Wilkinson Architects, Makeka, an architect noted for his crisp linear geometries and improvised modernist aesthetic, has pushed through some of the station’s more innovative features.

One of these is the large public square outside, currently a mishmash of hawker’s stalls and dank, untended garden.

It will offer a space to congregate free from the fear of being hit by a car or taxi. Explained Makeka to the small audience in the library, the park’s existence came about through subterfuge: he told stern city officials that the station needed an unrestricted public assembly point in case of terrorist attacks. Although Makeka does not explicitly name his progressively minded architectural style, it does share certain conceptual affinities with what has been described as hip hop architecture. This is not a joke term coined to make sense of the baroque excesses of hip hop’s elite, as seen on MTV Cribs; it is far more optimistic. “The architectural entities that evolve from a hip hop spatial paradigm draw on the best of the past and the present,” wrote Craig Wilkins in a foundation text, published in 2000.

Hip hop architecture’s chief theoretical proponent, Wilkins is a professor of architecture at the University of Michigan and the director of the university’s Detroit Community Design Center.

Like Makeka, he was brought up on new black music, in his case the early funk of Prince. Although developed as a response to the blight in particularly African American communities, Wilkins theory has resonance locally: “Employed in communities where there is a need and cry for an environment that does not repress but relieves, hip hop architecture replaces the constrictive with the supportive.” It is a point of view that slots perfectly with Makeka’s own ambitious vision, which expresses a distaste for using the contingent aesthetics of the township – pine, corrugated iron, chicken mesh – to singularly formulate a new, vernacular South African architecture. Buildings, he argues, should inspire the communities in which they are laid down, not mirror their impoverishment. _Sean O’Toole is a writer, journalist and editor of Art South Africa

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review analysis, reviews, opinion, perspective, trends, commeNT

1. loeries 2009 postmortem 2. interview brendan wade studio 4332 3. publish or perish 4. photographers’ cards

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 63

review/loeries 2009 postmortem

review Thumbs up from party-goers and critics alike

This year’s Loerie Awards was the brand communication industry’s first mass migration down to the Mother City for the awards ceremonies, where birds of a feather flocked, and a flurry of festivity was laid on. The Loerie Awards team went to great lengths to maximise the potential of a large city, while still maintaining the industry intimacy that past ceremonies in Margate and Sun City have enjoyed.

“Hosting the Loeries in The Mother City was an exciting change for us,” says Andrew Human, CEO of The Loerie Awards. “It gave us the opportunity to break new ground, rather than attempting to recreate and improve on what had been done before. In a fast-paced industry defined by the rate of change and celebration of the new, we knew we were going to come under scrutiny from some pretty stern critics.” The ‘critics’ came out in their ego-boosting finery, as was required by the ‘Feed your Ego’ theme of the Awards. To say that the show did them justice is an understatement.

Two nights’ worth of celebrating creative excellence, glamour, festivity and entertainment in the Loeries Village - which was made up of specially appointed areas around Cape Town – Camps Bay, The Good Hope Centre and Long Street – was enjoyed by even the most hardened critic.

“I felt that the industry was more together than in previous years,” said Alex van Tonder, senior copywriter and group head at King James.

“While the agencies had their own parties, most gravitated to the tent at the top of Long Street. I had a great time bumping into people I hadn’t seen in years, and there was a very open, happy atmosphere with people literally ‘dancing in the street’ She went on to say that big city venues cater for this kind of event in a way that small town pubs never will and “the fact that the clubs still had loo paper by midnight was a serious step up.” The shows themselves struck a balance between the professionalism being rewarded and the audience’s desire to be entertained.

“Saturday night, from the second the ceremony started - with Goldfish, laser lights, Helen Zille, and gold confetti, was absolutely amazing,” says Nici Stathacopoulos, who heads up the integration between Woolworths Retail and Woolworths Financial Services. “Saturday night rocked. I loved the red carpet, the photographers and the TV cameras. It was totally in line with the ‘Feed Your Ego’ theme and was probably one of the best Loerie events I’ve been to in my career.” The Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille’s speech was a highlight for a lot of people.

“She is such a vibrant person and had the crowd in the palm of her hand,” said Linel Louw, an art director at Hello World Agency. Louw also agreed that Saturday night was a huge success. “It was exciting being there and experiencing it as a new agency,” she says. “There were industry parties and unfortunately agencies stuck together, but it was great to go to all the different parties and meet new people.”

Overall, everyone was impressed with the level of organisation and attention to detail that went into making the event a success in a big city.

“Registration went smoothly. The venue was big enough to accommodate the crowd comfortably. The shuttles were on time and there were always enough of them. The producers did a good job,” says King James’ Van Tonder. “The event ran like clockwork,” said Nicholas Hulley, creative

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director at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris. “Each pocket – the beach, Long Street, the Good Hope centre – was really well done, but the ultimate test was the way it all came together.

Had the weather been kinder, people would have all moved together more cohesively to the beach on Saturday, but controlling the weather is beyond even the biggest egos, and overall it was a very slick operation.”

review

review They came, they judged, they smaaked

They came from Auckland, London and New York. Their mission? To oversee the judging of the Loeries. And the general consensus? They were seriously impressed! ‘I have great respect for the work that I saw.

And what I enjoyed the most was seeing work unique to the country but executed to world standards,’ said Matt Shirtcliffe, the Loeries Experiential Jury Chairman and a founding partner at Saatchi and Saatchi DGS New Zealand.

Voice Award launched this year was exceptional. ‘The quality of the work has exceeded all our expectations. It is clear that the work that will be winning in these new categories will also hold its own in the main categories.’

More than 130 of the best creatives in the industry judgted more than 3 000 entries received from South Africa, Africa and the Middle East.

Shirtcliffe said the judging process of the Loeries is among the best internationally with clearly defined rules, processes and categories. The Loeries Design Jury Chairman and Co-founder of Hat-trick Design, Jim Sutherland, said the work had exceeded his expectations.

‘I have been very impressed by the professional way the Loeries and the judging process is run as well as the importance the judges attach to scrutinising and judging the entries. What has also become apparent to me is that there is great work going on elsewhere in the world.’ Shirtcliffe concurs: ‘The standard of animation is very good and the level of art direction and design exceptional.’ Sutherland said the innovation to introduce an open discussion session between the judges was a great idea and it helped judges understand underlying nuances of local languages and South African culture.

He promised to be back in South Africa next year to see more of the country. South African, Jan Jacobs, the Loeries Advertising Jury Chairman, who owns New York based agency Johannes Leonardo, said the future of the advertising in the country lay in the abundance of local flavour in the work. ‘It has taken the industry a long time to become comfortable being South African.

Used correctly, this will be a powerful tool for SA advertising and completely set it apart from the rest of the world.’ I was pleasantly surprised by the South African ‘voice’ that’s present in the work – something that wasn’t very strong when I worked here. Radio is excellent and probably the best I’ve heard anywhere. Very smart and well executed,’ said Jacobs.

He however had some criticism for television which he said had slackened from the great ads by BMW, Nandos and Mercedes 10 years ago. ‘TV needs a bit of work and it’s not a budget issue. There also tends to be a habit of over art-directing print and poster advertising which often does not make the ideas stronger, but in fact harder to understand,’ Jacobs said.

He said he is happy to fly the flag, even if it means doing South African work from New York. ‘Two of our prominent clients are based in Europe and we do creative here and account management over there. In the digital age it really isn’t a problem.’

The Loeries chairman, Festus Masekwameng echoed the international jury chairmen comments on the high standard of entries. ‘It is always encouraging to see that there are some brave clients out there with some great and bold ideas.’ He said the quality of the entries for the New

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review/loeries 2009 postmortem

review So the Loeries are over. The Essentiale has been swallowed, the rental cars returned, the stories about sleeping eight to a hotel room told

What can we make of it? I was impressed with the number of cops in Long Street; clearly, art directors and copywriters are regarded as a clear and present danger to the public (and in many ways, they are). Yet again, I missed out on all the good stuff – in all my years of working in this business, I’ve yet to witness schnarf being, well, schnarfed.

One of my colleagues witnessed a girl snogging a guy before she promptly turned around to vomit on his shoe; someone else blogged about a girl dancing on a table in a short white dress, flashing her fanny. In contrast, the most exciting thing I got to see was a man wearing skintight gold lurex trousers. Granted, it was horrible, and I tried to avert my eyes, but – technically at least – it was not against the law, even if, by all that is good and right in this world, it should have been. hose pants were almost as hideous as the COPE logo that – inexplicably – won a Loerie. Conveniently, this apparently random connection allows me to segue into some reflection on the winners of some of the other statues. Now, maybe I’m anal, maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I labour under certain preconceived ideas about advertising. Firstly, that the primary purpose of this industry is to sell – be it a product, a service or an idea – and secondly, that advertising is typically developed by an agency on behalf of a client, who pays for the process of developing a concept and implementing it. Advertising might be a form of art, from time to time, but it is a commercial art. Capitalist realism, as Michael Schudson described it.

From that point of view, it was gratifying to see work that received plenty of exposure in mainstream media win nice little knickknacks to stick on the mantelpiece back home. Work like Ogilvy’s Lucky for Volkswagen, BP’s mad soccer matches and Nando’s Julius Malema campaign all picked up Loeries, and deservedly so.

All of these campaigns were paid for by a client, which surely is the litmus test of what constitutes advertising. That’s why a lot of the Loeries for print were not the genuine article, in my view at least. Far too many obvious examples of agencies paying to run work that would otherwise not have seen the light of day. Beautiful, it might have been. Entertaining, for sure. But hardly credible. Which brings me to the Grands Prix.

The Hunts campaign for The Zimbabwean was brilliant, and of course there’s a role for work that raises awareness of a genuinely important issue. (My own agency, Y&R, won a gold for a poster campaign for Gun Free South Africa.) Ogilvy scored for work done for a paying client, Channel O, as did Network for Virgin Atlantic. But FoxP2 walking away with South Africa’s highest honour in adland for the design of its own offices?

Everybody I have spoken to is mystified by this. Maybe it’s because most people in the ad business have stories about clients who treat them with the respect and acknowledgement that a Victorian factory owner would offer to the chimney sweep he passes in the hallway on his way back from visiting his favourite prostitute.

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Giving each other awards is a way to make people in advertising feel better about the fact that they work in an industry where a lot of the time they are told how kak they are.

Giving each other awards is a way to make people in advertising feel better about the fact that they work in an industry where a lot of the time they are told how kak they are. Given how hard is often is to get clients to buy good work, it’s that much more gratifiying when we do succeed. Somehow, winning a Grand Prix for work that did not require the approval of a client – even scam ads need a signature from somebody, somewhere in order to be * placed – feels a little like missing the point. It just isn’t... right.

I don’t know how to explain it, but it isn’t. It may well be that advertising is everything; everything is advertising. But should everything qualify to win a Loerie? I don’t know the definitive answer to that one. * Well, most of the time, but we won’t mention names _Sarah Britten has written two books on South African insults and is working on a third. Julius Malema gets a chapter to himself. Follow Sarah’s blog on www.enjin.co.za/blog

review

review Rock, paper, scissors

The Sappi Creative Use of Paper Award inspires creativity in traditional media – and a paper robot gets the glory. The concept is clever. Every piece of stationery created for Humanoid Films – a TV commercial and music video production company – can be folded to create a figurine.

The central character is a robot, created from the inside panel of the DVD case of Humanoid’s show reel. His world is populated with friends, for example a pet dog, an accessory resembling a dinosaur comic created from business cards or compliments slips.

The award is sponsored by Sappi, who also sponsor the Communication Design category at the Loeries. “The reason for the sponsorship is to underscore the fact that in this electronic age, print media still play a vital role in brand communication, and that paper can be inspirational for visual communication campaigns,” says Graeme Futter, marketing manager, Brand Communications, Sappi Fine Paper South Africa. Futter and his team are delighted with the results of the sponsorship. “It went down like a charm, and we got great mileage out of it,” he says.

This corporate ID campaign was entered into The Loerie Awards this year, and like all paper-based entries, it was automatically eligible for one of this year’s new awards, the Sappi Creative Use of Paper Award. “I entered in the Corporate ID category, and when I went onto the Loeries’ website to read all the instructions, I saw the Sappi Creative Use of Paper Award,” says Johan de Lange, a freelance designer who created the campaign while working for The Motel design company. “I was really hoping we had a chance to win, and I’m really thrilled that we did.”

“The only criticism we received was that there wasn’t a second and third place – but we decided to keep it exclusive for the winner.” De Lange is a self-confessed fan of paper. “I think that the more we see digital work on the Internet, the more valuable paper is going to become,” he says.

“A book produced on superior paper makes a huge difference. When a company sends their corporate ID out to clients, it looks classier if printed on good quality paper. People definitely notice.”

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review/loeries 2009 postmortem

review The growth of digital

Two major shifts at this year’s Loeries show that digital is being taken more seriously, according to Pete Case, creative director of Gloo and Loeries committee member and judge.

“People are now proactively creating digital concepts, rather than just ticking a box on another line of a campaign pitch. Also, briefs are getting smarter and more weight is being applied to craft and execution,” he says.

The message that emerged is that brand communication in the digital space is evolving – it is no longer just another aspect of the media mix, but provides entirely new points of contact and ways of interacting with potential customers.

These trends are significant because it allows creatives to spend more time on the delivery of a concept, rather than coaxing clients to spend money in the first place. “Overall, the body of work was quietly confident, delivering on expectations from the client and agency side,” says Clint Bryce, head of creative at Space Patrol Car and chairman of the Loeries digital jury panel. “I think this reflects the market this year, where budgets were being squeezed, so the extra mile of curiosity and experimentation is taken away, delivering solid work that reflects its purpose.”

Case also says that a wider number of agencies entered work than ever before, showing that digital concepts are being demanded across the board and that the quality of work being showcased in SA is on a par with the rest of the world. New demands In line with budgets being tighter, there is greater pressure than ever before for digital advertising to deliver a return on investment (ROI). “I’m speculating that agencies are under pressure to demonstrate ROI, and this is having an influence on work being delivered,” continues Bryce. “I get the feeling that clients are asking the question “what can digital do to grow my business?” and placing focus on the campaign to deliver.” Case is enthusiastic about the potential of digital.

Obviously in SA, the fact that the Internet is not as widely accessed as radio or television means that online campaigns are targeted at a very specific, web-savvy audience. “It’s important to know who your audience is, as only a relatively small percentage of the market is web connected,” he says. “But there are huge advantages over traditional mediums when communicating with a web-connected audience, such as instant measurability, a heightened sense of interactivity, the ability to engage the customer with more depth, personalisation of messaging and the ability to lead people on a journey to various digital touch points. “For instance, you could click on an online banner and be taken to a microsite that sends a personalised message and barcode to your phone, which in turn could be swiped in-store to redeem a product at a promotional value.”

According to Bryce, “The work now being produced in the applications space is quite exciting – we’re seeing pieces of work that don’t run off a monitor or a mobile phone, but big installations built on-site in a museum or public space. There was a large gamut of creative work, a number of sites that were specifically functional, but beautifully executed, and those that had high entertainment value and were all-encompassing.

Because of the interactive nature of digital works, the Loerie Awards management has over the last three years devoted a great deal of energy to evolving the way in which digital works are displayed.

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“For the first time this year, we had discussion sessions convened in one big space, rather than judging on a computer sitting at home,” says Case.

“This is a huge step forward for us.” The digital revolution has touched all aspects of the awards, with all judging this year taking place on Apple iTouch PDAs. “Our entries were judged via the iPhones and a wireless connection to a WAP-enabled online voting system,” says Case. “This was like Cannes or any other awards ceremony in the world, raising the standards of Loeries not just in the work, but in the judging processes too.”

review

review New agency claims creativity can be commoditized

Consumers then pull the relevant content and distribute it to their peers through their own personal words, facilitating user-collaboration and co-creation. Which means that the creation and dissemination of branded content is put firmly in the hands of the consumers – providing an ongoing supply of content and enabling an enduring brand engagement to take place. But why should anyone take Wade’s word for it? In part because he’s young (31) – and therefore has the energy to follow revolutionary ideas through to practical and relevant conclusions for his business clients.

Partly because he is a digital native – and therefore automatically understands the strategic and creative value to businesses of new age media such as the web, eCRM and TV reality shows. Partly because he lives and breathes innovation and design in all its forms (including his personal obsession, cars). So, his participation in those successes in ‘dark’ marketing and in using interactive, experiential, CRM-based techniques to activate direct consumer involvement in brands is the tangible proof any future clients might want that Studio 4332’s trail-blazing offering of designing valuable commercial content pays unprecedented dividends. More than that, he’s driven by logic.

He studied law at the University of Natal-Durban because he loved the process of building an argument based on logic and, as a consequence, persuading an audience to buy in to his It helps if you’re one of the visionaries behind an entirely new kind a proximity worldwide affiliateof view. He has, many times, used the same process to build or point of creative studio that promises to take a brand where no brand has fix brands – and increase consumer buy-in. The missing ingredient in a gone before, to actually be a successful example of the kind of strategic legal argument, of course, is unfettered creativity – and that very quickly change you’re expecting your clients to make. And the strategic change nudged him towards advertising instead. He became an account manager that Brendan Wade wants his clients to make is to realise that creativity at Bates 141 and moved on to group account director at Grey Cape Town. dominates both life and work, manifests itself in many more ways than communication and visual art, and is the best problem-solving tool there He was head-hunted to open the Johannesburg office of Arc, Leo is. Logically, then, creativity can be commoditised.

Burnett’s digital and activation agency. He then became head of strategy for Leo Burnett Joburg and, in 2008, MD of proximity#ttp. A sponge for And each creative commodity can – and should – be converged with new experiences, he enjoys the frequency of new projects that advertising appropriate others to deliver a desired outcome. Wade, managing provides. That said, he’s no mental grasshopper. Meshing his love of two director, and his business partner, executive creative director of Studio seeming opposites, logic and creativity, he has developed a powerful 4332, Stu Stobbs, don’t believe in traditional compartmentalising of sense of strategy that has helped him articulate, with Stobbs, Studio branding activities into above, below and through the line advertising.

4332’s methodology for solving business problems with commoditised They say, whatever works is what you need and you have to be creative to creativity. find out what will work and how to deliver it.

Specifically, if you want your consumers to respond better to your brand, then you need to focus your creativity on your consumer rather than your brand. Yeah, that’s a tricky strategic change to make for most organisations – because it feels as if you’re abandoning your brand. But actually, according to Wade, your consumer is your brand. Why? Well, if you begin by creating content platforms and programs for brands that initiate a conversation between the brand and the consumer, then drive active engagement with this content, stimulating dialogue among consumers and with the brand, you create brand advocacy and brand communities.

It’s not the traditional way, of course. But, as is probably very clear by now, Wade is not a traditional thinker. That’s why he and Stobbs are building into the Studio 4332 brand a retail store that will front their offices and showcase anything from furniture and fashion to electrical appliances designed by the Studio 4332 team. The store will be tangible evidence of the ways in which the studio is able to convert creativity into practical, profitable reality. www.studio4332.co.za

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review/PUBLISHING

review Publish or perish

Better known as a home to tax-evasion, sundry Eurovision song contests and Eurocrats, the City of Luxembourg had an influx of designers, publishers and writers descend on its genteel surroundings.

The occasion was Colophon 2009, the second of its kind, dubbed as an ‘international magazine biennial’, a long weekend of talks, exhibitions and socialising, dedicated to magazines. Several briefings over Friday and Saturday enlisted volunteer designers, illustrators, photo-graphers and writers.

One wall of the office’s ante­room was painted with a flatplan, and on the opposite a big caption, ‘What we need’. As the weekend progressed, and detailed briefs were replaced with desperate notes – ‘Espresso’, ‘Sleep’ and ‘CS5’– the flatplan filled up. The curators – designer and blogger Jeremy Leslie, writer Andrew Losowsky and publisher Mike Koedinger – invited ten magazines to curate exhibitions in spaces across the city. High­lights came from Karen magazine and Finnish mag, Kasino A4.

Karen put on a cracker, converting an art space into a domestic retreat kitted out with cups of tea, pickled onions and a shelf full of British kitchen cupboard stalwarts – including the mighty Fray Bentos pie.

Kasino A4 shunned tea and went straight for the hard stuff. Their Grayscale Bar, in what looked like an old newspaper kiosk, served up black, white or clear drinks throughout the weekend – espresso, advocaat or vodka – welcome pick-me ups after late night boozing with new friends. I’d half-expected the event to be free of the ugly sisters ‘Death-ofprint’ and ‘The Internet’.

Luckily I was wrong, and there was fruitful discussion on these topics, as useful for a ceo of a publishing house as a small indy. Though the majority of attendees were entrenched in their labour-of-love approaches, many flipped easily between commercial savvy and a fierce refusal to dilute their product for commercial ends. The session Five Golden Rules of Digital Magazines didn’t do much to counter the sentiment behind one publisher’s comment to me about magazine publishing and the internet that “What’s nice is that no one seems to know the answer”, but was instructive nevertheless.

“It’s difficult for the people involved, all talented professionals, but there’s been a lot of excesses in the last ten years and it’s time for a big shake out.”

He built on this in his lecture, tilting at publishers who, for far too long, had “got away with murder”, calling for a “new seriousness, for publishers to get back to what really makes great magazines and not just sell, sell, sell”. There are a wealth of great magazines out there, Leslie pointed out, using innovative approaches and techniques, including one page magazine, Liebling and Karen. Wallpaper* got a special mention for its recent die-cut issues – a reminder that print’s own techno­logies can often be far more effective than any electronic-paper cover.

Joerg Koch, editor of 032c, gave a compelling lecture that built on Leslie’s call for quality. This was the man whose collaboration with Mike Meiré to redesign 032c had provoked commentator Michael Bierut to fume from his keyboard “My god is nothing sacred?!”. Referring to the ‘new ugly’ debacle (see cr passim), Koch raised a laugh making fun of graphic design’s conservatism. “If you read some of the hate mail I got, you’d think ‘my god, what did this guy do?

Seduce a German Shepherd dog?!’” I’d interviewed Koch the previous day as part of a ‘making a magazine’ brief and he’d described how the mag went from being a newspaper that looked like “Dieter Rams had designed a punk fanzine” to a “grown-up magazine” which was winning new advertisers, despite the recession. Koch’s argument was that, by focusing on the editorial, 032c became a magazine that advertisers were interested in. He illustrated the mag’s perverse stoicism by explaining the backstory behind issue 10’s photo-essay on the Lamborghini Gallardo. Artist photographer Thomas Demand agreed to shoot if they found the car.

Author David Renard made the smart point that small publishers could use their size as an advantage online, if they stayed focused on return on investment: “Big publishers don’t know how to use resources well, small publishers do” and with Kindle – the e-book reader that sold more in Koch and his pals tried for months to persuade Lamborghini they should its first year than the iPod did – small publishers have an opportunity to give an obscure Berlin experiment with new forms. magazine a Lamborghini I’d met Jeremy Leslie on the for the day (“we are like eve of his keynote lecture, the charming pitbulls”). ominously titled ‘Where do In a recesssion we’re fucked if we don’t wise up* Eventually the manu­ we go from here?’. He’d spoken facturers gave in and put about the demise of Arena:

70 ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009

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them in touch with a private indi­vidual, resident in Berlin, who would lend them his car for the day. Koch’s next slide was one of the $210,000 car being hoisted up into Demand’s studio in a scruffy Berlin backstreet. The magazine didn’t have insurance. Then he showed the spreads resulting from the months of pursuit.

Over six pages were a sequence of immaculate closely-cropped details of the car, their abstraction giving no clue to the subject matter. No text explained the travails of getting the car and there were no uncropped shots of the car itself.

It was a brilliant example of relentlessly high editorial standards, and a healthy ‘fuck-you’ attitude.

I didn’t actually read many magazines there, but it wasn’t the time for that: rather, Colophon was about meeting people and hearing what they had to say.

For most attendees, the view that their magazines would never pay the bills was the default position. In his lecture, Inspiring the Creative Elite, Christopher Lockwood kicked off by asking for a show of hands of those who made magazines – many hands went up. And those who made their living that way?

Very few hands stayed up.

This state of affairs proved frustrating for Danny Miller, a graphic designer who founded and publishes film magazine Little White Lies, whose publishing outfit Church of London helps subsidise the mag: “People here need to know how to get more business-like and realise that what they are producing is worth­while but they need – to use a horrible phrase – to monetise their skills. In a recession we’re fucked if we don’t wise up.” At the festival’s closing party Leslie announced that there would be a third Colophon in 2011. Tickets this year cost €90, with an impressive line-up of speakers and hearty amounts of free vodka adding bang for your buck. No doubt, next time prices will be different, but for writers, designers magazine-lovers and publishers – bedroom or boardroom – alike, it will be money well spent. _This article first appeared in June 2009. James Pallister is publisher of MEAT Magazine

ENJIN OCT/NOV 2009 71

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Drop what you’re doing and check out the new ENJIN Creative Review – an online community platform for creative professionals in the design, advertising, photography and related creative fields. Think of it as the industry’s very own private boardroom, where we showcase the best new work and latest trends in advertising, graphic design, illustration, digital media, music videos, photography, illustration, typography and more. In our quest to delight and entertain you we also bring you the following: The Creative Directory is a print and online directory of creative agencies and service providers – a creative handbook for the creative industries, which showcases leading design agencies, photographers, illustrators and creative service providers. The Creative Directory website offers searchable, constantly updated content from leading image vendors and suppliers.

ENJIN Blog is a blog on creative news and design projects from home and across the world.

Featuring stories on new creative work, fresh insight and debate, it has content so fresh it still smells of the studio.

The ENJIN Newsletter provides frequent updates on creative projects, galleries, events, cool products and more. If you, your relatives, friends or neighbours are designers, creative agencies or otherwise involved in the creative scene, and have just launched something new, went on a journey, gave birth, opened a studio — we want to know about it and will make sure everyone else knows about it.

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