The Artist Speaks June 2014
NEWSLETTER
05
Cover: “The Commission” by DIMA™
Issue:
insight We dwell into the world of colour, graffiti and urban art
Kabo Chanku
Chief Editor
EDITORIAL
Welcome to our fifth installment of Arttrack Newsletter, a platform for creatives and like minds. In the previous issue we looked at the basics of colour, this time around we take look at how colour and light are important in art and design, how the two can be used to achieve a variety of effects, and this is more of an extension of the colour issue (see ArtTrack 04).
Overall in ArtTrack 05 We take time to discuss the existence of the graffiti, street art scene and its impact on our urban space. IJAJA! takes us through his trip to Jozi from an artist/skater point of view.
Thanks for taking this time to read!
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The Editor Kabo Chanku
Exhibition
UB Annual Exhibition
KBC The Editor
01
Light in Colour
DIMA™ Designer
03
Using concepts of light in art and design.
RoadTrip
IJAJA Journalist
Jozi rewinded
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CONTENT
CONTRIBUTORS
Architecture The Importance of Graffiti
kuptanskool@gmail.com
Colour
Light And Colour Light plays a great deal in how colour is perceived, it’s fundamental that as artists and designers we acknowledge how we can benefit from the understanding of how the two add value to each other. So as an extension of our colour issue, I take this time to dissect the notion of light and colour. Lets not dwell into scientific explanation of how the two relate as yet. But if one is intrigued by how we see, the scientific theory will come in handy. It’s important to note that, scientific researches shows that colour is light as Sir Isaac Newton refracted a light beam through a prism to get a spectrum of colour. As for now I concern myself with the smaller details of how artists can utilize and improve their work using these two. Light influences colour of objects in two ways, these are due to changes in the colour of light and the amount of light. Variations in colour can have extraordinary effects, lighting a scene with red light will make reddish objects seem the brightest while blue and green ones appear darker. Commonly when the colour of the light changes, items given the similar colour to that of the light will seem brighter. A scene with abundance of light appear brighter and the colour saturation also appear more intensified less noisy. Less light gives the impression of the opposite where colours become less sharper.
Photographer: IJAJA | model: Sylvia
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Understanding lighting is handy in controlling shadows against highlights in a scene, the contrast between is key in differentiating materials of different properties. Most importantly light can be used to depict the textures of surfaces, a shiny surface is more reflective and often glaring to the eye. These two elements work hand in hand to tell time of the day, natural light intensity varies throughout the day. This correspondingly affects the colours. Morning colours are distinct from afternoon and evenings. This is epitomized by a dark scene with an orange sun radiating orange values reflected on the sky and objects close by, professional photographers and artists have often caught brilliant scenes to depict evenings. Light coupled with colour can be used to express emotion, knowing colour psychology is crucial in this case! Therefore a randomly picked palette without a clear theme is more likely to confuse the mind. Light is an element that can be used to accentuate the atmosphere that has been set on by colour or vice versa. Colour can convey feelings through colour psychology. You are probably wondering how light achieves that same effect, OH! Well! “I AINT GOT THE ANSWERS!” On a serious note though, scenes with little light are more associated with “darkness”. A variety of emotions can be separated in terms of “Good or Evil” Light or Dark!
EXHIBITION
University of Botswana Annual Exhibition
The event hosted not only the students and lecturers but a few professionals came to see what the young generation of architects had in store for the future. It was refreshing to see the allowance given to the exhibitors to showcase their artistic aptitudes outside the architectural field. Photography, Graphic Design, and Fine Art were inclusive of the exhibition. I would like to someday see performing architects in the making setting off one of these events, I know good poets and singers are hidden somewhere in that midst of creatives .
This year’s University of Botswana Annual Exhibition was held at the new Faculty of Engineering and Technology hosting students work from Year One to completing students.
The venue provided enough space under the one roof to accommodate the works of all groups from first years to the completing fifth years, a huge improvement from the previous year’s location where more than one rooms have to be acquired to try and house everyone. Although I spent a few minutes at the exhibition I managed to get a good look at some of the students’ . . . works
and the photographs of the occasion also provided a peep into the day’s proceedings. From the few I got to scrutinize during the day it was evident there have been a great improvement in terms of space and form design, I still need to make a journey to get a second look to really make a concrete argument about the general body of work showcased at that particular occasion . The use of different media across was prevalent across the groups, this gives every student a rather unique voice. The exhibition was compelling to be at.
Photographer: IJAJA | model: EPIC tha Rapper
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ROADTRIP JOZI TRIPPIN DAY 1. Mav (maverick) made a few calls and contacted one of the local skaters Mogli (Moagi Motsumi). Before long we were backpacking and on the way. The bus left Gabs at 330 p.m., crossed customs around 4 p.m. Tlokweng Boarder. We were cloaked by darkness most of the way. At around 945 p.m. we were hit by a strong pulse of liveliness… the air smelt different, the noise of traffic and train yards, towering silos, we were in the City of Gold. My eyes were all over as I tried to spot the graffiti as it appeared to be crawling out the dark under enormous bridges. This may have been the warmest greeting ever, tags by the likes of Tapz riddled the city canvas all the way to Parktown and beyond. My eyes widened at every ‘throwup’, here the culture lives and its beautiful. We had a taste of Hillbrow night. We were so exhausted at arrival that when Wanz - Wandile Msomi, a pro skater who rides Funisu , our host welcomed us we went straight to sleep. Right after taking a good view of the monumental Telcom tower of course. The following day we made way to Homegrwn Skate Shop and met Sechaba The Bakersman. Wandile put together a board for our mission to Skate park. We took the opportunity to scout for walls, not more than 50 meters away stood a wall with a mural by
Curio, Rasty and Angel. A marvel indeed. We parted with the other guys after closing shop and headed to a mall where Boogaloos has opened a skate park. A haven for all the guys riding vert as well as Bmx. Next we drove down to Skate World, The skate session that followed was awesome, also created an opportunity for some more photography and boy was I trigger happy. The writers out there had taken the game to another level, the walls were devastated by a writer named Drake, alongside
him was Scab, Sike and Days just to name a few. It was one big family one mission, Alley Cats was the destination before we retire for the night, cold drinks and mosh pits! There was a cozy sitting arrangement outside for those who prefer to sit it out. A whole lot of skaters had come out, everybody was in a mood to mingle.
“
the culture lives and its beautiful
“
Day3, We had a blast the previous night and were determined to keep going. As soon as we got up we freshened up and walked down to Newtown where the Back to the City festival was held - an annual hip hop festival where all the heads come out to celebrate the different hip hop disciplines in a juxtapose environment. We crossed the Nelson Mandela bridge and as we arrived we spotted pieces by Mak1one,Riot,Tapz,Dal East and many more. As if things couldn’t get any better, we had the place all to ourselves. The pillars under the bridge were graff’d to the top! Pieces by Gogga and Mak easily recognizable. International artists featured as well, spotted a Mad C, the female writer from Germany. It was a busy day for the guys but they still managed to take us to Soweto where we got to chill at the skate park. The weather was perfect, kids had come out and the grown folks barbecued at the homes nearby. Mogli wasn’t bout to slow down..He
went at the ramps head on. Some of the older guys showed off their slick moves which proved they are the kings on those ramps, It was an excellent way to end the day. From Soweto we came back to town and had a brief meet with Gogga who was working on a garage wall. We all know how the Godfather does when he comes thru…aweh! Thanks to Wandile, Bakers Man for their hospitality making our 3 day stay a breeze…Thabiso Maverick Gulubane and Moagi Motsumi, the BW family peace, love and respect!
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2014
NEWSLETTER . March NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER . February
insight
As we journey into the world of creativity we reveal and explore various tips in diferent art disciplines.
Kabo Chanku
Chief Editor
insight
2014
insight
Hello! Welcome . . . Greetings . . . Ever heard of “creative block”? Well here is to keeping that mojo on a high. In this issue we take a look at ways of staying creative.
Well let me takeyou you to the first of a series of inspirational newsletters. We We introduce through a few points why Welcome back to as Arttrack Newsletter! Most of you were looking for a will be sharing experiences, giving tips as well tutorials. I would like it’s imperative that we lot more we put out lastarchitects, time and I remember a friend asking me, to designers emphasize that this Newsletter is forthan creatives…artists, as and artists “where the too! rest We of it?” funny?! I know! But on the real though our know howdesigners to sketch or and the aspiring, fashion yesisyou cover a wide in fact why we should be intentions these newsletters share spectrum of topics one can benefit from with and of course we’ll takeisato look at some knowledge at the doing it more often
specific fields.
Kabo Chanku
Kabo Chanku
Chief Editor
Chief Editor
same time getting you guys ready for “the rest of it”.
We’ll keep you posted on updates and events
A R C H I T E C T U R E : In This Section We take a glance at one of the most controversial aspects of the “urban environment’ - Graffiti / Street art.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
GRAFFITI, STREET ART
TO THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT These streets aren’t purely blank, yet they lack urban character or a touch of playful youthfulness in them. Graffiti and street artists use the urban fabric as the canvas for their work. This time around I scrutinize the differences between Architecture, Street art and how the two feed each other or contribute to one another’s existence be it negatively of positively. Architecture is not merely the built environment we take residence in but a way of life, when an architect designs a building he is ultimately designing the activities that are to occupy that specific space. It’s crucial that the urban environment is architected holistically so as to riposte the sociocultural concerns through provision of essential spaces. Architecture exists as a part to the urban fabric. It acts as a place where Graffiti and Street Artists come to express their creativity.
Graffiti and Street Art can be a spectacle to brighten darker parts of the city or simply bring life to parts that are left dead. Street Art can be used to conveying positivity and help in spreading education through the creativity. A lot can be achieved by engaging local artistic minds. Urban Art (Graffiti and Street Art) helps in combating the facelessness of the urban environment, with a majority of our local architecture characterised by this trait we can benefit from the use of these art forms. To be clear here, I’m not saying lets go all out and paint every corner of the city red. But lets make thorough studies to determine a select of parts of the city for this intervention can greatly help
allocated places give freedom to the artists to do what they do best. We should take a minute to learn a thing or two from these initiatives that other countries are using to bring an interesting look to already existing city structures. I believe 20-III’s installation on the Gaborone foot bridge “Repressed Birth” (see ArtTrack 04) is the quintessence of how Street Art has the potential to bring about a vibrant atmosphere to a once dull space. This is to say The City Council and the affected authorities should be open minded about the possibilities and come up with initiatives that encourage and supports collaboration with local artists in the enhancement of our cities.
. Cities out in the world allow renown Graffiti and Street Artists to play their part in making the city an interesting colourful place. Artists like Etam Cru and the likes have done artworks on buildings across the world and this has proved to improve the city and its people as most creative minds. Festivals like Pow Wow Hawaii and City Of Gold are the epitome of graffiti and street art playing a huge part in the urban built environment, the events brings together different artists from various countries to come share their art on selected buildings across a city. The authorities of these
Looking forward to seeing more creativity put out Express yourself
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