THE LAKE #008 by THE LAKE MAGAZINE

Timebomb Two Sides of Silence

SK8-HI

VA N S I S

S TIL O M AGOL IDE THE WHOLE TIME, CAPE TOWN, 2015

D e al e r e n qu i r i e s : 0 21 70 9 0 0 8 4 Av a i l a b l e a t s t o c k i s t s n a t i o nw i d e THE LAKE

THE LAKE WE ARE FOOLISHLY Ambitious

#8 / 050216

Two Sides of Silence “I think it only makes sense to seek out and identify structures of authority, hierarchy, and domination in every aspect of life, and to challenge them; unless a justification for them can be given, they are illegitimate, and should be dismantled, to increase the scope of human freedom.” - Noam Chomsky

CONTENTS REGULARS:

PUBLISHER

News 04 Print Run 54 Fashion Mens 56 Fashion Ladies 58 Plimsoll 60 ART: 10 38

08 30 34 30

MUSIC: Churchil Naude 26 Wax junkie 52 Malkop 46 LIFESTYLE: The Dirt Bombs 16 Zinester 22 The Black Mambas 42

The views and opinions expressed within the editorial and advertisements of THE LAKE do not necessarily reflect those of its staff, nor any of its associates.THE LAKE and anything contained within is copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, copied or stored electronically without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Stefan Naude’ stefan@thelake.co Existential ADVISOR Brendan Body brendan@thelake.co

PHOTOGRAPHY: Stalker Dune Aberration Quick Fix

Editor / Art Direction

COVER Oliver Kruger Photography Churchil Naude Camo King Crystal Birch Art Direction / Styling Studio The Ground Floor Studio Lighting Big Time Studios Retouching Frances van Jaarsveldt

photographers

FASHION

Hayden Phipps Oliver Kruger Louis Vorster Andile Buka Aida Muluneh Jansen Van Staden Harrison Thane Romain Granger Alice Mann Monique Pelser Julia Gunther Sam Wells

Kristi Vlok kristi@thelake.co Advertising / MARKETING Brett Bellairs brett@thelake.co Brendan Body brendan@thelake.co INTERN

CONTENTS PHOTO

Illana Welman lani@thelake.co

Dewald Bruwer

COPY EDITING

Contributors

Christine Stewart

Ruan Scott Rick De La Ray Lani Spice Lemn Sissay Alice Mann Ulrika Flink Priscilla Frank Samuma Mkhize

ONLINE / SOCIAL thelake.co.za Submissions info@thelake.co PRINTING PAARLMEDIA Paarl Media Group Tel: +27 21 550 2500 Email: info@paarlmedia.co.za

www.bruwerdewald.tumblr.com

Aida Muluneh Monique Pelser

THE LAKE MAGAZINE PTY LTD info@thelake.co

THE LAKE

NEWS adidas / NMD R1 Primeknit Offering the groundbreaking new NMD Runner silhouette in a striking disruptive graphic for SS16, adidas Originals presents the NMD R1 release. The shoe blends the progressive design of the NMD Runner with adidas Originals’ most forward-thinking technical elements, constructing the upper from lightweight Primeknit textile in an all-over noise graphic with welded tape structural overlays, finished with tonal three-stripes atop the shoe’s distinctive midsole with EVA inserts. Offered in a textured grey colourway, it’s a release that brings the NMD R1 silhouette to the pinnacle of style with substance. from adidas originals, adidas online, ECOM, AREA3, astore and Shelflife INFO: www.adidas.com/nmd

#NMD

Milestone 3.0 / SatinBlack

Milestone 3.0 / MatteDarkAmber

OAKLEY / Milestone 3.0 The thinnest, lightest and strongest non-metal frame ever created by Oakley, Milestone™ offers an ultra-comfortable and ultra-durable alternative to acetate by taking advantage of premium NanOmatter™ in an innovative industrial design of thin cross sections.

Milestone 3.0 / MatteOliveInk

Milestone 3.0 / Matte Denim

Oakley builds its optical frames with care and precision. Oakley glasses are made with a three-point fit system, which maximizes optical performance by holding the lenses in precise optical alignment. Oakley offers both lifestyle and performance eyeglasses that transition seamlessly from the office to the outdoors. INFO: www.oakley.com

apple / link bracelet

HOLGA / STARTER GREEN

Crafted from the same 316L stainless steel alloy as the case, the Link Bracelet has more than 100 components. The machining process is so precise, it takes nearly nine hours to cut the links for a single band. In part that’s because they aren’t simply a uniform size, but subtly increase in width as they approach the case.

The same well-known misty, soft-focused vignette images medium-format camera now in green! Its built-in Colourflash allows you to take multi-coloured, psychedelic shots. FEATURES • Plastic 60mm f/8 lens that produces the iconic Holga shots – vignetting may occur. • Built-in Colorsplash flash with 3 colour gels and clear flash function • Uses 120/medium-format film for those yummy square-orientation shots • Zone focus feature – portrait, small group, big group and infinity. • 6x6 plastic mask for sharper images

Once assembled, the links are brushed by hand to ensure that the texture follows the contours of the design. The custom butterfly closure folds neatly within the bracelet. And several links feature a simple release button, so you can add and remove links without any special tools. Band fits 140-205mm wrists. INFO: www.myistore.co.za

INFO: www.exposuregallery.co.za

ASICS Tiger GEL-LYTE V “PHYS ED” KICKS LAB has teamed up with their old friend Mark Ong, aka SBTG earning himself the title of world’s top sneaker customization artist with his bold yet sophisticated color and textile choices coupled with his exceptional talent as a painter. The shoe features an original botanically inspired camo design on the side layered with olive green and coyote colored nubuck. The colors align perfectly with fall fashion’s must have earth tones. Other notable features include a quilted nylon toe and an original camo insole. A memorable hybrid model that will be sure to turn heads worldwide. available at Shelf Life. INFO: www.shelflife.co.za INFO: www.asics.co.za 04

THE LAKE

NEWS VANS / THE LATE NIGHT PACK Whatever your vice, the Vans Late Night Pack has got your taste buds covered when the munchies set in.Get in line for the four-piece assortment dedicated to fast food favourites. Two Authentics are ready to take your order featuring all-over photo real prints of hamburgers, French fries, while the Classic Slip-On orders up slices of pepperoni pizza. If it’s treats for a sweet tooth you’re after, the Authentic also comes decked in rainbow printed macaroons, cute cupcakes and delicious sprinkle-topped donuts. A second rendition of the hamburger is illustrated on the quarter panels of the Sk8Hi Reissue and the top of the Classic Slip-On treated with Vans’ iconic checkerboard accents. The Vans Late Night Pack will be available globally this January, dropping in South Africa in February. INFO: www.vans.com

FOKOFPOLISIEKAR / ‘Fokof Lager’

PERMANENT RECORD

One year ago, FOKOFPOLISIEKAR initiated the launch of their 4 part Craft beer series produced by Sir Thomas Brewery. The beers in this range were all named after some the band’s most popular songs and became instant hits. ‘Dagdronk’, ‘Antibiotika’, ‘Hemel op die Platteland’ and ‘Skyn Heilig’ have now been sold out and will no longer be produced. But this is not the end of Fokofpolisiekar and good beer. The band has taken everything that it has learnt in the past year to produce an exceptional Lager brewed by the renowned Devil’s Peak Breweries in Cape Town.

In March 2016 Permanent Record will release an exclusive 7” for the creatively unstoppable black metal giants Wildernessking. The 7” is titled LEVITATE and will follow hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed full length MYSTICAL FUTURE. The release sees 2 new songs, both clocking just under 5 mins in play time. The cover artwork is by Finnish artist Isabella Chydenius.

The appropriately titled ‘Fokof Lager’ is mass produced and will be sold on tap at various bars and restaurants throughout South Africa.

INFO: www.permanentrecord.co.za INFO: wildernessking.bandcamp.com

INFO: www.fokofpolisiekar.co.za

WAWA / WOODEN SURFBOARDS

PUMA / Dee & Ricky’s

Way out on the split ends of surfing’s fringe, exists an anachronistic little wooden surfboard company where quality, respect for our roots and a belief in the sanctity of nature are cornerstones

Global Sports Brand PUMA collaborate with Staten Island’s design duo, Dee and Ricky Jackson for the first time. The brand new range takes a look inside their whimsical world where no colour is too bold and no detail is overlooked.

Here we build wooden surfboards that are inspired by the intuited hydronamic genius of the ancient Hawaiian board builders. Handcrafted, Wawa boards allow for a wave sliding experience that, until recently, lay buried in the dust of museums. A surfing experience of profound purity and unbridled, utterly gratuitous, fun. When selecting wood, we look for a combination of lightness and durability. This requirement usually leads to various woods traditionally used for boat building. INFO: www.wawawave.com

Dee & Ricky’s brand is built on the brothers’ uncanny, innate artistic visions. Their business began with Lego brooches and quickly won over the fashion world thanks to its bright and quirky style. The self-professed style curators debut their new and first PUMA range taking basketball as their inspiration. Revisting PUMA’s well-loved Basket, Dee & Ricky use playful and innovative ideas to create a shoe that will truly stand out. INFO: www.pumaselect.co.za

LOMO / KONSTRUKTOR 35MM Perfect for Do-It-Yourself lovers and those interested in learning, understanding and experiencing how analogue photography works, the Konstruktor is a fully-functional 35mm SLR camera which you can easily build at home. Once you have finished building your camera, you’ll be in possession of an awesomely simple yet tremendously clever photographic contraption. It is equipped with ‘N’ and ‘B’ mode for regular and long exposures; of course, it has a tripod thread for keeping those long exposures steady. It is also equipped with an uncoupled shutter release and advance, so you can easily produce multiple exposure photos. INFO: www.exposuregallery.co.za 06

THE LAKE

STALKER ANDILE BUKA QUESTIONS - LANI SPICE

PHOTOGRAPHY - ANDILE BUKA

“ The whole process intrigues me. It’s the craft and process behind it. The fact that I don’t get to see what I’ve shot on that day gives me a chance to mentally recap on the day. I have to visit my local lab, wait for the images to be processed, scan the images - which is an exciting and comforting tradition in itself.” people a voice or a point of view, that is uniquely personal. What camera do you use and do you have a dream model? Currently shooting with Mamiya RZ, Mamiya 645 and Contax G2. My dream model would be the Pentax 67.

Do you ever use digital?

I would like to experiment more with publishing my own personal projects in the form of photobooks and zines. I think the culture of zine making and publishing is not as huge in South Africa and it would be great see artists publishing their own material and not waiting for Galleries or financial backing in order to bring their projects to life. In this day and age, the internet has made the world really small and there’s a number of platforms and opportunities one can utilize to showcase ones work to a wider audience. It’s a matter of finding the platform that works best for you.

I use a digital camera for commissions and I would like to reach a stage where I shoot commercial work on film. It’s slowly getting there and I am really excited to shoot more projects on film.

Tell us about your photo book out called Crossing Strangers which seems to embrace your Johannesburg theme in more aspects than one. What were your processes behind it?

Johannesburg seems quite the muse in your photography such as your series Views from Ponte City. Could you say why and elaborate more on these works?

Crossing Strangers was a project I started in 2014. In that same year I met Hideko Ono, at that time she was still thinking of starting a publishing company, which she founded the following year. Crossing Strangers explores the landscape of Jo’burg, and the relationship individuals have with the city space post-apartheid. It is the first publication that has been made under the imprint MNK press, which is a publishing platform that collaborates with individuals in helping them engage in realizing a body of work as printed matter. With publishing Crossing Strangers, we both acknowledged the importance of representation within the imagined perceptions of South Africa, particularly Johannesburg. More often than not images create a reality which distort the truth of experience and they are often created by individuals who are disconnected with the people and context which they have documented. With this body of work we wanted to communicate a narrative, which in most ways is more representative of the experience, knowing that in the end it would be more powerful in its reflection. Included in the book is an essay by Rangoato Hlasane, co-founder of the community art space Keleketla Library, titled Monuments To The Eternal Spaces.

You shoot in both colour and black and white, would you say you have a preference? And why? I enjoy shooting with both colour and black and white. It depends on the project I’m doing and how I want the photos to look like.

When did your film photography journey begin? My journey with film started back in high school, where I photographed my friends using my dad’s 35mm camera, which had a 50mm fixed lens. Fast forward to 2011, I was introduced to Lomography and my love for film was rekindled - I haven’t looked back since. Looking back at the work created from 2011-2013, I rather miss those “honesty years”, before we all got clever about what to shoot and what not to. I documented everything and everyone I came into contact with, which I guess was how I was training my eye and honing my skill. Have you had any formal training? Not at all. I’m self-taught. During University I studied Tourism Management but I was always at the faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, attending exhibitions and borrowing art books, and that made me really want to be an artist, but at that time it didn’t occur to me that that’s where I needed to be. Your work is predominantly on film, what is it about analogue that intrigues you? The whole process intrigues me. It’s the craft and process behind it. The fact that I don’t get to see what I’ve shot on that day gives me a chance to mentally recap on the day. I have to visit my local lab, wait for the images to be processed, scan the images - which is an exciting and comforting tradition in itself. Shooting film is more than anything a savoury experience for me. The process of having a variety of films to choose from before I shoot any project still gets me. With film you are in charge of how your images will look from the word go and the fact that I don’t get to shoot 20 shots of the same thing, saves me a lot of time and helps me be more discerning when I’m out there creating work. Film is BETTER! . I love grain, I love blur and I’m a big fan of imperfection in photography because it is such a mechanized art form, we need to have some feeling of connection to the photographer, whether that is through the subject’s gaze, the point of view or the intensity and way the moment is captured. I think to have perfect lighting and correct ratios and all that, is an amazing skill, but at the end of the day it is something that can be learned, whereas you can’t teach

Analogue photography seems to have come full circle amongst photographers and creatives around the world. It’s still used in various disciplines such as fine art, fashion, travel, zines etc. Working within film yourself, do you have a discipline you enjoy the most?

There’s this quote by Daido Moriyama and I would like to paraphrase it: “People of Japan need to document every inch and corner of Tokyo, and do it over and over again, because it’s forever changing”. I share the same sentiment about Johannesburg. It’s one place I don’t get tired of photographing; it has allowed me to find my own voice and at the same time, allowed me to approach it differently every time I’m out there shooting. You have recently done some traveling. You have visited Nigeria to participate in the Lagos Photo Festival as well as the 18th Internationale Schillertage Festival in Germany. How did this come about and what inspiration or experience did you take from it, if any? I have always wanted to showcase my work at the Lagos Photo Festival and to be part of Designing Futures last year was quite an honor. I was one of the artists selected for the exhibition, which was curated by Cristina De Middel, whom I have admired for years. To meet fellow artists whose work I’ve admired for years was a humbling experience. I now understand why it’s the second-biggest Photo Festival on the continent. It’s well curated and I have seen so many exhibitions showcasing photographic work in one city. I was attending 3 to 4 shows a day, which were all running for a month, some even for 3 months. It was my first time displaying at the 18th Internationale Schillertage Festival and last year was their first time showing photographic works. Sipho Gongxeka introduced me to Marietta Kesting, curator of the show NOW SEE ME, NOW DON’T , when she was in Johannesburg, and it was an honor to be selected as one of the artists to show work alongside Sipho Gongxeka, Lebogang Kganye, Madoda Mkhobeni, Simon Fidel, and Gontse More.

Crossing Strangers was also showcased at the Tokyo Art Book Fair. Do you have any idea how

it was received? Are there plans for a further international presence? The Tokyo Art Book Fair was amazing. I was at the fair for 3 days and my publication was sold out on the second day, which was both overwhelming and humbling at the same time. It was incredible to see so many young people publishing projects from their respective countries and also crazy to see how publishing is being embraced in Asia. I have plenty of plans to showcase the book locally and internationally. The book is available online at MNK Press web store. Soon it will be available at David Krut Projects in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Do you ever have any frustrations around working on analogue? The price of film is ridiculous, which is putting some of my projects on hold. I have been scanning my negatives since June last year and that hasn’t been fun. I think scanning and waiting for negatives from the lab are two of my biggest frustrations. What is the next step for you as photographer? Would you combine or explore other mediums? I’m really keen on trying to shoot short films for my projects and see what might come out of it. For the past year or so, I’ve been planning on pursuing a post-graduate in photography and that’s currently what I’m busy with, in terms of applying to institutions mid-year, and polishing up my portfolio, which I’m excited about. I just want to be able to continue to do work that is self-reflective and not dictated by trends in the industry, and keep growing the kind of work I want to make. At some point I would like to get better at writing and start directing. Do you have any projects in the pipeline you don’t mind sharing? Any new publications? This year I’m focusing on having a solo exhibition of my latest project Crossing Strangers locally and internationally. Also, I’ll be shifting my focus to applying for residencies that are suitable for the kind of work I’m doing. INFO: www.cargocollective.com/andilebuka INFO: INSTAGRAM: Andile_Buka INFO: Tumblr: andilebuka.tumblr.com

TOP FIVES st germain

Richard Spaven

st germain

whole other

2015

2014

Parlophone

Fine Line

THE LAKE

quantic & alice Russel look around the corner

2012 Tru Thoughts

zara mCfarlane

fatima

if you knew her

yellow memories

2014

Bronswood

Eglo Records

THE LAKE

A STRONG LIGHT AIDA MULUNEH WRITER - Lemn Sissay

PHOTOGRAPHY / ART - AIDA MULUNEH

“This looking back took on real meaning against our diminished status in Europe and Canada. It became concrete. Our memories became more real. I am from somewhere with more integrity. It became solid. Somewhere I am loved. Somewhere with humanity and history.” Dark. Light. Dark. Light. In darkness I ask “Where is the light”? In light I ask “Why was it dark”? The irresistible urge to question is the artist’s way. My first name Lemn means why in my mother’s tongue. There is great beauty in the world. But if the world were without question there would be no beauty. If people were perfect there would be no need for personality or God. Without the grit no pearl. Imperfection is the grit of beauty. Like a photographer looking back at the shots she missed, Aida and I (like many returnees) were separated from our homeland in our early years. We looked back. In the separation we experienced an unstoppable search for light. In Aida’s case she looked back to the Ethiopia remembered in her first five years. In my case I looked back to the first few months of my life in my Ethiopian mother’s arms. This looking back took on real meaning against our diminished status in Europe and Canada. It became concrete. Our memories became more real. I am from somewhere with more integrity. It became solid. Somewhere I am loved. Somewhere with humanity and history.

This is the hallucination in the desert of diaspora. It drives some people crazy. I’ll never forget the black man in the city rocking back and forth. He was Jamaican. “I love classical music I love classical music I love classical music”, he repeated. He was trying to throw off the stereotype and cling to what his heart loved amongst the pressure to be something, to be someone. Finally we return. And we realize that returning is not easy. We had imagined a world that wasn’t there. We realize that all people are returning from one place to another, many of us with false expectations. Life is a constant process of separating and coming together. But as we realized that our dream was not the reality, we had identified the grit. The world is nine and not a perfect ten. We shed as much as we grow, we lose as much as we gain. We who are insatiable about knowing must be at peace with not knowing. And allow the colour, texture, sound and smells to fill us and tell us their own story. Our homelands are inside of us and when we return a more truthful experience merges. There she is, Aida floating through the city, the country with lens in hand. She sees our culture rich in contradictions. Contradictions rich in culture.

And now the beauty, the true beauty shines through. Aida has shot me many times in the years. I feel lucky. She takes colour. She takes light from the edge of shadows and shows Ethiopia in a new light, a stronger light. She is representative of the new Ethiopian tidal wave of young fierce artists unafraid to translate the Ethiopian experience through abstract imagery. Our great artist Gebre Kristos Desta was the same. Unafraid. Her own work and her work in supporting young photographers in Ethiopia has launched many a career. Her exhibits all over Africa and the world continue to astound me. It was Toni Morrison who said “all paradises, all Utopias are designed by those who are not there, by the people who are not allowed in.” Aida, the outsider within. The renegade spirit. “The World is 9” / Aida Muluneh Living in Addis Ababa for the past nine years has been a lesson; a lesson in humility, and a lesson in what it means to return to a land that was foreign to me. Within the past nine years, an expression of my grandmother’s has stuck in my mind. She would say, “The world is 9, it is never complete and it’s never perfect”. THE LAKE

I thought it was interesting, but it wasn’t until much later as an adult that her voice echoed in my thoughts of whether we can live in this world with full contentment; this world where we are idealists seeking perfection but living in a reality which does not afford us that balance. Because life is unpredictable, and imperfect, we must conquer these challenges with strength and endurance; because the world within us and the world knocking at our doorstep bear the unknown future. Regardless, through these experiences, I have been inspired to create 28 new pieces of work. Each image is an exploration of questions about life, love, and history. I am not seeking answers but asking, hopefully provocative, questions about the life that we live – as people, as nations, as beings. I have chosen to continue working on body painting, which is inspired by the traditional body art from across Africa. Each piece is a reflection of both conscious and sub-conscious manifestations of time and space. INFO: www.davidkrutprojects

THE LAKE

THE DIRT BOMBS VANS ROADTRIP STORY- RICK DE LA RAY

PHOTOGRAPHY - JANSEN VAN STADEN

“THERE SHOULD BE A LAW AGAINST THIS TYPE OF FRANKENSTEIN SORCERY OF WELDING TECHNIQUES I THOUGHT AS I ADMIRED THE PAINT JOB FROM THE OUTSIDE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION ON THE INSIDE I NOTED THAT SOME THE INTERIOR HAD BEEN STUCK TOGETHER WITH GAFFER TAPE AND THAT THE CD PLAYER HAD TO BE PROBED WITH TWEEZERS.” I think it was at about ten or eleven in the A.M. when the phone rang at the office. I didn’t recognize the voice at first but it had a familiar tone. The voice offered me a free ride, an escape and excuse to avoid all of my belated responsibilities. Some of which are still here as I am tapping out my words to the rhythms of SUN RAH ‘s “The Numbians of Plutonia”. I would highly recommend the first track on side B titled “Nubia”. It has a hell of drum solo that rolls on for days if you don’t put the brakes on it… The Voice then informed me that they are going on a tenday road trip through some back end towns and baron landscapes. Into the veins of the map, those thin little lines next to the thick blue highways that connect all our souls together on this continent. Those lines that fade away into the flesh of the paper that it’s printed on. Even better I thought. This means there will be hardly any phone reception or Internet for those realities I was about to sweep under the carpet as I gladly accepted the offer. “Pass me a pen and where do I sign!” I thought as Brett (Shaw) expanded on the details of the trip, which will involve filming footage for the local VANS skateboarding team video. “What you calling it?” I asked. “Parallel” he said and carried on explaining that they would explore to the where the mapped veins fade. To find multiple ways of self-harm and mutilation all the name of passion and pain. He rambled down a few names of towns and I have to admit that I had only heard about some of these destinations through myth and legend. Malmesbury, Jacobs Bay, Piketberg, Klawer, Steinkopf, Kakamas, Riemvasmaak, Hartswater and De Aar. None of those names actually registered at all and I had no perception or particular picture that I could compare to in my head to those dots on the map they are associated with. One of them did however waken a memory of some blood I had that used to reside in Kakamas when I was kid. Being from the “middle class ghetto” of Randburg in Johannesburg I always had a blurred vision of this faint town somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where my cousins grew up. “I’m in” I said before I put down the phone. Going on a road trip with some skaters (some of which I had known for more than twenty years) and tracking down skate able pools, ditches and anything that resembled an angle that could be rolled on seemed very enlighten and I reveled in the fact that I had a magical excuse to disappear for a while… So about 2 months later at about six A.M a mini van pulled up in front of my place. I only got home at four A.M. and frantically packed my bag as I cursed my sense of judgment and naivety to ever think that I could resist a late nights mockery of perception. Dallas (Oberholzer) a veteran in the “war” was behind the wheel of an Army green VW minibus van. As I got in it dawned on me that it was the same mini bus that I had seen in scrap yard a few years earlier. The same one with the flat roof, which Dallas had flipped down some highway extension on his way to Bethlehem in the Free state and the

same one he had miraculously escaped deaths cold hands with when it tried to rip him from the finely woven fabric between here and the nether. There should be a law against this type of Frankenstein sorcery of welding techniques I thought as I admired the paint job from the outside. Upon further inspection on the inside I noted that some the interior had been stuck together with gaffer tape and that the CD player had to be probed with tweezers. So naturally I buckled up as I realized in paranoid horror what the future had in store for me as visions of sweaty palms and anxiety filled my foresight. “Morning!” I said as I smiled nervously at his over enthusiastic face. “I haven’t slept yet…” I mentioned under my belated breath as we swerved around the corner to the next location where we would pick up the rest of the sailors that would help commandeer this patched up ship. The fact that “Captain Ron” is going to be driving me across thousands of kilometers for the next ten days fueled a mild cold sweat on my temples.

by myself, young gun Trae Rice (Vans team rider) who had just landed from JHB the night before. A long the way we would mix the pot with Adrian Henderson (Local maverick) Anton Roux (Vans team rider) and Craig Leak who would join us over the cross over week end along our journey across no mans land.

The rest of our shipmates were waiting for us in the parking lot of the “Tampon Towers” overlooking the harbor of Cape Town. The same harbor which might have been responsible for the questionable imported poisons that were still coursing through my veins at this early hours of the morning. The crew seemed cheerful and full of faith as they hooked up the trailer to the van while I stood there in the fresh morning air reviewing my motivations to ever agreeing to join this trip. The whole team on this magical journey included the following Jansen van Staden (Photographer), his brother Jourbert van Staden (Filmer, AV Skateboarding), Brett Shaw (Director and team manager), Dallas Oberholzer (Indigo Skatecamp), Dave De Witt (DDD Sk8shades). Followed

From what I had gathered through my conversation with Brett over the phone a few months earlier was that he had scrutinized certain remote areas on Google maps with the sole purpose of finding some unknown and un skated transitions in the form of storm drains, water channels and the odd empty pool left un attended and neglected by local municipalities. Whether these spots would be skate able was mostly left up to chance as not much could really be seen from the top angles of the Google lenses. Brett and a few guys did however go and explore some of the terrain a few months earlier while they were at the KDC (Kimberley Diamond Cup) a month or so prior to my call at the office. Believe it or not folks there has been an international skate

THE LAKE

So soon as the van was packed we hit the road. Brett was on a tight schedule and amped to get to our destinations as soon as humanly possible and to make sure that very possible spot a long the way would be skated and filmed. Minutes into the journey I was passed out in the right hand pocket of the back seat. An over exposed image of my limp corpse was naturally displayed on Instagram while I was in a self-induced coma. These are the wonders of the global community that we live in I thought as I noticed the comments and hearts that surrounded my stagnated stamina forever ingrained into the screens of multiple phones and followers of social media.

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boarding competition that has been held in Kimberley for the last five years now! God knows why it is held there but I have a suspicious feeling that it somewhere fits into the multiple reasons why John Block has been found guilty of corruption, fraud and money laundering. With all these reasons for exploration in tact we set out into the unexplored territory of the countries outback. There are some interesting places on this tip of the African content, and the question whether the machine would still function if some them would disappear completely did pop into my mind as we sped through some of the smaller towns. Towns where you could literally blink and not even know that you had been through a spec of civilization. Places that don’t know or don’t even care what shame and scandal the Sunday paper would bring on a weekly basis. Which political pawns had been moved around on their behalf or which idol had been dropped and shattered from a lifelong career path of fame, fortune and murderous rage. Out there it’s all about survival. Hiding from the sun and the heat as we sped through the flatlands in a bus full of Babylon with no air conditioning. Our overflowing iceboxes were dutifully filled at each garage or shop we passed along the way. My ideas of a holiday was shrunken to tiny particles as I realized that we were basically in a race against time to document every single skate able terrain that we passed through a long the way. Most places we had found or tracked down via satellite were covered in dirt, muck and grime and had to be cleaned, swept and sometimes disinfected to skate. So we spent many hours of hard labor digging through piles of dirt to the amazement of local towns folk who had no clue on why there were a motley crew of guys in a van cleaning up some forgotten pool

or dusty water ditch along the side of the road. Cleaning them only to inflict pain upon themselves as they pushed their over heated bodies to the threshold of sanity. Skateboarding is a very demanding mistress when it comes to pain and its addictions. Addictions which lead to obsession and finally an ecstatic release of joy as a rider would roll away clean from the concrete curves they chose to ride for the day. By mid week the grinding agenda had taken its toll on their battered bodies and the moans of their tireless efforts could be felt by every one as we rose our heads in the mornings to continue on this journey of destruction. The nights were spent mostly under clear stars and open fires where we camped or stayed in some forgotten motels, resorts or modest hotels where we could lay down our melted heads and recover from the day and its forced hours of sunbathing. By the end of the trip a stoic sense of calm and self-reflection could be felt throughout the cabin of our rusty ship that seemed to have

miraculously sailed us through all of our destinations. Having mostly been listening to SLAYER along the way our ears had been begging for some kind of a break from the hell that we had unleashed upon them while our eyes were filled with memories of open landscapes, sunsets and unprovoked beauty, which we will remember till the end of our days. The closer we moved to civilization and my electronic devices started functioning properly again the realities that I had escaped from started forcing itself back into my life through a series of beeps and bling’s to remind me that my life was still waiting for me in a small white office in lower Kloof St. As I got home a unpacked my dusty bag, floated in my bath and mentally downloaded my whole experience into the back of my memory banks while simultaneously dreading the sight of the overflowing mail boxes on my computer.

HITS FROM THE VAN Slayer

Slayer

Show No Mercy

Hell Awaits

Reign in Blood

South of Heaven

Seasons in the Abyss

1983

1985

1986

1988

1990

Metal Blade

Def Jam

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CHOCOLATE CITY ZINESTER / Harrison Thane STORY / INTERVIEW - LANI SPICE

PHOTOGRAPHY / IMAGES - Harrison Thane

Zinester is an NGO based in Nairobi, Kenya that focuses on DIY zine making. Their goal is to create a platform for the “voiceless” to be heard. In order to do so they created a kickstarter campaign called Big Stories Little Voices. A workshop was set up and run by Zinester involving children of all ages from the Wings of Life Children Centre in Kibera, Nairobi - the largest urban slum in Africa. Using basic tools and materials to create zines and publications, the aim of the workshop was to inspire creative thinking and entrepreneurial skills that in turn would boost confidence and innovative thinking

Zine culture is massive in the west as an alternative way to express your thoughts, ideas and creative talents. There’s a lo-fi, DIY punk aesthetic in a lot of zines, which I always loved. So it’s pretty accessible to subcultures and coz its largely visual I saw a gap in the market among marginalized groups here. Tom and I had talked a lot about doing something like Zinester while we were working in Rwanda but we didn’t get our arses into gear until mid-2015. So we cobbled the airfares together and Tom made some calls and found a small children’s centre in Kibera in Nairobi where we could run the pilot.

distribution partners but our first job is to reach those with a big story to tell but who would otherwise be unable to be heard. What were the children’s initial reactions? Were there any communication issues? With forty kids in a tiny tin shack there’s little room for ‘active learning’ as it is called in the UK. In Wings and across the region kids are

was in an old van with no wheels, we cooked every night on an open fire. We loved every moment of the workshop and the crazy stories the kids were coming up with but we were still unsure if the project would be successful so it was a great surprise when we released the video online that it went viral along with the kickstarter.

Could you tell us why you chose to work within Kibera specifically? Kibera gets a lot of press and some of the people we spoke to, even inside the slum, asked us the same question. We maybe should have done it in Mathare, which hasn’t had the same investment Kibera has had as a result, but as soon as we met Pastor Jane at Wings of Life school, backing out wasn’t an option. She told us ‘even if you crawl under a bed to hide, he (God) will grab you by your ankle and pull you out’ We still want to go to Mathare to work with a group of reformed boy gang members at the Ghetto Foundation. Their stories working into the gangs who run the dumps are the stuff of nightmares.

It seems your disciplines are quite diverse, from high fashion to design, was working within an NGO setting something you were always passionate about? Definitely, I find working with NGOs so much more exciting than shooting fashion, and being able to travel around Africa meeting and exploring different cultures is very rewarding. When I was on assignment for the Nike Foundation’s ‘Girl Effect’ in Rwanda, I met up with Tom who was working as Insights Manager. The focus was the production of media ‘from girls, for girls’ but in practice there were a lot of seasoned pros working across the magazine, radio and digital forms to get the word out there.

You have since relocated to Nairobi. Where were you living before and was it at all a tricky transition? Transitioning into Nairobi was fairly easy for me having already lived in Kigali but before this I was living in Shanghai - now that was a culture shock and I don’t think I ever really adapted to it. It really was another world. Your emphasis on “Big stories, little voices” seems especially relevant; what made you decide on using DIY zine culture as a mode of engaging with socio-political issues? There’s a lo-fi, DIY punk aesthetic in a lot of zines which I always loved and so as a format zines are democratizing. In fact the rougher and more direct and honest the output the better it gets.

However, when we got out into the field we both met plenty of girls who wanted to do it for themselves. They often met in clubs and gossiped a lot. Maybe, we thought, with a little help, maybe some kind of kit and a workshop, real or in online video format, they could start to self-publish.

Owning the means of production sounds like a kickback to 1968 but that’s the deal with zines. You don’t even need to be online. You just need access to pens, paper, scissors, some glue and a photocopier.

Do you mind giving us insight into what Zinester is and what was the drive behind this project? Who else is involved?

Most printers in the slums also have scanners so at that point, the thing goes online. That’s something we’re going to have to help with via

drilled. Teacher talk time is 99% and when we first came into the school we had five year olds standing to attention. ‘Jambo. How are you? We are fine.’ So we were keen to get the teachers out of the classroom and we broke the ice by getting the self-elected best drawers to do our portraits on the blackboard. What was the first zine that you made? The first zine i ever made was personal photography work from 5 years of selected travel work from across 5 continents. There seems to be an overwhelmingly supportive response to this project and you managed to reach your kickstarter goal. I’m sure there are countless highs and lows, could you briefly discuss some of the challenges and rewards that you have encountered while working on this project? The first challenge we faced was lack of $$ for the pilot. I was living in a leaky old tent and Tom

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Now we’re talking to Safaricom who are interested in helping us to set up a digital platform and maybe run an event of some kind. We’re talking with some third sector guys too. Do you still work closely with the Wings of Life Children Centre? We try to involve them as much as possible and we’ve started taking some of them to cover live events. For example, they got invited to be part of the press-cor for Miss Plus Size Kenya, Africa’s biggest plus size beauty pageant. So a couple of the kids came along to cover the event and ended up getting the best photos from the event and socialising with some of Kenya’s top celebrities. It’s easy to blow off an adult journalist but it’s another story when you have an eleven year old slum girl telling you to ‘work it’!

INFO: www.zinester.org 23

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Walk This Way CHURCHIL NAUDE INTERVIEW - RUAN SCOTT

PHOTOGRAPHY - OLIVER KRUGER

Churchil Naude is a wordsmith who disposes of his emotions through heartfelt and meaningful Afrikaans rhythms and rhymes. Unlike other Afrikaans artists that most people associate with Afrikaans rap, Churchill is in a league of his own, a spoken word pioneer, a shadow reinventing the perception of a language through deep thought and insight. Through his humility and somber outlook on life, he stays modest and is able to fly deep under the radar of the industry people he considers distasteful. He recently released his first album ‘Kroeskop Vol Geraas: Veldmuis/stadsmuis Deel 1’. Churchil is more than ‘another’ Afrikaans speaker trying to cash in on the novelty of Afrikaans rap; he is a smooth and cool rapper who weaves words in the ‘Cape Colored’ vernacular into strings of beautiful and captivating stories. Congratulations on your first album, recently released on CD and online. Tell us more about the title.

You see, I walk between the thorns and not everyone ‘smaaks’ (taste) to walk between the thorns. I don’t have a problem with the who’s who and what they do, I just don’t necessarily support it.

Who is the girl in the song ‘Meisie’ (Girl) and how does she feature in your life?

How do you feel about the South African music industry and what are your views on what the public considers as ‘Afrikaans’ music?

You were rapping in English for a long time before you made this album. What was your lyrical content based on then?

Afrikaans music is a record company catch phrase and everyone’s hooked. The Afrikaans music sold in the mainstream media is not Afrikaans music at all. Its European beats with Afrikaans lyrics. I’d love to perform at the Huisgenoot Skouspel where this shit flourishes - someone has to shed light where these ‘donners’ (fuckers) gather in the shade behind the scenes.

The title came to mind when I read Breyten Breytenbach’s ‘Die hand vol vere’ (Hand full of feathers) for the first time. I read this piece titled ‘‘n Mond vol vuur’ (Mouth full of fire) and I thought to myself, “If Breyten has a ‘mond vol vuur’ then I have a ‘kroeskop vol geraas’ (Afro full of noise)”. The album has been pending for some time now and different variants of the tracks have come and gone. The time, place and people to make it happen were never right. ‘Deel 1’ is so cool that I‘m definitely inspired to make a ‘Deel 2’. ‘Kroeskop Vol Geraas’ is such a comprehensive title and I have lots more to say. Part two will definitely happen in the near future.

Your album is replete with dark themes and motivations. Things like no love, no rest and making peace with reality. From where do you draw lyrical inspiration?

You rap in Afrikaans. Since when have you been writing and what are your views on South African hip hop artists? What do you feel it means to be an Afrikaans rapper?

Track 11 on your album revolves around making one’s voice heard and saying what you want to say to people. What do you really want to say to the world out there?

I have been into rap since I was a teenager. Back then it was merely a pastime. The South African rap scene so to speak has been coming along for a while, but I feel that the majority of artists, present and past, still formulate their styles, accents, vision and content according to American artists and for foreign markets. To be an Afrikaans rap artist means I speak about the things I see, hear, feel and understand. At least, that’s what it means to me.

I want to tell the world outside that there is a much bigger picture than the just what we see on the surface.

Which Afrikaans hip-hop artists do you support and follow? There’s not a lot to support. There is, however, this kind of ‘awakening’ among artists who realise that nothing is being ‘dished out on a platter’ to one and that they need to rise from their basements and create their own paths and destinies.

Lyrics come and go. It’s like the sun that rises and the sun that sets. I don’t believe in writers’ block and shit like that. There are only seasons of writing and seasons of not writing.

Your ‘beats’ are simplistic and stripped down. You perform with a band as opposed to a DJ making beats. There’s a definitive local flavor of proudly South African sound to your music. ‘Hou jou ding uit gate’ (Keep your thing out the holes) and ‘Staan Nader’ (Move closer) are good examples of this. This is one of the reasons why this album took so long to make. I always had the opportunity to produce the backing track with a computer but it never felt right. These two songs are to my mind the first Afrikaans hip hop songs ever made in that style and only time will bear witness to this.

What is your relationship with Isaac Mutant?

Who is the ‘bruin bliksem’ (Brown bastard) you refer to in the track with the same title?

Isaac and I grew up together and lived about a street away from each other. We met in a park that divided my house from his. Everything from soccer, rugby and cricket went down in this park. Over time we gradually became drinking buddies...

I’m the ‘bruin bliksem’.

Do you cross paths or share stages with other South Africa’s commercial rap stars?

‘Meisie’ is a song about abuse coming from two sides. There is a flip side to every coin…

Back then English was just part of growing up, a default language setting. I wrote and rapped about what I heard. It’s only when I started writing in Afrikaans that I felt I was carving out a unique voice for myself. What prompted you to start exploring Afrikaans as a language medium to write and perform in? The ATKV Crescendo event some time back proved to be a turning point in my career. Prior to this I started welcoming the idea of parenthood and focusing on domestic life. Actually, I slowly began drifting from the world of hip hop. I was part of an inspiring group of people at the event and the idea for the song ‘Praat saam’ (Discussion) was born. The rest is my story up until here... Who is your audience? Do you think these people listen to what you have to say? I write for anyone and everyone who has more than five working brain cells. Tell me about the co-lab you did with Anton Goosen on his song ‘Boy van die Suburbs’. That didn’t strike me as very authentic ‘Churchill Naude’. How did this project come about?

If something feels good and right, I go with it. The song ‘Die hele wêreld word stil’ (The whole world is quiet) is inspired by lyrics from a Koos Kombuis song ‘Lisa se klavier’ (Lisa’s piano). You’re obviously a fan of his. What led to the recording of this song? I’m a ‘moerse’ (huge) Koos Kombuis fan. He’s largely one of the reasons why I rap in my mother tongue. Back in 2009 we performed a song together. He actually read my whole album on script long before it was recorded. How did you meet Riku Lätti who would eventually record this album? Riku and I met online through music and eventually through mutual friends. After our first recording session I knew the time, setting and the sound was perfect and we made ‘Kroeskop Vol Geraas’. Where were you born? I was born in Port Elizabeth but grew up in Mitchells Plain. What did a typical day entail during the recording of this album? Usually a walk on the beach, sometimes twice a day because the beach is so close by. Naturally, red wine wove its way into the day to help with the cobwebs… INFO: www.diewasgoedlyn.co.za

DISCOGRAPHY CHURCHIL NAUDE

‘Boy van die suburbs’ (Boy from the suburbs) was part of a project titled ‘Vat die rap’ (Take the rap). Local rappers reworked old Afrikaans hits along with the original artists. A panel of judges prior to the co-lab grouped the musicians together without us having a say in it, so that was ‘kak’ (Shit). Anton Goosen didn’t agree with their decision and asked me to collaborate with him. I’m not fazed by authenticity or street cred.

KROESKOP VOL GERAAS VELDMUIS / STADSMUIS DEEL 1

2015 Wasgoedlyn

INspirational albums Bob Marley

Public Enemy

Bob Dylan

Tracy Chapman

Run–D.M.C

Survival

Fear of a Black Planet

The Times They Are a-Changin

New Beginning

Raising Hell

1979

1989

1964

1995

1986

Island

Def Jam

Columbia

Elektra

Arista

Why are you a ‘bliksem’? A ‘bliksem’ is someone that defies the norm. A ‘bliksem’ is someone who asks questions and doesn’t just settle for any old answer. Skin colour is a default setting. THE LAKE

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DUNE STYLIST - Sarah Hugo-Hamman

PHOTOGRAPHY - Romain Granger

MODELS - Radhika Nair INEGA (Mumbai) / Sherita ICE THE LAKE

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ABERRATION alice mann

(always) wear your best on a sunday

In this series of images, I aim to investigate the relationship between dress and worship amongst members of Walworths Methodist Church, a black majority church (BMC) attended by a largely African diaspora in South London. This body of work is a continuation of my interest in social grouping and ‘othering’ in contemporary society with a particular focus on personal appearance, identity, and visual politics within African minority communities in the United Kingdom. This project began with an initial interest in the aesthetic of African traditional dress in London and the way that Sunday church services provided these communities with an opportunity to come together from across the capital in all their cultural finery. These Sunday services were an occasion to be celebrated for the congregants and provided a sense of pride and community that is often lacking within minority communities in the United Kingdom. After a couple of months visiting the church and through conversation with the congregants and pastors it became apparent that the competition to look one’s best at these services was in fact integral to the entire occasion. As one pastor noted, many of the congregants associated Sunday services with looking their best and exhibiting their favorite pieces. There was always an element of performance at these services, congregants enjoyed being photographed, they were always eager to show off their latest fabrics or a trend they had picked up on. The presence of cellphones and digital cameras were ubiquitous at the services with congregants eager to present themselves to their peers in their best light. Over time, I became aware that these elaborate outfits served a dual purpose for the congregants. On the one hand they were a visual marker, identifying them as members of the same group, linking them to their church and their broader African community. A number of congregants mentioned sourcing fabrics or dress designs on annual trips back home, or getting family and friends to send certain sought-after items to the UK. On the other hand, the outfits themselves were representative of one’s faith, they were a way for the congregants to ‘show worship’ or announce their dedication to God.

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I chose to photograph all my subjects in this series in front of the same constructed backdrop in order to give all my images the same sense of basic uniformity. This uniformity was then intended to accentuate the different outfits and personalities that were presented to me by my subjects on any given day. The apparent element of construction is significant because I want viewers to be aware that these images are performed. My subjects were always self-conscious of the way that they were projecting their image to the camera; they were always very involved in the process. I photographed a number of my subjects on different occasions throughout my time at the church, as they would return with a different outfit and ideas about how they would like to pose. Often they would refer to previous photographs I had taken, or images of their own, in an attempt to achieve a particular look they had in mind. Working within the historical framework of visual representation of black immigrants in the UK, it was this sense of pride and self-awareness that I hoped to highlight through my images.

www.alicemann.co.za

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THE RIGHT DISSONANCE Monique Pelser / Contentious Landscapes and Metal Trunks WRITER / INTERVIEW - Ulrika Flink / curator/ project manager Parallelogram Sweden

PHOTOGRAPHY - Monique Pelser ART - JH Pierneef (details of the Johannesburg Station Panels)

We were all sipping coffee with lots of sugar in a bungalow situated in a beautiful, small garden somewhere off Boule Road in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia’s first photography festival, Addis Foto Fest 2010, was on its last day and none of us wanted the experience to end. Monique Pelser looked around the room and said ‘let’s do a photography festival in Johannesburg, but let us focus on us; no artist, curators or speakers from outside the continent, we don’t need a flown in perspective, we need to grow and nurture our own conversation’. Heads nodding and voices of agreement filled the room. All eyes turned on me, as the only person not living in Africa. I sipped my coffee to gain time to think, and then said, ‘you are absolutely right, but I

amount of work with African artists, exposing contemporary art-making in the African Continent, I was surprised that more artists living here had not taken the opportunity to drive a critical conversation. I know that at that time, in 2010, people like Bisi Silva (CCA Lagos) were working hard and are still doing an amazing job at sustaining a voice from within Africa but it was frustrating that we still lived under the impression that if it comes from Europe or America it has more value or authority. In my opinion there should still be more active involvement from peo-

replicates Pierneef’s paintings as accurately as possible, challenging his gaze with her own. I am wondering how you would describe the tension, or if you will, dissonance, between your work Karabib 2009 and J.H Pierneef’s view of the town. That’s an interesting question. We drove up from Cape Town and it is a very long, very, very boring and dry two-day drive to Karabib. When we got there we were amazed at how rough it was. As we drove into

For this body of work, it was my aim to capture what I was presented with when I got to the ‘place’ that I thought Pierneef painted from. Perhaps in retrospect I was expecting to be disappointed. Most of the time I wasn’t. I was bewildered and have become acutely aware of the limitation of the camera and how easy it is to turn your back on certain visual information. You seem to be interested in linking and breaking the past and present in your practice. Returning to the sites of Pierneef’s original paintings must have meant that you rediscovered your country both historically and in a sense emotionally. What did you expect to see? In retrospect, I wonder if I was expecting to see tangible change by putting myself through a process of re-looking at South Africa. It was about 15 years after apartheid was abolished when I started the work, and while there is some change and priorities are different, what I was ultimately presented with was the power of the gaze, or the gaze of power, and I became acutely aware of how an image is put together. The changes in that process, in who is doing the looking, are difficult to pin down. Like clouds you don’t see them change when you just glance at them but when you look up later you are presented with an entirely different sky. What I find interesting, as a South African, is trying to find out how much of the past belongs to me; how much of it is my responsibility and how much of it is public, a collective responsibility.

would like to come as a visitor.’ Later that night as I stood on the balcony of my high-rise hotel, which marketed itself as European luxury standard; I never felt more out of place. Monique Pelser uses photography as a way to explore conventions and the authority established through photographic representation. She studied at the Market Photography Workshop founded by David Goldblatt in Johannesburg in the late 1980s, a school that has played a crucial role in establishing new voices in South African Photography. As the only white student in her class she remembers how very different everyone’s lives were when they went their separate ways after class to shoot their assignments. Later in her career she studied a Fine Art Degree at Rhodes University graduating with an MFA in 2006. Pelser’s practise engages with questions concerning the role photography plays in establishing our idea of time, identity, personal and collective memory. Monique, do you remember that cup of coffee in Michael Tsegaye’s house, in December 2010? What experience of changed circumstances, in the African art scene, made you wish for a more continent focused discourse driven by artist and curators that live in Africa? I do remember that afternoon in Boule, I remember the coffee and the conversation. I can also remember the impulse that drove me to blurt that out. While I think that critics and curators, who live in Europe and America have done an extraordinary

ple working within the continent as a whole. I think the meetings that we were part of in various African centers has set up an amazing opportunity for us artists to start a discourse about how we work, what limitations we work under and what drives us to make the work we do. Monique Pelser’s work “ONS LAND”/ “OUR LAND” 2007 is a seven year investigation into the representation of the South African landscape. Here she sets out to negotiate a history and a context of complex layers of meaning embedded in the physical attributes of the land by appropriating JH Pierneef’s famous series of grand landscape paintings, the Johannesburg Station Panels (1932) as a starting point for her own work. Pierneef was commissioned by the national railway services in 1929 and the 32 finished panels were installed in Johannesburg’s new central railway station three years later. His pastoral landscapes were advertisements for the railway, promoting the country, and they are widely regarded as seminal works in South African art history. However, Pierneef’s gaze is controversial; a de-historicised, de-humanised outsider’s view of territory, offering untouched land to be explored, conquered and controlled. These contentious vistas entered deeply into the politics of the previous South African Nationalist government. Pelser decided to re-visit the sites of these landscapes as a process of re-looking at her country. By pinpointing each panel, she

the town and spotted the church my partner blurted out ‘fucking liar’, referring to Pierneef. He had the printout of the painting on his lap and that image looks like a place you might want to go to, a tourist attraction. In reality it is dry, hot, flat and a desperate small town that runs off a brutal granite mine. Admittedly in the desperation of Karabib there is a quiet beauty, a beauty that is very far from the beauty or the wonder Pierneef put together in his panel. One of the major challenges was how to interpret the scene, because I felt it differed so dramatically from the painting I was using as reference material. After spending an afternoon looking at the place and driving around trying to find a visual peg (something such as the church to pinpoint as a reference) I had to pack up the cameras and go for a walk to clear my head and decide how to treat this image. I was at a pivotal point of deciding whether I mimic it or I re-interpret it. I decided that the granite factory was an important element to incorporate considering the effects mining has had on the continent so I decided to incorporate it in the shot and I used the pylon to stand in for Pierneef’s tree. As far as I can tell this is the most exaggerated of his panels. I attempted to understand if he felt the same way as I did when he got to Karabib and then went out of his way to exaggerate a (different) kind of beauty. I think that is the thing. It reminds me of the way in which the politics was viewed in South Africa in the past. Something that was desperate, quite brittle, quite suppressed and full of fear. This mandate, which should be supported and followed.

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When I lived in London, between 1996 and 2000, I found a book in an old bookshop just off Oxford Street. The title and the author escape me right now but it was by a South African who was in exile in London. He was an ANC freedom fighter and the book was about how the South African police treated him and beat him during interrogation. I remember sinking when I read it. It was to me yet another experience of having had one kind of memory and then discovering something else, something that was dark and potentially directly connected to me. One thing that is important to know is that, when we were at school, the kind of history we studied was censored. We learned a very one-sided story, which focused mainly on ‘Die Groot Trek’; when the Boers and English made their way up South Africa and eventually found gold in Johannesburg. Lots of information was kept from us and my parents didn’t fill in the gaps. I think they were just working hard with two jobs each, trying to keep a family of five together. Eventually in my last year of school in 1993, two years after Mandela was released, we had a history teacher who started talking to us and telling us what had been going on politically. I remember feeling as though we had been lied to for years. I was confused and overwhelmed and I think I was angry t, but that anger manifested itself later. So the lines between fact and fiction/ or fact and adjusted fact were always blurred. When we met your father had recently passed away, and you told me that he left an extensive archive chronicling his and his father’s 39

Hermanus Old Harbour

Drakensburg

Louis Trichard

Okahandja Namiba

Meiringspoort

Graaf Reniet

Karoo

Lion’s Head CPT

Knysna Heads

Amajuba

time as a police officer. You hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss this archive with him in great detail, because it wasn’t anything one talked about. Before and during the transition from a militarised society that was Apartheid to the changing political setting of the ‘new’ democratic South Africa, silence must, I imagine, have been an everyday reality for everyone. How has this silence affected you and the process of trying to make a work from the collection of objects collected over three generations of policing in South Africa? After my father died, in 2010, I took ownership of four metal trunks he had stored for 29 years in the shed outside of the house. The trunks were full of a collection of stuff that my father, who was a meticulous hoarder, had kept throughout the duration of my grandfather and father’s careers in the South African Police Service. He had held onto newspaper articles, uniforms and other ‘keepsakes’, as he called them. When I was young I was banned from looking inside the trunks. So, when my parents were out, I would go into the shed and look through the trunks for hours on end. I would try on the army outfits; 40

Table Mountain

Bushveld

I spent hours digging through his things looking at pieces of his past. My Mother had a strong aversion to the trunks and was happy for me to take them off the property. When I got the opportunity to open them and look at the contents I was half expecting ghosts and secrets to be released, but all that was inside them were objects which had a vaguely familiar smell. As I rummaged through them, and started to make order of the contents by archiving what I found, I was struck by how a personal history was mixed up with a public one. Here were these loaded symbols of the past of our country lying on top of a letter I had written to my father telling him I loved him and wished we could play in the park together.

departure lounge over a cup of coffee as I was on my way to spend some time in England I asked him questions and as always he answered them indirectly through an anecdote.

I entered into this project from this standpoint of looking at a broader public history through a personal history. I have photographed the contents of the trunks, listed the objects and I wrote a document where I recall public histories from my own personal experience and memories of being the child and grandchild of policemen in South Africa.

You chronicled your father’s illness in the work Conversations with my Father (20102015). Was this a way of coping with his illness?

During my early twenties I was very curious. I would tell my Father that I had seen things and read things and I wanted to know his level of involvement. Quite often I would informally interview him. Once in the

When he was given a negative prognosis in early 2009, I sat down and wrote him a series of questions. I was hoping we could collaborate and make something by tracing our experiences together as the children of policemen. My Father, understandably overwhelmed by his disease, never answered any of the questions I had asked him and, after the funeral ,where the police marched the ‘honor guard’ and handed my mother the national flag, I found the questions folded up in a bible under the bed.

In 2009 my father was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease called progressive bulbar palsy. It is a rare disease where the body slowly becomes paralysed and in the case of my father it started in his mouth. This rendered him unable to speak for the last year and half of his life. Early that year he retired from the Johannesburg City Council where he was the Director-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Police.

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Premier Mine

Rustenburg Kloof

Hartebeespoort Dam

I decided to use the story of my father and his illness, his inability to speak, to start looking at the unspeakable story that was South Africa’s history. While Conversations with my Father is based on the fact that my father and grandfather were policemen it is not about my dad and is an allegorical work which looks at systems of power and patriarchy and questions who sets up the power. It also, by extension, questions the authority of photography; what images we look at, how we look at images and who is directing this type of looking. All of my work I make is a process of grappling with my environment and coping with the complexities of being a woman, a South African citizen, and a photographer in a very visually dominant world. Monique Pelser, born 1976 in Johannesburg was voted by Art South Africa as a bright young artist in 2007 and received the Tierney Fellowship for photography in 2009. After resigning her lecturing position at Wits University, she lived in New York participating in the School of Visual Arts Photoglobal program 2012/2013. She now works full time on her practice. INFO: www.moniquepelser.com

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The Black Mambas South Africa’s Majority-Female Anti-Poaching Unit WRITER - Priscilla Frank

PHOTOGRAPHY - Julia Gunther

The Mambas are committed to tracking down snares before animals become victims. “With a mix of lipstick, boots and camouflage fatigues, these women are watching, waiting, walking, constantly on the lookout for early evidence of poacher activity,”

On Patrol / Black Mambas on the reserve.

Leitah is a proud member of the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, stationed on and around the Balule Nature Reserve in South Africa, located near the Kruger Reserve, home to the critically endangered black rhino as well as the endangered white rhino. Along with 23 other women and two men, Leitah spends 21 days a month patrolling the reserve, teaching locals about wilderness preservation, and keeping an eye out for poaching activities.

eryday heroines including documented nurses, members of church marching bands, transgender women, lesbian activists and a woman fighting cancer. “When I heard about the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit at the beginning of this year I knew I had found the sixth part of this project,” Gunther said. Inspired by their tenacity and spirit, Gunther spent five days with these women, observing their hard work and understanding their motivations.

is trying to defend and protect South Africa’s wildlife heritage against poaching.”

Since 2008, Berlin-born photographer Gunther has been immersed in a personal project she calls “Proud Women of Africa,” in which she documents the everyday lives of extraordinary women. “Women who have fought, survived, overcome or simply ignored the obstacles that life has thrown at them,” Gunther specified in an email to The Huffington Post. “[They] never gave up. All of the women in my pictures have suffered in some way: they’ve been ostracized by society, are desperately poor, or have experienced terrible injustice. But they are also all still proud. Proud of who they are, of their lives and the love they represent.”

Gunther captures the unarmed women patrollers who protect legendary wildlife in the region, especially the rhinoceroses, whose horns are now worth thousands on the black market. Mambas keep on the lookout for snares -- wires fashioned into loops and fixed to a fence -- that trap animals when they step into it and tighten as they attempt to move away. It’s a notoriously cruel mode of killing.

“Each [Mamba] has a story, a dream and a vision for the future,” Gunther explained. “Each has a family to support, a community to educate. Funds are scarce, yet they are passionate and determined. For some, they are the only breadwinners, feeding their families on little wages. For others this is a hopeful step towards furthering their careers. For all of them, the love for nature and its conservation runs deep. Their ethos is to protect this heritage of wildlife.”

Prior to learning about the mantra of the Black Mambas, Gunther’s camera had chronicled ev-

In South Africa, the phrase “the Big Five” often refers to lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo and elephants, the most coveted wildlife in the region. Protection of these species frequently falls into the hands of men; the Mambas are one of the rare instances a position of such importance and power would be delegated to women.

Since the unit’s inception in 2013, conditions have radically improved for endangered rhinos throughout the area. The number of snaring and illegal bush-meat incidents have reduced by 75 percent, nine poacher incursions were detected and the of-

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fenders were subsequently arrested. Most impressively, according to the United Nations, not a single rhino has been poached in ten months, while other reserves have lost around two dozen. The Mambas efforts were recently recognized by the United Nations who awarded them the much-deserved 2015 Champion of the Earth Award. Through her work, Gunther aims to spread the stirring tale of the Black Mambas far and wide. “I hope to make people aware of what these women are risking and doing for all of us,” she said. “They are trying to protect animals that a few generations after us might only be able to admire in a zoo.” Gunther acknowledges that the success of the Black Mamba Unit depends on circumstances that extend beyond their bravery and enthusiasm. They need our help, in the forms of fuel and mechanics, staff and uniforms, airtime and food. “But more that anything,” Gunther concluded, “they need our attention and respect.” - As first published on the Huffington Post INFO: www.blackmambas.org INFO: www.huffingtonpost.com 43

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Hill Top / Nkateko, & Happy scan the reserve from a highpoint.

Snares at the waterhole / Proud & Yenzekile find and disable a snare laid by bush meat poachers.

The Fence / Patrolling the fence, looking for animal tracks or early signs of poachers.

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Gummo MALKOP FESTIVAL / DECEMBER 2015 STORY - RUAN SCOTT

PHOTOGRAPHY - LOUIS VORSTER (Portraits) PHOTOGRAPHY - Gillian Coetzee (Live) 255 km from the Mother City along the west coast is the small town of Lambertsbaai. It’s a place where bokkoms sway salty and dry on wires in the wind and neighbours yell amicably in Afrikaans across the street to each other. It’s a beautiful little west coast town built on the edge of the sea with serene beaches, good waves and tranquil views. A small harbor and thriving fishing industry provides sustenance for many locals and is generally a hub of activity and excitement.

Past the fringes of town, where the horizon and the deep dark Atlantic fill your field of vision, sits the world-renowned open-air seafood restaurant Muisbosskerm. An open roof structure clad with the indigenous Muisbos, which grows abundantly in the area. This 30-year-old family owned and operated restaurant is the culinary experience foodies from across the globe descend upon and write their best reviews. Adjacent to this seafood paradise, among the fynbos and more Muisbos lays the Malkop pan. A dried up pan, which has, over time, been resourcefully, transformed into a caravan park and campground by the owner Ian Turner, part owner of Muisbos. Ian has spent many nights enjoying the company of friends and guests talking life, love, the universe and music. Often the conversation steered towards the obvious one of ‘why not host a music festival here? Ian, who has a love for local music and entertaining, took these conversations to heart and Malkp Rock festival was conceived and kicked off on the first weekend of December 2015. However the birth of a festival can be a grim one. South African music followers can attest to one or more ‘one festival wonders’ sporadically popping up for one event only to dissipate into the milieu of memories. Sadly the turnout was smaller than anticipated. Around 300 festivalgoers paid their way through the gates. Ticket prices varied, but were exceptionally

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competitive considering included camping, buffet lunch at Muisbos and an unprecedented line-up of bands. Artist like Beast, Arno Carstens, Riku Latti en die Wasgoedlyn, Gerald Clark, Piet Botha, Koos Kombuis, Lyzyrd Kings, Jan Blohm, Marcia Moon, Retro Dizzy, The Valley and so many others and took the stage during the two-day festival and realised that, despite the sparse crowd, these fans where people who trekked far to see them play. The bands new something special was happening and reacted reciprocally. Taking pride in being the first artists to play this gig everyone performed outstanding sets with strong and memorable performances. Malkop is far from any large metropolis, its somewhat niche and some say it’s very Afrikaans. What Malkop is, however, is one of the last ‘music festivals’ with a superbly curated line-up, excellent production value and infrastructure. What Malkop isn’t, is one of these new school music lifestyle events that dot the Music calendar today. Here’s to the birth of a new music festival. May it grow older than the lovely people who host it? It’s great to see that people still do it and that it’s about the music and the ‘mense’. Malkop showed me that a music festival can still be a music festival and not a lifestyle event. INFO: www.malkop.co.za

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QUICK FIX Sam Wells INTERVIEW - LANI SPICE

PHOTOGRAPHY - SAM WELLS

“ I’ve always been drawn more into the beauty of natural world, the oddities in the man-made world and now more recently I’ve been challenging myself with more portrait-based work too.” just advertising? Do you think it should be based on what it was originally created for, photography? No I don’t think so. I think the allure of Instagram is that you have the freedom to follow whoever you think will inspire/ motivate/ interest you depending on who you are. There’s so many incredible accounts out there across a variety of mediums who are killing it and making a name for themselves because their content is creative and unique. I think it would be a shame if were only limited to photography. Coming from an advertising background, I think if the brand’s content speaks to the audience that believes and follows it - great. However, this sponsored advertising being forced into your feed, where before you had this freedom to see only what you want to see, is detrimental to a brand in my opinion. We’ve noticed you also use the app as a platform for your analogue work, would you say you see it more as a ground for this kind of exposure or do you still enjoy the mobile photography side of it too?

To start off, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from? Born in England, emigrated to JHB for the first couple of years and then spent the last 20 something years sipping on the Cape Town sun. When did photography begin for you? Going back to where it all probably started was when I took my Dad’s analogue Pentax on Grade 8 camp. The photos were terrible and out of focus, but I think it’s what got me into experimenting more with photography. Years later I would then pick up the same pristine camera again and fall in love with shooting film. When did you decide to join Instagram and how have you used it to expand/ harness your passion for photography? I was very late getting an iPhone, and before having one, Instagram was an iOS exclusive platform. So I’d say I only officially joined early 2014. I had always taken photos, but now with the mobility of having a phone on hand with a good camera and an editing app like VSCO, it is a lot easier to capture things that intrigue me on the fly and share it with people - things that I would’ve normally had to pass up shooting because I had left my camera at home. Since joining, it has always been more of a portfolio/ showcase of my passion for photography, rather than a visual diary of day-to-day activities and food. How do you feel about Instagram being a platform for many different kinds of imagery, be it different creative mediums or even

When I first joined Instagram, I saw it as a purist platform for this smartphone medium and believed strongly in that. As time went by, and as much as my phone was always on me to shoot, I felt as though there were limitations to the medium whilst slowly but surely, everyone else started converting, and uploading beautiful work from DSLRs etc. I had fun shooting this new medium, but my true passion was shooting film for its rawness and the feeling it could portray. The platform is incredible for sharing and marketing your work, so I definitely now see it more as a ground for giving exposure to the photography I care about and now I’m purely about that. With all the different kinds of filters and effects used in producing the final image in Instagram these days, would you say there is still such a thing as a purist within the Instagram community? A purist in the sense of someone only using their iPhone, yes. I follow some great iPhone-only accounts, which has its own great creative aspect, but in saying that, in a very saturated creative space only using your phone has limitations, especially if you want to market yourself on this story-telling platform. Instagram is one of the most popular photography applications in the world and allows photography on all levels to be shared. What are your thoughts on the different kinds of images being uploaded, do you feel they should be of a certain level of skill or does it not matter?

has led to its fast rise in popularity and Facebook buying it early on. Everyone uses it in different ways depending on their take on using the platform, so I don’t think the level of skill matters; it’s more about whom you want to follow. In saying that, the digital world is filled with clutter so it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more beautiful images out there.

When shooting, is there a subject matter you are particularly drawn to?

Do you feel that you approach the composition of your photography differently, simply because you have to fit it into a smaller viewing space?

Tell us more about Fresh Prints Publications?

No not at all. Even when Instagram didn’t allow for different aspect ratios like it does now, I still stayed true to my composition and added white borders to maintain it. I think limiting yourself to a platform’s output is limiting yourself to what you can create or what story you can tell. Photography is not your only skill set; you are also a multi-disciplinary designer. Do you feel these two disciplines ever tie in with each other or do you keep them separate? I feel that, creatively speaking, they go hand-inhand. In both, composition and message/feeling you are trying to communicate is everything. So in terms of the approach to producing creative work it is the same, but in terms of crossing over the two mediums I’m still experimenting with that, but by no means should they necessarily be separate. Do you find it necessary to plan the subject matter of your posts, or do you feel it’s better to take it as it comes? With shooting film and as a non-professional photographer, most of my content is based on travelling to new places and capturing things or situations that intrigue me, as it comes. So it’s more of an organic creative process rather than a going out to shoot content on a daily basis, that you know works, one. Aside from analogue and your mobile phone, do you use any other devices? No, I’m all about that analogue life. I own a DSLR for more commercial type stuff, but I’m more passionate about film and it’s results. You just can’t beat it.

I’ve always been drawn more into the beauty of natural world, the oddities in the man-made world and now more recently I’ve been challenging myself with more portrait-based work too.

Fresh Prints is essentially a zine publishing collective with multiple creative aspects spanning from it. It’s an idea that has been long in the making between Nicholas Preen and myself, and 2016 is where it will be seeing the light. Any plans or projects you are currently busy with? I recently decided to leave the more corporate world of advertising, after a couple of years, in favour of doing freelance work and getting more involved in some projects such as Fresh Prints. I travelled quite a bit around the country last year, so the plan is to travel and shoot more this year whilst working on a variety of graphic design/illustration projects. I’m sure it’s a tough one, but who would you say inspires you the most within the Instagram community? There are so many talented people in the Instagram community it’s hard to not have a long list here of people who inspire me on a daily basis in different ways. I think the people who inspire me most to push out better work are the local friends/ people I know because you’re on the same playing ground. Adriaan Louw, Kent Andreason, Caroline Mackintosh, Jared Paisley, Dave East and my brother Tom Wells for good old sibling rivalry. Where else can one follow your work? INFO: www.samwells.co.za Instagram: @samwellssamwells TUMBLR: samwellssamwells.tumblr.com

TOP FIVES Django Django

Jungle

Vega Intl. Night School

Tame Impala

Whitey

Born Under Saturn

Jungle

Neon Indian

Currents

Great Shakes

2015

2014

2015

2012

Rough Trade

Mom + Pop

Universal

self-released

I think as with any form of social media outlet in this day and age, the platform promotes a means of digital self-expression, self-promotion and self-gratification to a user in a very accessible way. A photo and caption in its simplicity, with no added clutter, THE LAKE

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WAX JUNKIE

IN Association WITH

Sukuma Mkhize COPY - SUKUMA MKHIZE

PHOTOGRAPHY - HAYDEN PHIPPS

“What initially began as a curiosity evolved into a deep appreciation for vinyl as a musical format. There is the sleeve art, which connects the piece of music and the musicians to the works of their friends and bona fide equals in the visual arts. Then there are the liner notes in which one finds additional information about the artist(s), the circumstances surrounding the recording as well as first rank prose (in most cases). Finally, there is the music itself and the listening experience, which in my opinion brings one the closest to the actual recording sessions. ” The Roots Things Fall Apart 1999 / MCA Records

Miles Davis Session outtakes. 1967, 1968, 1970 / Amiga Jazz

This being the fourth studio album by The Roots, it came to my attention just at the time when my eyes were opening up to alternative hip-hop music. The Jazz aesthetic was finally evident par excellence. What made The Roots stand out for me was their ability to recreate the typical Jam session feel (encountered in Jazz) within their albums. In this way, they forever altered the view that hip-hop music could be reduced to the art of sampling. With ?uestlove (drums & percussion), James Poyser (keyboards), Mark Kelley (Bass), Damon Bryson (Sousaphone) & Black Thought, Malik B, Dice Raw (Rapping), hip-hop heads and jazz cats could finally speak the same language, one which I love to engage in.

This is a selection of previously unreleased material from the master trumpeter himself, Miles Davis. Reissued here by the Amiga record label and arranged in chronological order, the recordings document the progression of Davis’ music over a period of three years. It contains elements of Psychedelia as well as the seeds that would later germinate into jazz fusion. “Sanctuary” 1968 reverberates with the warm harmonies emanating from Wayne Shorter’s tenor sax. “Guinnevere” 1970 is a magnum opus of a recording and signals the fruition of this style of playing in Miles’ development and the men around him at this time. First written and performed by David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Miles’ rendition does more than justice to the original.

Ndikho Xaba and The Natives Ndikho Xaba and The Natives 1971 / Trilyte Records

DJ Shadow Endtroducing 1996 / Mowax Records

Sikhulekile ko Xaba (Greetings to the Xabas). Humanity. Spirituality. Free- dom. Abstractions, not merely for the sake of appearing scholarly. The form simply falls away at the face of any genuine attempt at achieving complete freedom. This is a dialogue between African brothers born in the US (The Natives) and Xaba during those days when the majority of South African jazz musicians were in exile for one reason or another. It provides strong ideological links between the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the situation of African Americans during the Era of Black Consciousness as Francis Gooding has stated. I have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, listening to this interchange.

I did not go out looking for this album, it came to me. Five years ago I saw the documentary “Scratch” chronicling the development of hip-hop alongside Turntablism. In there a large segment was dedicated to the sub-genre of instrumental hip-hop, with Shadow’s Endtroducing regarded as the pinnacle album to emerge from the mid 90s. The story surrounding the recording was told with such great detail with “Midnight in perfect world” providing the score, I was immediately hooked. With an album entirely built from samples as taken from his personal vinyl collection, it was clear that Shadow set out to demonstrate the longevity and integrity of music from the past as well as to innovate and carry instrumental hip-hop giant steps forward.

Herbie Hancock Takin’ Off 1962 / Blue Note

John Coltrane A Love Supreme 1964 / Im- pulse

Considered a typical Hard Bop album at the time of its release, this being the debut album from the jazz pianist, I just had to hear it for myself when I first came across it. Thank you Record Mad. Consisting of Freddie Hubbard (tp), Dexter Gordon (ts), Herbie Hancock (p), Butch Warren (b) & Billy Higgins (dr), the lineup is reminiscent of Mile group with Coltrane in the 1950s. My favourite tune is “The Maze”, a minor theme on side B that for me suggests the mood I usually find in Pete Rock’s productions, especially in the use of the horns.

Elation. Elegance. Exaltation. All from God. Thank you God. Amen. John Coltrane – December 1964. These are the closing lines written by Coltrane concerning the album. Apart from holding in my hands what is the original issue of this monumental recording, the musician here seeks to convey what he deems to be the four stages of conversion, a task never explicitly undertaken before within the jazz idiom to my knowledge. Acknowledgement, Resolution, Pursuance and the fourth and final piece – A Love Supreme are the four stages, states Coltrane. It is no wonder that in here one encounters elements of spiritual jazz (attributed to Coltrane et. al), the breaking of structure and form from which the true “ground of being” so to say emerges. This is a psalm, this is jazz in its purest form.

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print run REVIEWS - XAVIER NAGEL

SUPPLIED BY - BIBLIOPHILIA

The Rap Year Book With a subtitle like “The most important Rap song from every year since 1979, Discussed, Debated and Deconstructed” The Rap Year Book (R429) is sure to cause controversy among lovers of the genre. Equal parts hilarious and thought provoking, this illustrated guide discusses (with footnotes!) the effects each song had on the development of rap music. With a foreword by Ice-T, it covers such classics as “Rapper’s Delight”, “The Breaks”, “The Message”, “Sucker M.C.’s”, “Paid in Full”, “Straight Outta Compton” and “Fight the Power”.

The Festival of Insignificance The first novel in 15 years from the writer of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Festival of Insignificance (R295) arrives amid big expectations. Whether Milan Kundera’s latest lives up to them, you will have to decide for yourself. Set in modern-day Paris, the story follows four friends who run into each other in the Luxembourg Gardens, attend parties, and conduct a long-running exchange on sex, desire, history, art, and even the meaning of human existence. It’s quite difficult to write in an interesting way about unimportance and I’m not convinced Kundera succeeds… 54

Maker Spaces Fashion Tribes In Fashion Tribes (R720), the award-winning photography of Daniele Tamagni brings to life some of the most surprising and colorful fashion subcultures in the world. Through documentary shots and staged portraiture, he captures dance collectives in Johannesburg, models in Senegal, dandies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, female wrestlers in Bolivia, “bling-bling” youth in Cuba, punks in Burma, and heavy metal rockers in Botswana. Often on the fringes of their own societies and seeking to stand out, they use clothing as an expression of individuality and power – and the creativity and joy in their personal style is impossible to miss.

How to Thrive in the Next Economy Is there no escape from an economy that devours nature in the name of endless growth? In How to Thrive in the Next Economy (R585) John Thackara draws on a lifetime of travel in search of real-world alternatives that work, to examine how communities the world over are creating a replacement economy from the ground up. Covering soil restorers and river keepers, seed savers and de-pavers, cloud commuters and e-bike couriers, care farmers and food system curators, fibre-shed stewards and money designers, Thackara looks at how creative people in diverse contexts tackle timeless needs, and lives up to being “ a visionary voice for the wired era” as the San Francisco Chronicle called him.

How To Avoid A Lightning Strike “Never before has there been a book that provides the answers to such a plethora of bewildering and bedazzling life challenges that are likely to come your way. Whether you’re 17 or 70 How To Avoid A Lightning Strike (R239) is your personal road map to becoming a fully functional adult – it’s your mentor, tutor, driving instructor, mom and dad, grandparent, scout master and coach rolled into one.” Teaching 190 essential life skills, covering categories like Home & Garden, Health & Beauty, Travel & Sports and Accident & Emergency this book could literally save your life!

Trashed

Mural XXL In Mural XXL (R795), internationally renowned street muralist MADC (Claudia Wade), “presents a world tour of more than 200 of the best Extra, Extra, Large Graffiti and Street Art murals in cities from Paris, Berlin and Los Angeles to Rio, Delhi and Johannesburg, with exclusive insights from their fearlessly creative artists”. Published by Thames and Hudson, who originally published the seminal Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, Mural XXL covers work by D*Face, Faile, Herakut, How and Nosm, Kofie, Vhils, DALeast and our very own Faith 47.

In Maker Spaces (R559) blogger and maker Emily Quinton meets the creative innovators of the extraordinary Maker Movement, delving into their inspirational and beautiful homes, studios and workshops. Dividing the contents into shared spaces, rustic, homespun, retro chic and eclectic, she looks at how over the past few years, the revival of DIY crafting combined with exciting advances in technology have created a Maker Movement that some argue is a shift on the scale of the Industrial Revolution. There’s also a chapter on Making a Living where Makers share tips on how to put a value to something that you love to make.

Pilcher’s Marijuana Miscellany Pilcher’s Marijuana Miscellany (R225) is a bankie filled with stories, techniques, tips and trivia about the world’s best-loved herb! Marijuana has been cultivated and used by humans for at least 5000 years, and is one of the world’s most important cash crops – despite being illegal in many parts of the world. It is used in a host of different ways and has made an indelible impact on our culture – and Western popular culture in particular. THE LAKE

The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet In The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet (R399) Giancarlo Ascari and Pia Valentinis look closely at the garden created by Impressionist painter Claude Monet (18401926). Filling it with irises, poppies, roses, and, of course, water lilies, which he celebrated in his vast and glorious paintings. The garden is explained and built up in Ascari’s and Valentinis’s original illustrations that take Monet’s work as their starting point and re-imagine it in stunning and unusual ways.

An ode to the crap job of all crap jobs is the subtitle to Derf Backderf’s latest graphic novel Trashed (R460). Anyone who has ever been trapped in a soul-sucking gig will relate to Trashed. It follows the raucous escapades of three twenty-something friends as they clean the street of pile after pile of stinking garbage, while battling annoying smalltown bureaucrats, bizarre townsfolk, sweltering summer heat and frigid winter storms. Although fiction the book is inspired by the author’s own experiences as a garbage man. Interspersed are non-fiction pages that detail what our garbage is and where it goes.

THE GROUNDFLOOR The ideal, hassle-free studio for small shoots, castings, fittings and show & tells.

IMAGE - Dean-James Honey / instagram.com/caveyone

www.thegroundfloor.co.za

www.thelake.co.za www.facebook.com/TheLakeMagazine www.instagram.com/the_lake_magazine

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The Cons One Star Pro

Made by Zered Bassett

PLIMSOLL

ADIDAS- MATCH COURT BLACK

ADIDAS- MATCH COURT WHITE

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ADIDAS-TUBULAR DOOM PK

ADIDAS-TUBULAR RUNNER CNY

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ASICS - Gel-Lyte III Indian Ink / White

ASICS - Gel-Lyte III Black / Chili

ASICS - Gel-Lyte III Sand / Sand

ASICS - Gel-Lyte III White / White

ASICS - Gel-Lyte III Light Grey / Light Grey

ASICS - Gel-Lyte III Black / Black

CONS - One Star Pro Black

CONS - One Star Pro Egret

CONS - One Star Pro Navy

CONS - One Star Pro Red

CONS - CTAS Pro Black Mono Suede

CONS - CTAS Pro HI Parchment

GLOBE - Roam Blk / Wht

GLOBE - Nepal Blk Knit

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GLOBE - GS Night Herringbone

GLOBE - GS Chukka Nvy / Gum

VANS - AUTHENTIC (BARON VON FANCY) WOMeNS

VANS - SK8-HI SLIM ZIP (BARON VON FANCY) WOMeNS

VANS - SK8-HI REISSUE (LATE NIGHT BURGER/CHECK)

VANS - CLASSIC SLIP-ON (LATE NIGHT BURGER/CHECK)

VANS - AUTHENTIC (LATE NIGHT HAMBURGERS)

VANS -AUTHENTIC (LATE NIGHT FRIES)

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MARK APPLEYARD | MAHALO LYTE Skate inspired, knitted breathable upper, Nitrocel sole. Designed for all-day, off-the-board comfort.

@globebrand | GLOBEBRAND.COM | est. Australia 1994

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GAME SET & MATCH ADIDAS / Young and Lazy

adidas Skateboarding South Africa has collaborated with local streetwear brand Young and Lazy on a campaign that will launch Adidas’ latest skate shoe offering, the Matchcourt

Taking design inspiration from the adidas Nizza hi, the Matchcourt combines an astute awareness of heritage and a strong appreciation for the way in which a skater’s performance and overall experience can be improved through the implementation of technology. The result is a high-performance footwear option with a classic adidas silhouette! The shoe is set to drop January 2016 along with a campaign that celebrates the times and spaces in between and surrounding the act of skateboarding. The collaboration with Cape Town brand Young and Lazy is as deliberate as it is seamless as it sees adidas South Africa perpetuating the brand’s culture of celebrating authenticity all over the world. The Young and Lazy team’s approach to skateboarding and creating skate content is very much aesthetics driven and their candid portrayal of skating and living in the city provides the perfect inspiration for a campaign that changes the brand’s focus on skateboarding from high impact + high production value to a more nuanced look at what it means to be a skateboarder in the city The campaign was produced by adidas SA skateboarding brand manager Pieter Retief and Young and Lazy creative director Anees Petersen and stars the pair along with Young and Lazy skater Young Manie and adidas’ all terrain killer Yann Horowitz. It involved a 5-day tour to Jozi in which the crew would film and edit videos as well as snap pictures solely on their cellphones while being stalked by JHB local, photographer Jonathan Pinkhard. The video edit is set to drop along with the shoe and the photo campaign!.

COPY - Anees Petersen / Luke Doman

PHOTOGRAPHY - JONATHAN PINKHARD

www.adidas.co.za www.youngandlazy.co.za

@ASICSTigerSA