i art woodstock

all originals i art sa community mural project curated by /a word of art

all originals i art sa community mural project curated by /a word of art

so, what is all originals i art sa community mural project? the project is a collaboration between /a word of art and adidas originals to express passion for creativity and originality. the idea is simple, we want to promote and celebrate local artists, mural art and the original culture within the communities we interact in. this year we start with woodstock and then we move to soweto. eight artists have been selected and assigned one wall per venue, with the given brief of either i art woodstock or i art soweto. to ensure a sincere and soft interaction with the residents and community, the painting will take place over three days without media attention or the general public spectating. we will document the action through a video and stills, culminating into an exhibition. the sales of the prints will go towards raising funds for the community art project write on africa to paint a school in the area. here on the website we will have inspiring stories and interviews from the community, maps directing you to the murals, photos, videos, artist statements and profiles. we will also use this content to create a ‘zine’ that we will distribute for free around the country. to end off the exhibition we will be hosting a concert, a creative collaboration between local musicians. this is a very big project and there are various partners who are going to really add to the experience. from /a word of art curating and producing the project, public participation and partners like art south africa magazine helping us with our media, writing, exhibition and story telling, to the enthusiasm of the department of arts and culture, and adidas without whom this would never be possible. not only have they allowed us the freedom to create but they will help us share this story with a global audience. what was the inspiration behind the idea? the philosophy of write on africa is to inspire ourselves to inspire each other to inspire change, and i think this project will achieve that. if we can create inspiration, we can create change. it’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight the beautiful culture within these areas, to promote the art of mural painting and the amazing artists we have in this country.

what’s with the name? we love south africa,and we love art, and this project is about both. in fact we hope this endeavor will lead to future projects around the world. can you imagine how beautiful and exciting an i art mexico or an i art japan project would be. south africa is the perfect place to start, we really do have some of the most unique and diverse creativity in the world, and this project aims to celebrate this fact. how did you choose the 2 locations? we would love to do this project in every community around sa but that’s just not feasible. both woodstock and soweto are communities bursting with untapped creativity also both of these communities get a lot of bad press but the truth is these are beautiful areas with a rich history and inspiring people. kids play in the street and and neighbours actually know each other’s names. there is a real street culture that you cant say for the many gated communities in sa. we hope to bring some positive attention, energy and colour to these areas, we hope people will seek out these murals and walk the streets experiencing the community for themselves. why have you chosen to launch this exhibition as part of the toffie festival? toffie is an amazing art, design, music, film, food, architecture, technology, programming and fashion conference and expo, with inspiring guest speakers from all around the world across these various fields. it’s in its second year and comes from humble beginnings and we love it. this year it will be held at the city hall in cape town which is such a perfect venue for our exhibition, and we will be able to reach thousands of people with our story. we want to make using art for community enrichment popular,and what better place to launch it than at a popular culture festival?

saturday 12th march 2011 i arrive in woodstock for the first leg of the adidas originals i art sa community mural projects, i art woodstock, late (which is not unusual). we’re meant to all be meeting at the woodstock industrial centre, home to the /a word of art gallery and write on africa project, and a big grey monolith that rises from the side of albert street’s st mary’s church like a rebuttal. inside, delivery trucks are exhaling as they’re packed with juice and bread.

between them, a lot of the participating artists mill around. i’ve missed the opening speeches but xanele van rensberg, a participating artist and employee of write on africa, gives me the cliffnotes: we’ll all be moving to a neighbourhood in lower woodstock, just behind the centre, where a group of artists will be painting the walls of a few local houses over the next three days. ricky-lee gordon, the curator of /a word of art and founder of write on africa, set up the i art sa project with adidas originals, he’s explained, as a way to bring artists into typically overlooked neighbourhoods, inviting them to paint murals across the area’s walls and interact with locals. before the project moves to soweto later in the year, ricky organized the first of the community-friendly urban art interventions in a small square of lower woodstock, a neighbourhood he knew from living and painting in the area. most of the artists he then invited to work on the project have studios in the centre, as well, and are familiar faces to the locals. i join a group of them as they walk out of the building: we’re to make our way to the back of the centre and then down a ways to the group of homes where they’ll be painting. black koki and 35-ten-73 admire the foam-green colour of a house as we round the corner to the place where they’ll be working over the next few days. at first, it feels like we’re the only ones around but, slowly, as the artists begin to unpack their supplies, stretch out their ladders, and chalk at their respective walls, bystanders accumulate. 35-ten-73 takes me to see the peacock painting finished the week before by tika, the exiting /a word of art resident artist. a man sitting on a single outdoor chair near it points out his name on the painting (each of the bird’s feathers has the name of a resident written on it) and then asks if we’ll be taking any photos later. probably, we reply, and i hear him mumbling that he should go home and change his clothes. i decide to walk around, see how the preparations are going and meet linsey levendall, half of bison, who tells me that it’s his first time painting a largescale wall. he doesn’t seem to have any beginner’s jitters though: about a half-hour or so in he’s already further along than most of the other artists. his work also seems to be attracting the most attention, initially: i watch a few of the many kids now hanging around confer amongst themselves and then, once they have a question, pose it to him. he’s busy answering that he’s “drawing a face” when i realize that there are suddenly people everywhere. most are curious about what’s going on and happy to give their opinions about it. the children in particular have no problems making suggestions about what they’d like to see on the walls: most of their answers involve their names and themselves. only one hazards that he wouldn’t mind seeing a picture of a flying car. when ricky and xanale set up a large table full of paper and pencil crayons, i go to check if there are any flying cars featured but most of the kids are writing out their names, drawing pictures of themselves. paul senyol visits the drawing table.

the kids take this as an opportunity to levy some constructive criticism at his mural. “what is that?” they ask, pointing to a shape that shrouds the biblical stump paul’s spent the morning outlining. “a shape!” he laughs. this doesn’t compute, so, without breaking a sweat, paul alters the design of his painting to become filled with the names of the children, next to the shapes, of course. the name issue continues over the day: during my rounds i stop to chat to black koki and find two little girls loitering around the edges of his wall, trying to get to a large section of the wall covered in tipexed names. one asks me for permission to write her own there but i direct her query to black koki who talks it over quietly with them. when i come past again some ten minutes later, i notice a shaky hand has chalked someone’s moniker along the breadth of black koki’s dog mural. on my way home, i walk past mr. fuzzy slippers’ wall and find him surrounded by a couple of kids, most climbing up and down his ladder. i ask one to climb down but he refuses because he “climb(s) trees taller than this!” (and fair enough). when i enquire how it’s going, one of the boys assumes i mean their work (which is apparently fact-finding) and tells me, delighted, that he’s just discovered that each of the koki-spectrum spray cans in fuzzy’s collection costs r50. fuzzy, who obviously let the information slip accidentally, does not look anywhere near delighted as they continue to press him to confirm the price and then, when he won’t, start trying to add up the total economic value of his supplies corner (“30 thousand bucks!” is the last rough estimate i hear as i leave).

35-ten-73

name: eloise (35-ten-73) age: 26 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? i’ve always been interested in art and design. attending an art high school established the fundamentals of the technical and practical aspects, as well as the theory of different mediums and methods. i studied fashion design and started doing full time art, illustration and product design when we established loveandhatestudio.com in 2004. what made you want to participate in the i art woodstock project? i spend a lot of time in woodstock since getting a studio space in the wic in 2009. i like spending time on the street and interacting with the community and this was the perfect opportunity to do that as well helping to make woodstock even more beautiful. can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting? the concept behind my painting was to bring some nature to woodstock. i would like to see more trees around here. what was the inspiration behind your painting? my inspiration was bright colors, the people and the surroundings. which wall did you choose and why? i am painting wall 1 and i chose it because it is opposite a section of shack homes and next to an open field and i wanted to make a personal art work for the people that live in this area that could light up their day and make them smile. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? the community is always very welcoming and friendly. they are interested in where we come from and why we are doing it. it is also great to see the children wanting to get involved and using their imaginations to fill the picture before it is done. hopefully it is an inspiration to have more respect for the street and public space and to keep it clean.

boamistura

Name: Boa Mistura Age: Between 27 and 33 Can you briefly outline your background as an artist?

We are an art collective formed in late 2001 by a civil engineer, a publicist, a graphic designer, a fine arts graduate and an architect. The name, from Portuguese, means good mixture and refers to the diversity of points of view that each member brings to the group.

What made you want to participate in the I Art Woodstock project?

We had wanted to come to Cape Town. We decided to adjust the dates to participate in this project and to assist the Toffie Festival by giving a talk, and leave pieces in Khayelitsha with the project Write on Africa.

Can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting?

Icons and positive sentences to encourage a community in process of change. A small contribution turned into a big colorful heart, containing a diamond: “Discover the diamond inside you”. Or a huge fist fighting to realize a dream: “Pelea tu sueño”.

What was the inspiration behind your painting?

A walk through the streets of Woodstock. A critical look at the system, but optimistic towards children. The feeling of an entire continent as a single community. The group conscience and the desire to change the world.

Which wall did you choose and why?

We are painting two murals. One at Gympie Street and one on the corner of Barron and Cornwall. We chose those walls because they are the ones that have caught our attention from the expressive point of view. We tend to choose locations for their good visibility or for its plasticity.

What’s the reaction from the community been like, so far?

Very positive, especially the children. They are with us all day, always smiling, running from one wall to another, laughing, learning Spanish, spreading their vitality.

freddy sam

name: freddy sam age: 26 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? i have been painting murals on the street for 12 years. street art led me to found the write on africa organisation, which then led to setting up /a word of art gallery and project space. i am as passionate about organising opportunities and building a creative community as i am about painting. i believe if we can inspire ourselves to inspire others we can inspire change. can you briefly describe the concept and inspiration behind your painting? i think something that is really special about the community here is the children… and how they interact with each other playing in the streets all day. this is very rare in south africa, which is becoming more and more divided by gated communities. i began to paint and a group of kids hung around all day. i then wrote the words “we are beautiful here”, a message for the entire community. i chose to paint a portrait of michele, one of the boys that i have become quite good friends with now- in fact he is the naughtiest of the bunch so he reminds me of me when i was his age. i can see there’s something very special about him and wanted him to know that. however, i told him that even though i am painting him this mural represents all the children and he has been so humble about it. i got all the children to help with some textures so it was a really fun few days. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? the really amazing thing about this community is how literally everyone has supported this project and how many people have now asked for their walls to be painted. rashid, who is very involved in the community, helped secure the walls and communicate the aims to the community. he then introduced me to mitchy who has since become a good friend. i met mitchy with his father who agreed to give us 5 walls for the project. just the day after the meeting, his father passed away in a tragic car accident. so mitchy has expressed to me how important this project now is for the community, how it has allowed them to celebrate life. i have since dedicated my mural to his father. my favourite moment of the weekend was when mitchy and his sisters prepared a meal for all the artist and invited us in to serve us as a thank you. art can be used as a tool to communicate and connect with people especially in drastically segregated countries like south africa, and this project is and was a beautiful success.

linsey levendall of bison

name: linsey levendall (bison) age: 28 briefly outline your background as an artist: from a young age i’ve been obsessed with art and with the idea of becoming an artist. i studied graphic design and after graduating worked in small studios. the yearning to pursue a career in fine arts & illustration, however, was catapulted beyond my expectations, when myself and friend, daniel orme, started a sideline project called bison. bison was born out of frustration! we wanted to break free from the confines of conservative design and be the very opposite of that. i soon landed a job with shy the sun and this has helped pave the way for my dreams to manifest. what made you participate in the i art woodstock project? there’s something special in using one’s talents to benefit others. personally, i feel a greater sense of purpose and value in my art when it impacts on the community and creates awareness. ultimately i want to use this project as a vehicle to inspire those less fortunate and to show them that art isn’t purely reserved for the elite and that, with a little bit of hard work and passion, you can achieve almost anything. what was the inspiration behind your painting? i wanted to do something intriguing and unconventional for the community. something they would be able to look at, something unique and an image that would be open to interpretation. i was inspired to use bright colours that would stand out in contrast to the surrounding area suggesting a sense of upliftment. which wall are you painting and why did you choose it? i chose wall 6. it seemed like a good surface to execute the image i had in mind. the house had a lot of character and the wall had a grungy feel to it, which i liked. what has the reaction from the community been like so far? judging from their reactions the image was well received. my goal of creating something unique and intriguing seemed to be achieved. i chatted to a variety of people from the community and got a lot of positive feedback regarding my image and the project as a whole.

dathini mzanyiya

name: dathini mzanyiya age: 32 briefly outline your background as an artist: i am self-taught and joined a community arts project in woodstock i’ve had one-man shows and group shows and have been part of arts initiatives and skills transferring workshops. what made you participate in the i art woodstock project? it’s a cool project, working in public spaces and working with talented artists from different backgrounds briefly describe the concept behind your painting: i like being spontaneous and being inspired by the surroundings or situation, people, stories and challenges. what was the inspiration behind your painting? the community here pride of the community what has the reaction from the community been like so far? most people liked the work, especially young ones. regarding the painting of the ‘dog’, i sensed that it is almost a hero here and everyone recognised it.

sunday 13th march 2011 by 2pm on sunday, everyone is really in the swing of things. i arrive to a huge throng of people lining up to have their pictures taken in the pavement special photobooth project. propped against a wall painted to look like wallpaper, pavement special have set up vases of proteas, landscape oil paintings from their own houses, and slightly dilapidated chairs to look like an “african photo studio�. everyone seems to be enjoying themselves- i hear some ladies laughing about

the décor, saying that it looks like a lounge. after each photo, alexia prints out the photo and gives a copy to the person posing. while i’m there, a man and his reticent son, both in matching vests, look soberly at the camera while the crowd tries to eek a smile out of them. it finally works and there’s applause. two paintings down, xanele is busy at work on her wall while jeremy puren, the stop-motion filmmaker, perches on top of a large ladder, waving his arms at a swell of children below, like a landlocked lifegaurd. the kids copy his movements, making huge semi-circles with their arms and pivoting (sometimes into each other) every time he yells “turn!” the camera, on the other side of the road is being manned by a ten or eleven year old who’s obviously eschewed performance for behind-the-scenes work while one of the artists plays first ad. a new editorial note from some of the residents, today, is to make sure that the figures in the paintings all have “normal-looking” eyes. fuzzy is forced to spray pupils into his normally empty-lidded faces. linsey’s painting, which looks like a sort robo woodstockian geisha, receives the same criticism. “where’re its eyes?” a six year old coming pasts demands. when i return on monday morning to have another look at her, the formerly blank-stared geisha looks back, irised. on sunday afternoon, mitchy, whose family lives in most of the houses being painted, invites us to his house for lunch. mitchy is the gentleman who gave ricky permission to use their walls for the project and acts as a very gracious host over the weekend, introducing us to his friends and family, and discussing about what

he believes art can do in and for the community. when i shake his hand hello, his four-month old daughter grabs my palm as well and won’t let go for the length of the conversation, where mitchy speaks of his father passing away only a few days before. he tells me that he feels like the project is more important than ever now in terms of keeping people’s spirits up, especially his mother (his parents had been married for 35 years). at mitchy’s place, we all sit in a circle in and pass around the food his family has prepared for us. fuzzy, who is next to me, offers a huge bowl of curry around. “are you a vegetarian?” someone asks him as we assemble our salad rolls. “no, i’m a xhosa man,” he responds, scooping a large helping onto his paper plate. after lunch, we go outside where a lot of the neighbours have assembled. two toddlers, who are decked out in gold spangled jackets and boater hats, sit on the stairs and stare, uncomprehending, as people repeat “michael jackson! michael jackson!” at them. i catch one, a few minutes later, quietly shuffling his shoulders in a sort of moonwalk when he thinks no one is looking. they join us in the middle of the group as we all have our photos taken for the neighborhood. most of the people seem to enjoy this- after two days of being filmed, they laugh as we squirm and pull faces. it begins to rain.

pavement specials

name: pavement specials age: 4 months can you briefly outline your background as an artist? we are image makers. alexia is a freelance documentary photographer and mikey is a freelance designer, painter, illustrator, set designer, art director. what made you want to participate in the iart woodstock project? the opportunity to interact with an intimate community. can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting? to give back. we were tired of just taking photos, we thought it would be a great thing to give photos for a change. what was the inspiration behind your painting? african portrait studios which wall are you painting and why did you choose it? the wall was chosen for size and practical reasons. it was contained, and left space for the painters. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? ravenous, joyful. top right: magdiana oortman and rocinda october bottom right: alice mfwe photos on right: pavement specials

xanele

name: xanele van rensburg age: 23 briefly outline your background as an artist: growing up on a farm close to a small seaside town in the garden route was fertile ground for creativity to grow and flourish in. i didn’t do art at school and went on to study visual communication design at university. it was at there that i discovered my love for illustration, design and children. i’m currently focusing my creativity on the community and social upliftment. what made you participate in the i art woodstock project? i was invited and it seemed like a fun opportunity to spend time in the community and be creative at the same time. briefly describe the concept behind your painting: i don’t know much about the woodstock community (yet), but i do know that in every community reside families that come in different forms shapes and sizes. the ideal set-up within a family is unity and love. the painting i made depicts that. what was the inspiration behind your painting? children, colours, family, love, community, friendship. which wall are you painting and why did you choose it? i’m painting wall number 2. it’s a small and intimate space and i feel that in the time we were given to complete the wall, i’d rather do a small wall and add more detail. what has the reaction from the community been like so far? there has been a lot of positive interaction overall.

fuzzy slippers

name: mr. fuzzy slipperz age: 21 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? i’m an illustrator and painter from pretoria and have been working as an artist for the last four years and studying graphic design for the last two. i’ve been a big fan of street art, graffiti and mural art since i was 12 and have had the pleasure of getting involved in it over the last couple years. what made you want to participate in the iart woodstock project? i love painting in general so when i get an opportunity to do so and have time i take it! write on africa have always pushed cool projects in terms of bringing mural art into different community’s so when i got the call i said, “um... sho boss!” can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting? the piece is called “pull yourself towards yourself”. it’s a simple saying with a lot of power behind it: getting to know yourself is the first stop to getting to know the world around you. what was the inspiration behind your painting? it’s something my sister says when needed most. guess its where my head’s at right now. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? really good for the most part! a couple of people have been making suggestions that it’s got something to do with mortality, but a lot of people say that about my stuff... the funniest was an old muslim man who walked passed and said, “why don’t you paint something nice for once, not this ugly stuff!” haha… not everybody will think your work moves mountains and it’s ok, but for those who do, this walls for you :)

jonx pillemer

name: jonx pillemer age: 32 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? photographer, who works in a wide variety of areas, but specialising in portraiture and documentary work can you briefly describe the concept behind your video/photos,and what can be expected? to create a complete visual document of the work done, this includes of course, the community in which it is happening, the spaces that the artists are working with as well as a process driven narrative structure of the final pieces they are putting together. what was the inspiration behind your video/photos? as with everything, the space that i am shooting amongst. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? good i think, they seem to like the art.

black koki

name: black koki age: 27 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? i have always been interested in art. my mother is an artist and she encouraged me to draw etc from a young age. i was lucky enough to attend art school, majored in graphic printing, painting, and drawing, and had some really great teachers and friends who challenged and taught me so much. i studied fine arts for a year and decided to take the next year and work on and experiment with different mediums mainly painting and drawing. in march of 2004 me and two of my best friends, 35-ten-73 and elbowgrease, founded loveandhatestudio.com and we have been going ever since. what made you want to participate in the iart woodstock project? i have a studio in woodstock, i really love the textures and walls around here, also the sense of community that is visible everywhere. being part of a community upliftment project here made sense to me, and, of course, i love to paint walls so that’s a bonus! can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting? every dog has his day! what was the inspiration behind your painting? i wanted to create a picture that the kids would like, also something that might bring happiness and hope to their lives which wall did you choose and why? number 5 - i chose it for its size and visibility, the bigger the better. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? it’s been awesome! the adults were very friendly and did what they could to make us feel welcome, although some asked some strange questions. the kids were keen to find out more about us, our art and painting and the reason that we were painting there. a few said that they were very inspired to make art and draw pictures, almost all of them wanted me to write their name, and they really liked my picture too.

monday 14th march 2011 monday is quieter, a bit more hollowed out, with almost no kids around and only a few adults lingering. most of the artists have finished their paintings and the pavement special photobooth has been dismantled. even the drawing table is clear of paper and crayons is gone. a few people are still working though- xanele, 35-ten-73, black koki, dathini mzanyiya, and ricky are all painting while jonx pillemer, the official i art woodstock photographer, takes photos.

rashid (an active member of the community and the man who first introduced ricky to mitchy) is standing in front of black koki’s wall. behind us, at the mosque, we can hear the call to prayer slowly lowing. rashid chats a bit about what they plan to do now that the project is over: there are plans to get out together a guided tour of the area, for tourists, conducted by some locals. suddenly a man walking past looks at black koki’s grinning dog, doubles back, and starts to yell at everyone about how “the world is about to end” before storming off again. “that’s the first negative feedback i’ve had all weekend” deadpans black koki from his ladder. “look, it’s just art,” shrugs rashid. “it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.”

jeremy purin

name: jeremy puren age: 26 briefly outline your background as an artist/filmmaker: i studied fine arts at the university of stellenbosch and graduated at the end of 2007. during my 4 years of studies i discovered my love for stop motion animation, a medium which can make the ordinary come to life in extraordinary ways. at the beginning of 2011 i entered the freelance realm as director and stop motion animator. prior to this i was employed by jax panik for two years, where my job was to help build the brand by means of creative online marketing and viral videos. i also directed two jax panik music videos which will roll out later this year. what made you participate in the i art woodstock project? my fiance xanele is one of the artist participating. so i pitched an idea to ricky. as he told me more about the project and its goals we thought it might be nice to have something where the community can be part of the film making process and also feature as the stars of the film. briefly describe the concept behind your film project: the idea is to produce a stop motion short film in collaboration with the woodstock community. creative play forms the foundation of the film, with the community members and surrounding found objects featuring as the stars of the film. what was the inspiration behind your film project? the hope that a project like this will inspire and uplift the community even if its only for one day. what has the reaction from the community been like so far? exhilarating! the kids are so keen to take part. some as actors/directors/camerapeople/assistants and others just commentators. while packing up at the end of day 2 a 10-11 year old girl came to thank me personally and to told me how much she enjoyed the day. this made me feel like the mission is accomplished :) photos (top left, bottom left and bottom right) by jeremy purin

paul senyol

name: paul senyol age: 1980/25/10 = 30 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? self taught started painting and drawing at 16 what made you want to participate in the iart woodstock project? an opportunity to paint in the local area and spend some time with the people and children can you briefly describe the concept behind your painting? based on biblical scripture of a tree sprouting, giving a renewed hope and inspiring faith. new colour= new life. what was the inspiration behind your painting? isaiah 11; isaiah 53; jeremiah 29; the peace of the city; the rod of jesse which wall are you painting and why did you choose it? number 7, i think. i liked the rough texture, the worn out blue and the existing graffiti and markings what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? the kids all want to write their names, so i gave them space to do so and incorporated them into the artwork.

rowan pybus @makhulu

name: rowan pybus age: 31 can you briefly outline your background as an artist? i have always been able to create pictures, draw, etc. studied graphic design for 3 years but moved into the visuals arts of film and photos to feel on the ground and connected more. have made films that pay the bills to make films that dont need to worry about paying the bills. it is these films that i can call art, and through working with faith47 i have been called a video artist. what made you want to participate in the i art woodstock project? i love south africa and art equally, this project puts me on the ground in a local community and immersed in street art at the same time. can you briefly describe the concept behind your video/photos,and what can be expected? the video must be honest and not have an agenda, it will be a success based on how i bridge the artists to the environment. generally a concept is a good thing but here the place and its character must guide the content of the film. a concept such as “what was said goes with a certain image better than another� is about all i want to pay attention to. this is not a documentary but a pool in which the audience might float to understand deeper the place and the people chosen. what was the inspiration behind your video/photos? the street artist is in my mind a warrior of sort. they might feel that certain places in the world should not appear in the order they do. a great deal of people do not venture out of their comfort zones to see new and different things. parts of woodstock bare deep scars, i would like the time i spend in a new place lead to more people seeing and doing things of value to total strangers for the love of doing it the way these fellow artist do. what’s the reaction from the community been like, so far? amazing! open, kind, curious. the kids love it all but most of the adults have shown true gratitude to the artists and understood the reason for it all happening photo (previous page and left) by rowan pybus

proceeds 50% of sales and 100% of book sales go to ‘write on africa’ painting local school murals and running art workshops at /a word of art during the course of the exhibition. www.writeonafrica.org

write on africa “creativity and art inspiring social change.” we believe that inspiration creates change and and if we can create inspiration therefore we can create change. the aim is to to rejuvenate with color and inspire the youth ,each other and ourselves. write on africa is a platform for artists to create the change they wish to see. www.writeonafrica.org

/a word of art /a word of art is an art space that aims to create art projects and experiences,pioneering this new artistic subculture in sa, which is a mix of street art, graffiti art, underground art, popular art, modern art and contemporary art. over one year ago a word of art moved into the woodstock industrial centre, and since then has being working with the landlord to form a community of creativity. this 60 year old industrial building situated in the heart of woodstock – cape town’s emerging creative precinct – is now the home to a diverse mix of artists, designers and photographers, alongside factory’s carpenters and bakeries. the building aims to support artist’s needs and help toward the development of the woodstock area and a creative cape town. www.a-word-of-art.co.za

i art soweto coming september 2011

credits essay and artist interviews by genna gardini of art south africa magazine photos by jonx pillemer (except where credited) layout and design by jason de villiers and anthea duce concept and art direction by ricky lee gordon special thanks to rashid, mitchy and the community of woodstock

project partners media partner

exhibition partner

music partner

party partner

art partner

development partner

curator partner

i art woodstock this project is dedicated to the loving memory of ‘joe’ who passed away the day after giving permission for his house to be painted.