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Roger Ballen: much more than Die Antwoord’s inspiration

one small seed — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:59:08 +0000

Meeting New York-born, South African-based photographer Roger Ballen was a surreal and humbling experience. His brazen creativity, technique and ability to ‘see’ some one/something in a way you or I might not… A true genius with such a rare and beautiful insight into the human soul and mind. Watch our short doccie and Q&A with him in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed issue, in partnership with PUMA.

Watch Roger Ballen’s “Outland” & Find out more about his work with Die Antwoord

Yes, these paintings actually breathe…

one small seed — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 10:00:35 +0000

It’s really hard trying to figure out what makes Alexa Meade’s paintings literally alive! There are no telltale signs in the actual paintings, until you see how the artworks are created.

Los Angeles-based, Alexa Meade’s paintings are not only aesthetically beautiful in a traditional sense, but as you scroll down and find out how they are really made, you’ll see that they are also a clever manipulation of reality…

As you can see the paintings are not traditional at all! Meade’s brushes do not stroke normal canvases, but fall directly on her subjects – transforming 3D reality into a 2D expressionistic piece of art.

There are a lot of things in this world that we take as a complete given, but we don’t necessarily stop to take that step to think, ‘OK, well what is actually underlying all of this?’

Meade’s success story has led her to giving a TED talk and shows at London’s Saatchi Gallery and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. In 2014 she partnered up with Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren for their #ProjectWarehouse campaign where entrants stood a chance to win a trip to Meade’s studio to become her next living painting.

What do you think of Alexa Meade’s work? Comment in the box below…

We Hope You Bought it! Thumbs up Cassper Nyovest.

one small seed — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 07:33:56 +0000

Cassper Nyovest, South African recording artist and producer, released the official music video for ‘I Hope You Bought it’ from his debut album Tsholofelo in December 2014. It has, so far, received 77,008 views on Youtube and 1,238 thumbs up!

The video shows the process of airbrushing the Tsholofelo album cover, to show that:

Although many people believe Cassper Nyovest’s career was an overnight success, this is not the case. Cassper’s career was built from the ground up… (Youtube video description)

Even though some may not be so impressed:

Yoh, not a good song, but the content, the words, hayi no, you settled the score with the so called fans and haters.” (Thuto Moloi)

one small seed loves it! You got our thumbs up Cassper!

What do you think? Leave your comment in the box below…

All it takes is one small seed… AFDA Awards SA’s future entertainment industry leaders…

one small seed — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 21:59:42 +0000

At one small seed we believe in celebrating emerging creatives, and watching their seeds grow! This is why the 2014 AFDA Awards Ceremony in Cape Town, on the 27th November, peaked our interest.

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) has

‘produced some of the top film-makers and actors in South Africa today and has made a significant contribution to developing a sustainable local entertainment industry’.

But, back to the young ‘seeds’… We were really impressed with the television and film productions that were honoured, but have decided to share with you the cream of the crop! The winning third year film production was Happy Earth Co! Sit back, relax, and enjoy their 12-minute masterpiece!

Credit where credit is due:
Happy Earth Co won Best Third Year Film Award and the Critics Award, as well as:
Best Screenplay: Hylton Jandrell
Best director: Hylton Jandrell
Best Sound Designer: Joseph Vink
Best Cinematographer: Jake Levy
Best Producer: Henrik Waage Tjore

Speaking from our 9 years of experience in the industry – we offer this advice:

‘Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds’. Gordon B. Hinckley

Take a look at some of the other productions here… You can thank us later for introducing these future entertainment industry leaders to you!

Interpret Durban 4 leaves eThekwini in smiles

one small seed — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 10:18:20 +0000

Interpret Durban is an arts and culture event in Durban South Africa. On the 31 August, Durban’s stunning 103-year-old City Hall welcomed the fourth edition of the festival, with a theme ‘The Concrete Circus Edition’.

The Venue, image: Luca Barausse

You would have been hard pressed to find a more perfect night for the annual event to fall on. With light showers the day before the sky above the city was startlingly crisp and the building around the hall seemed to sparkle as if they themselves were on show. And to a large extend they were. Because Interpret Durban is – after all – about the city and the people who call it home. The very name of the event asks you to get involved, to share your take of eThekwini.

In terms of venues it would be a tall order to upstage Durban City Hall within the confines of the province, and the old girl sure did put on a show. She was dressed to the nine with drapings of fairy flights, washes of coloured LED’s, a red carpet and even had her own accompaniment of Hollywood premiere style spot lights firing off into the night sky. It was a evening set for a celebration, and Durban City Hall, the weather and organisers (Intertwine and Street Scene) seemed in no mood to disappoint.

Main auditorium (pre-show), image: Luca Barausse

Matt from the Accidentals, image: Luca Barausse

A host of live acts entertained the crowds in attendance from 5pm through to the early hours of the morning and included Crazy White Boy, Felix Laband, Veranda Panda and the Accidental to name a few. Alongside the musical acts were magicians, stilt walkers and jugglers mingling through the audience bringing to life the Concrete Circus theme of the event. Coupled with the exquisite art on show from film through to photography, graphic design and a ‘think outside the box’ Open Art component there was no shortage of things to feast the senses on. Durbanites can get themselves down about their city from time to time being the smaller sister to JHB and CT, but on nights like Saturday, when those in attendance stopped for a moment to take in the view from the Mayors Balcony and out over the surrounding city in all her night time splendour, there wasn’t a heavy heart to be found.

Durban was all smiles. And she deserved to be so.

images: Luca Barausse

Interpret Durban on:

Web
Twitter
Vimeo
Facebook

Felix Laband, image: Luca Barausse

Crazy White Boy, image: Luca Barausse

Pritzker Conceptual, Toyo Ito

one small seed — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:30:48 +0000

Seeking to concurrently direct the physical and virtual worlds within his work, Toyo Ito has always been at the forefront of architectural development. Just awarded the Pritzker Award, Ito once again assures and restores the urge to push the bridges of architecture.

Kaohsiung Statium via bestourism.com

Porta Fira Hotel by Dorma world

The Seoul-born mastermind relocated with his family to Tokyo at age two, and after the death of his father at age 12, worked within his family business making misco until enrolling at the University of Tokyo. While being a student, his love and life was increasingly steered towards architecture. Toyo worked for Kiyonori Kikutake Architect and Associates from 1965 to 1969, and in 1971 he started his own studio in Tokyo named Urbot, but changed to Toyo Ito & Associates in 1979. Since then he has expanded his works to the world and has grown in favour and stature.

Modern library by Baan-Photography

Throughout most of his career he has been an acclaimed and recognized architect, of which the evidence is his ten-years-in-a-row nomination for the Pritzker prize before, finally, being granted the honour of winning this year. The prize was designed in order to honour a living architect whose work demonstrates an arrangement of qualities: talent, vision, and commitment. And more importantly, it aims to reward work produced that has a consistent and significant contribution to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.

“Creator of timeless buildings,”

is just one of the many praises sung for him by the Pritzker Jury, who feel that his work has always allowed for expression and dimension. Ito has described architecture to be the ‘clothing’ for urban inhabitants and has identified that, with every work completed, he feels more and more inadequate and therefore moves his energy towards new projects.

image for Domus

“I will never fix my architectural style and never be satisfied with my works.”

Sendai image by Nacasa & Partners

Much like any genius, his fixation on developing his ideas and having the world look to him as an alumni of architecture could move Toyo Ito even further.

Post by Jared Ethan Blake

Images via toyo-ito.co.jp, domusweb.it, dorma.es, bestourism.com, nacasa.co.jp, iwan.com

The Frown for Rayne // Bride Of Zion

one small seed — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:06:28 +0000

We catch up with Jessica Lupton and Jessica Rayne – the stylist’s behind the fashion film The Frown for Rayne // Bride Of Zion. Simply put, the concept behind the song is about a girl casting a spell to make a boy fall in love with her. With a powerful array of visuals that seem to agitiate undiscovered emotions, its a video that flows in the most wondrous way…

You’re from Joburg right? Tell us about the fashion scene there vs. Cape Town.
Johannesburg is Cape Town’s cool little sibling. The inner-city is really coming alive, creating its own unique culture. With markets popping up all over the place, people are migrating back into the CBD. I think it translates into a really fun street style – less heels and tailored lines and more about second hand, bargain buys and most importantly, fun.

Tell us about your new project, The Frown For Rayne
The concept of the video originated from a desire to explore witchcraft, in a beautiful and enigmatic way. We wanted to reference ‘South Africa’ through the portrayal of a Sangoma. We wanted to create something not exclusively for the brands involved but that would impact the South African scene.

This video shows that we don’t need to be defined by our location, but we can still be inspired by it.

There was that whole thing in the early ‘70s, art rock and glam rock that tried to merge art forms so that music could transcend the audio. Is that an important part of your project?
Music transcends into the visual and, in turn, fashion transcends into music. The project would not have been as impactful were it not for the collaboration with the Frown. Music stimulates us in a different way to something visual and the fusion of the two creates an impactful connection.

Tell me about the track in the video.
The track was created around the video as we originally intended the project to be a fashion film. It is difficult to associate one type of music with the work we do as our aim is to make each project entirely unique. Jessica Rayne was hugely inspired by her time in London and the connection with the music scene is definitely reflected in her designs and our collaborative work.

The link between fashion and music is becoming more prevalent with the current success of fashion films which ultimately need to be partnered with music because films need soundtracks. The fashion film is about capturing that synergy succulently.

There seems to be a prevalent element of female strength to the video. What inspires you on that theme?
Rayne is about women who are strong individuals and we needed a star to represent that. We are both young business owners who have gone out on our own to create two very strong brands and we are focused on building up other women in the fashion industry who share our passion. The collaboration between Gaschette and Rayne becomes something bigger than our individual brands. Eve is a strong female figure, that is why we chose her to represent our concept and Rayne.

The scene with the abortion addresses the historical archetype of the deadly female — in that she can create life and therefore is a threat to her male counterpart because she holds the key to immortality through reproduction. It’s about something like an inverse immaculate conception — but because it’s quite obviously something evil inside her, it has to be expelled from her body in an equally unnatural way.

Was the final product similar to the original concept or did you just go to a warehouse with some flour and let it get a bit out hand?
The final film was an evolution of the original concept but it remained close to original thought process. We sat down and developed a story line of witchcraft and Steve Marais and Colin O’mara Davis suggested adding an African influence with creating a story inspired by Muti.
The flour was a crazy last minute decision (Steve is a genius!) that just enhanced the visual aspect of what we wanted to achieve.

What’s the inspiration behind the clothing? What’s the story that we’re watching?
Jessica Rayne: My Designs are influenced by the year I spent studying in London and the way I dressed- the gloomy weather affects your mood and style. I try to still keep the core of the brand quite romantic at heart. London was all about grunge, sheers and velvet- the mix of grungy and feminine which rings very true to Rayne and my personal style. Rayne focuses on a vintage second hand culture and sustainability that is a lifestyle overseas more than something that they aspire to as we seem to here.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Jessica Rayne: I hope to have my own studio space and boutique in JHB and perhaps one in Cape Town and potentially a menswear line. I am also passionate about changing South African’s attitude towards vintage and luxury basics.
Jessica Lupton: I would like to travel and discover new sources of inspiration. I am determined to change the way the regular South Africa’s see fashion.

Thanks Jessicas!

Interview by: Adam Alexander

Buddy Chellan on What he’s Wearing

one small seed — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:04:01 +0000

Buddy’s interest in BMX was triggered at a very young age. His first BMX came along when he was about 13 years old, and it too served merely as a means of transportation. Through riding his bike, Buddy started meeting other riders, and heading on out for those long road pedaling trips. He started absorbing what was going on around him, and that’s when it all started for the young Capetonian. Now he is not only a BMX king, but a fashion designer as well.

Who is Buddy Chellan, how do you define yourself in the world?

I’m a boy that had a dream, and just began to follow it.

What’s the one thing your friends and family say about you that’s not true?

Everyone seems to thinks that I’m always a happy, with no negative vibes. It’s very untrue. These are just people that are in my good books

Tell us something about yourself that hasn’t been published before and that you think is worth knowing.

I am a big animal lover – especially cats. I had five and now I am down to three.

Name 3 things you can’t live without.

Earphones, tooth brush and a destination to travel to.

You’re a professional BMX rider who started his own fashion label, how do you find balance in the two extremes?

It just works out. I try to prioritise my time when it comes to designing, especially when that’s what needs to get done. When I need to ride then I focus on that. Ultimately, when I’m out riding I get to see fashion styles as well, so technically I’m working all the time.

Is it important for you to be fashionable when out riding?

No, but it is important to be comfortable.

Have you always been interested in Fashion?

Yes, I had two strong female influences in my life, my mother and older sister. This definitely made me more fashion conscious.

How did the Dufraś – Buddy Chellan collaboration start out?

When I first had the idea for the label, it was very difficult to find suitable skinny jeans that weren’t only made for women. It was at that point that I decided to put my own design together. I approached my mother and we worked out something that suited me comfortably and was of great quality. It is now a part of the Dufraś label. I had a lot of ideas, and at the time, was lucky enough to have met people that listened to me and were very interested in what I had to say.

What are the criteria for the garments you’re designing?

It should be a slim fit skinny jean for males that can be worn formally, in a chilled environment, for skating, riding, or whatever sport. It’s a jean for every occasion.

What’s more important in your garments, quality or look and feel?

I would say quality above the look, but maybe that’s more of a personal preference. The feel is essential as well. Ultimately all three are important and that’s what I try to showcase in my designs.

A portion of each sale will go towards charity. What charity have you decided on and why?

I haven’t decided on a specific charity yet, it’s so difficult because there are so many people in need. I do plan on donating something, not necessarily money, but something that will improve underprivileged lives

What are your plans for the future?

To accomplish whatever is on my bucket list and to stop procrastinating. Live happily and spread positive vibes. Wish myself good luck for whatever hurdles comes my way.

What do you hope to achieve with your label?

I would like to make garments that people like and are into. To create and design items that is outside the bubble. To try new things and to learn through experimentation.

What is the worst thing that you’ve ever done and gotten away with?

I used to go shopping with my mother and I would eat everything I wanted, but I would hide the wrappers so that we didn’t have to pay for it. Eventually my mother realized what I was doing and started paying for the empty wrappers. If she didn’t, I would have eaten for free everywhere I went.

French street artist JR receives TED Prize for 2011

one small seed — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:58:27 +0000

On the 20 October 2010 Parisian street artist – known only by his initials JR – was awarded the prestigious annual TED Prize. Past winners include mainstream icons like Jamie Oliver, Bill Clinton and Bono, and like those before him, 2011’s seemingly unconventional winner received $100 000, and on a much – metaphorically speaking – larger note, was also granted one wish to change the world!

A non-profit initiative, TED started with humble beginnings in 1984 as a conference to bring together people from three different worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design. With spirit and integrity, the different way in which JR views the world, so too does TED, awarding him and exposing his projects to the world. Transforming lives and landscapes around the world, the journey of JR is one that has really just begun.

From Art to Action: JR’s journey

From Africa to the Middle East to the slums in Paris, the world is JR’s gallery and the dynamic urban environment is his canvas. A splintered broken bridge, a symbolic concrete wall and abandoned undergrounds… the most unlikely of places are given life by JR’s enormous black and white photo prints. Pervasive and gaining more recognition every day, JR’s art penetrates tension-ridden or ostracised urban areas – creating an aesthetic dialogue with the people, the leaders, and the global masses who have stopped asking questions and making a stand.

A serendipitous beginning, it was after JR discovered a camera in a Paris subway that ignited his passion for art, photography and all that is urban. Embarking in 2004 to document European street art, he found himself in Clichy Montfermeil, a commune in the suburbs of Paris.

Amidst working-class spaces, he introduced his style to the bourgeoisie, pasting large black-and-white photographic prints of the neighbourhood ‘thugs’. Later returning to the same suburb in 2006, JR earned the trust of the locals and “portrayed them playing their own caricature”… This endeavour would become the first series of his 28 Millimeters project, entitled ‘Portrait of a Generation’.

JR reflected: “In the same media that we saw the suburbs, I saw, everyday, the Middle East conflict.” With this in mind, JR and his friend Marco journeyed east to discover the conflict themselves. This became a journey that would culminate to the second part of 28 Millimeters, entitled ‘Face 2 Face’, which is now recognized as the biggest illegal photo exhibition in the world.

Avoiding the police and rather involving the community, JR, Marco and his team placed the huge photographic portraits of the two opposing sides face-to-face in eight Palestinian and Israeli cities, and on both sides of the security fence/separation barrier.

Walking away from the Middle East bearing only the effects of the harsh sun, JR had used creativity to show “the limits in [the Middle East] are not where we think they are,” and that “the real heroes are not sometimes who you think they are, they are right there in the street everywhere around you.”

Travelling into the heart of Africa, Brazil, India and Cambodia, JR – a beautifully relentless vagabond – would complete 28 Millimeters with his last series entitled ‘Women’. Pasting massive photographic prints of every-day women all over the slums as well as on motor vehicles, shop exteriors and even on moving trains… ‘Women’ become an empowering kinetic showcase.

JR talks a bit about what inspired this series: “Arriving in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan or Kenya… I started in Africa and I realized that the men were holding the streets, and I would have to confront them. They would be the curators of my exhibitions, so I chose the women as my subjects because I think that the women reveal the whole condition of the society. I wanted to confront those portraits with the streets.”

JR saw anonymous women as daily heroes, ambitiously photographing them and integrating them (the art) in their own environment. Theirs, like his, is a story that travels… and through this one can see his/her life and the world in which they live with new eyes.

Aside from his personal projects – Wrinkle of the City and Unframed – over the next two months this Robin Hood-like hero will be working closing with the TED community “to develop an audacious wish that will involve the world in a brand new piece of art.”

The wish will be announced in February 2011 in Long Beach, California. In a video that J R’s close team put together in the hope of answering some important questions, the 27-year-old artist-cum-humanitarian concludes with a poignant response: “I’m not trying to change the world, but you know when I see a smile up there in the favelas (name given to shanty towns in Brazil), or down there in Cambodia, in a way I feel like I’ve achieved my goal”

In a world that is obsessed with being recognized, being rewarded and mostly remaining within the ‘norm’, it is highly inspiring and refreshing to discover an individual who not only finds sanity in his anonymity but is truly using his creative talent to not change the world, but at least make a dent. And this dent is looking to be far from small… It will ultimately involve the entire world, which is exactly the type of project I would imagine world-traveller and humble artist JR to make happen.

JR’s wish: Inside Out

At his acceptance speech for his TED prize, JR challenged individuals to take part in his global street art project. Inside Out is JR’s vision of how art is able to inspire change in the world. The project seeks to have as many global participants as possible. He is calling for people everywhere to upload photos onto the projects website, and its success will be judged by the number of participants. The uploaded images will then be used on billboards, printed in black and white, preaching unity and inspiring change.

THE BICYCLE PORTRAITS

one small seed — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:26:06 +0000

Initiated by Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler in early 2010, Bicycle Portraits is an aesthetic dialogue about contemporary South African bicycle consumer culture. Always on the lookout for fellow commuters, Stan and Nic are two creatives who are on a voyage of discovering the dynamics behind the simple act of two-wheel riding.

“There is no specific range of questions asked, we’d rather just establish a conversation around the rider’s life and where his or her bicycle fits into it,” explains Stan. Stan and Nic are raising the funds to turn this project into a self-published hard-cover photographic book. Encompassing elements of Stan’s previous book ‘African Salad,’ this unique proudly South African initiative has humble intentions. “[Bicycle Project] is an interesting concept – truly independent, community based and very inspiring.”

Shooting the entire project from their own bicycles, Stan and Nic travelled around South Africa to gain insight into their subject matter. Stan and Nic believe that South Africa is a world within one country and a home to various cultures, and with this project they hope to give people a glimpse into each other lives through a common object of movement, practicality and joy – the bicycle. The project touches on themes of a socio-political nature in a manner that breathes creative life into these oft-controversial topics – a fresh perspective on long-standing issues one could suggest.

And it is inspiring that both have fully immersed themselves to the project, riding from city to city and from coast to countryside, Nic and Stan are as much a part of the book as the commuters they engage with. Ultimately it is this element of equality that Bicycle Portraits represents. Stan and Nic explain that by looking at individuals through their sometimes unconscious, involvement in bicycle culture they will not only be touching on charged issues but will perhaps bring those unfamiliar to each other together in their love for a simple thing…

What is the long term goal for Nic and Stan? “Through publishing this book, we want to be able to assist the underprivileged cycling community through our project – be it teaching bicycle maintenance skills, providing necessities like helmets, tires, tubes, locks… It would be great to create a support structure for the people who appear in the book – this could be a trust funded by a percentage from sales of the cover price, or a charity set up in the name of the people who appear in the book etc.”

“Ultimately we want to promote cycling as a means of independent transport to empower the underprivileged, and in fact, to encourage everyone capable to ride a bike as an alternative to driving a car, or even using public transport. We hope that this will lead to the kind of infrastructure development that is designed with all people in mind, not just cars.”

Bicycle Projects is a beautifully captured photographic repertoire of the South African bicycle culture, and is wonderfully candid and empowering with a highly diverse showcase of commuters.