one small seed » Profiles | one small seed

Rising Up to sit down for a Q&A with OBEY

one small seed — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 08:49:51 +0000

While a growing number of individuals – laughing, jamming, conversing and feeling the funk on the streets of Braamfontein, Jozi – gazed up at Shepard Fairey’s forming mural of Mandela, one small seed was gearing up for up our talk with the American contemporary street artist/illustrator/activist. Watch our video interview with the face and force behind OBEY aka Andre the Giant, featured in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA. #ThePurpleRevolution #RiseUp

Click Expand to watch our video exclusive with Shepard Fairey

Everything that I do came from skateboarding, and at first punk rock, and then later hip hop because hip hop became the new punk rock. Punk rock and skateboarding were always about creativity, resourcefulness, rebellion and then hip hop came along and it was the same way.

– Shepard Fairey

Interview by Sarah Claire Picton

On a Wire with UNKLE’s co-founder

one small seed — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 07:39:14 +0000

‘I think it’s a dramatic shake up that’s happening. It’s interesting times for artists now.’ – James Lavelle, 2011. Ernst Lass, our designer at the time, had a conference call with the voice of UNKLE. Discover more about James Lavelle in this interview, featured in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA. RIP Gavin Clark

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Calling Mr Brainwash

one small seed — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 07:09:42 +0000

From his California home, LA street artist Mr Brainwash – born in Paris under the name Thierry Guetta – gave one small seed an exclusive phone interview. Originally published in issue 24 and now featured in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA.

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In 2009, we discovered the artist who was born a dog…

one small seed — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 06:51:04 +0000

one small seed’s old editor, Dylan Culhane, discovers the extraordinary imagination of Ray Caesar. First published in issue 12 and now part of our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA.

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Watch Roger Ballen’s “Outland” (2015)

one small seed — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 08:10:50 +0000

Phaidon Press has released a revised version of the iconic book Outland by photographer Roger Ballen, who is also featured in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed issue. Filmmaker Ben Jay Crossman takes us on a journey to the Outland to show us the mind inside the mind.

Credits:
Executive Producer: Roger Ballen
Directed/filmed/edited: Ben Jay Crossman
Writers: Roger Ballen, Ben Jay Crossman
Sound Design: Darryl Torr
Grade by Pudding: Nicolas Apostoli, Ciretta Frezza
Motion Graphics by BFX: Shaun Froneman, Hein Schlebusch
Special Thanks: Wilma Smit, Marguerite Rossouw, Simone Stiglingh
Cast: Stan, Dirkie, Dirk, Stefanus

Roger Ballen in our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed

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

Crazier than Hunter S. Thompson?

one small seed — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 21:59:44 +0000

Our ‘Best Of’ Ten Years one small seed, in partnership with PUMA, features a rare interview with the legendary Gonzo artist and cartoonist Ralph Steadman. In it he shares (among many other anecdotes): ‘”Rolling Stone” co-founder Jann Wenner agreed that I was crazier than Hunter. Oh Dear’

Q: What did you and Hunter listen to in the car?

Hunter always drove and chose the music. We both liked Jim Morrison.

Click Expand for the Q&A and to watch a YouTube video

P.S: If you come across this Ralph, thank you so much. What a privilege it was speaking to you. And here’s to all us ‘crazy’ ones. Sarah Claire XXX

#tbt 2009 one small seed magazine, Issue 14 | “Withdrawal & Emergence” – The Photography Of Cara Gillougley

one small seed — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 06:00:36 +0000

Having attended my fair share of student photography exhibitions, I can note with some degree of certainty that work on the level of technical and thematic maturity evidenced in Cara Gillougley’s Withdrawal & Emergence is rare. This exquisite collection of nudes suspended in paradoxical states of bondage and freedom is playful and somber in equal measure; conformed by pure visual allure. Needless to say, it garnered considerable attention for this young graduate from the Ruth Prowse School of Art in Cape Town. Written by Dylan Culhane and featured in issue 14 of one small seed magazine (Mar-Apr-May 2009)

According to Gillougley, the concept for this exhibition emerged fairly late on in her third year of studies, triggered by trauma and in turn becoming a means to rid herself of these negative emotions.

The driving force behind this body of work was my withdrawal to a dark emotional place, and my emergence from that darkness. The photographs deal with themes of underlying emotional and psychological torment and obsession; both metaphor and catharsis.

Though the recurrence of rope bondage in Withdrawal & Emergence is perhaps most readily associated with fetishism and sexual deviance, Gillougley’s subjects are bound and strung up as a metaphor for internal constraint. The staging of her subjects and the stage itself evoke the circus, not simply as an aesthetic centre point, but also to explore notions of psychological game play, manipulation, strength and vulnerability. Being her first body of work on public display, it seems justified to equate the susceptibility and precariousness of the women in this collection with the art-school-graduate’s own position at the threshold of professionalism. But regardless of any specific context, the photographic act is invariably one of self-implication for Cara Gillougley.

I’ve realised that my work is driven entirely by my emotional state of being. As long as I photograph honestly, my work allows me to view my innermost workings and confront them. Ultimately it’s a piece of me sitting on a computer screen or photographic paper. I cannot separate myself from my work because, in a sense, my life becomes my work.

Read the rest of issue 14

Open publication – Free publishing – More south africa

Okmalumkoolkat: Fresh a$ Fuck

one small seed — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 21:59:40 +0000

Smiso Zwane is the highly inventive, mustachioed and bespectacled 29-year-old going by the name of Okmalumkoolkat; co-accused at the visual/performance art outfit, Dirty Paraffin. Having partnered up with the likes of Spoek Mathambo, London dubstep trio LV and the Ruffest, this Umlazi-born, Jozi-based cat is not just a musician. He’s an artist, a writer, a designer – and he can bust out The Taxi Driver better than any of you. one small seed had the chance to talk rubber bullets, music of the now and thinking outside of the box… Don’t forget who your favourite uncle is.

Okmalumkoolkat, image: Chris Saunders

‘Siyasebenza, afta five we come alive’ (Dirty Paraffin – ‘Download Part 2′)

It’s now 17:17 on my clock. Will you be getting alive tonight?
I do not work a nine to five anymore. I work around the clock but I am focused on my passions so I’m always alive. You pass time until you knock off if you are doing something you’re not really interested in as your day job.

Where does your moniker come from?
The moniker, Okmalumkoolkat, was inspired by DJ Cool Cat on UKhozi FM. From as far back as I can remember, this guy had a kid’s request show on Saturday mornings. Kids would call in and sing their favourite songs and give shout-outs. I thought this was a really cool concept for a radio show. I have never come across any other DJ with a show similar to this. The man was also heavily involved in Ukhozi FM radio drama, which is also a big inspiration in my storytelling.

Dirty Paraffin – ‘Papap! Papap!’

For someone who’s never listened to, or had the chance to get familiar with Dirty Paraffin or Okmalumkoolkat, how would you describe your craft?
It’s music that should be made in the now but be inspired by the future and the past.

We aim to trigger a new world mindset in those who dare to listen and understand.

What would you say is the biggest difference when it comes to Okmalumkoolkat performing as part of Dirty Paraffin vs. personal projects?
When I play Dirty Paraffin shows I play Dirty Paraffin tracks only. When I play Okmalumkoolkat shows I can perform tracks from Dirty Paraffin, tracks from Sebenza and tracks from my unreleased projects. I am a mixtape.

LV and Okmalumkoolkat – ‘Sebenza’ ( Hyperdub July 2012)

In an interview with Dazed & Confused, LV describe you as ‘a unique and amazing artist who makes us laugh and bowls us over.’ Any words for them?
Yebo. LV is one of the freshest production teams to come knocking at my door and I guess we met [so that we could] dent a little of ourselves into music history.

For the album, Sebenza, you didn’t get to meet Will & Simon of LV, but only Gerv. What was the process like, any major hiccups?
I had met Gerv way back in 2010 when we did ‘Boomslang‘ and I had started communicating with Will and Simon around about that time. So by the time we started on this project I was comfortable with the guys.

There were no hiccups at all. We were sending tracks back and forth like we had planned. They respect my song writing skills and my music direction and I trust them with the projects we put out so there were no major misunderstandings.

behind the scenes of 'Sebenza', image: Frances van Jaarsveldt

What did you and Gerv get up to in your spare time (if there was any)?
Whenever Gerv is in South Africa (he usually comes down because he has family out here). We meet up, rehearse, play shows and record tracks. It’s been like that since day one.

I met Will and Simon in Amsterdam a couple of months back and we did exactly the same thing. We met for the first time at round 14h00 at a festival and played their show around 17h00. We went for a young rehearsal afterwards and played my show at 22h00 that same night. We recorded a couple of tracks at their hotel room the very next day.

Some of your lyrics for ‘Sebenza’ are: ‘Since a way back they’ve been trying to silence us…/ Rubber bullets.’ Do you think people are still being silenced?

I guess there are other ‘rubber bullets’ used today. It’s always a struggle with ‘the powers that be’ to adhere to the ‘freedom of speech’ stipulation that comes with democracy.

You mentioned that the first time you saw street racing go down was in Umlazi early ’90s. Have you been back there and what are people doing now to pass time? Is it still car racing?
I was in Umlazi [just over] a week ago. People are really in party mode in Durban, they are very involved in the Durban kwaito movement. It’s a lifestyle. There are a thousand beat producers and there’s a new dance move every two months or so. People also look good in Durban, it must be the tropical climate.

So I saw you busting the ‘Taxi Driver’ in a video – Have you ever done any train surfing?
I was an only child till I was 11, so train missions with my friends were a no-go. Hell, I wasn’t allowed to go to the beach without my mother’s supervision up until I was a teen. Some of my friends did train surf but we all ended up in dance groups in the ’90s. It was a good exercise and the girls loved it.

Your track – ‘Download This Part II’ (listen above!) – has the lyrics ‘VIRGIN EARDRUMS GET DEFLOWERED’ – What deflowered your eardrums?
I’d say listening to a guy named Johnny Dimba when I was young. He would take instrumentals from Motown and recite Zulu poetry/ stories over them. Mind blowing stuff. Also the first time I heard Kraftwerk I was taken aback, especially because I had just read about them in that book ‘Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: History of the DJ’.

What do you think of kwaito today, and the fact that it has more house influences now than back in the days of artists such as Arthur Mafokate, Zola and TKZee, where it had influences of hip-hop?
Kwaito was really house music slowed down to like a 100 BPM when it hit in the early ‘90s. Kwaito is influenced by what the world has been feeding us, so all these artists making kwaito will make it the best way they see fit. There is no one formula.

On LinkedIn you describe yourself as ‘A student in packaging and selling ideas’. What is the biggest idea you’ve ever been sold?
Biggest idea they sold to me at college was ‘ think outside the box’. I bought it so much that when they organized an internship for me I turned it down because it was contradictory.

Okmalumkoolkat Koolhunting Klub , image: Thanda Kunene

You’ve said that “Okmalumkoolkat’s Koolhunting Klub” is not a fashion label or a brand. So what differentiates a project from a label?
Well, it’s an on-going project because it’s developing still. I started the club as a side project where I could source and sell lifestyle products to my friends more than four years ago. Then I got really interested in remixing clothing so we started on denim jackets last year. This year, I went crazy and collaborated with people to make products for the club. What I have also realized is that I get to improve my design language with every collection we work on – it’s more exciting than a gallery exhibition in my opinion.

My label will come in the future. I am just gathering tools for now.

Also you mentioned that it’s a project you’ve been working on for as long as you can remember. Is there perhaps a certain memory/time that you do remember that could have led to this project?
The remixing was triggered by Dr. Romanelli and Taz Arnold in America. Then I remembered how I used to customize my gear. The fascination with denim really stems from the fact that I couldn’t afford it for a long time back in the ‘90s. Check out my blog for a more in-depth story on that (go HERE).

The OKMKK Kool Hvnting Klvb MMXII Kollezioni 2012 Part II

The parrot is a take on how people have different personalities online compared to their real life ones.–> Does this apply to you as well? What’s the main difference between your persona online vs. real-life?
There’s a big difference. Online, I can reTweet something you tweeted because I know I wouldn’t necessarily put it out there but I am still backing you up. There are many ways of saying something online. You can put up an image to show your mood and feelings. You can do the same with your daily outfits but only a couple of people catch those messages. I am also pretty shy in real life but I can come off as a loud-mouth on my blog and my music.

As an avid observer of everyday life – anything you’ve come across in the last few days that the general observer might have missed?
The climate and weather patterns have really changed, it’s not a joke. Stores need to stock jackets in summer and vice versa.

Is there anyone you would like to interview and what would you like to ask?
I’d like to interview Shaka Zulu and ask him if he knew his influence was going to last this long and also what inspired the empire concept.

What are you listening to right now? What’s your “go-to” track/artist?
‘Manage Expectations‘ by Cid Rim.

Dirty Paraffin X Paul Shiakallis, image: Paul Shiakallis

Apparently Pioneer Unit’s Damien Stevens considers you one of SA hip hop’s best rappers. Do you consider yourself a rapper?
I don’t know if I am a rapper. My style is more poetry, I play electronic gadgets and I tend to sing a lot so I consider myself a musician.

You worked with Spoek on his new album, Future Sound of Mzansi, with the track – ‘Skorokoro’. Have you owned one?
I am actually looking for a cheap cheap skorokoro next year. A Honda Civic would be ideal but I would settle for a station wagon Toyota Cressida any day.

What made you decide (along with Spoek Mathambo, Bra Solomon & Ayobah) to do a rendition of Brenda Fassie’s classic ’80s hit ‘Weekend Special‘?
‘Weekend Special’ had to be done. It’s a classic. It was Spoek’s project though so maybe he would satisfy that question.

What’s your favourite slang word/phrase?
Shambeez ( crazy ).

Ultimately, when it comes to Okmalumkoolkat (Smiso Zwane) there are no words better to describe him than his own:

‘I am the one. The 8bit champ! The member, the compadre, The Bigbootyholic, Booty Inspector, Duke of Casio. FutureMfana MfanaFuture. Zulu Compura. Smart Mompara. Super Tsatsatsa. International Pansula. Bhuti Yang’chaza. Bhuti Yang’ Washa. Boomslang. The Sjambok Ambu. okmalumkoolkat. Okmalumkillacombo. Holy Oxygen. Smiso’

LINKS:

interview by: Sarah Claire Picton, November 2012
images by: Chris Saunders, Frances van Jaarsveldt, Jamal Nxedlana, Paul Shiakallis, Thanda Kunene

Homophobia, sexism, greed & #instant oral: the dark truth about modern society.

one small seed — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 06:51:21 +0000

Make sure you do a double–take when you look at the illustrations by Spanish artist Luis Quiles (aka Gunsmithcat). There is a dark and shocking truth hidden behind the cartoonlike, and brightly coloured illustrations.

The messages are unapologetic and unsettling, putting modern society in the limelight for all to see! The animated characters depict scenarios that we see and feel in everyday life, including issues like homophobia, sexism, censorship, corporate greed and even child abuse.