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

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

Making use of our digital magazine features, we have been able to breathe new life to previous print content – and everything has truly come together, just how we always envisioned! Please take your time to go through this magazine (all at once or a little bit each day) as a lot of work went into producing every edition and every page, since we first launched in 2005. This issue is a superlative balance of content, comprising of traditional and contemporary art, photography, fashion editorials, exclusive interviews, videos, feature articles, music, and the best of one small seed TV.
 
So, without further ado…
 

 
Follow us on:

Facebook
Twitter: @onesmallseedSA
onesmallseed.net

Making use of our digital magazine features, we have been able to breathe new life to previous print content – and everything has truly come together, just how we always envisioned! Please take your time to go through this magazine (all at once or a little bit each day) as a lot of work went into producing every edition and every page, since we first launched in 2005. This issue is a superlative balance of content, comprising of traditional and contemporary art, photography, fashion editorials, exclusive interviews, videos, feature articles, music, and the best of one small seed TV.
 
So, without further ado…
 

 
Follow us on:

Facebook
Twitter: @onesmallseedSA
onesmallseed.net

THAT Art Fair is ‘a platform for African artists who work under the radar of the traditional art establishment – who do things a little differently’

THAT Art Fair is far from any type of static art event, and this year there’s been a dedicated live art programme included to create subtle playful interventions within the urban venue. Incorporating the work of some of South Africa’s most talented performance artists, Francois Knoetze will be showcasing #networking, an enactment using his most recently completed ‘wearable sculpture’ suit.

SKATTIE artists – Angelo Valerio and Jana Babez Terblanche – will both be performing and The Fish Collective will be bringing two travelling goldfish by train from Johannesburg to THAT Art Fair, presenting their documented journey in the form of postcards, souvenirs and the fish themselves as the final product. There will also be live graffiti art by Kilmany Jo Liversage and Martin Lund.

From left: Francios Knoetze, Cape Mongo (metal); Angelo Valerio as Angel-Ho; Jana Babez Terblanche, Hollywood Cerise; Kilmany Jo Liversage mural painting.

A wide range of sculptors from Africa will be participating in THAT Art Fair, both independently and as represented by galleries.

From top left: Dirk Bahmann, Connection to Place 5. Wire Sculpture; Dale Washkansky, Glitter Sculpture; Mirella Bandini, She – Her – Me.

THAT ART PARTY at THAT Art Fair

THAT ART PARTY is the official celebration for THAT Art Fair, the newest addition to Cape Town’s creative calendar. Beats come to life on Friday the 27th February from 17:00. and it all goes down on the second floor of the parkade at 121 Cecil Rd, Salt River. THAT ART PARTY line-up features The Brother Moves On, a DJ set by Spoek Mathambo, Thor Rixon, Champions of the Sonarverse and SKATTIE DJ’s Athi Patra-Ruga, Jana Babez and Mr Blouse. THAT ART PARTY also presents the Cape Town premiere of the internationally acclaimed documentary film, Shield and Spear and a performance piece by Cape Town-based artist Angelo Valerio, titled Ascension.

Important Links!

Buy Tickets: HERE
After Party Information: HERE

Follow THAT Art Fair:
Web
Facebook
Twitter to keep up to date with recent developments, using the Hashtags #THATARTFAIR2015 and #THATARTPARTY

© William Hundley

Austin-based artist William Hundley combines all things obscure and rather unrelated into perfect collage-like photographs.

Cheeseburgers and skateboards, cheeseburgers and chihuahuas, cheeseburgers as shoes, practically all things cheeseburger-related are his forte. Aside from the burgers, in 2006 Hundley created an ongoing series, Entoptic Phenomena, in which he captures fabric-draped people in mid-jump. The shapes appear to hover unannounced in the photographs, almost like a Daliesque-sculpture; ephemeral and out of context. Hundley is insistent on letting people know that no digital manipulation has been made, saying ‘they are just photographs’ and that having ‘acrobatic models’ is the key to the success of the imagery.

I love the practical-joke nature of it; if I can make humour and beautiful aesthetics come together, that’s the biggest powerhouse I can imagine (Hundley)

This seems to be the common thread in all of his works, from the quirky names given to his collections, like Little Naked Person Storage, to his Dadaist imagery; sculpture; and installations – the man is an original prankster.

© William Hundley

© William Hundley

© William Hundley

© William Hundley

© William Hundley

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:

Blog

Tumblr

YouTube

Twitter

SoundCloud

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

No picture could ever capture the essence of the magic and mystery that takes place in Tankwa Town, Karoo… But, a 300-page high-quality online magazine – packed with photos, articles and poems – can sure go a long way. We are, once again, proud to present Show Your Burn, your forever-lasting AfrikaBurn ’12 memory book. Hope to see you at AfrikaBurn The Gift 2015.

Memories of AfrikaBurn… priceless. In the spirit of Burners everywhere, thank you for sharing those memories with us. Photographs, art, poetry… your stories of that unforgettable time help you and others to survive the return to ‘real life’. It’s time to keep on Gifting, whether you were there or not, either to give or to receive… it makes no difference. It’s AfrikaBurn, after all.

Important Information
All pictures in “Show Your Burn” online publication have been submitted with the purpose of being published by the creator. We thank all those who contributed via one small seed network (onesmallseed.net) and hope you enjoy indulging in the many memories of AfrikaBurn 2012. A lot of time and energy went into the creation of this, so please share with friends and give us your feedback to help us make this an annual project.

Designed by David Plenderleith

Oh, Zoe… Give us your best spin, will ya?

 
Edmark shares a bit about the project:

‘The rotation speed is synchronized to the strobe so that one flash occurs every time the sculpture turns 137.5º—the golden angle. The placement of the appendages is determined by the same method nature uses in pinecones and sunflowers and if you count the number of spirals on any of these sculptures you will find that they are always Fibonacci numbers.’

If you’ve got a penchant for the future of design, browse our #FYI category - where you’ll find our hand-picked collection of crazy, fascinating, funny and bizarre findings that range from technology, design, art and music!

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