SNAPPED @ BAREND DE WET'S OPENING AT THE SMAC ART GALLERY

Tonight i went to check out Barend's opening for his new exhibition "Pre-Green" at the Stellenbosch Modern and Contemporary art gallery. i always have such a wicked time whenever i visit Stellenbosch, whatever issues you might have with the little town you've got to admit that it has some very fucking beautiful buildings. My first time there was for the Spring art tour last year, it was a national event with a few days in Jozi and a few in Cape Town including an amazing Saturday in Stellenbosch. There were talks, there were performances, wine tastings on the streets and a number of openings all packed into one week. In fact now that i think of it that was the first time i saw Barend's performance art. i only saw a little of it on that day tho, but i recall his and the Gugulective's perfomances. Naturally i and the usual bunch of art tarts got fabulously drunk on the streets of Stellenbosch whilst crawling from gallery to gallery. i believe they are now making that event into a Biennial so i'm looking forward to next year. Anyway back to tonight, i'm a little sad that the SMAC does not allow people to take pics of the art on show, it would be great to show you pics of his work in the gallery context. i've got some that i took at his flat but that really will not have the same impact, so if you are close by this would be the perfect excuse to go for a Saturday lunch in Stellenbosch skat. You can enjoy his really beautiful work at your own leisure and be spared the very loooooooong opening speech i had to endure, and i  really really hate speeches. Plus the lady on stage delivered this one in a uniquely monotonous tone. Would a little inflection have been too much to ask for? Speeches seem to be a bit of a thing with the SMAC, Thembinkosi Goniwe gave a speech there last year and i recall feeling the urge to grab a blunt axe and have a go at my wrists just so i could keep my eyes open. I'm dosing off just thinking about it. Goodnight.

I'M SO F**KOFF GREEN IT HURTS

So ja skattebol, as my facebook acquaintances might know, i got myself a bicycle last week. I've been riding around the city with a smug look on my face feeling oh-so-greener than thou and ever so grateful that i live in Cape Town, not only is this city bicycle friendly but it allows one so many pretensions without  fear of judgement, and skattie we all know green is the world's number one pretension at the moment. Naturally I have been onto it for quite a while, just a couple of years ago i was a dedicated pescetarian then vegetarian, and eventually graduating to a full on vegan last year, the joys of soy milk. Of course i'm back to eating meat again, i'm in love with my Missibaba leather visor caps and Naomi would rather wear fur than go naked. But don't despair skat, my new green cycling hobby has erased all residual guilt. Tonight i got onto my ride, Missibaba visor on my head along with my loudest headphones to block the hooter noises from those ozone layer destroying car drivers, you are of course welcome to correct me if the ozone is no longer the big thing to feel guilty about, just as long you let me know what the new thing to feel collectively guilty about is. My destination was a launch party for  Creative Cape Town Annual 2010. I'd be lying if i said i knew what the fuck they are about and you can blame my general ignorance mixed in with a generous dose of self-absorption for that, the booze was free though, so hey. If you are really curious about it, follow this link to visit their site. Anyway, after a couple of beers and pleasant conversation i got on my ride and headed back home. On the way home i rode past what looked like a matric dance (hope this explains the purple dress above), it made me look forward to more random situations that i  might be able to stop and photograph on my bicycle rides though the city.

@ PASS AGAIN AND BLOWN AWAY

The PASS (check post below if you're scratching your head) flyer describes tonight's performance as "Kisangani(DRC) based dance collective Kabako Studio's More more more.....Future infuses the hybrid rhythms of Ndombolo music with hefty doses of punk rage and cosmic energy to deliver a pre-Sputnik space travelouge into the unknown..........they merge explosive dance and experimental theatre, mysticism and militancy, riddle and confrontation, within a wholly new context, where weird worlds of sound open before us" Personally i think this description is part lazy, part unimaginative, part reductionist and part dopey, as in copywriters should not gargle with bong water. But i must respect that water, for atleast it gave them the confidence to attempt to describe the super sensual audio-visual experience that is 'More more more...Future". I for one will not even try, i was truly blown away, seriously Oh My Gaga! Maybe someone else did not enjoy it but i loved it, they got me and they got me good. Unfortunately skat, it was a one night only performance, so if you missed it......well, you missed it and you know that much less, shit happens.

@ PASS

If like me you've got a somewhat mild grip on the CT cultural scene skat, you really should know what PASS is about, but just in case you're going thru an ignorant episode let's help you out; PASS stands for Pan African Space Station. It is a 30-day music intervention on the internet and in venues across greater Cape Town from Sept 12th till October 12. There are way too many culture vulture type goodies on offer during this intervention, you'd do good to click on this here link to check out their website. Besides the various events in the greater Cape Town, you ca go and check them out at their broadcasting base on long street, same building as ON BROADWAY, the exact address escapes me, sommer just there inbetween Shortmarket and Strand street.  There's always some or other live recording happening and a cash bar, naturally.

WOW!!!

The Black Ivy from Street Etiquette on Vimeo.

Like i've stated before, i prefer to post material that i've shot rather than scouring the net for content, but i fell completely in love with this video which i spotted on http://streetetiquette.com/ which is an excellent blog by the way. love love love.

HERIT&AGE @ MISAEL

I must confess, the whole braai day thing always bugs me a little when it comes to national heritage day. A country like ours, packed full of diverse heritage has chosen to unite around the burning flesh of dead animals. Really? Of course i'm being a little bit of a hypocrite because i don't have plans to do anything more meaningful to acknowledge this day, and i most certainly will be stuffing some or other dead animal down my throat, but i'm just saying. Anyway, on the eve heritage day, i went to see a photographic exhibition opening by photographer Moeketsi Max Moticoe, which he did in collabo with one of my oldest friends, make-up artist Ronetta Matsietsa (well done love, ever so proud of you). The exhibition is titled 'Herit & Age', and it is showing at Misael on Bree street. Thanks to the two of them, i feel a touch less superficial (or is that a touch more superficial) around the whole heritage day subject. Now bring me my boerewors and my black label.

RANDOM SNAP /// SHAMELESSLY PLUGGING ATHI'S SHOW:PHASE ONE

Arnreuby designer Odysseus Shirindza photographed at artist Athi-Patra Ruga's studio. The image behind Odysseus is a preliminary for a tapestry which will be shown at What If The World gallery in Woodstock as part of Athi's new solo exhibition 'Teeth are the only bones that show'  which opens  at 18h00 on October the 6th. Diarise Skattie.

OM NAMAH MISSIBABA, OM SHANTI MISSIBABA

Just in case you don't know skat, let's cover some basic Missibaba facts. The label is based in Cape Town.  It was established in 2005 by Chloe Townsend who is quite the leather guru. It is an accessory brand...duh. Cool that's the basics covered, you can click here to check out their website for more info. I took the above pics at their Spring/Summer 2010 range launch which was held at Superette in Woodstock last night. The collection is called Cowboy's Little Girl.  Although it's kind of obvious just from checking out the pics, i must say that they really do make fucking amazing leather goods. I'm not one to prescribe but if you are still walking around with yesteryear's shiny/studded/buckled-to-hell-and-back bags, this range should serve as a stylish wake-up call. You can shop them at the Old Biscuit Mill on Lower Main in Woodstock. If u're not in Cape Town, i am not quite sure where to direct you, ja i know i make a lousy journalist. But don't worry skat, i will email them on your behalf and then i will come back and update this post once i've got all the facts on my side (update: got my facts straight, you can buy Missibaba from Misfit, Mungo & Jemima, shop-label.com, africhic to name a few. You can also buy directly from their workshop in The Palms in Woodstock 021 461 1083). . Diligent stylista that you are, i'm sure you'll also click onto their website and get their details for yourself. I first spotted their goods at the Neighbourgoods market a few years ago, i fell completely in love with a belt, i think it retailed for R600, and cheapskate skank that i was (probably still am) i never got around to buying the damn belt. Anyway fast-forward  to 2010, a friend called Justin gave me two leather visor caps from the Missibaba range and they've become a permanent feature on my rather enormous head. I was actually wearing one of them last night when Justin reminded what a good friend he is for giving me those Missibaba caps....eish Justin. At the risk of sounding rather sycophantic, i must give props to Carey Townsend of 'girl about town' PR and communication, the evening was so fucking sleekly put together, it makes me very curious to see the heights to which her PR work will take this label.

BTW, Missibaba won the Business Savvy accessories designer award at the 2010 Marie Claire Prix d'Excellence de la Mode Awards on Tuesday night.

WEDNESDAY

In order of appearance: Georgina Gratrix @ YOUNGBLACKMAN project space, Nonhlanhla Mditshwa @ PASS (Pan African Space Station for the uninformed), a Figaro and Jody Frances/Brand @ VANSA for William Martin's solo. Would love to write more, but fucking tired skat, been out every night this week. Later.

ON ART AND SOBRIETY

Greetings art tarts, tarty artists and garden variety skatties. I've posted on quite a lot of exhibition opening nights in the past as you might know. However, most of the time i'm so busy taking pictures and getting absolutely wasted, i really don't get to give the work on show the attention it sometimes deserves. Well skattie, in an effort to exorcise the art poser within, i took a big step this time and i went to the gallery a whole hour and a half before the actual opening, gave myself a moment to engage with the art without being distracted by whole schmoozing business. The only problem is that it also means i was there a whole hour and a half before the bar opened, which is just awful, no one should have to engage with so much art in a sober state. So if you gonna try it out skat, make sure to invest in a whisky flask. But what of the art skat? Well, whilst walking around in my dangerously sober state i happened to overhear a lady from the gallery speaking to a potential buyer. As i said, i was sober, so i can quote her exact words which were "yes, now is a good time to buy because next time his work will be more expensive". I think that about sums it up skat.

p.s. Welcome back Dom, looking even hotter than before!