Mural For ART SCAPE, Cape Town
Some notes on the mural project

by Garth Erasmus, visual artist

As a visual artist and performer in productions I have established links with Artscape Theatre over the years and am aware that the theatre is in a state of renewal in the context of the new South Africa. Dedicated to the cultural upliftment of a community once starved of culture it must strive to become a powerful symbol of this renewal [both physically and spiritually]…I consider myself playing a part in this rebirth in the creation of a colourful mural on the walls of the theatre`s access passageway to the parking area.

The main aim of the project is to enhance the physical appearance of an important cultural institution, to encourage the development of skills among the youth through participation in this project, and to nurture a sense of artistic dignity for previously disadvantaged artists.

In my work as both visual artist and musician I focus on dealing with aspects of heritage, identity and ancestry…and coming to terms with a renewed understanding of history and how important it is in the quest for healing from a dark and tortuous past. Symbolically I am intrigued by the fact that the Artscape Access Passage now grants access to those for whom access was once denied…and I see this as a challenging metaphor on which to base the mural design. Secondly, the prevailing ambience of the car park itself is one of semi-darkness and as one enters the passage toward the theatre there is the gradual coming in to light in the approach to the foyer…and further pronounced by the fact that one walks up a short staircase after a passage…[tunnel]…leading from an underground space [rural to urban].

The work completed so far is 8 panels of various dimensions and a mixture of themes. I do not really want to call this work my own. I don’t really want to take sole ownership of it and I think it shows through in the completed panels because I see the way all the young artists who assisted me… I see their contribution and the way we all influenced one another. There is the landscape panel… an idealistic Kalahari scene that is empty of human presence…. This is a metaphor for the open-endedness of our country’s future. There is the design panel that incorporates influences and evidence of indigenous world cultures like Native American and Aboriginal and of course, Khoisan, which is the dominant theme throughout the mural. There is a panel that celebrates the rock art of South Africa and an interesting series of portraits of some of the Khoisan men who helped shape our understanding of Khoisan mythology and language.

Décor Artist’s Project

by Viola May, Assistent Director Visual and Performing Arts

The Décor Artist’s project is an initiative put in place by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, to give artists in the Western Cape a platform to market their products. The Department is in the process of facilitating a project where artists from the Western Cape “Capture the World of Work in the Western Cape” from survivalist enterprises, to small businesses to people working in formal organisations.

The Department will decorate the open spaces in its offices for public viewing. The Department intends building a collection of paintings over a period of time. We are committed to buying 25 pieces a year. We will ensure that details of the artists are made available so that potential purchasers are able to contact the artists directly. Another important aspect is to ensure that the artists are representatives from across the entire Province. Representivity will grow year by year. The project is seen as an important initiative in developing creative arts and cultural industries in a very practical way.

Artists include the likes of Sophie Peters well known for her work reflecting the struggle of a mother’s life and Patrick Mokhuane for his work reflecting the days of District Six and Garth Erasmus reflecting his love for music and art.

Dancing with Dolphins

(Part III)

by Mandy Young

When I look at the Mona Lisa, mischievous-cute combination smile on a dolphin’s face, I want to play.

65 million years ago a convoluted neo-cortical brain mass began to evolve, the paleo-mammalian brain. An enhanced brain capacity that is shared by humans and dolphins alike, and distinguishes us from our more cold-hearted, instinctively reacting reptilian roots. Together with other mammals like elephants and baboons we developed a greater capacity for sensory socializing and emotional responsiveness, and above all a heightened capacity for play, for taking care of the young, for feeling and self-discovery. So who better to dance with when exploring our playful, creative selves? Who better to watch darting through sun-filtered frothy surf when we want to be adventurous, take a risk, and be more than we are right now? Who better to mimic with relationship grace as a dolphin couple flirtatiously swims past in their underwater dome, or a dolphin mother protectively cuddles her young calf, or a group of squealing dolphin teenagers show-off their Creator-designed skills and potential?

In the warm Mozambican waters in the bay of Ponto D’Ouro there are over 200 dolphins in different pods that wait to greet you. It is an incredible experience to be accepted and have your life touched by one of the most mystical creatures of the sea, a mammal that we so closely identify with because of its very humane characteristics. We all know of stories of dolphins that have saved dehydrating, injured shipwrecked sailors from a watery grave. We also know of how these sensitive, caring animals reach out to those who are disadvantaged by sight or sense or an inability to communicate because they are imprisoned in an autistic world. Somehow the dolphins are able to understand beyond our own human sensitivities and so teach us things we have not yet realized are part of ourselves. Modern day computer programs try to emulate their sonar-healing capacities in a process called symatic therapy, where certain vibrations, similar to the dolphins’ natural sonorific calls, are pulsated into our bodies to realign malfunctioning organs and ‘out-of-synch’ body systems.

When we visit the dolphins we have the privilege of staying at Tartaruga Maritima, a Portuguese name, drawing us to preserve the ancient turtles who visit these romantic, untouched stretches of beach, as they take a yearly pilgrimage to seasonally lay their eggs and bring life to a new generation. In luxury tents amongst a treed canopy where our senses are gently brushed by dainty butterflies and bird calls, and cheekily challenged by curious vervet monkeys, we can rest and restore our souls to the sounds of the rhythmic surf that soothes us to sleep at night or calls us to swim in the day.

This is the description of a Dancing with Dolphins participant who was moved to dance, to creativity and to freedom. Your experience may be the same or very different. Each person is unique with their own special place and purpose on the patch of earth they influence, but each one of us is worth the time it takes to follow our hearts and to interact with the dolphins in our own special dance, directed by us and by them!

“The tranquility of the open beach that curved into the arch of a dolphin’s back seemed to unlock a deep passion inside of me that had been aching to be unhinged. I felt alone and yet so full - bursting at the seams. My heart seemed to sing with the wind that threw my hair into the evening sky. I twirled around; pivoting in the sand, spiraling into the warmth of the sun’s sinking rays. I felt alive, immersed in a beauty that stole nothing, but gave dance. Not a dance that was choreographed, but one that had its own rhythm – Creator-pulsations through His pure, unblemished creation - through me!

My sarong wrapped around my legs as I ran through the evening air, the soft breeze kissing my cheeks and hugging my bare shoulders. The gentle, warm sea slapped against my ankles and I realized how aware I was of my own body. I knew me then, in that moment. I could feel the hairs on my arms as they reached out to the setting sun.