The series of dry point prints are inspired by events that took place over the past three years from ‘09 – to 2012. Since my last body the pigeon/city vagabond was a static , bold and sometimes melancholic figure. I represented him as victim of circumstance a tragic figure trying to find his way through the city or life.
Three years on and much has changed. I had to endure major changes in both my personal and professional life and I see myself as a victim who took chances that eventually paid off. Instead of the city being this unforgiving place it became an artificial being shaped by its inhabitants. The buildings became energy conductors , instead of it towering over me it became part of landscape. There is a popular saying ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ only problem is that this isn’t Rome, its Joburg here we play by our own rules , we take charge and bend life to our discretion. It’s not the city that kills us it’s ‘fear’- this realisation inspired me to portray the pigeon/city vagabond as a flamboyant , sometimes majestic bold figure.
These two are a diptych.
1)Title: 9:30 in the Morning Meandering with Dreams and Ambitions
Description: 9:30 in the morning, the city can be rather inspirational. Throughout the late morning there is a awaked silent’s and artificial drone in the air. Before my career took off I used to take walks around the city bouncing ideas and dreams off the concrete walls hoping that one day it will take root and bare fruits.
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2) Title: 9:38 in the Morning Meandering with Dreams and Ambitions
Description: 9:38 in the morning, the city can be rather inspirational. Throughout the late morning there is a awaked silent’s and artificial drone in the air. Before my career took off I used to take walks around the city bouncing ideas and dreams off the concrete walls hoping that one day it will take root and bare fruits.
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3)Title: The Black Touching the Sky
Description: The pigeons/city vagabond represents ‘black’ consciousness , the sky , the world that we find ourselves in. The large opens spaces of the sky is a conceptual representation of the vast and often unforgiving space that ‘consciousness’ often finds its self in. As artists it’s our moral duty to create awareness , inspire and usher in beauty, but sometimes it feels like our voices are lost in this vast world . I wanted to represent this complicated issue in an unproblematic manner.
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4)Title: Organised Chaos – The Legend of the Vagabond
Description: I explored the relationship between the hustle and bustle of the city streets verses the chaotic lifestyle of the city dwellers. The city is can be a fanatical space, yet there is a symmetry , a frequency , a rhythm to the craziness. An organised chaos to the madness.
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5)Title: Mondego the City Vagabond
Description: ( Mondego , my alter ego). Over the past three years life dished out lemons and became tough. Mondego tackled this adversity head on and ultimately overcame it. I represented him an extravagant pose – which represents he’s character alongside his lifelong partner – Merceres nemeses Dantes and a few onlookers.
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6)Tile: Soaring above our Adversity
Description: The inspiration behind this piece came from a spoken word session I attend mid 2011.
The spoken word came along way since 2002 when I attended my first session at ‘Cool Runnings’ in Melville. Since then the movement became a small industry
I became involved as a publisher in 2005 and saw people come and go however the passion for the Words , Expression , Artistry and Creativity grew exponentially. The metaphor stuck and on my way home I saw the vagabond/pigeon take off from the ground in spectacular fashion.
I conceptualised used that image to represent the splendour of creativity and seeing it take off.
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7)Tile: Shoulder to Shoulder , Comrade
