MASAI IN SOUTH AFRICA ... AN ENDANGERED PROJECT

The art of being creative and creating art itself is something that has always been a part of my life since I was a kid, in fact it’s more or less the only thing I have ever felt I could do with real confidence. I began working with spray cans three years ago as I believe in constantly challenging myself as much as possible, however the constant bombardment of Internet street art viewing has left me feeling exhausted by something I truly love. It is this weariness which lead me to realise that if I’m going to continue painting on the streets and be a part of this cyber viewing craze, then I need a message and purpose behind what I’m doing. Although one of the most inspiring things that has come from this new age of accessible Internet art, is seeing that artists are now traveling the world painting walls from one land to the next, spreading their voice. Last year I spent time in Jamaica and this year I’m in South Africa, where half of my Dad’s side of the family live. With the desire to paint for purpose, I have embarked on a new painting project to highlight the plight of endangered animals, which, whilst it is difficult to be precise as many species die out without even being discovered, is a problem which continues to get worse.

Wednesday 20th February

I arrived in Capetown and sat down to indulge in peaches and juice with Indigo and her friend Raphael, at my adopted apartment for the month. By mid-afternoon on Thursday I had bought around 50 cans of paint and set to work planning my train journey up to Johannesburg. That evening I found myself in Woodstock for an art talk with Remed and Freddy Sam, which left me feeling even more amped for painting, not only during this trip but on walls around the world.

The Train to Johannesburg: Two Hours Down, 24 to Go

I’ve always wanted to take a long train journey, I’ve been on a fair few long bus journeys through South America but never a 26 hour train ride and the prospect is exciting. A few people tried to persuade me to take a flight but I won’t be told, I know when I need to tread a path, there’s an eternal passing landscape and for me, that’s the beauty of a train, the track always runs through the wilderness. Two hours in and I don’t know for sure but it seems that apart from some obvious heavy drinkers, I’m among a safe crowd. The sleeper cabins which are suggested for tourists were all full, so I’m in Third Class where all the action happens. I’m among clicks of Afrikaans and women singing, im quietly beaming.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Six Hours in a Tin Can

Blazing sun, tensions are rising, there’s now a genuine and palpable discomfort amongst some of the passengers. Is it the heat, is it the alcohol or is it just who they are? The afternoon sun draws to an end and I know it will start cooling down again soon, but not for a while. It’s time to listen to some music. Cigarette smoke fills my nostrils and burns my eyes. I can’t keep my eyes open longer than an hour, can’t keep them closed half of that. I’m learning my levels of tolerance.

24 Hours

I feel like I’m in a moving prison, my eyes are so heavy with sleep deprivation, my bowels expanded with no relief. Rumour has it we are sentenced to a two hour delay. The night got rowdy, people fought, young men prowled the train corridors looking for a pickup, everyone is drinking the boredom away. The morning is much quieter, we all shuffle on our seats looking for the next least uncomfortable position.

30 Hours Later

I’m here, I’m actually pulling into Johannesburg. Now can I go and paint please?

many thanks to ro elfberg for grammerising my punk ass

NEW ERA INTRODUCING - PRESERVATION

NEW ERA INTRODUCING - LOUIS MASAI MICHEL amongst about another 120 odd artists including my empress LINDA ZINA ASLAKSEN.....

THE SCULPTURE IS CALLED....PRESERVATION....

. PRESERVE OUR CULTURE
. PRESERVE OUR ANIMAL KINGDOM
. PRESERVE NATURE
. PRESERVE HIPHOP
. PRESERVE CREATION

A BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT CAN BE FOUND BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK....
http://neweraintroducing.com/


BUT IN SHORT THE NEW ERA GUYS HAVE RELEASED A COMP WERE BY ARTISTS  ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT AN IDEA TO CHANGE THE HAT THE BEST ONES FROM 7 COUNTRIES WERE SELECTED, WE RECEIVED OUR BLANK CANVAS HAT TO DEVELOP...TWO WEEKS LATER WE POSTED EM BACK TO BE JUDGED THE BEST 70 GO GLOBAL, ON A TOURING EXHIBITION, CURATED BY LOTS OF AMAZING PEOPLE IN THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNTRIES, THEN THEY CHOOSE ONE , THATS RIGHT ONE HAT, TO BE THE WINNER AND THEY GET 10K...UMMM YES PLEASE NEW ERA... ILL TAKE THAHT OPPORTUNITY, LIKE DUCK TO WATER....THIS IS WHAT I MADE...



                                                       THE TOOLS, THE TOOLS

NEWSPAPERS FROM THE LONDON TRAINS COME IN VERY HANDY, ALTHOUGH U DO LOOK LIKE A HOBO PULLING EM OUT OF BINS...O WELL..IN THE NAME OF ART...

THIS FABRIC PATTERN IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE AFRICAN PRINTS AND I HAVE HAD SOME OF THIS FABRIC FOR THE LAST 10 ODD YEARS...INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH NEARLY ALL AFRICAN PRINT IS MADE IN HOLLAND EVEN WHEN U GO TO AFRICA AND BUY IN THE MARKETS, IT USUALLY SAYS PRINTED IN HOLLAND...

FOR ME IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PATTERN THAT RELATED TO THE HATS AUDIENCE...WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A TYPECASTING FOOL, ALOT OF PEOPLES WEARING NEW ERA ARE INFLUENCED BY HIPHOP CULTURE AND THAT TENDS TO BE ABLOT OF AFRO CULTURE, OF COURSE ITS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY ALL HIPHOP ELEMENTS AND NOW IS AS MULTI ASSETED AS QUALITY STREET, BUT WHEN I THINK OF NEW ERA I STILL SEE DIZEE RASCAL..MAYBEY ITS JUST ME... SO I WANTED THE AFROCENTRIC CULTURE TO B THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET TO MY CREATION....AND AFRICAN PATTERNS ARE AMAZING SHAPES AND COLOURS...

PAINTING THAT HAT WAS SO THERAPEUTIC. MIGHT JUST HAVE BEEN THE FINALL BIT OF SUNSHINE WE EXPERIENCING COMING IN HROUGH THE WINDOW, BUT YEAH IT WAS ALOT OF FUN...

CUTTING INTO THE HAT WAS A LITTLE DAUNTING, COS I KNEW IF I FUCT IT NOW THAT WAS IT BUT I MANAGED TO FIGURE IT OUT TO FIT THE EARS AND SLID EM IN FILLING IN THE HOLES WTH NO NAILS GLUE AND PAPER...

SO WHY A SPRINGBOK...COS I THINK THEY COOL ANIMALS... I LOVE THEIR HUGE EARS... I LOVE HOW THEY ARE THE CENTRE TO THE SURVIVAL OF A LOT OF AFRICAS BIG GAME CATS, WITHOUT THE GRAZERS IN THE WORLD THE MEAT EATERS WOULD BE GONE...THIS IN SOME WAYS IS MY WAY OF GIVING THANKS TO THEIR ABUNDANCE...DURING THE BUILD THE SHAPE OF THE FACE WENT FROM LIZARD TO CROC TO DONKEY TO HORSE BACK TO LIZRD TO DRAGON, FINALLY I FOUND MY SPRINGBOK WELL I THINK HE LOOKS LIKE ONE ANYWAY....

TO MAKE THE EYE LASHES I USED A DUSTPAN AND BRUSHES BRISTLES...CURLED EM WITH A BLADE AND PATIENTLY STUCK EACH ONE IN.....

IN THE ORIGINAL DRAWING THE SPRINGBOK IS SUCKING ON A TOOTHPICK. LIKE HOW JAZZ CATS, HIPHOPSTERS, GANGSTERS AND ALIKE DO.  THESE GUYS ALWAYS ARE CHEWING ON TWIGS AND GRASS SO IT SEEMED FITTING FOR THE ILLUSTRATION...SO FOR THE SCULPTURE I WAS RUNNING AROUND LOOKING FOR A BBQ STICK TO IMITATE A LARGE TOOTHPICK, COULD I FIND ONE IN THE HOUSE HELL NO...I HAD A LIGHTNING STRIKE MOMENT AND SNAPPED A PENCIL...AS AN END RESULT, IT WAS THE BEST DECISION OF THE DAY...

SO THIS IS A CLOSE UP OF THE STAND WITH THE NAME TAG, ADORNED WITH MY STAMP LOGO.  THE OTHER MAIN FACTOR THAT I WANTED THIS SCULPTURE TO ACHIEVE WAS MUCH IN SAME AS THE ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION...ITS ABOUT A LOVE AND HATE FOR TAXIDERMY...I HATE THE FACT THAT THIS A MURDERED ANIMAL, BUT I CANT HELP BUT LOVE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO PRESERVE THIS WHAT SHOULD HAVE ROTED ORGANISM, I LOVE THE INTRICATE DETAILS AND THE WAY TAXIDERMY IS PRESENTED....I HATE THE PEOPLE THAT COLLECT THE TAXIDERMY AND THE WAY IT IS USED AS AWAY OF SAYING IM HUMAN IM THE MOST IMPORTANT LIVING CREATURE.  SO I USE TAXIDERMY IN MY WORK AS A WAY TO SAY WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS WE ARE...WE COULD HAVE MADE THE SAME THING WITHOUT KILING THE ANIMAL IN THE FIRST PLACE... I ADD ALL THE ADORNING S AS WITH MY OTHER WORK TO DOCUMENT ALL THE FUNNNY THINGS WE AS HUMANS SEE AS RELEVANT TO OUR PRESENCE...HATS, FABRICS, PENCILS, ETC....

SO BELOW IS THE FILM I MADE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT I HAVE LEFT NO MUSIC ON THE FILM PURPOSELY SO THAT U CAN LISTEN TO WHAT EVER MUSIC U HAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER ALREADY...I LIKE LISTENING TO 340ML OR 

7FT SOUNDSYSTEM WHILST PLAYING IT.... BOTH ARE FROM SOUTH AFRICA...

THE END.......ONE LOVE