For those of you who have not heard, Contempo is the new "art + culture + design" magazine for South Africa’s non-elite art appreciators (etc). I was admittedly extremely apprehensive at first – my line being that the art snob in me must be skeptical of any publication touting a regular column called But is it art? And then there was this and that and it goes on. But with Jeremy Wafer on the cover, and articles on artists ranging from Churchill Madikida and William Kentridge to Willem Boshoff and Luan Nel, I could not resist. And, let’s be honest, R35 is a steal, even if just for the hot photos.
So I picked up the mag and gave it a whirl. At first, it reminded me of the website – a bit too slick of a design for the google geek in me to enjoy, but paradoxically making me imagine myself in its pages, and making me feel (as Brett Kebble once did) a bit like a rock star for a moment.
This, I liked.
And the longer articles, despite their attempted WOW! factor facade that could have easily only scratched the surface of what us artists hold dear, mostly took the time to dance around/with a bit of the conceptual and purposeful, while still managing to keep their ‘duv duv music’ pumping, and introducing some gossip where necessary for their target audience. Contempo is basically attempting to tread an editorial / journalistic line between a naive art enthusiast, an art expert (but more on the "dealer" than on the "university lecturer" side), and your cool older cousin (or young aunt with a nose ring?) who is gonna show you the ropes.
So, while Art South Africa has somehow managed to convince the Ivory Towers That Be that it deserves recognition as an accredited journal of art, Contempo says, ‘Come party with us.’ And this, despite the fact that many of its contributors have often penned for Art South Africa and Artthrob.
Contempo is super- hip and trendy, and full of jewelry, movies, design, tattoos, furniture and other design-y things that we’re not used to seeing in our (count them: TWO) fine art publications here. It may be trying to be too many things for too many people (for now), and its target consumer may be slightly different from the artists it writes about, but – exhale – it’s about frikkin time we introduced our great artists to the rest of South Africa, and without pretense. Yes, it capitalizes on those unnatainable goals of fashion, style and culture that many artists scoff at, but it mostly reads pretty well, and is an absolute breath of fresh air to see such an excitable, mainstream publication on contemporary, non-mainstream art – - especially coming out of somewhere other than Cape Town.
For me, Contempo’s main goal could not be clearer: get a mass amount of people and money behind, and excited about, contemporary South African art. And that’s most definitely something I can support.
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One minor thing – I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there a few articles I could have given a total miss… Really off base, I mean (two pages on “gallery kissing”? and not funny, despite how hard it tried…). But still, on the whole, worth it and good for ‘the scene.’
It is really rewarding when one of our foremost artists understands, appreciates and supports what CONTEMPO is trying to do. And any constructive criticism is helpful. We are, after all trying to produce a magazine that our reader enjoys, not a magazine that promotes what we believe art is.
Germaine Moolman, Copy Editor, CONTEMPO
Thanks, Germaine – glad to see you here!
When I was in South Africa last year, I was amazed by the quality of the folk/outsider art — who knew that Coke cans, bottle caps or scraps of wire could be turned into so many different things? (I’m still brooding about not having bought a “beaded curtain” made of old yogurt containers, found objects and pieces of garden hose.) What I love about art from found objects is that they make you look at your surroundings in a more creative way. You think for yourself, rather than relying an artist to pre-digest the visual world for you. I found South Africa to be a wonderful place to jump-start creativity.
How the hell do you get yourself noticed as an artist? I need help.
And cigarettes
Hey Melissa – gosh, i wish I knew. Just keep making good work, and be sure to engage with other artists and art-appreciators in every way your time and talents allow, I guess (sometimes works for me…). Good luck.
Thanks nathaniel. I’m in the process of being in the process of becoming an artist… Life sometimes gets in the way (work, money etc…). I wish i could quit my job. At least i quit smoking.. :-)
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[...] For those of you who recall, I did a little write up on Contempo mag – the new Arts/Cutlure/Design SA thinger – when it first came out. More or less, I said I completely support their intentions, despite my occasional skepticism of some of their content (which is mostly applaudable). There’s been some overt aggression towards the mag by some of the more vociferous (I eagerly await their magazines and web sites that support the arts in any way, shape or form!). [...]
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