Unfortunately I missed the deadline, but this is my completed submission for the Parallelogram: Volume 2 publication.
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Vega School exhibited work at the Open Book Comics Fest (in Cape Town) in September 2017, which forms part of the Open Book Festival (one of the largest and most visible book festivals on the continent.
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Published in 2016 with 80 signed and editioned copies, Parallelogram: Volume 1 embodied an anthology of visual narrative work and illustration by BA Creative Brand Communications - Copywriting, Multimedia and Visual Communication - students and lecturers from Vega School Cape Town.
The project aimed to leverage visibility of student and lecturer collaborations outside of campus via a comic book stand at the 2016 Open Book Comics Fest in Cape Town, where the anthology was sold to the public and other established comics authors could view and buy their work. The result was high-visibility of student work by the public and, more importantly, the galvanization of students into extending their visual narratives outside of the publication, creating their own comic book publications for Showcase and, ultimately, stoking the flames and spirit of self-publishing in and off of campus.
The publication encouraged students to be subversive and to explore the nature of self-publishing and, more importantly, to make students and other aspiring authors realise that anyone can publish their stories if they’re willing to work hard and put themselves out there.
Students were given free reign and responded critically to topics such as sex, race, gender, addiction, romance, politics and more.
My submission
The brief encouraged us to be critical in our approach and to not shy away from taboo topics. The brief also called on us to be subversive and also encouraged candid, personal and autobiographical content. Ultimately, we had to explore local topics and develop your own visual vernacular that had an identifiably local flavour either visually or in its written tone.
The theme for this years edition of the Parallelogram publication was Urban Dystopia, and I chose to focus on the topic of beggars and homelessness in the city of Cape Town. I saw this as a kind of dystopia because many people perceive beggars to be undesirable and that confronting homelessness is unpleasant for many wealthier communities.
Influenced by South African Resistance Art, I created a lino cut silent narrative highlighting the 'problem' of beggars concentrated at traffic lights in the city. The name 'Change for a loosey' comes from the urban slang for a 'loosey' which is a single cigarette usually bought from a store clerk instead of buying a full pack of cigarettes. The 'loosey' is pretty relevant to the thinking behind this brief. Many homeless beggars which I have personally met often ask for change followed by asking for a cigarette (or a loosey). 'Change for a loosey' is also a subtle metaphor for the little amount of change/help those who can afford it seem to give to the poor. I personally also have seen many homeless people spend their hard earned change on looseys.
This project is personally something which I really enjoyed making. I love working with my hands and really enjoy working with lino cuts. The medium I felt really strengthened the message and I learnt a new respect for South African Resistance Art. I hand burnished the lino cuts on 60% cotton Fabriano paper. The brief called for a 21x21cm book which I also enjoyed working with. Many of my illustrations are done pretty small and I decided that I'd take advantage of using a smaller canvas in this project. This brief is something quite personal to me, I'm a huge advocate for helping those less fortunate and at no point was this project aimed at stereotyping or targeting anyone.
