34 days until the world comes to South Africa to celebrate in the name of football. I’ve always been very proud of my country and especially my most beautiful hometown, Cape Town. I gained more perspective on our unique cultures, diversities, spirit and beauty when I had the opportunity to live in the UK for a few years. Since I’ve returned, I’ve been inspired to create some fun illustrations of the places in Cape Town we are all such fans of.
Chakalaka Designs - Image © Jesse Kramer
They are currently being sold as postcards in various art & bookshops in the city and this morning I opened the paper to find an article by Antjie Krog, acclaimed author and poet, comparing an original representation of the Cape in 1777 to my postcard of 2010!
Here are some excerpts from her article:
‘The Vendors at the traffic light crossing towards Cavendish Square were the first to see the economic potential of visualizing Cape Town’s soccer stadium.
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But it was only when the first postcard appeared that it hit one between the eyes: both the postcard and the vendor paintings made use of the old and first colonial visualizations of what later grew into a city.
In one of the earliest engravings (1777), titled Prospect of the Cape of Good Hope, several elements were being enlarged or reduced, confirming that maps, drawings and paintings of places are never meant to be accurate. Things are manipulated to symbolize something. In this engraving it was “prospects”!
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The lively postcard, similarly, had been drawn from the same position, albeit more elevated. The sailing vessel has become a yacht. The mountain is tamed into its friendly linked-into-one, famous, flat cliché embracing a jumble of cheerful First World architecture.
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Domination of the Cape is complete: people walk on the mountain and hang glide from its cliffs. The sky has a sunny sun, the sea is domesticated to a pollution-ed grey housing whales and foamy boat wakes.
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Once again, imagination is used to try and rationalize a link between the stadium and the experiences of Capetonians living in a much divided city. Once again we do it from the outside looking in and we see ourselves all mixed and happy in the “prospects” of WC2010.’
Written by Antjie Krog
Cape Times, 7 May 2010
For more info on Chakalaka Designs, you can visit the facebook page <www.facebook.com/chakalakadesigns>
follow our progress on twitter < http://www.twitter.com/ChakalakaDesign>
Or go to the website, <www.chakalakadesigns.co.za>
Postcards are currently stocked at Heartworks (Gardens & Biscuit Mill); Wordsworth (Gardens Centre); Mandela Rhodes Place Rainbow Experience; Balletique; The Book Lounge
All images © Jesse Kramer
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