Tammy Greer is a writer and Creative Feel’s recently appointed Editor.
Welcome to our July issue! It’s hard to believe that we are already entering the second half of 2019.
The July issue is always one of my favourites to work on. For the past seven years, we have partnered with the annual RMB Turbine Art Fair (TAF) and it’s something the whole team looks forward to every year. We feel that it perfectly aligns with what we are trying to do as Creative Feel, to provide a space for artists to grow, thrive and flourish. For us, it’s an exercise in uncovering who the next rising stars in the art world will be, through programmes like Talent Unlocked and The Graduate Exhibition or by browsing the Artist Proof Studio (APS) stand. Each year, I’ve taken note of artists and watched as their artworks have gotten better and better and their prices have gradually soared out of my price range.
‘Discovering’ upcoming young artists who are new to me is something that I delight in. Olivié Keck’s exhibition Drop Dead Gorgeous at Everard Read’s CIRCA Gallery really stuck with me, and the whole Creative Feel team fell in love with her use of colour. The exhibition was accompanied by a Virtual Reality experience at TMRW Gallery, Ophelia Forever, which was such an incredible way to add another dimension to an artwork and was completely immersive. With more and more artists opting to explore this medium, and TMRW Gallery providing the space to do so, the intersection of VR and art is something that everyone should experience – whether you are ‘techy’ or not. Very excitingly – and a first for RMB TAF – Olivié will show Ophelia Forever at the Creative Feel stand, so if you’ll be at the Fair, don’t miss it!
With the Durban International Film Festival coming up this month, we also dug into the state of the film industry in South Africa, and we aren’t quite yet where we should be. There is so much talent for visual storytelling in our country, and a richness of stories waiting to be told, that our film industry should really be thriving. Hopefully, with the funds that are now being set aside by various funding bodies for the film industry, we can start seeing more world-class films being made by (and, importantly, for) South Africans.
As always, there is just so much happening in the world of arts and culture, particularly in South Africa. To borrow from Mark Read’s article in this issue, ‘I emphatically believe that these early tremulous decades of this millennia will be viewed as a purple patch for art in South Africa. The artists have catalysed the energy of dealers who have succeeded in illuminating astonishing work with exhibitions both locally and internationally.’ It is an honour to be able to put together a magazine that reflects just a portion of this vibrancy. I hope you enjoy the issue!
To keep up-to-date with the latest arts and culture news in South Africa, purchase the July 2019 issue of Creative Feel or subscribe to our monthly magazine from only R180.00 to R365.00 per year! SUBSCRIBE HERE!
