July 14, 2005
By Mamello Makgana and Rose Setshoge
THE bright painting catches the eye of passers-by and motorists. You could hardly miss the sassy, street smart, fashionable young thing lounging against the wall, part of a large graffiti mural outside Newtown's Couch and Coffee Café.
Four cans of spray paint share her limelight; the graphics and imagery on the cans are the signatures of the four artists who painted the mural. Working as fulltime artists, they are known on both the local and international graffiti scene.
Each spraycan represents one of the artists
Given the support of the Johannesburg Development Agency, the mural is a project of the Write On Africa initiative.
It's a beautiful depiction of how South Africa's political history relates to the hip-hop culture of today's youth. To urban youngsters, the late struggle icon Steve Biko, in the heart of the woman's T-shirt, presents the past.
Write On Africa aims to bring youngsters back into the inner city. "We want to rejuvenate the inner city with the use of colour, vibrance and depictions of positive messages that appeal to the youth," say the organisers.
That's not all, however. "We want to educate the public and eliminate the negative stigma attached to graffiti," they add.
Joburg artist Ricky Lee Gordon manages the initiative through self-funding and sponsorships from the business sector, making it possible for the fulltime artists he works with to paint the murals.
Sticking to true graffiti culture, they are known as Faith47, Mark1One, Rasty and Décor. Mark1One explains the names, saying that in Harlem, in the US, graffiti artists were named after the streets and avenues from which they came.
Faith47 is the only female in the group. She works on canvas, murals and digital design. She describes this mural as a campaign to raise awareness among youngsters. To understand where they come from, they need to be aware of class issues, she says.
This is the second graffiti mural in Joburg that has a message for the youth. The first was a wall in Jan Smuts Avenue, Dunkeld West.
Write On Africa plans to hold an exhibition and to host regular workshops at underprivileged schools.
For more information contact Ricky Lee Gordon on 083 300 9970.
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