My last 3 weeks of facilitating a sustainable construction course in Khayalitsha, has led me to the point where i feel i need to promote and thereby link like minded creatives sitting in different social, cultural arenas.
The Tretchikoff painting on roof canvas - Erxell - Khayalitsha concept is exactly that link bridge im talking about. It is vital to remember an informal settlement is called informal because its supposed to be a temporary link between a formal home owned and a temporary structure lived now. (Thats my understanding, its a temporary housing solution) So informal settlements are not red taped municipality controlled communities so to speak. They have very different dynamics which apply to them.
The Tretchikoff painting on roof canvas - Erxell - Khayalitsha concept is exactly that link bridge im talking about. It is vital to remember an informal settlement is called informal because its supposed to be a temporary link between a formal home owned and a temporary structure lived now. (Thats my understanding, its a temporary housing solution) So informal settlements are not red taped municipality controlled communities so to speak. They have very different dynamics which apply to them.
In other words creating a canvas from the roof structure is perfectly acceptable in an informal settlement environment. One has to only look at Eskom's and the city of Cape Towns unregulated informal allowance of criss cross electricity wiring within these communities. To see a giant billboard using roof space is nothing in comparison to electrical wires being allowed to organically be placed with no regulation oversight.
South African informal settlements should be using this space as yet unseen potential roof canvas advertising. To showcase their grievances as an art canvas. Whilst the powers that be take forever to house them in formal homes. A giant billboard awaiting organic green signage - A very first in the world. An architectural earth branded wildetecture ideal awaiting the artists touch. A product linking the advertising machine with the informal settlement home owner.
The key to this concept is the word informal. So when its called a formal settlement one can apply all the cities red tape rules that apply everywhere else in Cape Town. Has anyone seen the informal electrical wiring criss crossing these communities - Its frightening that this is not properly regulated at all - Its a very dangerous entity that seemingly anyone can key into - A brilliantly designed signage canvas on the roof space providing waterproofing and possible residual income is nothing in comparison .
South African informal settlements should be using this space as yet unseen potential roof canvas advertising. To showcase their grievances as an art canvas. Whilst the powers that be take forever to house them in formal homes. A giant billboard awaiting organic green signage - A very first in the world. An architectural earth branded wildetecture ideal awaiting the artists touch. A product linking the advertising machine with the informal settlement home owner.
The key to this concept is the word informal. So when its called a formal settlement one can apply all the cities red tape rules that apply everywhere else in Cape Town. Has anyone seen the informal electrical wiring criss crossing these communities - Its frightening that this is not properly regulated at all - Its a very dangerous entity that seemingly anyone can key into - A brilliantly designed signage canvas on the roof space providing waterproofing and possible residual income is nothing in comparison .
Bonding communities and uniting informal communities with a possible advertisement link - Its a simple idea really - And it takes a wildetecture type urban planning thinker to expose a potential.
Erxell has long been pushing this possible canvas for many years - Its not for nothing we identify with the likes of Tretchikoff - A foreign painter while alive criticized with much venom by a legion of art critics and minor showmen of the day. These art critics who to my mind epitomize the creative mediocre circles of the art world. Most of these minor showmen sniggered behind their open faced hands at Tretchikoffs type of realism art work. It is important to note it was the same type of characters in the art world who did the same to other great artists and great art movements of other times.
Erxell has long been pushing this possible canvas for many years - Its not for nothing we identify with the likes of Tretchikoff - A foreign painter while alive criticized with much venom by a legion of art critics and minor showmen of the day. These art critics who to my mind epitomize the creative mediocre circles of the art world. Most of these minor showmen sniggered behind their open faced hands at Tretchikoffs type of realism art work. It is important to note it was the same type of characters in the art world who did the same to other great artists and great art movements of other times.
The formalizing of the roof space into an advertising canvas in an informal settlement is a complex one. This would create a numbered regulated grid system to implement. This inturn would start formalizing a currently completely unregulated community of built environment inhabitants structures. Which wouldn't go down well with the informal settlement landlords. These landlords hold sway over those who pay them huge unregulated rents to live in these unregulated way below living standards structures and communities. A plethora of money that to my knowledge doesnt get used to build up infrastructure. The informal settlement infrastructure is sponsored by the formal sector. So the challenges are really immense, while SA families are allowed to live under these deplorably dangerous conditions in structures not fit for human habitation. The powers that be seem to be ok with the fire storms that sadly decimate these communities when the high winds blow!!! Why do i say this, because these communities are allowed to be made much bigger, which is in direct proportion to landlord pockets.
The winters are particularly bad as many structures are built on known flood pleins. Its best for me not to comment on the immense disparity between the SA formal and informal built environment dynamics. It might all be very complicated but the solution is actually rather simple really.
