COMPLEX THOUGHTS: Art Without Prejudice
Poetry | Visual Arts | Photography | Dance | Vocalism | Food | Music
Complex is a stage of creative definition where artists define what art is, believing that only artists can re-establish and redefine the definition of the broadness of art and communicate the stresses, pains and cons of being an artist amongst people who believe that the arts is not of value nor contributes to our world, having to use art as a medium.
Artists are Explorers, Jesters and Outlaws. The aim is for the artist to re-establish, redefine and recreate people’s definition of what art is.
Poet Blackhole re-emphasizes our point with his piece ‘how dare you’ when he speaks of the expectations of the listener when the listener tells us how to be, how to sound and what to expect.
“So how dare you refer to my writing as some sort of talent? Writing is the only way we know how to exist, how to breathe, how to bleed, how to grieve” Tshepo Molefe aka Blackhole
Complex Thoughts is #ArtWithoutPrejudice, this means that the ball is in our court, we aim to re-establish, redefine our talents and send them out to the world in their rarest form, uncensored. Taking everything back from whence it came, the artists…
Is what defines the Explorer, the artist wanting room and no judgement for whatever they do and not wanting to be governed by what people say.
This portrays the Jester, the artist who colours over the lines, express themselves as they see fit, they are the square amongst circles.
This portrays the Outlaw. The artist who prevails outside of society’s structure
Which artist are you?
This is our vision, come see it through our eyes and feel it through our souls. We will use ourselves as catalysts.
COMPLEX WHY
Complex Thoughts is Art Without Prejudice, it is a platform for artists to express themselves as they see fit it is their escape. Complex is as synergy of artistry where different artists meet to produce a different art form which is a synergistic one.
Complex Thoughts also believes in creating a platform for unknown and emerging artists.
History
Our first Complex Thoughts event, a show that incorporated various elements of art, namely painting, sculpture, graphic illustration, photography, film, fashion design, dance, music and poetry. The show was aimed at the artists’ ability to transmute their thoughts into something worthy of perception and to form dialogue around the complexity of such an act to spark thoughts and ideas amongst those in attendance. Secondly, the show was promoting art without prejudice. This was important because the show essences was to keep the rawness of every artist and the beauty of art in any form is the expression thus we understood that by redirecting the artist’s work, we would be taking away the element of self-expression.
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The show took place on the 27th of June 2015 in a historical restaurant called Monchhichi’s, 23 Foxx Street, Johannesburg. The show had an audience of 107 people on a zero budget, and regardless of all the financial constraints, it became a success because the show itself was a transmutation of thought, because it too began as a thought.
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Plans for the year (4 April 2016- 31 March 2017)
We will be hosting a show in June and July. The theme for the festival in June and July is centred on jazz; both old and new school jazz seeing as we are trying to attract all types of audience across all boundaries to attend the festival. Why Jazz was selected was because of its liberating roots during the segregation era in the USA and its profound influence in SA during apartheid. However that will not be the core of our festival in June and July. We want to create a liberating environment for artists to create works as long as it is centred on anything jazzy. So based on that, we want our artists to create work around the question “what has jazz done for me?” any material can be created around this topic.
One part of the show will be a gallery, the event will have different stalls where people can sell artistic merchandise. The event will have a live performance aspect to it which will incorporate different elements of art in a play like structure, that part of the show will last no longer than 120 minutes, after the live performances we will have a DJ who will play mellow music and deep house to bring us into the night.
Venue: Kuhlcher Café (http://kuhlchercafe.co.za/2016/03/01/post-1/)
Expected Attendance: 350 people
We will be hosting a show in June and July. The theme for the festival in June and July is centred on jazz; both old and new school jazz seeing as we are trying to attract all types of audience across all boundaries to attend the festival. Why Jazz was selected was because of its liberating roots during the segregation era in the USA and its profound influence in SA during apartheid. However that will not be the core of our festival in June and July. We want to create a liberating environment for artists to create works as long as it is centred on anything jazzy. So based on that, we want our artists to create work around the question “what has jazz done for me?” any material can be created around this topic.
One part of the show will be a gallery, the event will have different stalls where people can sell artistic merchandise. The event will have a live performance aspect to it which will incorporate different elements of art in a play like structure, that part of the show will last no longer than 120 minutes, after the live performances we will have a DJ who will play mellow music and deep house to bring us into the night.
Venue: Kuhlcher Café (http://kuhlchercafe.co.za/2016/03/01/post-1/)
Expected Attendance: 400 people
The theme for this festival will be centred around street culture focusing on how street culture influences the arts looking at different art forms suck as graffiti, breakdancing slam poetry, street fashion and food. Topic “street life/culture”
One part of the show will be a gallery, the event will have different stalls where people can sell artistic merchandise. The event will have a live performance aspect to it which will incorporate different elements of art in a play like structure, that part of the show will last no longer than 120 minutes, after the live performances we will have a DJ who will play mellow music and deep house to bring us into the night.
Venue TBC
Expected attend: 450 people
This award is for the artists, sponsors and everyone else who was instrumental in Complex Thoughts. Limited tickets will be available for the public.
This a CD and DVD compilation of all the work created by our artists.
This book highlights all the key player involved in Complex and it also publishes the artists’ work in order to reach a wider pool.
Vision
Our vision is to create a global platform for artists as well as to turn Complex Thoughts into one of the largest multi-day arts festival that only showcases unknown and emerging artists work.
Complex Thoughts is made up of 7 poets (4 of those poets are also part of the Wits Poets Corner), 5 singers, 1 dancer and multiple visual artists. this is a real tight family with 7 people in the administration.