STUDIO83 Magazines

Seven Deadly Sins

system — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200

I could never take all the credit for putting together this issue, or take props due to Studio83 all for myself. There is a huge team behind this magazine, and I’m just the face of it all. For this issue, we decided to do things differently: one writer, one photo shoot and one illustration per sin. It definitely kept thing interesting - the choices were harder, and the debates endless! Lust. Greed. Gluttony. Pride. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. The idea of the Seven Deadly Sins is based on archaic religious laws that were used to “educate and instruct” (read: control) humanity. Whether or not this is the modus operandi of religion to this day is up to you and your friends to discuss at your next dinner party. Seeing as they go back to the 14th Century (according to all-knowing Wikipedia), perhaps these “deadly sins” need to be re-looked.

Having a particularly intense relationship with food, should perhaps not hold the same weight as lusting after a married woman. Whether we think about them or not, most of us live these sins on a daily basis. But still, there’s something that always grabs people’s attention when you package them as SEVEN DEADLY SINS – conjuring images of sexy, raw, unflinching, real and dangerous behaviour. Since forever, popular culture has had an obsession with these sins, either separately, or as a collective (most popular is the thrilling movie Se7en; but also Dante’s literary collection The Divine Comedy, and even Mzansi-born artist Kendell Greers has done work inspired by this theme). So, as much as it seemed cool at the beginning to conceptualise around the Seven Deadly Sins, the more we worked on this issue, the more I started to think about what these sins mean and how each of us translates them differently – in good and bad ways. But it’s never as simple as it seems, is it – why else have these sins been topical for the last seven centuries? Nonetheless, my take on reconsidering these sins is due to the fact that there are worse sins out there that we commit on the daily.

“If someone comes to you and asks for help, and you can help them, you’re supposed to help them. Why wouldn’t you?” - Gil Scott-Heron

I believe that if you are at a position to help someone and you refuse them, that’s the biggest sin you can commit. You are hindering progress of not only this person, but the other people this person could have helped as a result. And how are we, as society, meant to grow and improve if we each keep all our knowledge, resources and skills to ourselves? Each of us is where we are today because at some point, someone helped us, and being selfish doesn’t benefit anyone but yourself. And even the benefits to yourself are short-lived because what you put out there will eventually come back to you. And if you put nothing out there, you get nothing back.

(edit: you can view the spread version on Issuu)

Redirection Issue - Change is Inevitable

system — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:00:00 +0200

I always wanted to be remembered forever. For the longest time, achieving this was my ultimate life goal. I said it on my magazines, social networks and to friends – until Heartwarmer, on 75, asked me a question I’d never thought about before: ‘Why do you want to be remembered. What purpose will it serve you?’

BAAM! At that moment everything stopped. I tried answering her question, but I didn’t know what that answer was.

As small or insignificant this question might seem to you, it changed everything for me. From that point on, when I couldn’t answer the ‘why’, I realised that I didn’t want to remembered forever. I realised that it was actually no longer important. I had to find another mantra to live by, because the current one stopped making sense. I had to change… again.

This short, simple question inspired me to look at things different. I believe that sometimes change is inevitable; and sometimes you can control it, hold it back. Parents and family are the only things one can’t change – the rest you can. It’s a bit scary actually, to be able to have the opportunity to change so much. People tend not to like how they look in general, or their jobs, careers, love, life, when all that can be changed. As human beings, we are constantly evolving, constantly moving...

“The slower we move the faster we die” Ryan Bingham, George Clooney’s character in Up In The Air, said it best.

I remember that I was good at soccer and I thought I would play professional football one day. Today I can’t even watch a game all the way. I discovered design – I liked it and I ran with it. But how I went from football to design, I don’t know. No matter who you are and what you like and not like, at the end of the day change is inevitable.

George Gladwin Matsheke

Travelling Issue - The World We Know

system — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Finally the Traveling issue here, The World We Know - we hope this issue teaches you about the world you live in, and about the people that live in it. We hope this issue inspires you to travel, not only your continent, but the rest of the world.

The world is our playground; no country is too far or too cold for you to reach. Travelling doesn’t mean that you have to fly to a different continent. Starting with one’s own country isn’t a bad idea at all – in fact, it’s the best way to start discovering new adventures.

Unpredictable, exciting, stressful, fun… road trips are an awesome start. Hope you enjoy this issue of Studio83.

GGM.

Modern Man

system — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Modern today is, of course, completely different from what was modern 50 years ago – and I'm pretty sure it'll even be different from what will be considered modern 50 from now (even, five, I think). So modern, is a man defined in this moment, and not necessarily in the next. I might be stretching it here, but then isn't it all about flexibility, transiency? Fluidity?

I think it's not so much about being a "modern" man, but more about being a MAN. Not trying to be idealist, judgmental, condescending or whatever speak is normally associated with women when discussing men and manhood.

I think being a (modern) MAN calls for strong character, a willingness to stand apart from the crowd and celebrate it; a unique stance on one's image, and owning it all the way.

A fun, flirtatious, openness to all things life has to offer; a humourous approach; faith (in anything or anyone); confidence, and knowing your flaws and appreciating that they are a part of who you are as a person. I could go on, but I realise that this is already quite a long issue.

Hope you, the reader, find value to add to your life and your views.

Enjoy!

The BlackOut Issue

system — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

I refused to believe that this issue was inspired by the load shedding crisis we were/are experiencing in South Africa. In fact I'm pretty certain it wasn't - at least not consciously. In any case, its' timing was perfect - smack bang into the middle of the nation's own blackout - electrically, politically, socially and otherwise. People have blamed our generation for being the most narcissitic of all generations... its true, we buy into our own hype but what is questionable (and answered in the blackout issue) is whether we shine most when the lights are on... or off.

Next up...
The Modern Man (The Definition issue)
Who is he? You are.

Last Nights Party

system — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0200

After last nights party, I sometimes lie on my balcony, on a yellow
couch-like thing my grandmother gave me. From my window's view, all I
can see is the stark blue and white sky and its stillness somehow
(sometimes) makes the hangover go away, or at least calm the F***
down. Last night's parties are always revealing - you usually get way
too drunk, do way too many things that you'll cringe over the next
day in your hung over zombie state but always, always, last night's
parties are the one time where we give into our instincts with
abandon. Don't ever underestimate the power of a liqoured up gut.

Where I'm from

system — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0200

For many young black urbanites, where you're from and where you live
right now are two completely different worlds. While this is going to
be our life for the foreseeable future, I often wonder how many of us
would proudly trace our roots (or take our larney friends back to
these) as proudly as we flash our cars, gadgets, pads, labels? In
fact, are we not using these accessories as a way to overcompensate
for where we come from - hiding our backgrounds at the back of those
Gucci-flled; Prada-spilling; Louis Vuitton blinging closets, never
ever to be revealed the world? One inevitable question for me is the
funeral: out of all your friends, who would you invite to go to your
funeral, held at your mother's modest house or shack in the township,
home to your seven nieces and nephews, your grandmother, your aunts
and their wayward husbands? Are we so far gone to where we're going
that we've forgotten (or are ashamed of) where we come from?

Create and Active

system — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Combined, Creative and Active make Creativity. My ambition in life is
to live creatively (hence s83's mother brand is called Creative
Lifestyle)...doing what I want, when I want and making loads of money
from it. I believe that it is our responsibility to be Active in
Creating our dreams, sprinkling it with a little Sex, Love and Money
along the way, of course.

Sex, Love and Money

system — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0200

First Issue

system — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0200

I am sitting on the floor of my new apartment. My mom's not talking to
me cos I moved out of home (I'm a grown ass man, it was about time), I
hate my job, I don't have a bed to sleep on and the only thing that's
keeping me going is my dream: to own a magazine. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but right now with my scrap of a MAC (but it's a MAC
nonetheless), I'm doing this ish. I've never worked in the magazine
industry; I don't know how to spell and I'm a one man show doing the
writing, editing and designing of an entire magazine --- not your
average production process! Luckily, there are a few others who
believe in this blurry dream of mine and they contributed in their
photography, writing skills and out comes the First Issue - a 21
paged labour of love.

World, welcome s83 - the future of magazines! :)