Thursday Art Feature - Menzi Mzimela

Menzi Mzimela is a Multimedia/Digital Media Design student at the University of Johannesburg. He specialises in new media, production, digital designing, photography and video editing. He did a fashion photography spread for Teen Zone last year April, but has since been working and schooling. Here’s what he had to say about himself and his career domains.

 

RVL: For those who aren’t familiar with who Menzi is, please just give us a bit more background.

Menzi: MenziSiphesihleMzimela is a 22 year old young man who aspires to create and influence people, to rattle people, to make imprisoned minds feel uncomfortable(laughs). I ask a lot of questions, I come up with my own words and I eat a lot of pizza. I was born in the east rand in a township called Daveyton. I left when I was like 6 and lived in Durban for a year. I came to Johannesburg in 2000 and I’ve been a City/Suburban boy ever since.

RVL: Take us through what you specialise in. What does your job entail?

Menzi: I do a lot of things; I love a lot of things. At the moment my job entails Digital design and video editing for a new and growing company called Weldun Media.I also make a lot of coffee(laughs).As a designer, when you enter the world of Media and design, you start right at the bottom. So I aint shit right now (laughs), but I’m dope though, promise.

RVL: When did you first realise that this is what you wanted to do?

Menzi: I’ve always loved visuals. I have quite a powerful imagination. In a way I live my life looking backwards but moving forward. Things I used to do as a kid come rushing back to make me realise that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I used to be dyslexic; I couldn’t read or write properly. But I was quite an amazing sketcher, I could draw almost anything. I saw writing as more of a challenge than drawing. My handwriting was super neat; it’s as if I was drawing words instead of writing them. In a way that’s what dyslexia kind of is.That’s why most dyslexic people are very artistic.

RVL: You’re quite a multi-facet artist. Do you separate your skills or are you able to juggle all and how?

Menzi: I never separate my skills, well I try not to. We shouldn’t do that. There’s nothing wrong with making the decision that you are going to focus on one form of art but in this generation that’s extremely unlikely. You can’t just be one type of artist in South Africa. The singer can also act, the painter can also make films, the photographer can also write, and the poet can also design clothes. I don’t know any artist that just does one thing.We’re at a point where all types of art are colliding and creating some really dope shit, but to answer your questions, yes and no. My art juggles me, so I just do what excites me at that moment.Right now, I love combining photography with graphic design and most of my personal work is black and white at the moment, I don’t know why.

RVL: Besides the Teen Zone gig, which other projects have you been involved in?

Menzi: Well I was an intern for a production company called Call Back Dreams which shot the acoustic show ‘Stripped Down’. I was basically a runner. Those are the guys that bring juice and water for the important people on set. I was even AKAs fan-boy (laughs). Like I said I’m right at the bottom. I haven’t done any big projects to be honest, I’m a ‘nobody’, but my mom thinks I’m cool.

RVL: Haha, cute. Tell us more about ANARCHADIUM, what’s that all about – we see it a lot in your photography?

Menzi: Okay please prepare yourself I’m about to write you a thesis.

Anarchadium is a lot of things. It was basically an attempt to express myself and my thoughts. I’ve always obsessed over my subconscious or subconscious thought. You could say Anarchadium is a result of that; it represents free thinking, art without an explanation. At the beginning I didn’t know what it was, all I knew was that it was dope and I thought it up. It took on many forms and created various alter egos along the way. It developed and I finally came to the conclusion that Anarchadium is my image of my God, my subconscious is God, and he is Anarchadium. But if someone I didn’t feel like talking to asked me who or what Anarchadium is I’d say it’s my design identity. When I decided to think for myself, and ask questions, I stumbled upon Anarchadium. I refer to it as Lord Anarchy. I know I speak about it like it’s some creature in my head which could sound creepy, but yeah don’t know how to explain it properly.

RVL: Dope shxt! What inspired the logo?

Menzi: The logo was inspired by the idea of Anarchy and mystery. I love masks - who doesn’t?People underestimate the power of a mask, or a ‘mask’ you know. No one wants to show who they really are. Anarchadium acknowledges that I struggle to express myself but when the mask is on or when the alter ego comes out I do as I please. I express myself through an internally external persona which is Anarchadium, so even when I’m fully expressing myself I’m still trying to hide my true self even though Lord Anarchy is an extension of my true self. Your mind is thoroughly fucked right now and that’s okay (laughs). Look at it as drinking alcohol to gain a bit of confidence so you can be your true self before you walk into a party. How fucked up is that? We’re so messed up.

RVL: Point taken. What are you trying to communicate with your art?

Menzi: I am trying to communicate that you are allowed to think. You are allowed to acknowledge that you have a brain that can create. You are allowed to question things.You have to be brave and embrace your truths you know.You can’t be spoon fed into emancipation, you can’t be spoon fed into enlightenment. It’s a journey you take alone if you make the decision to take it. That’s all I’m trying to say, have an open mind. What are people doing in this world if they are not creating? Some people haven’t realised it yet but what makes us truly happy is creating something that is an extension or reflection of ourselves.I’m just trying to make people see that I guess.

RVL: What sort of ritual or routine do you have when it comes to creating your art?

Menzi: Influence, influence and more influence. I surround myself with the dopest artworks, the dopest music, the dopest people, the dopest films. I love film. I love movies so much I wish people could understand (laughs). After I overload my brain with visual awesomeness I start conceptualizing, then I create.

RVL: What does being a creative mean to you?

Menzi: Umm, it means a lot to me(laughs). To me, being a creative means that I have to be very careful, smart and radically expressive.Careful because everything I create is an extension of myself and my abilities. Smart because art is not some hippie elusive happy go lucky shit. There are actually principles to acknowledge and respect, and no one takes an ignorant artist seriously.Radically expressive because I think I’m awesome. I’m always thinking how deprived people are for not knowing who I am (laughs).

RVL: In your understanding, what is a revolutionary artist?

Menzi: I think it would be someone who fully understands the rules and principles of art and makes the decision to start breaking them. It is also someone who uses their art to send a strong message across.

RVL: Your field of art is male dominated, and at times intimidating. What’s your take on women taking on roles like cinematographers, videographers, graphic designers, sound engineers etc.?

Menzi: Women have proved to be better artist then men in most recent cases. The top 3 students in my Btech course are women. Women should not be intimidated at all by men in the media and production industry. A dope artist is a dope artist you know. We should never even think of worrying about a person’s gender when acknowledging their skills. But I honestly don’t know why its male dominated; I’d have to do a little bit of research on that.

RVL: What are some of the challenges you face in a media working environment and how do you overcome those challenges?

Menzi: The only challenges I face are the extremely short deadlines. I overcome them by working my ass off, and getting like 3 hours of sleep.

RVL: What do you love creating the most?

Menzi: I love creating ideas to mess around with. Like a character, then bringing that character to life in different mediums. Anarchadium is a character who has beenrepresented in different mediums for example. Stuff like that. I have recently started writing a script and it seems like I’m going to enjoy that a lot, I’m really into it. Like I said earlier, I love film. I have to at least make one film, or twenty, I don’t know.

RVL: Where can people find your work?

Menzi: People can check out my blog: www.anarchadium.tumblr.com. They can also check out my online portfolio: www.behance.net\ANARCHADIUM

RVL: Lastly, what are your future plans as a Multimedia artist and how do you plan to take on the world?

Menzi: My future plans are to become a creative director, an academic and a film maker. I think that’s a dope combination. I plan to take on the world by reading books and one day becoming an Evil genius….seriously.

© Angela Nimah Revolution Validates Life™