Dear reader I would like to thank you for continuing to read my work. It is an honor to be read even if it just that random post. After taking a big risk recently by swinging towards the unknown territory which is The Development of Pay Television in our country I was relieved to see readers statistics holding their stability levels. Pay television, I am sure you’re aware by this time, is an area of interest to me and I thought why not critique it while I was fascinated by what was happening with the recent launch of online subscription based services in South Africa. I had had fun jotting a few pieces in this area. Last word in this regard is that pay television in this country can be seen as a reflection of the growing pseudo black middle class. I personally feel that economically we are not there yet in the true sense of what being middle class means. How can you be middle class if your direct brothers and sisters live is poverty due to lack of employment and economic opportunities? But capital prevail and we’re all under its entrapment¶

Writerly (As far as churning new work on the visual arts including films is concerned) I’m in a middle of a paucity – so for me writing about pay television is like having a bowl of one’s favorite dessert. Writerly, why not use this word again, I am still preoccupied with producing work that draws the reader to the writing process itself as an art form while grappling with whatever it is that may be an overriding issues at that instance. Do watch out for new work soon especially my interview with SASOL New Signatures (SNS) 2014 winner – Elizabeth Balcomb, who has a solo exhibition on at the Pretoria Art Museum entitled Auguries of Innocence until very early in October 2015. Currently that interview is under the wordsmith hammer, we’re estimating that it will be available not later than 28 September for you to read.

Titbit: before commencing on this new work I was struck by a peculiar idea; having argued two years ago about the nature of art consumption from two folds, Plosc (Primary Level of Social Critique) and Slosc (Secondary Level of Social Critique) I thought it would be great if I could revisit that theoretical stance again by pitting it against one of the contemporary work being shown in SNS 2015. For that purpose I have chosen Colleen Winter’s Pupa.

This has resulted in a triple writing process wherein I am trying to pen the Balcomb interview and theoretically applying Slosc and Plosc Critique to a contemporary piece. This doubly results revisiting the shortcoming of Slosc and Plosc Critique essay from a hindsight perspective, after all for a theory to engage the minds of its time it must evolve.

Since writing is akin to solitary confinement who knows, I might as well bring the theoretical argument of Slosc and Plosc Critique to bear on Blocomb’s work as well. To sort of go all the way for I feel I will be on the edge of something; this will see the theoretical stance proposed trialed and tested perhaps even dismissed.

Presently an uncertain corridor looms for the tiny man. One thing is certain though, I am returning to my first love, the visual art object and I am taking you along with me on that journey. May we find the artist¶

Spring

13 September

Mmutlea Arthur Kgokong 2015