Inspiration Series: No.2 - Russell Herman

I know very little of my father, so when today I received photographs of him playing with his band District Six in 1983 it sparked a desire in me to collect the images together in one place with a little piece for him. Russell Herman was of South African descent and moved to London in 1982. Alongside playing in District Six, a band made up of other South African musicians from the infamous district in Cape Town, he also stood as a member of the ground-breaking band Estudio. What set apart Estudio, who left almost no recorded legacy, is that they existed as a mixed-race group playing together in the midst of the apartheid - at a time when it would have been forbidden to do so. 

Estudio performing in South Africa in the 70s

My memories of the period we shared are scarce, and revolve mainly around his love of Tunnock's tea cakes, and so it is his contribution to music that I choose to remember him for. The kind of unity it exhibits is something that I hope to continually channel in my own life, in a bid to stand against the systems that I disagree with, and commit myself to holding strong beliefs. In his later life, Russell continued to support the distribution of South African music in London, in particular through the pianist Bheki Mseleku. He left the world in 1998 as a man well respected among his peers, as a jazz musician and avid lover of music. Though we do not often hear his name shared it is not for want of contribution to the musical arts. Today he acts as my inspiration. Indeed, one that may be distant and hazy in the best sense of the word, but all the same a man that I must recognise as a strong part of my identity.

Photos courtesy of Kenneth J Gill

The Inspiration Series: No.1

Over the past few weeks I've found myself in a bit of a rut. It's one of those things that inevitably occurs at various points in life. Though not exclusive to being young, it seems that there is an added uncertainty to being in your 20s. In an attempt to figure out the visualisation we hold for our futures we often find ourselves at a loss. Not only is there the question of what you want to do with your life, there is the added pressure of attempting to figure out who you are and how you fit into the larger space of the world. This is something that has always baffled me, as I'm sure it does many others. It occurred to me in the past couple of years that the logic behind figuring out who you are is flawed, for are you not already yourself? 

So then when you reach a crossroads (or in fact a standstill) in your life, uncertain of what the next logical progression should be, it sometimes takes a nudge to find the motivation to continue. Out of that feeling of loss in my own life, The Inspiration Series is born. The intention is to write a weekly piece on something that has inspired me. At those points where I am unsure of where my life may take me, I always manage to find solace in the successes and creativity of the people I come into contact with. The idea is to create a collection of stories to convince not only myself, but hopefully somebody reading this, that there is a world of possibilities out there to explore. 

The first of these comes from this weekend, and a visit I made to the open studios at St James Yard in Bermondsey (South London). The freedom that appears to come with being an artist attracts me to the profession. Not being limited by your trade or discipline, but instead transcending many alternate crafts and lines of work. Having an artist for a mother I am aware that this is a romanticised way of looking at the art world. The kind of struggles that exist within it are as present as in any field, if not more so. Still, St James Yard is an indication of the level of diversity that can exist in a creative space. Work extends from sculpture, printmaking and drawing, all the way to woodwork. When you first approach the accumulation of open doors you are met with the exceptionally hand crafted boats, built by Arthur De Mowbray. Instantly sparking curiosity, a subsequent trip around the corridors leads to a further array of treasures. I'm inspired then by the knowledge that you are never restricted in creation. Even if external factors interfere, nothing can prevent your imagination from flowing. Though one might inevitably experience lulls, upon taking a step out into the world it is possible to find hubs of individuality to encourage you to keep moving forward. 

For more information on the artists at St James Yard visit http://330studios.co.uk