Sure Travel Journey 6.2 Autumn 2020 | Page 6

journey NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Departure Lounge I used to be intimidated by art – or, more aptly, the “art world”. I didn’t know my Monet from my Manet, I couldn’t understand why anyone would pay millions for messy paint splashes on canvas, and would get befuddled by academic descriptions of art filled with pomp and a plague of adverbs. Basically, I was an art pleb, and so I tended to shy away from galleries and art museums. That was, until I moved to the quirky little beach town of Muizenberg, where you can’t walk a metre without tripping over an artist. In my road alone, we have Riaan Chambers, who makes extraordinary recycled glass chandeliers that are shipped all over the world; renowned paper collage artist Zoe Mafham; and mosaic artist Sue Beattie, who has adorned half of Muizenberg with her shiny, colourful fish. You also can’t walk down any road in this little village without seeing the works of resident street artists Serge One and Care One Love, both of whom see houses, walls, subways and train stations as giant canvasses. Then there are the regular Open Studio days, where you can visit the home studios of Muizenberg’s many artists – much like you can on the Ribola Art Route in Mpumalanga (page 36) and everyday is an open-air exhibition of “art carved in stone” (see page 42), with art deco and Cape Dutch style architecture round every corner, including three properties by the famous Sir Herbert Baker. Since living here, I’ve come to realise that art does not have to be pretentious, unattainable or for critics only. Nor does it have to be contained solely in museums or modern galleries – if you start looking, art is everywhere. And you don’t have to interrogate it or understand it, either – simply liking what you see is enough. As pioneering street artist Falko One points out (page 54), even if all you do is enjoy the pretty colours, art has achieved its purpose. These homegrown lessons have given me a newfound appreciation for the wonders of art and the endless adventures it holds around the world. Whether you’re having your breath taken away by the timeless brushstrokes of Van Gogh at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (page 60), discovering the easily accessible delights of Venice (page 24), or living the Burning Man experience in the Nevada Desert (page 28), every journey has the capacity to fill you with wonder and awe. And that, for me, is the real art of travel. Happy adventuring, Published by Bonzai Media for Sure Travel Editor: Melany Bendix 082-200-7088 [email protected] Associate Editor / Designer: Will Bendix Assistant Editor: Rebekah Funk Contributors: Kath Fourie, Janine Stephen, Ami Kapilevich, Gerrie Pretorius, Falko One, Richard Holmes, Anthea Buys, Melanie Van Zyl, Samora Chapman, Brooke Saward, Malibongwe Tyilo SURE TRAVEL (Pty) Ltd Chief Executive: Vanya Lessing Marketing Assistant: Martin Janse van Rensburg Graphic Design Coordinator: Janine Smith GENERAL ENQUIRIES [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA [email protected] ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION [email protected] 021-410-5726 WHERE TO FIND US 8th Floor, Zeeland House 7-9 Heerengracht Street Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001 Tel: 0861-47-48-49 Website: www.suretravel.co.za PRINTED BY Printed by A division of Novus Holdings Melany Melany Bendix, Editor Talk to us! E-mail the editor on [email protected] THE ART OF TRAVEL #MakeMemoriesForLife LIKE US @suretravel