Art Space Talk: Michael Drysdale (Part 3)

Sitting in the cold by Michael Drysdale

This is Part 3 of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

Brian Sherwin: You mentioned to me that you have been diagnosed with HIV. Would you mind discussing how having been diagnosed with HIV has changed your perspective on life?

Michael Drysdale: It was a difficult thing, I don' mind discussing it, I contracted HIV/AIDS while working as a missionary for the Church, in another disaster area, we were trying to save children trapped under a collapsed building, and we were pulling up bits of mangled iron and bricks, you name it, with our bare hands and a lot of blood was flowing on that day, everybody's hands were raw and bleeding, and of course, the HIV virus had freedom to flow.

About six months later I became desperately ill with a streptococcal infection in my lungs and my throat, I was then tested and diagnosed as HIV positive, it was only 4 years later that I progressed to stage 3 (Commonly known as full blown AIDS.) And I have been full blown now for six years.

Back to realizing the implications of being diagnosed HIV+ -- it was a shock, but having done so much work amongst people living with AIDS I had about 10 minutes in which to make a decision, and I decided there and then that I was not going to let this disease get to me, I was and still am determined that I am not going to lie down and die, I will live every day as if it is the last day on earth and I will use every opportunity that I have and every resource to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and that is where I have been for the past ten years, trying to make a difference.

It has not been easy, and I hope that perhaps here I might have a voice to say to everyone out there, "ARV's are not a cure, they only prolong life, do not go out and be reckless, it is no fun living on ARV's, the side effects are awful, be responsible" Ok I'm off my soapbox now. Yes it hasn't been pleasant living on ARV's, I have been on them for 5 years now, my CD4 count has gone up from 119 to 490, and my Viral load has decreased from greater than 500,000 to less than 50.

I suffer the most extreme nausea, sometimes vomiting for 3 hours at a time, even when there is nothing to vomit, I have extreme headaches on a daily basis, I have lost part of the feeling in my left hand, I have terrible temperature variations, these are only side effects but I am alive and I am still contributing to society.

Brothers by Michael Drysdale

BS: How is your experience living with HIV/AIDS reflected in your art?

MD: I have tried very hard to have some sort of conscience in my work, but again I have to try not to be offensive, which is a line so easily crossed, I have been working on a series for the past three years where I have been photographing AIDS patients in the extreme (Near Death) with all the horrors surrounding this awful disease, but as yet I haven't yet decided how far the conscience goes, so perhaps one day I'll release it as an exhibition, but as a celebration to life and the living.

One young woman I photographed, I stayed at her side for 3 days, and she had two small children, but the hospice would not let them near her, so I sat with her and held her hand, and I cried, I cried with her, I cried for her, and I photographed her, as she begged me "Please don't let me die?" the photographs are not offensive, they are exquisite, but my heart is in the photographs so as yet I cannot let them tell a story, maybe one day.
Sunday Lunch by Michael Drysdale

BS: Finally, have you sought any specific form of acclaim for the work you have done as far as your art is concerned and the documentation of your experiences? Or do you see that specific use of your skills as an artist as a selfless contribution? (I should make it clear that Michael agreed to this interview because we at myartspace.com felt it would be a good way to raise awareness about the project he is working on and the plight of the people he is attempting to help.)

MD: Honour means everything to me, so even though I could possibly win a Pulitzer Prize for documenting a disease, the honourable thing to do is to let it lie right now, or maybe forever. To be a photographic artist, I need to invade personal space, and I have to be trusted and respected, and those are two values which can only be earned.

These values are more important to me than selling a photograph, and if I can let values and respect show through in my work then I will have made a difference. Perhaps a very hard balance to achieve, but again the artist, any artist has a voice and an audience, and both must be used wisely, we as artists have an ability to make a difference.

This is the conclusion of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE



You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Feel free to discuss the interview and the art of Michael Drysdale on the myartspace.com Forum-- www.myartspace.com/forum.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Michael Drysdale (Part 2)

Community in Decline by Michael Drysdale

This is Part 2 of my interview with Michael Drysdale. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

Brian Sherwin: Michael, can you discuss your experiences in Richmond and the project in general? What is day to day life like in Richmond?

Michael Drysdale: It's been different, I still have half of my belongings in Johannesburg, we spent our first two weeks sleeping under my grandson's travelling blanket, as all our linen and 90% of our clothes were left behind on the initial trip down, and right now I'm still waiting for all my equipment and boxes, and work tables, which will be here in about two weeks, so we're kind of camping right now, and turning the whole thing into an adventure, I have no stove here, so we're doing barbecue's every night, and my poor grandson still doesn't have a single toy here, but we're all coping.

Richmond is a really small town, and I am used to having the streets buzzing around me 24/7, but here at 5.00pm the streets are deserted, everybody goes home and they close there doors and that's it till 7.00am, so that is taking some adjusting. There is only one store in the town and on Saturdays at 1.00pm they close and don't open again till Monday 8.00am, so that's been another adjustment, in that I have to have everything I need before 5.00pm weekdays and before 1.00pm on Saturday or I go without.

The streets are very quiet, bumper to bumper morning rush hour traffic, "What's That" here rush hour is five cars going past on mainstreet at ten minute intervals. The streets though are safe, I don't have to worry about being mugged anymore, I was mugged 5 times in one year in Johannesburg.

BS: Did the community welcome you? Are you accepted?

MD: The farming community are rather conservative, and they find it very strange that I have come here as a white man with a black grandchild, but little Theo is a charmer, and he is fast winning the hearts of the residents in the town, I thought he would find it difficult to fit in, but even though he doesn't speak the language, he has terrific leadership abilities, and has all the community children running around after him.

He had his first day at school and when he came home I asked him if he enjoyed his first day, only to be told "No Brampa, there were two girls following me around and I told them not to, and they wouldn't listen." So I gathered that he had a fabulous day. He's at an age where all that matters are transformers, cars and trucks, and things with guns and bombs, girls do not feature.

I spend most days going around in the community and getting to know the people, as my first step in being successful, I need to be accepted here, then everything
else will be easy.

Lunch at The Soup Kitchen by Michael Drysdale

BS: Can you go into further detail about some of the difficulties you have had in trying to help? I understand that it has not been easy.

MD: I have been coming to the soup kitchen everyday to read to the children, as they need an escape from reality as much as they need nutrition, and carrying storybooks around is quite a mission, but the soup kitchen doesn't always operate, so the children don't come, which is troubling as it should be running 7 days a week. Here we're still
working at getting the project up and running, I'm still trying to raise funding as well as equipment, as I can't start skills training until I do.

The property that I've been given to run the project needs to be secured, and repaired. I am down here currently without any form of fixed income, so I have nothing coming in, I have been blessed in that I have a terrific family to help me and wonderful friends, and I am grateful to them for keeping the wolf from the door so that I can get this project up and running.

Story Time by Michael Drysdale

BS: Michael you have mentioned that due to the state of the economy it has been difficult to do fundraising compared to the recent past. I'm sure fundraising in general always involves struggle-- that said, can you discuss how the situation has become harder in the last few months?

MD: Yes fundraising is always difficult, as most donors or Grant givers have very specific requirements as to what they are prepared to fund eg: some will fund children's education, others will fund water projects, and others will only fund projects that target women's issues, so generally it is difficult, and the norm is that for every 20 doors you knock on one will open, and you'll get a small portion of your requirements, so I probably still have a thousand doors to knock on.

The current economic crisis has made it harder, as donors who are usually large corporate entities, are feeling the financial pinch, and one of the first place where they cut the budget is on the disbursement of grants, usually because they are using funds to stave off bankruptcy.

But I have managed to gain absolute legitimacy for the Richmond Community Trust in that the South African Government will be involved in the project, I have a mandate from the Dept. of Labour, and the dept. of Social Welfare as well as The dept. of Agriculture, which is a major coup for me, as many donors, have as a funding requirement the involvement of central government.

I am a go getter, and no matter what I will make this project work even if it means flogging my photographs on a street corner to raise money, I'll make it happen, as this is a community in desperate need.



To read Part 3 of my interview with Michael Drysdale click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Michael Drysdale (Part 1)

Michael Drysdale is a South African Fashion and Interior designer, motivational speaker, AIDS activist, humanitarian and community development consultant. Drysdale is a promoter of cultural diversity and an Anti Racism Campaigner-- a core of values that he brings into his work as a photographer and artist.

Michael Drysdale is also the founder of Pakedi South Africa, a design company that donates income from all sales to the Richmond Community Trust. Drysdale’s goal is to help improve skills development poverty alleviation in Richmond. He took the time to answer some questions about his project and his experiences in Richmond. For more information visit, www.nyaxe.com/pakedisa or www.pakedi.co.za.

Bone Weary by Michael Drysdale

Brian Sherwin: Michael, you have explored several mediums. You have created sculptures, fashion design, paintings, photography. can you discuss your work in general? Perhaps you can tell us about the different stages of your visual exploration?

Michael Drysdale: Life is a visual experience, and living in a magnificent country such as South Africa which is described as "A world in one country" I am constantly bombarded with changing images. Having been born a natural social worker (my family fight with me constantly about actually giving away the clothes from my back) I have moved through different communities throughout my life, and during the Apartheid years I was constantly in trouble for being "on the other side of the tracks" But this has led to my visual growth as I have been exposed to different vistas of my country as a landscape as well as the different vistas of life, form the wealthiest to the poorest of the poor. And seeing these constantly changing images I've always tried to capture them and preserve them.

As a child I grew up under my grandmother's feet and she was always busy making things, if not on the sewing machine then it was in the kitchen where her pantry was an Alladin's cave for a child. She was instrumental in encouraging me to do things with my hands, and thus I started making things, going to school I had a wonderful Art teacher Nelly Byrne, who encouraged me to paint, I was surprised to see 35 years after I had done a painting in grade one of a tree, she still had it framed in her house, so I began capturing images of nature as a child.

My riding instructor, was a brilliant artist and sculptor Antoinette Markus and she encouraged me to sculpt, here I started to capture the magnificent beasts and to really capture both the strength and the gentleness in these creatures.

After school I did veterinary nursing, but the fashion bug bit and I packed my bags and went to Iceland where I did an apprenticeship in fashion design, once again capturing the beauty of movement in fabrics and learning to create 3 dimentional masterpieces, culminating in my dressing miss world Linda Petursdottir and several of the European beauty queens, this all as a very young and immature individual.

Coming back to South Africa, I was totally taken back by the poverty, after having evidence enormous wealth in Europe, and decided to use my creativity and my skills to make a difference in the lives of others. but I began this stage of my life also as a young inexperienced individual, eleven years later and I have finally grown up, with a few thousand miles under my belt and a wealth of experience.

I have discovered myself through the poverty stricken people that I have been teaching, I have been forced to evolve on a daily basis, and push my talents to the limit, which I feel I still haven't even opened yet. Working in the cholera epidemic that shook South Africa to it's roots was the spark to my photography, I had so many images, of people dying and desperately ill, in the magnificently beautiful surroundings of the Kwazulu-Natal countryside, I was constantly asking my self "It's so beautiful here, how can these people be dying?" So I bought a cheap camera and started to capture images, most of which were awful, but I began my journey of "Painting with Light" (Which is the definition of photography)

Street Kid by Michael Drysdale

BS: You are no stranger to fighting for good causes-- you are a motivational speaker, AIDS activist, and you have actively promoted cultural diversity and an anti-racism campaign. With that in mind, my understanding is that at the heart of your work is the idea that great change can be spurred by means of creativity. How can artists and the work that they do help to support the type of change that you have strived for?

MD: It's a difficult question to answer, but I think that the simplest answer here, is that artists have a captive audience, an artwork is constantly on display, and if it can carry a message, albeit to just highlight an image which will make the viewer think about the subject, they will have succeeded. I try to highlight images around me, the beautiful and the ugly, sometimes I try to capture something terribly ugly in a beautiful way, in the hopes that people may think.

On my web-site is a poem called "Imagine" which I wrote about a beautiful young girl in the slums of Hillbrow whom I used to visit, I think this poetry writing was a beginning to my journey into photography, instead of verbalising the vision, I have begun to capture it with a lens. Here in Richmond where I have come to work at alleviating the most terrible poverty I have started to capture the decline of the community by photographing their homes that are disintegrating, I must admit that I haven't yet the courage to photograph the people, but as I get to know them I will do that too, with their permission.
Townhouse by Michael Drysdale

BS: I understand that you recently returned from a trip to The Karroo, a semi-desert region of South Africa. You were invited to help people living in abject poverty in the town of Richmond. You have since decided to move into the community? Correct? What has that been like?

MD: Yes I've packed up my home, my studio, my grandson whom I have been raising since his birth and my animals in Johannesburg to come here, it's been quite earth shattering, more for my family than me, as they have gone through many emotions in that I have litteraly come to the back end of the world, as The Karoo is South Africa's version of the Australian Outback, it is the middle of nowhere.

It's strange moving into a new community, especially a small one like this, where it is very closed, so making friends is harder than moving into a big city, and my grandson doesn't speak the local language so he has a lot moreadjusting to do, but, I always adapt to my surroundings, as the key to community development is not to just dump aid onto the community but to become a part of the community, to share their troubles as well as their joys, and I have always been the sort of person who just "Jells".

To read Part 2 of my interview with Michael Drysdale click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog