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Local artists were used to create works for the Rea Vaya stations. Each of them took Joburg as their inspiration.
REA Vaya stations are no ordinary bus stations; they are eye-catching public artworks that celebrate the city's heritage, thanks to the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).
Joburg has many layers, textures and stories that define it as a unique urban environment, its people, architecture, colours, shapes and diversity, on which the artworks are focused, says the JDA in a press release.
Lael Bethlehem, JDA's chief executive
"The brief to the artists was to create a unique experience at each station, while simultaneously aiming for coherence, as each station forms part of a larger system connecting different parts of Johannesburg," adds Lael Bethlehem, the agency's chief executive.
The unique environment of each station had to be shown, with the artwork enhancing the identity of the site and that of the people who lived and worked there.
With this brief in mind, a group was assembled to be in charge of the Public Art Project programme installing artwork that formed a unique visual narrative at each station. It was guided by the architecture of the 25 stations already in use and identical elements along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes.
The group consisted of Trinity Session, an art production team comprising Stephen Hobbs and Marcus Neustetter that explores the relationship between art and business; Turkis, a visual thinking and design organisation; and Urban Works.
Final designs for the individual stations were selected from local artists.
Beauty
"The artworks programme was not merely an attempt to beautify the stations, but to create something of worth embedded in the very structure of the stations that would engage and pay tribute to those who use them on a daily basis," says Bethlehem.
Because they are flooded with light, the BRT stations are suitable for artworks. Glass panels allow in maximum light and create transparency; in this way, the stations are connected to the environment. Large stations are made up of glass panels acting as walls, while smaller ones have a steel element in the ticketing booths that face the street.
The glass panels were sandblasted and treated with spot-colours that enhance the natural light and sense of space. The stations were an ideal opportunity for the artists to incorporate a sense of the city in their designs.
"Artists were encouraged to draw inspiration from Joburg's unique identity; however, it was up to each artist to interpret and apply this on his or her terms, and roughly within the context of where his or her station was built," explains Zunelle Cairns, the production assistant at Trinity Session.
"The broad theme or over-arching narrative was one of inter-connectedness between the stations as part of an overall system of travel or movement, as well as between the stations and their immediate environment and the people who live or work there."
All the art was revealed at the end of August, when the first BRT buses began plying the starter service.
"The City has an inner city regeneration policy that stipulates that a percentage of the overall budget for any development should go towards the upgrading of the public environment. This includes public art," Cairns says.
The artists speak
Stephen Hobbs and Marcus Neustetter created the art at the Johannesburg Art Gallery station in Joubert Park. Their art is an optical play on the idea of building patterns as camouflage. The yellow dot could be the sun rising over the city or a way-finding device, the two artists write.
Titus Mateyane's art details elements of a Greater Johannesburg map
The Hillbrow Bath House station was completed by artists from the Artist Proof Studio. They collected various visual references that were incorporated into the design, including the silhouettes of people at the site, the rubbish bin and the landscape.
Brendan Gray designed the art for the Doornfontein Campus Station: "The design for the station was created using fragments of drawings that I have been making over a number of years," he says. He used familiar images from streets of the inner city and interpreted it humorously.
The artwork at the Old Synagogue Station Eastbound was designed by Shannin Antonopaulo. It integrates both the synagogue and the cathedral in its vicinity.
"This design intends to integrate these two places while incorporating patterns from other cultures, for instance Ethiopia, within them. Socially and culturally, the area, which was once affluent, now forms a part of the inner city and is home to many refugees from various African countries," Antonopaulo explains.
Old Synagogue Station Westbound has art from Marco Cianfanelli. "The patterns evoke aspects of the urban environment, but more importantly, the combination of the figures and the abstract patterns suggest a sense of place within transience or a sense of transience within place," he says.
The artwork at the Ellis Park North Station was compiled by Bie Venter, who says: "The design was influenced by the view from the rooftop of August House in Doornfontein."
Ellis Park
Alice Edy created artwork at Ellis Park East Station. "My design, entitled ‘Not just a number' hopes to illustrate both the many identities within collectives of people, while simultaneously recognising our common humanity," she explains.
Conrad Kemp designed the artwork at Chancellor House Station: "In doing this ‘bubbles' hopes to encourage us to think about other people's realities and what we share with those people; to humanise our fellow humans, to get beyond the simplistic impressions created by ascriptive qualities and appearances."
The Chancellor House Westbound Station has work by artist Yda Walt. "I walk around the streets of downtown Johannesburg and am inspired by the colours, the shapes, and textures," Walt says.
"By the clothing, the products, the signage; by the dignified form of a man in a herringbone coat and hat; by the eye-blinding pink of a Shangaan woman's skirt; by the swing of easy movement of the OMO lady's walk; by the texture of the baskets strung around the basket seller's body; by the interesting contrasts of colours and shapes in the plates of fruit and vegetables laid out for sale on the pavements."
The Library Gardens Station Eastbound artwork was done by Ernest Bellingan. "We are so fortunate to live in a cosmopolitan city like Johannesburg and for generations to come our parks will be used for kids to play soccer in and for friends to sit and relax, perhaps play a game of chess under our century-old trees," he notes.
Hans Foster wrote this about his work at the Library Gardens Station Eastbound: "I thought to use the Old Rissik Street Post Office as the basis for my artwork. Apart from using the actual graphic of the building itself, I also wanted the artwork to visually communicate ‘post office'.
"The use of the postmark and the layout is more like a sheet of stamps. What also worked well is that post speaks of places, people, travelling, distance et cetera, which is strikingly similar to using buses."
Library Gardens
The Library Gardens Station Westbound artwork was completed by two artists, Richard Penn and Paul Molete. "The design uses stark black and white comic graphics, together with dynamic angles and disjointed panels, to evoke a kind of ironic, film noir drama of being late for work," says Penn.
Attractive artwork by Malakia Mothapo at Thokoza Park Station
"Rea Vaya BRT is playfully set up as the dangerous hero of the narrative with its shark-like fins and halo. It is a controversial hero, one that Johannesburg has been waiting for but one that will have to work hard for acceptance."
Molete adds: "The artwork was inspired by a street kid I met on the streets of Joburg. He came over to me asking for money, but I offered him some biscuits instead. I told him that I didn't want to give him money, as I thought he might go and buy glue with it. Sniffing glue isn't good for your health, I said. He replied, ‘I don't care, uncle. Life does not threaten me.'"
Two artists were again involved in the design of art for Carlton Station Eastbound - Georgia Walsh and Quinten Williams. "The influence behind my design was to bring forward the patterns, shapes and organic forms found in South African textiles," says Walsh.
"Some of these textiles are internationally recognised contemporary South African prints, and have been popular on our shores since the 18th century."
Williams offers: "The designs are intended to represent an experience of moving through the area of Market Street by Troye Street and the diversity of people who are present and goods that are offered."
One of the artworks at the Carlton Station Westbound was done by Alexander Horsler, Stacy Vorster and Molemo Moiloa. The students discussed their work as being way-finders and brought them up to eye level in a map-like space.
Hannelie Coetzee completed the other artwork at the station. "My work, Abba, is about the first mode of transport an African baby experiences."
Fashion Square
The artists responsible for the art at Fashion Square Station Northbound were Prins Design. "The artwork we submitted for selection utilises the built environment, vividly expressing the dynamic, bustling and cosmopolitan city that is Johannesburg," the collective says.
"The works communicate the key elements we felt represented the city best, while also leaving room for individual interpretation."
The other artist was Stacey Vorster. "I manipulated two enamel paintings to conceptualise these designs. The paintings themselves were based on textile and fabric designs and I attempted to explore them by rendering them with a fluid medium," she says.
Artwork at Fashion Square Station Southbound was done by Richard Forbes and Dorothee Kreutzfeld. According to Forbes, "I want to experience the art in such a way that you know it."
Kreutzfeld adds: "The design for the BRT station on Mooi corner Kerk was based on shop signage and fabrics sold in the area - a mixed residential or retail environment that has been identified as the fashion district."
Artwork at Mine View Station was done by Isle Pahl and Lehlohonolo Mashaba
Ilse Pahl and Lehlogonolo Mashaba completed the artwork at the Mine View Station, Pahl describing it as being an important function of the BRT as public transport. Mashaba comments: "My artwork is a male figure graphically repeated in different shades and tones."
Noordgesig
The Noordgesig Station art was done by South Architects and Phumzile Buthelezi. South Architects explains: "The artwork is based on a series of photographs and tracings, signage, ‘sculptures', advertising, informal exhaust pipe repair workshops dotted throughout Johannesburg."
Buthelezi also says: "I have been working under the umbrella theme ‘Affected' for the past three years. This theme investigates how we are affected by our daily circumstances and situations."
Westgate Station artwork was done by three artists, Anthea Moys, Dingaan Shoai and Molefe Thwala. "The works reflect small moments that I have witnessed in the city and connect it with a broader ‘skyline' view of Johannesburg," writes Moys.
Shoai adds: "The tricycle is an object that is common to most townships around Joburg, but the artists' interpretation is an imagined version of an everyday object that allows whoever rides it to go places."
And Thwala also speaks: "The work was both inspired by the formal built environment of Johannesburg as well as the informal and illegal practices of ‘challenging' these structures by means of graffiti."
The artists responsible for the work at the Orlando Stadium Station were Dave Rossouw and Robyn Penn. "Transport has always been one of my passions," says Rossouw. "The fact that all the basic principles always apply, and that many of the early machines still work today is truly inspirational. The romance and beauty of the historic landmarks in transport should be remembered, and therefore depicted."
While Penn writes: "The concept for the tree people came from a desire to soften the hard industrial nature of the Rea Vaya bus stops in their city backdrop."
Boomtown
Bronwyn Lace created the art at the Boomtown Station. "This artwork is an attempt at finding balance, perfection and harmony, which exists so silently and effortlessly in nature," she says.
And Charles Kholobeng explains: "I chose as the focal point of my design a view from a moving train passing through the landscape. This speaks of time lapsing through movement, through watching the world pass by."
Tadpole Fever at Orlando Station
Prophet JD and Sipho Gwala were the artists dedicated to the pieces at the Orlando Police Station. JD notes: "The artwork is called Tadpole Fever. It is inspired by the artistic recreation of self, as manifested in the transformation from poet to artist."
On the other hand, Gwala says he chose as his subjects photographs that were taken by students from the University of Johannesburg who visited the Alexandra Township on a field trip.
The Mavumbi Station's artists were Gerhard Marx and Shime Senetla. "This work manipulates the physical structure of weeds to create a structure associated with both the scientific diagram and the route maps found in subways and on trains," says Marx.
"In translating my Marley Tile designs, I took a drawing of the road and created patterns relating to the landscape around the station," explains Senetla.
About the artwork at Emfuleni Station, Mbongeni Buthelezi says: "The work is made up of plastic on plastic ... This work therefore intends to capture that vibrancy and the atmosphere that one finds in everyday life in the streets of this city."
Another artist working on the station, Philip Tshabalala, explains: "This artwork serves as a tribute to miners in particular."
Regina Mundi
The artwork at the Regina Mundi Station was done by Wayne Reddiar and Titus Mateyane. Reddiar writes that his design was inspired by the daily routes that form a part of everyone's life. "I also attempted to portray how these routes are both shared and form a communal experience."
Hi colleague, Mateyane, says: "This design shows close up details of key elements of a map of greater Johannesburg, focusing on the geographical relationship between Soweto and Johannesburg and how these two areas are now formally connected by a public transport system for the first time."
The Thokoza Park Station artwork was done by Malakia Mothapo. "This is a celebration of farming and mining, and a celebration of the energy of work - and particularly the opportunity to work in these two industries, which are often overlooked," says the artist.
And according to Stephan Erasmus, his artwork was inspired by the discovery of gold, which led to the creation of Johannesburg as an economic hub.
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