ARTAFRICAworld of underground imagery, a secondary scene of divergent, vibrant visuals. This results in
a creative output that predominantly manifests itself outside of the hyper-contextual spaces
of the gallery system or the hard-line commercial enterprise. An artform not yet engulfed by
the sanctioned discourses of the art world and instead, creating visuals that drift like flotsam
on society’s psyche, accessible and awaiting interpretation.If you want to get your groove on, visually speaking, the underground art scene is the place to
go. THAT ART FAIR’s mission statement of creating a gap for emergent artists has facilitated
a new arena in which comic, street and illustrative art can be experienced. Platforms like this
are necessary in assisting underground artists with getting their work out there and recogniszed
as valid artistic expressions within the more serious fine art context.Su Opperman is the Head of the Comic Art unit for the Centre of Comics and Illustrative
Book Arts, an NPO affiliated with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also co-editor
of ComicArtAfrica.ComicArtAfrica / SEMBLANCE / GEARED / SU OPPERMAN 3/5
Stacey Stent, Democracy, 2011. Illustration. Image courtesy of the artist.