Four people from four subcultures. Why they dress the way they do. A testament to their influence on South Africa's collective sartorial identity.

Collaboration with Khumo Morojele and Klein Muis

For Franasonic

A declaration in support of connection, One is the Loneliest Number rejects the proverbialised assertion ‘you are on your own’ where independence is a marker of civilisation and solitude becomes the standard that’s thrived towards.

Photography Jack Markovitz

Art Direction & Styling Francesco Mbele

Art Assist Khumo Morojele

Photo Assist Assante Chiweshe

Oysters in Midrand

Exhibited at RMB Latitudes Art Fair as a part of the show ‘INDEX’ curated by Nkhensani Mkhari

Photography + CD: Jack Markovitz

Art Direction & Styling: Khumo Morojele

Assist: Mziyanda

Starring: Nkuley Masemola & Ian Barker

Editorial, documentary and three-look collection exploring upcycling as protest against western fashion dumping in the Global South. First exhibited at Radialsystem in Berlin. Editorially debuted on Nataal.

Direction and photography Jack Markovitz

Creative direction and garment design Khumo Morojele and Klein Muis

Photography assistance Sante Chiweshe

Models Hlagu Junia, Tracy Mokgopo, Tshedza Mashamba

Production assistance Zano Nkosi

Supported by Forecast Platform

A photo project currently in its second year. An exploration of how the young are old and the old are young in Bertrams. An attempt to photograph this cross section of energies. Inhabiting the timelessness of this neighbourhood.

Pictured: Kayden, Saartjie, Violet, Tasha, Bev, Tashifah, Jay Jay, Harry, Natasha, Jordan.

Bertrams, Johannesburg. I lived here for a year and a half. A photo project born out of the need to share a fraction of what this place means to me.

Pictured:

Sharice, Nazeer, Diego, Saartje, Violet, Wes, Khuma, Ian, Fenna, Andre, Matthew, Raymond, Michael, Tom, James, Danielle, Bev and Harry.

A collaboration with Khumo Morojele. He had an exhibition in which he wanted to design garments inspired by Bertrams. We created and photographed three main scenarios in Bertrams that would be a leaping off point for him to make garments in his textured, inimitable style. Each chapter and garment inspired by youth, maturity and elderly guardianship respectively. Here are the main images we made alongside the garments Khumo made inspired by the sense memories of those experiences.

Born in Bertrams. A music movie made in collaboration with cult, avant-garde rapper - Shanti Cullis.

Commissioned film for FNB Joburg Art Fair

Directed by Jack Markovitz

Cinematography by Alain Kassa

AC by Thabo Mthombeni

BERTRAMS RONALDINHO

In this game of life, it’s about playing that through ball. Being the provider. Life, and football, is not about showing that you’re the best on the team. It’s that moment, when you bring the best out of your teammate. You play that pass that changes the way they move. When things are just in perfect sync. If you play to win it all, you never learn to savour the chase. Seeing your person take that through ball, and score, that’s what it’s all about. We all walk the same Earth. Everyone wants to be included. People of flesh and blood, who laugh and cry, who love and hate. It’s not that deep, just play the through ball.

Photography + CD: Jack Markovitz

Talent + CD: Shanti Cullis

Dark Silence on Sports Avenue portrays the life of Ian Barker. Ian is an elderly man, born to a wealthy family in Houghton, who is now forced to live in a working-class neighbourhood, Bertrams. Thinly-veiled beneath Ian’s light demeanor is a bitterness toward the changes South Africa went through at the end of Apartheid. He resents that his life has gone nowhere since then, but more so, he resents his wealthy family for excluding him from their vast inheritance.

Shortlisted for a YDA award and screening in competition at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.

A photo story made in Betrams. The story of Cinderella interpreted as a tragedy. Words by Cayden. Pictures by Markovitz.

Sharice as Cinderella.

Nazeer as Prince Charming.

Raymond as Other Guy.

Ashley Khoza, son of ex-minister of Foreign Affairs, gets pulled into an internet scam for a quick thrill and some easy cash. Ashe's antics set him on a collision course with scorned farmers from beyond the border with everything to lose.

‘Cecil John’s Sordid Secrets’

Creative directed by Markovitz

Photographed by William Sheepskin

Performance by Mziyanda

Jewfro follows Barney Nudelman, who lives in his dead Grandmother’s flat in Hillbrow. Barney spends his days on ChatRoulette trying to make friends until he comes across @hannaonline with whom he develops an intense parasocial relationship

The film explores racial distortion, cultural appropriation, and atomization as a result of online attachments.

The project received NFVF post-production financing and was shortlisted for selection at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2020.

Jewfro is still in post-production. These are images made on the set of the film, as a parallel photo story about Barney Nudelman.

A lonely young man persistently calls who we think is his girlfriend. As his attempts become desperate, we realise the true nature of his relationship to this person. A meditation on detachment and para-social internet relationships.

Screened in Short film competition at the Durban International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, where it won a Special Mention prize.

Hiphopstar37 uploads a video of himself dancing online. He dreams of entering a dance competition, winning a cash prize and becoming famous. When his uploaded video goes viral, his dreams unravel and he becomes the wrong kind of internet presence.

Screened in short film competition at the Durban International Film Festival and Oscar-qualifying short film competition at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Leviticus 19:34 reveals a city through the musings, interactions and explorations of Johnelvis, a Nigerian internet scammer. Friendly, open and getting by, this man’s character and peculiar insight into life demonstrates the expanses of a person that one misses without knowing them.

Hopes of reuniting with the daughter he’s never met, thoughts on Yeoville as a Jewish neighbourhood and final words to a chicken he carries home for a meal bring the audience into his world and perspective. Without knowing much about him, this man’s strolls through the streets, scams on internet dating sites and chats with strangers in the park form a complex picture of Johannesburg.

Screened at Encounters International Documentary Festival in 2021. Still on the festival circuit.

An award-winning documentary about Craig Tyron Tobias. He shares stories from his childhood and reconciles with his loss of innocence.

Commissioned by Wikipedia.

We used the framing of a group chat in which old high school friends discuss recent unrest in Kwazulu-Nataal. This framing helped us explore how simple tools for communication become vehicles for malicious, racist misinformation.

A photo story exploring the eerie presence of private security in Clifton. Set in an estate called Nettleton. Images made in collaboration with William and Amani.

Creative direction by Markovitz

Photographed by Sheepskin