2012 was a the first full year of The Quiet Front and while I'm really happy with the foundation that has been laid, it was nevertheless a difficult year. Up until November, I was working as a construction worker in the Swaziland bush with a terrible internet connection; I survived a serious snake-bite too which effected me quite badly for months - my nervous system was pretty fucked.
I've moved back home to Cape Town and I'm going to put everything into this site this year. Here is what you can expect:
1. More of the same. I'm as proud of my first week of posts as I am of my latest. This is how I roll; expect more of the same this year.
2. New, young and obscure artists. I've got a lot more time to work on this and nothing gives me greater pleasure than finding work by artists that I've never seen before.
3. More "Promoted Work". This section is really important to me; showcasing artist's work is what this site is all about - expect more posts on exhibitions, book launches, independent publications and artist's profiles.
4. I'm a South African and while the scene here is relatively small, I'm going to make a point of finding and showcasing more South African work; artists like Henrik Purienne, Ross Garrett, Matthew Hindley, Kope | Figgins and more. (+ I'll keep my eyes open for other African artists like Massalo)
5. A site rebuild. There is a lot that I really like about my spartan design but I'll be rebuilding my site with Squarespace V6 to take advantage of their responsive design and their ability to push better formatted content to mobile devices. I'm thinking of a few design upgrades but don't expect any radical changes.
6. More long posts. Some of my favorite posts have been more involved than simply posting the cool shit that I find. "Visually Similar" was a great way of using Google's reverse-image-search as a serendipity machine (see parts 2,3,4 & 5) and "Underrated Photographers" was also a great exercise (see part 2). I'll try to think of more projects like this.
7. More of my own work. I'm excited about getting back to creating my own work; photographing again and finishing this bad boy. I'm a little rusty but I'm hoping to have a lot more of my own stuff shown here by the end of the year.
8. Original work created for The Quiet Front. This projected has already started and I'm really excited about it. There is still a lot that needs to be ironed out behind the scenes but there are a couple of exceptional people involved. I'll keep you posted as this unfolds.
Everything on this site is built, designed and sourced by me so don't expect a radical change in pace but I am planning on tackling all of these things during the course of the year. If you've got any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact me here or hit me @thequietfront.
What not to expect from The Quiet Front in 2013
1. Advertising. Advertising is fucking bullshit