IKEMORIZ.COM

Some believe that we are energy & vibrate at a certain frequency. Similar frequencies/energies attract each other in space & time. Perhaps this is why two international Cape Town based artists met in March 2016 for the first time: Well-established lifestyle- & portrait photographer Guido Schwarz & widely-acclaimed singer/songwriter, actor & producer Ike Moriz. 

Both artists were in the process of adding something different to their body of work: Moriz was putting the final touches to his 17th studio album entitled "Debonaire” - a fresh & smooth retro jazz/lounge project with 13 recordings of stylish easy listening gems while Schwarz was exploring alternative styles & themes in the photographic world. When meeting Schwarz at a friend’s dinner party, Moriz was looking for a visual accompaniment of his art that would not only reflect the different style & atmosphere of the music but that would also inspire & make his audience curious about this new style endeavour.

Lead by the sophisticated & suave air & demeanour of the songs, Cape Town’s "Los Angeles” or "Cote d’Azur" - the picturesque beach road in Seapoint/Mouille Point/Greenpoint - immediately offered itself as the perfect shooting location: art deco (the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s) architecture mixed with rows of stunning palm trees & breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.  

(Black tailored suit by Jagadi Couture, London & Cape Town)

Inspired by the neo-retro easy listening style of the music & the lush atmosphere of the location, Schwarz & Moriz both felt that black & white suits (& sunglasses) reminiscent of 1960s movies like “Charade” or “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” would enhance the tone & fashion of the shoot.

(White linen suit by Craig Port, South Africa)

Both Moriz and Schwarz embrace the element of chance & uncertainty in their art. When asked, Moriz said that “.. a lot of painstaking planning goes into creating a body of work. However, I believe it to be equally important to remaining open to allowing the element of chance to enter into the process. Shutting it out of a concept is like closing the door on divine inspiration.” 

So, it is Interesting to note that both the very first pictures and the very last pictures taken on the day were chosen for the bulk of the album artwork. They were not planned & 'happened' on the way to & on the way from an actual shoot location (the final cover picture for example was taken on the way from the car park to the beach):

(Debonaire, Ike Moriz, release date: 07.04.2016, South Africa & worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, etc. | cover photo: Guido Schwarz Photography)

Moriz & Schwarz very much enjoyed this process, & most certainly both artists will work together again in the very near future. Moriz said: “It was great fun to explore the possibilities during this project. We’ve got a very similar outlook on creating art, we’re both from the same city and.. (laughs) both our surnames usually end up being misspelled with an extra ’t’ before the ‘z’, so we got a lot in common.”

Here is a youtube video of some of the photographs paired with a sampler of the brand-new Ike Moriz CD “Debonaire”: