Violet Bones

EYESORE

2012-06-07T22:03:00.001+12:00

So looking forward to the opening of EYESORE tomorrow night, a much anticipated solo exhibition by the super rad and talented Erin Forsyth. I'll be helping out, you know, walking around pretending to be busy with a clipboard in hand....so do come and say hi! Doors open at 6:30pm and the sensational band The Raw Nerves will play a live set at 7.30pm followed by a special selection of audio delights by DJ The Fang.

EYESORE
Metal Artspace, 8 Upper Queen St
Friday the 8th until Saturday the 16th of June
Open daily 12pm - 5pm

Trip to Blender Studios

2012-05-22T14:10:00.001+12:00

Last 
week I did an artist interview with DREW FUNK for a super rad 
Australia/New York based street art magazine KINGBROWN. The next issue
 will be dropping in stores soon so make sure to keep an eye out! 

In between questions I took a few photos around Drew's studio. He's apart of BLENDER, one of the original street art studios in Melbourne. Such a rad space right in the middle of the city with super high ceilings, 15 different work spaces and a gallery out front. Here are a few photos I took around the place on a Nikon camera I'm borrowing from a friend (and super rad photographer) Lekewl using 3200 ISO Kodak film. So much fun playing around with a new camera. Thanks Michael!!

First week in Melbourne and I got to meet Lister. Such a rad artist.

I've seen this tagged a few times around town now. Dude who has taken my name? 

I have about 5 rolls of film getting developed at the moment...safe to say I'm hooked and can't stop. So much eye candy in this city! Hope you enjoy x

Divine People in my Life

2012-05-20T14:04:00.002+12:00

Phew! Survived my first large scale installation work. Like I mentioned last week, I'm over in Melbourne at the moment with my good friend and talented artist Tiffany Singh helping out with her participatory installation Drums Between the Bells for the Next Wave Festival. After 30+ hours of prep and a 8 hour installation, her work is now complete and out in the universe. Seeing and hearing 12,000 bells in a tree was honestly so breathtaking....only wish they could of all stayed up for longer!

Now is the fun part though...seeing how the audience engages with the works. If you're in Melbourne keep your eye's and ear's out for the bells that will be floating around town. If you find bells you are invited to engage with the works. You can see the full instructions and information about how to get involved online here. Today is definitely a day of rest and recovery for the two of us! Let me tell you, I now have a whole new respect for installation based artists! My body is sore from head to toe :) Going to wander down to pick up some film and get a few roles developed....can't wait to see how they turned out! Such a fun and challenging work to capture. 

Better late then never. The bells arrived from India with literally just enough time for us to tag and ribbon them before install. Lesson learned? Expected the unexpected when working with India :)

Special thanks to our awesome volunteers Bron & Pippa! Couldn't have done this without you ladies. And wouldn't have been nearly as much fun!

Love this image taken using Instagram....the reflection after the rain was beautiful! 

Hope you all have had a restful and inspiring weekend. I'm off to do some vintage shopping along Brunswick Street and may check out some Japanese Baths I just found out about. 

xx

My Week In Melbourne - Part 1

2012-05-10T16:30:00.001+12:00

One week in Melbourne and it's conclusive. This is definitely a city I could live in! It's the little things about this city that make me happy. I love being in a city where every night of the week people are out and about, where every night of the week there's something to do. Where Art and Music fill the streets. Where everyone's an artist or if not an artist then a lover of the arts. Where you can happily get lost in endless backstreets, vintage shops and underground train stations, stopping whenever you feel the need to warm up with steaming hot mulled wine or some of the most delicious dumplings you have ever tasted. It's definitely freezing here at the moment so that is pretty often for me :)

Tomorrow miss Tiffany Singh arrives and we will start plotting our next week of instal for the Next Wave Festival. Shits about to get crazy! (in a good way)

Dumpling heaven in China Town.

Make sure to stop into Section 8 for the best Mulled Wine in the city.

Blender Studios.

All of these photos were taken on my i phone, some using instagram...can't wait to get my first roll of film back :)

SPELL and the Gypsy Collective

2012-05-01T13:32:00.001+12:00

Some Tuesday inspiration for you.

I recently came across this Byron Bay sister duo and fully fell in love. Drawing inspiration from their inner gypsy spirits they combine leather, feathers and turquoise throughout their collection to make a little magic....how could I not love them? Not only do I want everything on their site but also so inspired by the photo shoots they have put together. Definitely can't wait to check out their boutique on my next visit to Byron Bay. Here are some photos from their most recent collection, Freedom in Solitude.

www.spelldesigns.com

Areez Katki

2012-04-26T22:55:00.000+12:00

The next artist/fashion designer I wanted to share with you all is Areez Katki. He is definitely a young designer worth paying attention to coming out of New Zealand at the moment. You can find his clothing at Children of Vision in St Kevins Arcade and Miss Crab along Ponsonby Road, each garment a unique piece of art in it's own right. A spark was definitely flamed the other night when I saw Areez hand knitting the start of a garment at Flagship...I dream to own one of his pieces! The colour choices, the fabric, the hand touch of Areez himself....just beautiful! Like I mentioned earlier this week, this Saturday is Flagship's first ever Market Day and Areez is one of the stall holders...so one more reason to come :) 

All images courtesy of www.areezkatki.com 

Sergio Lopez’ ‘Painted Roses’

2012-04-25T15:00:00.002+12:00

Rugosa Alba

I am so in love with this series by San Fransisco based artist Sergio Lopez. There is something so simple yet so mysterious and intricate about these works. The sexual rawness and delicacy Lopez captures in the female form and the muted natural tones leave me enchanted with each painting. This body of work consists of oil and gouache works on paper, linen and canvas. Definitely on the wish list of art to have on my wall one day :) I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of wall space!

Painted Roses
Sergio artfully merges the figure in and out of the  background playing with patterns of the femininity and delicacy of  roses, with the dark, urban hint of floral tattoos and piercings all  loosely played around the soft delicate translucence of the female  figure. "Painted Roses" demonstrates how our real and perfect beauty is  usually not visible or exposed; it is often covered by external facade  dictated by the culture we live in, some of which is not easily removed  or separated from one's true self.

  More of Lopez' work found here www.themainloop.com

Market Day!

2012-04-24T09:21:00.003+12:00

So looking forward to taking part in Flagship Studio's first ever market day! In my personal attempt to become more of a minimalist I'm going through my wardrobe and parting with some much beloved treasures in order to create more....space. Lucky for you! Plus I'm making handmade dream catchers along with some sweet treats to share. There will be nine other stall holders along with myself so lots to look at and maybe even take home with you. Come along and say hi this Saturday, 9am onwards in Grey Lynn.

PS I just started an 'upcoming events' page on my website if your keen to learn more check it out (mostly Auckland based events for now).

Sara Orme

2012-04-23T09:53:00.000+12:00

A while back I came across Sara’s whimsical polaroids in a fashion spread and instantly fell in love. Such a unique way to capture modern fashion through the lens of this dieing format.  As a amateur photographer and lover of all things analog the following Q & A left me super inspired, so my hopes in sharing this interview is that it may spark a little something in you! We all have so much to 
teach and learn from one another. Enjoy :)

Where are you from, where do you live and how long have you been interested in photography?

Originally, I’m a Christchurch girl but 
Auckland has been my home for half my life. I studied at the university 
of Canterbury majoring in Sociology and Art history. I later studied 
photography at Unitec in Auckland. I have been passionate and curious 
about photography for as long as I can remember.

What immediately attracted me to 
your works were your stunning polaroids. What do you like most about 
polaroids and do you have a favourite camera?

I’m passionate about shooting Polaroid and it’s the unpredictable nature of it that I LOVE. For me, shooting Polaroid’s is the nearest 
thing to painting on canvas. It has such a painterly, dreamy finish. I 
guess it also takes me back to studying all those great painters of 
centuries ago, in particular the 17th century Dutch painters who used their craft to explore an emotional quality that became apparent in their work.

At the same time, my moods change and I 
never like to get stuck on one thing.  Different cameras almost allow me
 to climb into something quite different each time.

I love my 35 ml camera,  it allows 
tremendous energy and vitality and can be limitless with, where and what I can do with it. My large format camera though is my true love. It 
lets me touch on my darker, more intense side. The process is really 
slow and deliberate. You have a lot of control over the final image.

You do a lot of fashion photography. Is this your favourite genre to photograph? How did you start working in this industry?

There is something about the immediacy of fashion that I love. I also 
love that it keeps changing and for me this is important. I like to keep
 my life changing and moving and never to stay stagnant. It has grown 
into a passion. I wasn’t one of those people who started out at a young 
age thinking I always wanted to be a fashion photographer. It just 
evolved.

It provides a platform to keep shooting, 
experimenting, and entering a fantasy world. I just found myself one 
day responding to incredible imagery which I considered art in the likes
 of Italian Vogue.  I found myself pinning them to my wall and 
responding emotionally to them.  So much so that I wanted to try doing 
this myself.

Who do you normally work with? Is it all random or are there people you work with a lot?

I tend to have my favouties and work with 
some great teams.  For me it is all about working with teams that I 
connect with on a personal level. Even when I am shooting fashion I 
still must feel a connection with those I work with.

I have my favourites and work with some 
great teams.  From concept to the hair and make up…it’s all part of the 
final outcome.  For me it’s all about working with teams that I connect 
on a personal level. I love working with Courtney Sanders from  www.alwayssometimesanytime.com.  She has the ability to turn something that could be potentially 
frivolous into something layered and conceptually challenging.  We have 
worked together this year on a fashion series called ‘freedom’ which 
was based on Jonathan Franzens book ‘freedom’  we took the idea of 
escaping the technological confines of the modern world.  Migeul Lledo 
who is very passionate  about his craft as a hair and make up artist is
 always amazing to work with. I also enjoy working with the really new 
generation ‘kids’ such as Jmmy Wilson. Her vision is refreshing.

On your website you have fashion, 
advertising and documentary photography listed. What is your favourtie 
to do and why? What do you like or don’t like about each of these? What 
is getting you the most gigs these days?

I am seduced by many different aspects of 
photography. I feel I traverse between a lot of genres and I’m not sure 
if this is a good or bad thing but it feels really right for me.

Photography is my business. So from this 
point of view advertising allows me great personal freedom. I guess in a
 way it funds me to do the things i truly love.

I love the fast turn over of fashion. It is
 fun, frivolous and exciting. It’s like a quick fix. I can plan shoots 
very easily and quickly on a regular basis and it allows me to keep 
exploring things, which are quite immediate.

Documentary and portrait  photography on 
the other hand can take years to complete. But it has allowed me to 
explore a lot of personal works.  It is completely different from my 
day-to-day world and I love that. It brings out the sociologist in me. I
 am so interested in people and their personal stories so taking time 
out from my every day to commit to this is a blessing.

One documentary project I have been working on for a while now is Te 
teko.  It’s an on going personal project and really it is just a 
documentation of the slices of life from this tiny rural town of which 
my extended Maori whanau live.  I shoot using 35 ml for my documentary 
work  but  I am also working on a polaroid portrait series here using my
 large format camera. It is completely different from anything I do here
 in Auckland and it is that diversity that keeps me balanced.

For me it is a privilege to spend days in a small Maori community and the next days with international fashion models.

Whats the most challenging thing about photography for you? And the best?

Portrait photography is my true love and this is the most challenging 
for me. I always feel nervous before I shoot someone’s portrait. Every 
insecurity I have comes out here.  Fashion is a creation of anything you
 want it to be but portrait is not just about me. It’s about me and my 
subject and there is a part of me that needs to feel an element of 
collaboration between the two of us.

I also find working with difficult clients 
challenging. To me great work comes out of great collaborations and a 
respect for what one can do. It is very hard when you have to work with 
someone that doesn’t allow you to use your vision to get amazing 
results. This doesn’t happen very often as I mostly work with great 
people who get my vision.

Photography is my life. This is my art. 
 Within photography I explore a lot of different genres. They’re all 
personal journeys for me. My work is quite autobiographical and 
photography has become a vehicle to express this. 

Any goals for where you want to take this in the future? Anything exciting coming up we should look out for?

The Freedom series will be an exhibition in early 2012. Dates yet to be confirmed.

I am also about to start work on a 
documentary series which will  evolve into a Polaroid portrait series 
with gang members from the bay of plenty area. This also combines my 
love of writing social histories. I am expecting it will take most of 
2012 and hope to exhibit at the end of the year.

I have a lot of plans for 2012 and want it to be a year where my diversity as a photographer can be celebrated.

To check out more of Sara’s work of follow her upcoming projects visit www.saraorme.com.

My Favourite NZ Made - Rings!

2012-04-19T08:59:00.002+12:00

At the moment my must have on or feel a bit naked accessory is definitely a ring. Since living in New Zealand I've been discovering a beautiful family of designers that create unique one-of-a-kind rings including Meadowlark, Stolen Girlfriends Club and the talented Zora Boyd from Wunderkammer.

Photograph by Meadowlark.

Wunderkammer jewelery, photograph by BLACKlog.  

Wunderkammer ring, photograph by BLACKlog.

For me Zora's creations capture the magical, rough and isolated beauty of New Zealand's countryside more so than any other collection. If you're visiting Auckland definitely make sure to visit Wunderkammer's desecrate Ponsonby Road boutique and indulge in a piece you will treasure forever. I have found myself mesmerized afternoons on end by the unique collection of quartz, crystals and precious stones that are each handmade and hand picked by Zora for their unique properties.

Photographs from the Wunderkammer Collection

Twenty Seven Names

2012-04-18T07:08:00.001+12:00

 Photographs by Guy Coombes

Starting to think about NZ Fashion Week 2012, I've been reminiscing  about 2011's Fashion Week. Last year I was lucky enough to join the NZ Fashion Week team and started up their Tubmlr page. So much fun! There were a handful of stand out runway shows but what I was really inspired by was how  Twenty Seven Names brought in more of an artistic element, by showcasing a  series of blown up photographs of their Winter 2012 collection.

It also helped that they chose Hopkinson Cundy as their gallery of choice as this is one of my all time favourite art spaces in Auckland. Tucked away on K Road's Cross Street in Auckland, New Zealand if you haven't yet checked out this gem of a gallery, it's a must!

Photograph by Cleo Barnett (me!)

Erin Forsyth

2012-04-17T10:14:00.002+12:00

I recently did an interview with NZ based artist Erin Forsyth for Kingbrown Magazines online blog. Here are the highlights and some images of her work. Isn't she awesome?

Tucked away behind the doors of her Karangahape studio in Auckland, New Zealand Erin Forsyth draws. A dark gem in the NZ art scene, Erin's idolized for her detailed illustrations of the circus freaks, seductresses and outsiders that play out in her imagination. She's a bit of a rebel, a touch mysterious and a woman on a mission...and she apologises for none of it. Illustrator, painter and curator, this chick is an unstoppable creative force coming to a city near you.

You used to be a ninja graffiti artist and now you do some large scale murals beautiful, raunchy illustrations. Can you briefly run down your history as an artist for us?
Mum says I drew my first real smiley face, eyes, mouth, nose in a circle when I was two visiting my older sister at kindy. My mum's an artist too so it's always been natural and encouraged. I'm pretty lucky in that way. I got A's all through school for art until I dropped out start of year 12. My art teacher at the time said I was too young to get into art school so I applied to do animation. Although I probably didn't appreciate it at the time, drawing for eight hours a day and learning the consideration of character construction and line work definitely continues to inform my practice today.

It was also great to be in a school full of people obsessed with drawing though half the class was busy doodling graffiti or nudey pictures. It was a relief to spend my day with such a large amount of people with the same passion. That was 1999, the year I first started tagging and the year I had to use my diversion! The next year I decided a life drawing of other peoples pictures was not the life for me and I applied for a private art school the day after the course had started, got accepted and started the next day. In retrospect they probably accepted me just for the cash but it made me feel a bit cocky and I was sourly disappointed to be in with a completely different group that could not draw and were not interested in it. So I dropped out of that too.

I then opened my own graffiti store 'Creep' a little while later and ran that for a few years. Got to meet all sorts and had a gay old time until some homies ripped me off. So I moved to Sydney which is where I met some truly talented and disciplined artists like Dmote and realized I needed to step my game up, develop a work ethic and stop being a bum if I wanted to be successful.

I'm lucky I have my mum, I'm lucky I didn't go through art school and I'm lucky I got ripped off. The short answer would be forever and then again everyday.

What are your favourite colours to work with?
Straight black and white. Anything lurid. As a combo traffic red, light ice blue and some nice dark brown...More black...

What do you prefer, going big or going small?
I like to draw really small intricate details if I'm working in black and white but generally this will be part of a much larger composition. I've worked on pigment liner drawings over A0 in size full detail. If I'm painting then I'd normally go big and bold or small and considered.

There are characters and themes that are re-ocurring in your works. Can you introduce us to these themes and characters and their personalities?
Sometimes I get hooked on drawing particular things for a while; wolves, birds, flannel shirts, side parts, skulls, Siamese twins and bearded ladies have all made regular appearances in my work. Last year I got on a bit of a circus theme and ended up painting a series which involved a pretty interesting cast of characters. Whatever characters I paint are interchangeable I guess; they can be the villain in one work and the hero in another such is human nature. I've got a weird little fascination with the archetypes of the prophet, the seeker and the vessel.

If you could bring one of your characters to life which one would it be?
From last year I'd probably bring the Siamese circus twins to life. We'd hang out and drink longies, but they'd constantly be whispering to each other about me when I turned my back and I bust them out of the corner of my eye then they'd not say anything and pretend I was crazy. It would get awkward after sometime. They'd probably try to escape my chaperone in the real world by saying they were going to the bathroom and then trying to stuff each other out a small window in a cubicle. Even if they got out it they couldn't run very fast don't know why they bother with that stupid crap. They're hustlers that are always screwing up the hustle.

How has your experience as an artist been in Auckland compared to other cities you have visited?

I  stay in my room a lot more. This is good because I drink less often and  am more productive. New Zealanders are a pretty talented bunch and  although Auckland may seem slow when your stuck in it there is a lot  happening and room for more. In other city centres all the  lowbrow/outsider galleries, social media etc seems fairly established  and it can seem suffocating if you want to try to get into those  networks. It seems easier to set up your own thing here but alot more  likely that no one will ever know if you do.

You're definitely  one of the faces I associate with K Road, a neighborhood in Auckland  like no other. What's your favourite thing about being a K road local?

The  people, the people, the people! The history of debauchery and the quiet  acceptance of outsiders. The scumbags and alkies, the young hipsters  who don't know what their up to, the eccentric jaded artists and  performers and the grumpy dairy owners. All together they keep K'Happy  interesting. 

What is Method and Manners?

Method and  Manners is a shared studio space on Upper Queen St in Auckland (Queen St  is the main rd in Auckland CBD). We set it up two years ago because it  was too hard to join other peoples studios and each of us involved  needed a space to work. There are thirteen artists working there now.  It's not a collective; each person that works there has their own  professional creative practice and we just provide the space. The  building itself is a gem and belongs to the neatest father and son team I  know. They've been running an electrical repairs shop downstairs for  more than 30 years. Our space up top used to be the call out centre for  electricians back in the day. We're the first people they've ever rented  it to and they like us and we like them. 

Method of Manners just had celebrated its second birthday, big congrats! What are your future plans for the space?

Me  and my business partner just signed another two-year lease on the space  which is excellent. We have been talking about hosting exhibitions in  the kitchen area (which backs onto our own private

carpark which  backs onto a cemetery which backs on to 'K'Rd) for the past two years so  hopefully we get round to it in the next two!

What are you working on at the moment?

Right  now I am working on an illustrated series for reproduction in lurid  coloured acrylics and heavy Indian ink outlines. They look like eighties  stickers outta chewing gum packets. Film is good too but my camera died  when I went down to paint at the graffiato festival in Taupo.

Follow me on www.eyesoreon.tumblr.com to check out my recent works.

Upcoming projects your looking forward to in 2012?

I'm  working on EYESORE a series of paintings that look like bubble gum  sticker art. I'm going to put them in as many places as possible. It  gets a little sad when your work only gets viewed for two weeks at an  exhibition or two hours/minutes at an opening so I'm experimenting with  different ways of presenting my work. We're making a yearbook for K'Rd  this year and my work has decided they want me to help them open a  museum. I could always do more!

And on an end note, last question. Do you have a Dream Project?

A  massive installation somewhere like the Gagosian or Collette would be  nice now wouldn't it? Well it would definitely be useful. What I'd  really like to do though is buy up a couple of dirty cheap

old  properties in obscure parts of New Zealand and establish a trust to  donate them to as artists retreats... I'd love to make a few books...A  comic book would be rad. And paint some more, draw some more.

www.erinforsyth.wordpress.com

Balloon Imaginarium Installation

2012-04-16T13:08:00.004+12:00

Over the last two years I have been organizing art and fashion events around Auckland City. Sometimes I wake up and literally have to pinch myself that I get paid to do what I love. Since working in these industries my days have been filled with so much inspiration and beauty so I decided to start up this space to share my own inspiration, in the hopes of inspiring others.

This Wednesday I am collaborating with my good friend and super talented lady Ashley Smith. She is the editor of Unitec's Student Magazine and came up with the installation concept.

The Balloon Imaginarium's purpose is to ignite the creative and imaginative thinking of the every day Aucklander. The installation will provoke inspiration to a realm of possibilities. The event is meant to be experienced and manifested by the Auckland public, in their direct participation with the installation.

If you are in Auckland City come check out what we are up to in front of the Auckland City Library from 10am - 3pm.

Austin McManus

2012-04-16T11:34:00.004+12:00

I recently discovered this photographer in Kingbrown Magazine Issue #7. Love his style and source of recent inspiration. Girl power!

To find our more about Austin's work check out this interview with him back in 2010. Looking forward to seeing more of his work!

Art and Zines with Austin Mcmanus

Something to keep you warm

2012-04-16T09:12:00.004+12:00

Winter time is approaching for all of us in the Southern Hemisphere. Instead of taking off to somewhere tropical this year I have decided to spend a month in Melbourne...definitely not the warmest place in the world. I'm so looking forward to sharing warm meals and mulled wine with friends, evenings out by the fire pit and bundling up in my favourite vintage fur coats. There is honestly something so luxurious and classic about fur. I am a massive animal lover but if it's vintage my conscious is clear.

Luxury indeed.