enfants terribles
the imagine education issue
enfants terribles - the imagine education issue céline hallas inger marie hahn møller søs uldall-ekman editor in chief + art direction céline hallas layout søs uldall-ekman al uncredited text Cover shoot: Photography: Céline Hallas Illustration: Marie Bjerre Model: Sienna Jumper: Babaà
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None of the content in the Enfants Terribles issues may be used without written permission from Enfants Terribles Publications. This also goes for any content posted via social media. We claim all rights to the name Enfants Terribles Magazine and all written words and photos surrounding the magazine. All questions regarding the content of the issues should be directed towards the editorial office of Enfants Terribles. In case you were wondering, that doesn’t mean we don’t want you to pin our content and share our pics for personal use on your blog for inspiration. On the contrary, we would be very honoured if you found our content worthy of sharing. If you do use our pictures on your personal blog or social media, please remember to credit us, link to: enfantsterriblesmag.com or @enfantsterriblesmag #enfantsterriblesmag
CONTRIBUTORS REGULARS CÉLINE HALLAS DANIELLE CHASSIN DEBORAH DEWBURY-LANGLEY INGER MARIE HAHN MØLLER KATHRINE MARIC MARIE RAVN LANGBALLE MARIEKE DAS SØS ULDALL-EKMAN
THIS ISSUE ALEXANDRA TRETYAKOVA ANDREA SEIFERT COOPER AND GORFER HANNAH COATES HEATHER ROME IDA PERRLE JULIE A. MARTIN JOHN BOOTH KARLA CONRAD KEVIN PEACOCK LINDA RAITUMA LOUISA LORANG LOUISE GIBBES SAS AND YOSH SECRETS OF THE TRIBE STEPHANIE MATTHEW
CONTENT EDITORS LETTER 09 SCHOOL MEMORIES FROM THE EDITORS’ OFFICE 14 TREASURES - SCHOOL SUPPLY 18 BOOKS 20 INTERIOR 26 ILLUSTRATION FEATURE - SECRETS OF THE TRIBE 28 BIOLOGY - LEARNING BY BEING 30 CHILDREN’S VOICES ON EDUCATION 50 ARCHITECTURE - CHILD AND SCHOOL 66 DIY - CLOUD PENCIL CASE 68 ART FEATURE - IDA PEARLE 72 MATHEMATICS - REDHEADS GEOMETRY 86 INSTAGRAM FEATURE - LOUISE GIBBES 96 ILLUSTRATION FEATURE - ERIN WETZEL 106 KID’S ROOM - PLAT - CREATE - RELAX 108 NATURAL SCIENCES - DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE 112 ØSTERGRO 124 STORYTELLERS - COOPER AND GORFER 130 ART CLASS - THE ARTIST HEART 142 TREND - AUTUMN PLAYTIME 150 COOKING CLASS - THE APPLE ADVENTURE 152 FOOD - LUNCHBOXING DELUXE 172 DRAMA CLASS - THE NITCH 178 DIY - SWAN BOOKMARK 192 LITTLE LABEL LOVE - PAADE MODE + LUV MOTHER 196 RECESS - BREAK 202 THE STORY OF MOLO 220 FATHER FIGURE FEATURE - JOHN BOOTH 228 GEOGRAPHY - HAWAII - LAND OF ALOHA 238 ILLUSTRATION FEATURE - SAS AND YOSH 250 NEVER STOP PLAYING - BENTOMONSTERS 252 THANKS FOR READING, NOW GO PLAY... 258
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, where as imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.� - Albert Einstein
Søs Uldall-Ekman @thegirllikesrainbows
Céline Hallas @celinehallas
Inger Marie Hanh Møller @finurlignet
EDITOR’S LETTER Dear Readers, When we started this magazine almost two years ago, we had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We just had an irresistible need to form a new and different platform, where we could share, play and grow creatively with likeminded people. Thankfully, our paths have crossed yours somehow and you've been introduced to our visual playground. The title of this issue is IMAGINE EDUCATION and we've worked with Albert Einstein as our inspirational muse, because his thoughts on creativity and education seems to hit our hearts right where it matters. As you may know we dedicate each issue to a new subject, which we then explore thoroughly, with open hearts and curious minds. When we first came up with the idea of doing an issue dedicated to the theme of education and schools, it was also because we wanted to find new inspiration on the topic and explore different approaches to the schooling of our children. Content wise it was important to us to include the voices of the children actually in school today and so you'll find an overview of different types of schools with testimonies from the students telling us what they think of the different types of education. These are just a small selection of the inspiring possibilities of schooling open for our kids today - and also the understanding of the different educations is of course highly individual. On the visual side, all participating photographers have explored traditional school subjects creatively and given their take on playful learning. This magazine is our way of sharing the passion for a playful approach to everyday life in all it's glory and we sincerely hope you will continue to find inspiration in reading the magazine and promise to keep playing. We welcome to our 10th issue and thank you for being here. Søs, Céline & Inger Marie
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SCHOOL MEMORIES FROM THE EDITORS’ OFFICE PRESENTED BY MARIEKE DAS @mytoymachines
KATHRINE HOUE Writer, trend specialist, blogger at littlekinjournal.com and Trend Editor for ETmag.
INGER MARIE HAHN MĂ˜LLER Writer, stylist and Editor in chief at ETmag.
What was your favorite subject?
I loved art classes! In school it was a sacred place for me, an expanded break from the more regular classes. I felt this was something I could master and wanted to know more about. I also loved to write stories and school assignments and they were often decorated with little drawings and illustrations.
Ever since I was a child, I have loved reading and writing, and even when I was young it was the classes that took on creative writing that I loved the most. What did you want to become as a child?
For a long time I dreamed about becoming a vet, for the simple reason that I loved all kinds of animals. But when I got older, I realized, that I felt more at home in a creative field.
What was your favorite subject?
What would you want your children to learn in school?
I hope for them to learn the joy of learning. That learning is something valuable connected to their natural and innate curiosity and desire to know - and not a dictated chore. I would deeply regret if the cohesion between learning, imagination and play should be lost. For me school is also a place to learn social behaviour and to create friendships and relations without the interference of mama.
MARIEKE DAS Teacher and columnist at ETmag.
CÉLINE HALLAS Photographer and Editor in Chief at ETmag.
What was your favorite subject?
What was your favorite subject?
My favorite was arts and history. Still is! I also liked making presentations, and was always busier helping other than doping my own work, which is why I like teaching so much. Who was your favorite teacher?
First love was my kindergarten teacher, miss Bernadette. She had very long brown hair and would tell about her horse riding adventures. She was a very calm and elegant lady. Later my history teacher inspired me for having the best balance between making fun with us, understanding where we came from but also pushed us to understand and learn. He was a happy and wise man.
In elementary school I was really into mathematics, but in high school my passion for art totally took over and I was sure I was going to become a painter, so I skipped almost all of my classes and were only to be found in the art room. I really don’t know how I managed to graduate, but it was definitely through a group effort between me and my best friends in high school, Maja and Signe. Which of your classmates do you remember most and why?
From elementary school, I would say Jette who was my best friend, she was into AC/DC and loved her BAAL sweatshirts. But also Anders, whom I almost feel I grew up with. We both had a big passion for music and I think we have watched every Madonna documentary together, back then - and listened to an infinite amount music.
TREASURES SCHOOL SUPPLY
recommendations for you by marieke das
@mytoymachines
Whether it’s my kids first day at school or my own first day at work after school holiday, I can always drool over school supply. I am especially crazy about pens, pencils and paper. Those things are very regional, and stuff I can buy here, is probably not the same you can buy over at your place. So here’s some things I found that are international. Oh, the backpacks. Do you remember any of your school bags? I do. When I was 12 I got a beautiful leather bag. I wanted a simple one, and my mom got me the right one. It was way to big for me. Walking in to ’high school’ on my first day, all the older kids laughed at the sight of this little nerdy girl dragging 15 kilo of books around. And of course, in no time it was mutilated by names, stickers and classmates ’art’. And I loved it! I feel such an urge to go school shopping right now. And I wish I still had (and fitted into that leather jacket that went along with it...
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KINDERGARDEN SCHOOLSUPPLY 1. I’m in love with the schoolstuff designed by BLAFRE For the smallest schoolboys and girls it’s hard to find a backpack that fits. These are really good for the littlest. And the simplicity, colors and detail… Look at them! 2. Same goes for their bottle. Ready to be used form ages 3+, high quality and again, such simple design. Gorgeous!
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3. For gymclothes, slippers (if your child wears those), and just light stuff, your toddler and animal lovers will love these easy bags by coq en pate ‘Coq en Pâte is a children’s accessories and fashion publishing company, which places ethics in the heart of all creative processes.’ They have other backpacks, pencil cases and such, all with the same animal. Kids will be so happy to pick their favourite. 4. Also available for the older kids, but I just love the mini’s; Fjallraven. I would like the dusty brown one this season please!
FOR THE OLDER KID
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5. One of those bags I would have wished my mom to buy me, but she wouldn’t have, because it’s in the adult department. This black and white beauty by Adidas. Acceptable for anybody big enough to carry it! 6. Herschel is still going strong, with different models, they are very laid back, easy style bags. 7. And another classic from Fjallraven. They go for both young and old, because of the different sizes. As I’m still having a hard time trying to adult every now and then, maybe this will help me out a little.
8. And these have been aroumnd quite a while, but they last forever and are ecofriendly; Freitag.
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9. High quality waterproof products are made by Rains. They now have a backpack. 10. Great price for this Urban Renewal Vintage Surplus Canvas Military Rucksack over on Urban Outfitters 11. For lunch! I like a pizza as much as any old turtle! Give me. 12. The infamous bento boxes by Goodbyn 13. Buy these dishwasher safe stickers and let your kid make them their own.
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14. They also sell insulated [back]bags, and I really wnat one of these roll ups! 15. Zuperzozial comes withg the best pastel colors and is eco friendly , biodegradable! 16. Aladinn makes bentoboxes, theser are great for noodles, soup etc.
KIDS ROOM LEARNING
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17. ABC poster 18. Or this beauty by Helen Dardik. 19. Last thing is this beauty I bought for my kids’ birthday; It’s a magnetic world map sticker with a hundred animals to stick on it. We love it!
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BOOKS
recommendations for you by inger marie hahn møller
www.finurlig.net @finurlignet
Books, education and imagination are closely interweaved in the widest and best meaning. It’s no secret that we love books - but for us books are much more than eduction in it’s classic meaning. Books and illustrations are wonderful treasures also for those choosing a non-academic education. Books are not only about learning letters or maths - books open a new world for us to discover and explore. We have made a selection of books that are anything but classic in the respect of learning. These books will learn you and your kids amazing stuff far away from the writing desk and the class room. Maybe deep in the woods? Learn and imagine well!
HOW DOES MY GARDEN GROW? by Gerda Muller Ohh, how we love Gerda Muller! We always feel like creeping into the illustrations and universe of this grand old lady of children’s literature! Gerda Muller (b. 1926) is a Dutch children’s book author and illustrator. It seems as if her love of nature is cycling through all of her many children’s books. Most famous is maybe her series of seasonal books depicting the changing seasons and landscapes. In her new book “How Does My Garden Grow?” we follow the girl Sophie who lives in the city. Sophie’s vegetables comes from the supermarket, but during a vacation at her grandparents at the countryside she discovers another reality. The book is a mix of facts and story telling and will help kids to learn about allotment and vegetable gardening through Gerda Muller’s beautiful illustrations. I love this little Muller quote: When I work alone in my studio, I feel the presence of a child who looks over my shoulder and often guides me. It is for this child that I work, not for parents or publishers.
SONYA’S CHICKENS by Phoebe Wahl A favourite illustrator of ours, Phoebe Wahl, has recently published her first children’s book Sonya’s Chickens. It’s a wonderful story about the girl Sonya, who raises her three chickens from the time they are tiny chicks. But embedded into the lovely storytelling and Phoebe Wahl’s warm, homely and poetic illustrations is also a very learningfull lesson. Not only do we learn how Sonya takes care of her chicks - how she feeds them, caresses them and watch them grow until one day she finds a wonderful gift - an egg! We also learn that Sonya one day, after hearing noises from the chicken coop during night, experiences that one of her hens is missing. Sonya - and with her, our kids - learns a new lesson about the cycle, the food chain and the interconnectedness of nature. Caring for another creature is truly joyful but also brings us sorrows. From the small things we learn something big. Phoebe Wahl’s entire universe seems contained in this little story - her own experiences from a free spirited childhood surrounded by and learning from nature, as well as her ability to depict a universe at eye level with children.
ABC - AN ALPHABET BOOK by Katrien Hendrickx, Mieke Verbijlen & Renilde De Peuter Katrien Hendrickx, Mieke Verbijlen and Renilde De Peuter’s collaborative abc is not an alphabet book in any ordinary sense. It’s rather an artists’ book rich in evocative and suggestive images and very open interpretations of the letters. Each letter is represented by a word - as in any classic abc - but instead of one single image to nail its meaning, you’ll find an imaginative and germinating flow of images. In this way Katrien Hendrickx, Mieke Verbijlen and Renilde De Peuter’s alphabet book avoids categorisation and stereotyping of our world through words - and rather opens our understanding to see that each letter or word have a swarm of meanings and associations embedded within them, depending on who the reader or looker might be. Katrien Hendrickx, Mieke Verbijlen and Renilde De Peuter’s abc creates a space for reflection for both kids as well as adults.
PRIVATE LANGUAGE by Malin Gabriella Nordin This wonderful book derives from a project by the Swedish artist Malin Gabrielle Nordin. She invited 11 children between the age of three and five to interpret a collection of her sculptural works. The children were free to rearrange the order of the sculptures, to tell the stories they felt were connected to the sculptures and to draw extra pieces it they thought anything was missing. The children reacted intuitively and individually with the sculptures - in their perspective the sculptures were not only objects but souls with personalities. The book describes these 11 meetings and interpretations along with beautiful photos of Malin Gabriella Nordin’s work in interaction with the kids. The children’s descriptions are included and carefully shows how the wonderful imagination of a child can make its own new version of art, truth or the world: “At first this was a sausage and now it is a banana.” “How did it become a banana?” “I did some magic.” Malin Gabriella Nordin’s Private Language project is a wonderful example on how learning, imagination, storytelling and education are at their best closely connected.
FREDUN SHAPUR - Playing with Design by Mira Shapur & Amy F. Ogata To the iconic designer Fredun Shapur (b. 1929) play and imagination are at the heart of learning. This belief is flowing through all of his creative and innovative oeuvre - from illustrations, logo designs, children’s books, wooden toys and puzzles, to animal costumes simply made from paper sacks. Still today, we easily recognise the playful and strong visuality of any Fredun Shaper design with its simplicity and consequent use of basic colours. The monograph by Mira Shapur and Amy F. Ogata compile this fantastic contribution to the world of children and make us remember that learning should be playful and imaginative. The book is published by Editions Piq Poq that has also published one of Shapur’s children’s books and a collection of his beautiful puzzles.
ZOOology by Joëlle Jolivet My girls love to make up their own systems and structures. They hate, on the other hand, when I tell them what is right and wrong. This giant picture book ZOOology by Joëlle Jolivet follows the logic of kids - and not the ever-so-boring-grown-up-and-scientific-list-of-truth. Joëlle Jolivet is inspired by her childhood memories of old dictionaries with outdated illustrated plates - but she has thrown all classic biology classification over board and has made up her own systems. Systems that kids intuitively understand: “Large and Small”, “Spots and Stripes”, “Cold Weather”, “Hot Weater”, and so forth. The 400 animals included are illustrated via beautiful graphic and very eye-catching linocuts - easily recognisable for big and small. This is a book without age - the very wee readers will practise the animal sounds and the bigger kids will love to make systems and explore correlations anew.
LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS by Richard Louv This is a book for all you mamas and papas - and indirectly for our kids. American author and journalist Richard Louv’s highly praised book, first published in 2005 but in a newer edition from 2008 and now finally also in a Danish edition, points towards the fact that our children are spending less and less time in nature. We are almost alienated towards nature and the richness of free, creative play in the woods and fields. The point that nature is also a learning resource for our kids is highlighted, and Louv is talking about a “nature-deficit disorder” as being part of our generation of children. But Louv is not pessimistic - we still have time to get our kids outside, away from the tablets and the inside lives, out into the wilderness. An important point in the book and in the community it has created is that by spending time in and with nature we will also develop a sense of responsibility towards it. “Last Child in the Woods” is education for us as parents - nature is imagination and learning and so much more for our kids.
INTERIOR
STATIONARY FOR A BEAUTIFUL WORKSPACE
recommendations for you by studio rov
@marie_studiorov www.studiorov.dk
We think that surrounding yourself with beautiful products will make every work process a lot more pleasant. So here is a small selection of stuff that we would recommend for both kids and adults.
Tape dispenser, Magnus Petterson - Pastel pink glass box, House Doctor - Pinboard, Hay Pinoram
Paper decoration, Ikea - Metal tray, Ferm Living - Clip board, Ferm Living - Color block pens, Po
ma - Notebook, Kartotek - Boxes, Hay
oketo - Scissors, Ikea - Desktop organizer, H端bsch Interior
ILLUSTRATION feat. SECRETS OF THE TRIBE
WWW.SECRETSOFTHETRIBE.COM - @SECRETSOFTHETRIBE
biology
LEARNING BY BEING photographer: CĂŠline Hallas
THE FEMALE SQUID DIES SHORTLY AFTER HER EGGS HATCH DUE TO OVEREXHAUSTION FROM NURSING THEM Sweat shirt: Mallow Short: Little Marc Jacobs Book: Blæksprutter by Darlene R. Stille
WHY DO CATS PLAY WITH YARN?
Faux fur jacket: Christina Rohde Sweatshirt and pants: Soft Gallery
YOU CAN TELL THE AGE OF A FISH BY COUNTING THE RINGS IN IT’S SCALES
Rainwear set: Iglo + Indi
DID YOU KNOW THAT A MALLARD DUCK CAN BE WHITE?
Hat: Oeuf Dress: La Coqueta
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLANTS SPECIES IS IN THE ORDER OF 400,000
Sweatshirt + pants: Someday Soon
SOME MOTHS DRINK THE TEARS OF SLEEPING BIRDS
Blouse: Wolf and Rita Dungarees: H&M
CHILDREN’S VOICES ON EDUCATION BY CÉLINE HALLAS, DANIELLE CHASSIN, DEBORAH DEWBURY-LANGLEY & MARIEKE DAS EDITED BY INGER MARIE HAHN MØLLER “Why do I like my school?” We have interviewed 9 kids from different parts of the world and very different educational approaches about their schools and what they like about being in school. Read the children’s views and get inspired by the wealth of education, imagination and ways of learning that we can offer to our kids.
WALDORF EDUCATION
Max - 8 years - Canada Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf Education is based on an understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head. When you enter a Waldorf school, the first thing you may notice is the care given to the building. The walls are usually painted in lively colors and are adorned with student artwork. Evidence of student activity is everywhere to be found and every desk holds a uniquely created main lesson book. Another first impression may be the enthusiasm and commitment of the teachers you meet. These teachers are interested in the students as individuals.For the Waldorf student, music, dance, and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about, ingested and tested. They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate a lifelong love of learning as well as the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world. Waldorf Education has programs for children beginning at 2 years old. The initial classes are comparable to preschool groups within a school setting, and then children begin Waldorf kindergarten at 3-4 years.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
In both indoor and outdoor classrooms. They take a transformative approach to learning and a holistic approach to the curriculum. For example, a science unit studying the solar system and the universe was used for a language project where students wrote and performed a play based on the solar system. The work is often collaborative and inquiry-based where children are presented with a problem and are required to work together to solve it through investigation and inquiry. All subjects are extremely focused on experiential learning e.g. a history unit studying Ancient Greece includes a day-long “Olympiad” where students replicate the Olympics in ancient Greece and compete against other Waldorf schools. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
My teacher is Mrs. McCarthy. She will be my teacher from grade 1 to grade 8. All the teachers at my school and my Mum and dad help me learn.
3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
We begin with 10 minutes of free time to help us settle into the day. Then we have main lesson, which could be math, language or writing, then we go outside for break, then we come back for music, or German or French, then lunch and a long play outside, then reading or math, then handwork or crafts.
Every Monday we have an assembly and we hear school news and sing the school song with our parents. We celebrate pagan and Christian festivals like Michaelmas, Thanksgiving, St. Nicolas, Christmas, Easter, and May Day, but also holidays from other religions like Rosh Hashanna or Eid. 4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
In the classroom and in the school yard. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
More math!
6. What subject do you like best at school?
Math and handwork.
THE DANISH PUBLIC SCHOOL
Samuel - 12 years - Denmark The Danish Public School is a free education offer for all kids. The children starts at the age of 6 and have 10-11 years of compulsory school attendance. All school material and books are free for the kids. The child in the Danish Public School is regarded as an individual - not just as an object for discipling and fulfilment of educational goals. The individual child and its development is the starting point for all learning, and the school seeks to create an environment for learning, experience and joy of learning suitable for all types of kids. Throughout the 10-11 school years the teachers seek - in relation with the parents - to give the children confidence with Danish culture and history as well as a broad understanding for other countries, cultures and societies. The Danish public school in inclusive in it’s principle, welcoming all children into its classrooms. The school is marked by intellectual freedom, equality and democracy. In an additional note the Danish word for the school is “Folkeskole”, in direct translation meaning “People’s School” emphasizing the inclusive principles of the school.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
My education takes place in a school in the city of Copenhagen. Most of the time we are in our classroom or in special rooms made for cooking, woodwork and sports. Two hours a week we run in Frederiksberg Have, a local park which is close to the school. I am in the 6th grade, and we are 26 pupils in my class. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
I have eight teachers in total, and my weekly schedule covers Danish, mathematics, Sports, French, English, cooking, christianity, history, wood work as well as study time. In total, I have 38 lessons a week, and one lesson is 45 minutes. Danish covers seven lessons. 3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
My day starts at 8 o’clock, and an average day has seven or eight lessons. Typically, I have two lessons covering the same
subject. At 12 o’clock, after five lessons, it is time for lunch and lessure time, and I always bring a lunch box prepared by my mom. After lunch, I typically have two or three lessons, so my day typically ends at 2 or 3 o’clock. 4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
In order to fully concentrated, I need to be in a quiet place. It can be in the class room or in the hall. Last year we made a test, and it showed that I learn the most when I get to touch things, and when things are presented in a very structured way. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
I would like if my teachers spent much less time talking about the tasks we are to solve. A bigger school yard would be nice as well and a cooking room that functions well. 6. What subject do you like best at school?
I like sports the most because I really like to be physically active!
FOREST SCHOOL
Leith - 4 years - Canada Forest School is an educational approach that has been around since the 1950s and is found around the world. At Forest School children learn outdoors in the natural environment. Forest School is a pedagogical approach with two main features that separate it from other outdoor and environmental education programs. First: regular and repeated access to a natural space; and, second: child-directed, emergent and inquiry-based learning. The key feature of this type of education is that children are provided with opportunities to build an ongoing relationship with the land. Forest School can be part time, as part of another approach to schooling, or full time. Children start at Forest School at the age of 4.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
There’s one building, and we spend very little time in it. Forest School is an inside-outside school, where you can go outside whenever you want. Usually you have to ask to go inside, the opposite of a regular school. Even when it’s -25 Celsius in the winter, we are mostly outside, and only go in to warm up, then back outside. When it’s really raining, that’s when we spend the most time inside. Our teacher leads us on walks, and we explore. We don’t really have to listen to the teacher like a regular teacher, we learn by seeing things and doing things, seeing the animals and looking at their foot tracks and their poop. The only time we aren’t allowed out is when the dangerous animals are close, like wolves, when we hear them howling. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
on a plan for the day. Then we all do a wolf howl to bring all kids together. The day always changes because it depends on the weather. If a tree blows down, we will go explore it, for as long as we want. If we are feeling lazy, we stay near the cabin, and if we have energy we go on a hike for hours. Once we know the boundaries of the woods we are free to roam and wander and explore and imagine and play and climb and jump and build. We are trusted to make decisions. 4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
My school is my favourite place to be because we play outside all day. I love to go to the rocky and mossy place, it’s in a little clearing close by, with salamander eggs and frog eggs. I also like the deep dark woods because I can see deer. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
There is one teacher and lots of helpers. My teacher listens to me and makes me feel my choices are important. As a group, we talk about what we want to do that day, what to explore, where to hike to. We all decide together.
There is nothing I don’t like at Forest School, but I wish I could explore further into the woods to find out more about the forest, so I wish there was less danger in the woods.
3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
My favourite part of Forest School is tracking the animals, by foot tracks. Also, building a shelter and finding snails, exploring by myself. I love to make mud puddles, mud masks, mud sculptures, mud paintings and dig in the dirt with my fingers. I can get as dirty as I want.
We arrive at a certain time, but not set in stone with a bell ringing. We are supposed to get there at 9, but if I’m late, I just join the group. We start the day with a circle, where we all talk about which areas of the woods we want to explore, and we decide
6. What subject do you like best at school?
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CANADA
Hannah - 13 years - Ontario, Canada Public elementary schools provide programs for children in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. The Ontario Curriculum outlines the knowledge and skills that students must develop in grades 1 to 8, as well as the level of achievement at which they are expected to perform. Curriculum policy documents describe the overall and specific learning expectations in the following areas: language, french as a second language, native languages, mathematics, science and technology, social studies/history and geography, health and physical education, and the arts. Public elementary schools in Ontario are publicly funded. Public School Education begins when children are 3-4 years old. The kids first attend junior kindergarten, followed by senior kindergarten and then grades 1 through 8.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
My learning takes place in a very safe and encouraging environment. The teachers encourage us to do the best we can and make the school a safe place for learning. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
The people who help me learn are my teachers and my friends. 3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
We start off the day by singing O’ Canada, our country’s national anthem. Each morning we listen to the school announcements where information about events and sports are shared. We have classes with our homeroom teacher and change teachers for other classes such as gym, music and library.
4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
My favourite way to study is listening to music. Music helps me to focus. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
I would like to see the music program improve. I have been playing the clarinet since grade 6 and now I am in grade 8. I thought we would spend more time on learning and practicing our instruments. 6. What subject do you like best at school?
The subject I like best in school is art. Drawing and painting has always been something I love to do. Creating through art is something I do both at school and on my own time.
UNSCHOOLING
Isaac - 9 years old - Canada We are an unschooling family living in Ontario, Canada. We have always been unschoolers, meaning, Isaac has never attended school; we have always followed his lead regarding his education. We are passionate about deep, lasting learning. We immerse ourselves in our passions fully until we feel we are ready to move on, at which time our current interest usually has us off and running on another wild path towards something equally cool. We believe in living full, rich, engaging lives. This is where our best learning happens. Unschooling starts at individual ages depending on the child, and the boundaries between education and family life are fluid.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
I am unschooled. That means that my parents follow my lead, helping me to discover things that interest me. When I find things that interest me, I usually engage in that for quite a while because I love it so much in that moment. So, my learning happens in lots of places – at home, outside of the house where I do organized activities, while playing in nature, while engaging in my community. Basically, from all the world around me. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
I am lucky to have lots of people to help me learn. My mum is the one who is with me the most so she definitely helps me a lot. My dad does too, when he isn’t at work. I spend a lot of time with my grandma and she knows a lot of cool stuff. But I also learn from friends, and from the people I take classes with. Lastly, I learn a lot just by doing things for myself, exploring and trying new things, researching in books and on the internet and watching cool shows. I never really stop learning.
3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
Since I am unschooled, every day is different. We don’t really have a set schedule, I just do what I’m interested in in the moment. Typically though, I spend time, getting outside and playing in the garden or hiking, playing games (board and/or vi-
deo), making movies, writing screenplays, going to theatre classes, playing on the computer, reading, watching documentaries and movies, having cool talks with my mum and dad. Sometimes they ask me to clean up, which I don’t love, but I do enjoy being helpful, so I usually try to do what they ask. 4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
My best way to learn is through experience. Because when I do something myself, it becomes a part of me and gets stuck in my head. This way, I don’t forget it. Mum says I’m a kinesthetic learner. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
I’m actually pretty happy with the way things are right now. I get to learn what I’m interested in and my parents are really supportive of my interests. 6. What subject do you like best at school?
Because we unschool, we don’t have specific subjects that we follow. Everything is just part of our living and learning. But if I had to pick one, I’d have to say my favourite thing is to study theatre. I’ve been doing this since I was 6 and I really love all the different things that I get to learn, like stage blocking, how to prepare an audition and monologue, and of course just getting the chance to play awesome characters. It’s so much fun.
MONTESSORI SCHOOL
Bobby, Kees, Yashmaya - The Netherlands Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She studied medicine and became Italy’s first female physician. This brought her in contact with children that were excluded from the educational system. She achieved some great results by stimulating their 6 senses. Montessori’s main principle is that every child is willing to learn. By observing what they are interested in at a certain moment in time, you can light a fire in them, a need to understand things that will last the rest of their lives. These moments where children are ready to learn a certain subject are called sensitive periods. In the Montessori classroom an important principle is that things are at hand for the children, giving them the opportunity to do research on their own, making them independent: “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” A Montessori teacher follows the students’ needs at any time. By observing the children and handing them the tools they need, the teacher encourages the kids to help themselves lean and experience. In a Montessori school kids start at age 4 and leave for high school at approximately age 12.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
We study in a classroom, or a study room outside of class, sometimes in groups, but Montessori is very individual. We don’t all work on the same subject at the same time. 2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
In our class we have 1 teacher a day, a teacher for gym and a separate teacher for children that need extra challenging work. We have 2 teachers, one from Monday till Wednesday and one from Thursday till Friday. 3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
Yashmaya: When you enter the class in the morning, you silently start by taking care of your plant. Then you plan your work and start. At 9:45 we eat and have a 15 minute break outside. At 11:45 there’s another half hour break and lunch. We leave for home at 14:15.
On Tuesday I spend the morning in the class for extra challenging work. 4. What is your favourite way or place to study? Yashmaya: I like working together. Kees: Me too!” Bobby: I like working together and in a space outside the classroom, like hallways, the auditorium and such. 5. What would you want to see or do differently?
Bobby: I would like to have a longer break in the morning. Kees: I would like to work in more silence. Yashmaya: I like it just fine the way things are now. 6. What subject do you like best at school?
Kees: I like laying down sentences with grammar symbols. Bobby: English! Yashmaya: I like the extra challenging assignments and math.
FRENCH IMMERSION
Julia - 11 years - Ontario, Canada French Immersion is a Canadian made educational program in which a child whose first language is not French - studies in French. French Immersion began 30 years ago in response to parental demand; research shows that it is the most effective way for a child to become functionally bilingual. An immersion program means that French is not only the medium in which subjects are taught but it is also the means of communication between pupils and teacher in the classroom and, as much as possible, beyond the classroom. This approach fosters a social ability and open attitudes to language and culture while completing the same curriculum as students in the Core public education program. The goal of the French Immersion program is to develop students’ proficiency in French while building mastery of English and graduate students who are functionally bilingual. French Immersion begins with junior kindergarten when children are 3-4 years, followed by senior kindergarten and then grades 1 through 8.
1. In what type of learning environment does your education take place?
I attend a French Immersion School.
2. Who are the people who teach or help you learn?
My homeroom teacher.
3. Can you share what a day looks like at your ’school’, what are the rituals?
A typical day will be scheduled like this: First period: The subject is often math or literacy. Recess: At recess, lunch and snack time I am a lunch room helper. I help to supervise
children who are in grade two. Second Period: Science Third Period: Gym or music 4. What is your favourite way or place to study?
I like to study outdoors!
5. What would you want to see or do differently?
Nothing really, I like my school the way it is. 6. What subject do you like best at school?
I like history.
CHILD AND SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE photos by niels nygaard
projects by arkitema architects
Photographer Niels Nygaard works for the danish architect firm Arkitema Architects, who is among the leading in Denmark regarding building of new schools. In this series he has captured the kids in their new surroundings, often catching the essence of a great learning environment.
DO IT YOURSELF created for you by heidi korsgaard
@denkreativesky www.denkreativesky.dk
CLOUD PENCIL CASE You can easily sew this little cloud and take it with you to school, fill it with all your pencils, crayons, small notes, and dreams ! WHAT YOU NEED: Printed Template 2 pieces of fabric about 20x60 cm ( for the exterior and for the lining) Interfacing in the same size 1 zipper (25 cm) Sewing machine WHAT TO DO: Print the template (here) and draw it on to your fabric, cut 2 pieces for the outside, 2 pieces for the lining an 2 pieces of the interfusing - Now you should have 6 clouds. Iron the interfacing clouds to the lining fabric If you want a face on your cloud you can embroid, or paint it with fabric painting. Now sew the Zipper Lay and pin your clouds and zipper like this. Exterior Cloud facing upwards, zipper facing upwards, then lining with the right side facing downwards. Sew a straight line that’s close to the zipper (use a zipper foot) Repeat on the other side of the zipper. Once you’re done with it, your work should look like something similar to this... Bring the exterior and lining sides together, as shown below. Pin to hold in place Then open the zipper and stitch all around the edges, but remember to leave a little gap in the lining! Trim any excess zipper. Turn your pencil case inside out through the turning hole in the lining, and stitch it up ! Ta da!! Your Pencil case is done and ready to be filled with all your favorites things!
ART FEATURE IDA PEARLE
ART FEATURE IDA PEARLE interview by inger marie hahn møller www.finurlig.net @finurlignet
@idapearle www.idapearle.com
Of course we fell in love with Brooklyn artist Ida Pearle’s serial cut paper collage named “Molly” [my own daughter is named Molly, ed.] depicting a little girl, restless at home, jumping into her raincoat and out into the puddles. At one moment the girl, Molly is jumping up and down in what seems to be the puddles in the park, and the next moment she is lead into a deep sea below. A ray is accompanying her to the water surface. At the end we see Molly starring into the puddle – again in the rain in the park, only now without her rain cap that she lost in that deep sea of imagination. “This is my Molly!”, I thought - “look at those gestures and poses, exactly like my child”… The truth is, I think, that we all recognise our kids and what they do and play in the collages of Ida Pearle. These images are so precise in their depiction of childhood. It seems as if Ida Pearle is pinning the vibrant and lively moments and movements of our kids down into the most essential, a pure act or form, that is containing every bit of those often very pulsating moments with kids: The simple joy of the first snowflakes, the excitement of playing with a garden hose, the good feeling of trampling in your wellies, or the pleasure of crisp autumn leaves.
Ida Pearle works with a specific cut paper collage technique. The expression is one of simplified but refined aesthetic form. She masters the “cut-away-technique” in the very best sense of the expression, keeping only what is most essential, telling her stories in a subtle and simple way, but with many precious layers embedded into the imagery for us to discover and unfold. Her main subject is childhood and the wonderfully vegetating imagination of a child. It seems as if she somehow has guarded and nurtured her own childhood imagination inside herself and therefore is able to see everything through the eyes of a kid. She sets up no extraordinary events of childhood – just those warm everyday like and simple but most wonderful things every child does – a simplified pure picture of childhood. Ida lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband William and their 10 months old daughter Una. She studied figurative painting at the Cooper Union and now works as a fulltime artist and illustrator. You’ll find a selection of Ida Pearle’s prints in her shop.
YOUR ART You grew up in a loft in New York City surrounded by creative people and with the pulsating life of New York as your childhood’s playground. How does your childhood and its experiences impact your work today? I just finished a book about my childhood in New York called The Moon is Going to Addy’s House. It’s about a car ride from city to country that I took every weekend as a child. I spent 5 years creating it, which was a wonderful opportunity to meditate and reflect on my childhood and it’s richness. I feel very attached and connected to my childhood places, be they neighbourhoods or homes. My father was a sound engine-
er, and had a recording studio in our loft, and my mother was a painter. I was surrounded by people creating constantly. My identity as an “artist” already strongly formed in childhood. My parents protected my free time and made sure I always had paper and pencil. I also spent a lot of time as a child at the city’s art museums, The Met and The MoMA, and had access to tons of visual material, like my own large collection of children’s books and my mother’s art monographs. My parents were incredibly encouraging and really made art the center of my universe. In this way, my focus today is very much a continuation of what it was in childhood, and my book is very much the blossoming of seeds planted in my childhood.
When did you know you wanted to become an artist – and what did it take for you to fulfil your dream and actually be able to make a living of it? Because I spent all of my free time drawing as a child and already identified as an artist, I never considered that I could be anything but. So it was a very organic transition from just making art for art’s sake to making a living with my art. In addition to making visual art, I played the violin and went to a performing arts high school for music. Many of my classmates went on to conservatory but I knew that playing classical music wasn’t creative or inventive enough for me so I applied to The Cooper Union and studied Fine Art. I spent my time there drawing and pain-
ting the figure, and although my illustrative work is made with cut paper, I feel very rooted in gesture drawing and study of the figure. It was wonderful to be able to make a deeper commitment to my art practice, and the experience confirmed that visual art was the correct life direction for me. What is important for you in your creative processes? To have a bit of time to daydream or reflect, essentially to have quiet time in which my mind can wander and I can imagine. This might be in the form of a walk, or even 20 minutes on a subway ride where I can sketch and capture whatever ideas are floating around in my head.
Tell us a bit about your specific collage technique and how you work when you create an image? I usually draw everything I cut out on paper first. I make rough studies that eventually become quite refined, and then I cut them out with an exacto knife. I allow the paper to tell me what it wants to be, meaning I study it to discover whatever special quality it has and then I use it accordingly. Similarly to the way one might watch clouds in the sky and see an eye, or a hat.. I’ll do the same with the patterns I see in paper and follow where it takes me. It’s nice to have an element of chance or surprise in my process - it contrasts nicely with the silhouetted forms in my work which are so specific and definitive. Some of the sheets of paper you use are beautifully marbled, water colour like and patterned. Do you create these or are you a collector of beautiful bits and pieces of paper…? (I read that you loved going to flea markets as a kid - maybe you still love to collect?) I collect them from all over the world, but mostly use Chiyogami from Japan. I have kind friends who buy me paper when they visit, or I buy it imported from paper stores in the U.S. In my book The Moon is Going to Addy’s House I used a lot of marbled paper, much of which I believe was Indian and Italian. I’d love to experiment with making my own some day! What does music mean to you - and is your own music and your visual art related in some way? I started playing violin at 3 and I’ve played on more than 50 records. The first band I ever played with was called God is my Co Pilot, I was 15. The Magnetic Fields and Low were two others that might be recognisable to some. I do think there is musicality to my drawn line, and as a string player I think about the vibration in my line as well.
And in terms of children’s books - or my more narrative collages, I think there is a rhythm and cadence there which is essential to telling a story visually. The words in a picture book are like a poem, in which time is very important - similar to phrasing or a time signature in a piece of music. The sense of movement in my work is another way in which it connects to a musical sensibility. I’m working on an animated trailer for my book right now and lining up music to the imagery and movements feels like the final piece to building a believable world. Tell us a bit about The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House and the process of creating it? Creating The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House was deeply meaningful for me. It is based on a phrase I used to repeat as a child on car ride from city to county to a cottage that has been in my family since the 1940s. My father and uncle, city kids, used to play there in the summer, as did myself and my sister. My daughter Una played there for the first time this past summer. My family over the years agreed that this phrase, (or idea) would make a beautiful children’s story. Children’s literature was very important in my family life as a child. We didn’t own a television, but instead spent a lot of time reading all together. My father became ill about 6 years ago, and told me he really wanted me to focus on bringing this book into being. So, I did. He passed away 4 years ago and the last conversation we had was about the book; he looked at my sketches and encouraged me - he was an incredible cheerleader for my work. I pitched the book to Harcourt, (who had published my previous book) for a period of 2 years, but they were never ready to buy it. At moments I was incredibly discouraged, but I never gave up. I knew I had to bring this book into being.
In addition to having promised my father, it was a way to stay connected to him and reflect on all of the wonderful family memories at “Addy’s House”. After 3 years in total of working on the story board it found it’s home at Dial Press (Penguin Random House) where I spent another 2 years turning the sketches into collages. The folks at Dial are incredible and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with them. Another project of yours is an ongoing series of name prints, where you customise and personalise images with name, skin tone and hair color as a special gift for a child. Tell us a bit more about this series and your thoughts behind it…?
I started offering these prints based on a set of alphabet cards I had created for children many years ago. I realised that there was a lack of art for children with a multicultural cast- so I wanted to help fill that gap by offering a print which could be customised to reflect any child- or all children! I started making these in 2001 and children and parents seem to respond strongly to them. What led you to your specific focus on children in your work? Probably the richness in my own childhood more than anything else. But also, my own love for children. I have such an appreciation for how they view the world with such
wonder, and are so much more present with whatever they are endeavouring at than adults are. INSPIRATION Where do you look for inspiration? I am inspired by compositions I see in every day life; a child splashing in puddles on his way to school, a cat sunbathing in a window… but also the work of other artists, whether friends or canonised artists. I shared a studio with the artist Richard McGuire for 3 years and his work and getting to talk about art every day with him was incredibly inspiring to me. My friend Tae Won Yu, who makes beautiful paper art inspires me a lot as of late.
Who do you admire artistically, and why? I love Alex Katz (especially his cut paper collages) Eduard Vuillard, Romare Bearden, Bonnard, Ellsworth Kelly’s plant drawings, Jean Arp, Robert McCosky’s paintings or Maine, Chiro No Showa, Ezra Jack Keats, Nancy Ekholm Burkert, Alice Neel, Blex Bolex, Ben Shahn, Ludwig Bemelmans, Lucian Freud, Calder, David Park, Richard Diebenkorn’s drawings, Agnes Martin, Yoshitoshi’s 100 Aspects of the Moon, Richard Tuttle, Matisse and Milton Avery. With a few exceptions most of these artists were masters of simplifying form. As a collage artist I am always trying to cull something down to it’s most essential form.
Favourite magazines, favourite blogs, favourite websites – any special place you look for inspiration…? I’m really loving Kirsten Rickert’s blog at the moment, especially watching her capture her daughter Maya’s adventures in art. You live in Brooklyn, New York – could you name a few favourite spots in Brooklyn/ New York that inspire you? Acorn Toyshop on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn is a very magical place to visit. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The underwater dioramas at The Museum of Natural History, Russ and Daughters Appetizing on the Lower East Side. FAMILY LIFE You have a little daughter - how do you balance family life and work? I finished my book just before my daughter was born 10 months ago, so I’ve tried to extend my maternity leave and spend as much time with her as possible. Infant-hood is a fleeting moment that I’d like to be present for, yet it’s important for new mothers to carve out time for themselves as well. It’s certainly a challenge - as any mother can attest to. I’ve been working mostly on promotion related to my book and selling prints of my work at my website. I owe a great debt to my mother who watches my daughter, enabling me to have the time to do this. Do you use your daughter and your own experiences as a mother in your work? I have not yet, but I’m certain that I will when I get into the studio which I’m very excited about. My book was written from the perspective of a child, so I’m curious to see if there is a shift to the perspective of a mother. I imagine it will bring a richness but also perhaps more spontaneity and playfulness.
IMAGINE EDUCATION Our current theme for the next issue is IMAGINE EDUCATION. How does imagination and learning go hand in hand in your view? I think a child has to suspend their disbelief to absorb knowledge that is being presented to them in a classroom without first hand experience. In that way they have to employ their imaginations. The same goes for information presented to them in books - one’s imagination is really what animates what’s on the page. I tend to think of the act of making art as being a way to pursue a deeper understanding of the world around you. It’s both a study of the world, but also an abstraction of the world. It seems as if you have an ultra fine sensibility toward children and how children act, how they move, what they spontaneously do or think - how they perceive and learn. How do you zoom into these tiny acts and details that make your work encase childhood in such a perfect way? I think this comes from spending time, and drawing them from life. Because they rarely sit still you can’t help but to observe how they move. The key for me is to never draw from a photograph which tend to look flat and static. What are your thoughts about imagination and education towards children (and towards all of us)? In the U.S., arts programs are being cut from public schools. Art is an important part of not only being a whole person, but there are many statistics which show that arts education correlates with academic achievement.
mathematics
REDHEADS GEOMETRY photographer: Alexandra Tretyakova
models: Nastya, Arseny stylist: Ann Lotan location: studio pride
Coat + turtleneck: Zara - Pants: Uniqlo - Boots: H&M
Blouse + shorts: Zara - Shoes: Converse
Sweater: H&M - Pants: Uniqlo - Shoes: Converse
INSTAGRAM FEATURE @LOOPYGIBBENS
INSTAGRAM FEATURE Louise Gibbes @loopygibbens Interview by Kathrine Maric www.littlekinjournal.com @littlekinjournal At first glance The Gibbens seems to be a pretty typical family with a husband, two sons, and the talented Louise Gibbens, who takes amazing pictures of their life in Canterbury, England. But they’re amongst a growing number of families who are choosing to educate their children at home, which is why Louise, who is 41 years old, is now a full-time home educating mother. With them, life is usually busy, often messy, but always interesting, as Louise puts it herself; “We live
surrounded by neat and tidy, professional houses - the home of traditional families who work, go to school, drive nice cars, and take regular holidays. This only serves to make the way we live appear even more crazy! I dream, often, of moving somewhere where we have more outside space. More space, less stuff; that’s the goal” SCHOOLING How did you feel about going to school when you were a child? I loved school. I went to a pretty typical primary school and then onto a huge mixed comprehensive secondary. It’s my belief that school favours girls. Sitting still, listening, building knowledge sequentially are skills that generally come to girls more readily than to boys. I did well. I gained all the right
grades to go on to study History at university. I remember being quite excited to be returning to school each September. Even now the smell of the air in the mornings at this time of year reminds me of standing waiting for the school bus. Those memories are good ones and for that I’m grateful. How are you schooling your own children? We have chosen to ‘Unschool’ our boys. For us this means home educating without a set curriculum or structure. Instead we have a rhythm to our weeks which revolves around the boys’ interests. Their learning is autonomous and largely play or curiosity based. Additionally they also join in with regular groups and classes. At the moment they go to a gymnastics club and french classes weekly, and attend a youth theatre group each weekend.
Why did you choose to unshool your boys? Our eldest son, Archie (8) started school at 4. I had my concerns but he settled well in his first term at a small village school. But things started to go wrong. He became increasingly anxious, his learning regressed and he was failing to meet targets. He was assessed by a Paediatrician, a Clinical Psychologist, and an Educational Psychologist. Constantly focussing on what might be wrong with Archie was depressing and we began to lose sight of the things that were so right with our bright, charismatic little boy. I started to research how children learn, particularly children like Archie who are highly sensitive, bright and inquisitive, but lack essential classroom skills; sitting still, concentrating and processing verbal instructions. We came to the conclusion that even the
best school in the land would still be unlikely to help Archie reach his full potential. His happiness became the deciding factor. His younger brother, Jody, is quite a different personality entirely and I suspect he would cope just fine in the classroom. But aside from the obvious practical problems associated with having one child at home and the other at school, it was impossible to unread all I’d learnt about how children learn (and how they fail). Jody may decide that he’d like to go to school at some point but I’m of the opinion that the school staring age of 4yrs in the UK is not only too early but potentially detrimental on long term academic and emotional outcomes. I don’t want either of my children to ‘cope’; I want them to thrive.
What are the positives sides and what are the negative? The positives are many and the negatives are few. For us we have a child who is happy, far less anxious, not under undue pressure and not comparing himself with others. His progress is not monitored, but instead is noted and celebrated. It’s about how far he’s come in relation to where he was rather than being in competition with anyone else or having to meet arbitrary targets. He learns about things because he’s intrinsically motivated to do so, not because he’s being coerced. Both my boys are developing and learning at a pace which is right for them. They are able to pursue their interests more deeply and always have time to finish off their work. They are socialising more naturally as well. Rather than having a group
of friends all of the same age, they play and spend time with a broad range of different children of various ages. There seems to be little or no competitive element within the home ed groups we go to, no playground politics, no bullying. Home education gives us more time to be outside in nature, spending time together, and building strong family relationships. But of course nothing is without its drawbacks. I have to be very intentional about carving out time for myself. If I don’t, it never happens. Sometimes I just need some quiet and stillness but I have to wait, or ask for help in order to get it. The same is true for making sure that each of my boys are given precious 1:1 time. I’m lucky that their grandparents live nearby and can help make this happen. I think home educators are also destined to
have messy homes! There just isn’t time to do it all and housework is all too often neglected. For us, the decision to home educate means that we are a single income household. This can mean going without certain luxuries, and adds pressure on my husband to single handedly cover our needs. For us, right now, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. PHOTOGRAPHY When did you start taking pictures? I began using a DSLR for the first time seriously about 2.5years ago. I’d started to want natural and candid pictures to document my boys as they grew up and was inspired to join in The 52 Project through Practising Simplicity blog ( back then it was called Che and Fidel). I saw a definite improvement in my photography each week and by the end of
that year, I was starting to crave better equipment. My discovery of prime lenses for portraits was a game-changer. What does photography add to your life? Photography offers me a much needed creative outlet. I simply love things that look beautiful. If I can take a beautiful image of a moment it makes me happy and the memory is captured. What do you like about instagram? It’s the community element of Instagram that makes it a winner for me. Yes, it provides me with creative inspiration, but it’s the supportive side that I love the most. I’ve made genuine friends through those little squares, both in real life and online.
What story would you like to tell with your pictures? I’ve not really thought of what story I might be telling or would like to tell. I suppose my pictures document some of the things we do but offer no where near the whole story. Of course the messy, mundane bits are left out, and so many other things, too. I’m inspired by nature and natural light so this has a huge impact on the photographs I choose to take and share. I like how you can see and feel the seasons come and go when scrolling through some of my favourite Instagram accounts. I’d like to think the same is true of mine. LIFE What’s your favorite place on earth? I’m not sure that I’ve been there yet. There are so many places I’d love to visit especially
with photography in mind. I’d love to visit Norway, and some out of the way wild places like the Faroe Isles and the Hebridiean Islands. Stockholm and Portland, Oregan are top of my cities to visit list. Nature plays a big roll on your instagram. What does spending time in nature add to your life? If I’m feeling at all stressed or the children are fighting or feeling argumentative, a walk in the woods or along the coast always, always sorts out how we’re feeling. It’s like a magic wand. At home it’s all too easy to get distracted by a screen or think about the things that might be making life a little too hard. But nature cures-all, even if the worries are waiting for you when you return, that fresh air and space brings a reprieve.
Archie, my eldest, will climb a tree and while sitting in the branches exclaim that he feels so good, so alive, so much better than he did before. He’s never once said that when climbing to the top of the climbing frame at the park. The book ‘Last Child In The Woods’ by Richard Louv is a must-read for all parents. What kind of childhood do you want for your children? Above all I want my boys to be happy and satisfied. To care for and love themselves and others, to be free of unnecessary pressure. But life isn’t perfect and I’m not the perfect parent so they’ll need to be resilient and flexible, too. I hope that they’re able to find their passion in life and to pursue it wholeheartedly.
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KID’S ROOM PLAY - CREATE - RELAX recommendations for you by studio rov
@marie_studiorov www.studiorov.dk In 4 year old Yrsa’s room, there is space for creative expression, playing and a quiet cozy moment. By creating different zones in the room, the child get’s a better overview of the room and which opportunities there is for playing. In the morning when there’s lots of energy, different toys will be taken out from the open shelves. After a long day out, it can be nice to relax in the tent reading a nice book. Furniture and materials are kept simple so that they provide a good base to let the child’s imagination run free. Similarly, Yrsa, who are in a Waldorf Kindergarten, primarily has toys in natural materials like wood, metal and wool. It provides a good basis for the child’s creative expressions.
The open shelving provides a good overview and o storage bag from House Doctor is perfect to house
TIP: Create a circle picture with your child: find t in a pattern of your choice. The picture frame is fro
The small tipi creates a great ‘room in the room’, w sheepskin from Ikea. The cute storage boxes are fro
TIP: with a lamp or light chain inside the tipi, you
one can easily reach the desired toy. The materials are found in the local construction market. The e a pile of soft teddy bears, and, like the boxes from Hay, a fine and decorative way of storing toy.
the old piles of watercoulor drawings and cut circles with a circle punch. Glue them on a large sheet om Ferm Living.
where there is the possibility to withdraw and immerse oneself in a book. Tipi from roommate and om an Ikea special collection.
u can create an even more cozy space when it gets dark outside.
At the desk, there is room for creative expression. Here, paintings are made, masks are cut and writin Desk accessories and notepads are from Studio Rov. TIP: Use a hanging pot for brushes or pencils and save desktop space.
There is also room for a friend at the small furniture set by Alvar Aalto. The Moroccan boucherouite p also a favourite place to center the play. The height of the room becomes involved with the beautiful and bag from Michelle Carlslund. Hooks from ferm Living.
Use a hook to hang a bag on the wall - this makes a great storage solution, and is decorative at the sam TIP: put small art prints and postcards on the wall using masking tape.
ng letters is trained.
provides comfort and warmth to the room, and is paper pom poms. Poster from Copenhagen Zoo
me time.
natural sciences
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE Photographer: Hannah Coates
Stylist: Becky Seager MUA/Hair: Mira Parmar using Burts Bees, Joica Hair and OPI Photo Assistant: Josh Showell Models: Toby, Presley, Lorelei and Yasmin
White shirt - Hugo Boss + cravate - stylists own
tshirt - Someday Soon , yellow trousers - Jessie James + boots - Bonpoint
Jumper - Gudrun Gudrun + skirt - Scotch Rbelle
Jumper - Bonpoint , dungarees - Elfie + boots - Dr Martens
On the left: tshirt - Someday Soon , yellow trousers - Jessie James + boots - Bonpoint
On the left: Jumper - Gudrun Gudrun , shorts - La Coqueta , boots
On
On the right: jumper - gudrun gudrun + trousers - scotch shrunk
n the right: long sleeve tshirt - Soft Gallery , knitted dress - Gudrun Gudrun + boots - Dr Martens
On the right: g
On the left: Shirt - Bonpoint + trousers - La Coqueta
green velvet jacket - Scotch Shrunk , chinos - Ralph Lauren , shirt - Hugo Boss + boots - Bonpoint
Blouse - Scotch Rbelle , lederhosen - stylists own + moccasins - Minnetonka
Red flower dress - Petit Bateau + shearling gilet - Bonpoint
ØSTERGRO An Urban Farming Tale from the Rooftops of Copenhagen www.oestergro.dk Text edit + Photos: Søs Uldall-Ekman Once upon a time in the year of 2013, three young soles had a somewhat crazy dream. They wanted to build an urban farm on a rooftop in Copenhagen. So they travelled the world in order to get smarter on the topic of urban farming and then they returned to Copenhagen with their minds bursting full with ideas. Now all they needed was a rooftop where they could build their little farm... Luck would have it that their paths would cross a friendly building-owner who said: ”I have a roof for you” and now things started to happen pretty fast. They named their roopftop farm ”Østergro” and one sunny day, a giant crane came and dropped no lees than 110 tonnes of soil up on that roof. It was a very exciting day for the three young people, but also for all their new friends in the neighborhood. More than 100 lovely neighbors and volunteers came to help with the shoveling. They dug and they dug, all day long and by the end there was a whole field up on that roof! Now came the time for planting seeds and then it was time to wait and wait... but nothing happened? No one had told the three friends to add fertilizer into the soil and since it was the first time anyone had ever grown vegetables on a roof in little Denmark, no one knew. So lot’s of organic composted poultry manure was added to the soil and then things started to grow. Soon the rooftop was overflowing it with green vegetables, buzzing bees and even 12 happy hens walked around a chicken coop. The rumor about this little utopic farm on the roof spread rapidly around the Kingdom and it wasn’t difficult at all for the three young people to find friends, members and volunteers to help with the urban farming. Every Wednesday afternoon throughout the summer they would all meet and harvest boxes full of organic vegetables, drink coffee, eat rye bread and gather a few eggs, sometimes even a glass of honey. The three friends had done it: They made their dream of a rooptop farm come true and now the fairytale continues. Because all over the world people are starting to have the same dreams and more rooftops are working on becoming as green as Østergro. The urban farming movement is growing and children are getting involved in urban farming too via school projects all over Denmark connecting urban dwellers with sustainable farming.
Filted Skirt: Hilda Henri Blue Shirt + Cape: Yellow Pelota Pantyhoses: Poppy England
Cardigan + Dress: Poppy England Socks: Mothercare Wellies: Bundgaard
Blue Shirt: Knast by Krutter Suspender pants: Yellow Pelota Beanie: H&M Kids Collection Filted rubber boots - Yellow Pelota
ØSTERGRO FACTS • 600 m2 organic rooftop garden, five floors above an old car auction in Æbeløgade in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark.
THANKS FOR READING,
NOW GO PLAY...
• The ØsterGro rooftop farm is a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) association where members pay 3,000 Danish kroner (400 euros) each year to receive locally-produced organic food in season. • There are currently 16 members but 50 families are on the waiting list to join ØsterGro. • The farm is run by volunteers but it is the plan to hire a part-time urban farmer, as it is not economically viable to operate such a big project with volunteer labour alone. In addition to income from the vegetables, the ØsterGro team has plans to offer workshops, courses, tours and events. For example, ØsterGro hosted several evening events during the food festival, Copenhagen Cooking, where guests could come and eat an organic dinner prepared on site from fresh vegetables and served in the greenhouse up under the evening sky. • A concern that urban gardening is often met with is whether the food grown is safe to eat. However, researchers at Copenhagen University found in a study from 2012 that it is perfectly safe to eat vegetables grown in urban areas. • ‘We are not labouring under any illusion that the people of Copenhagen will somehow become self-sufficient from urban gardens and agriculture, but we want to serve as a link between Copenhagen and organic agriculture for the city, inspire local organic markets and disseminate knowledge about food – whether it comes from rooftops or the countryside,’ said Livia Urban Swart Haaland, one of the team behind ØsterGro. • The overall objective of ØsterGRO is to create a platform for the dissemination of organic farming - both rural and urban - and thus link the city and country closer together. Much of the population now live in cities with no actual contact with the rural landscape, where food takes place. In many ways, urbanization helped us loose basic knowledge about how we grow and produce our food. By creating an urban farm, close to the consumer, Østergro seeks to create new connections and solutions between producer and consumer, and thus, enrich both the farmer and citizen.
STORYTELLERS COOPER AND GORFER Edited by Søs Uldall-Ekman @coopergorfer www.coopergorfer.com www.facebook.com/CooperGorfer
The very first time I saw an image from the art duo known as Cooper and Gorfer it was in the middle of Copenhagen on a cold winterday. It was a poster for an exhibition they had at the National Library and I felt so completely drawn into the image that I had to stop my bike, get of and just stand there looking at the image, trying to experience the story it was telling. Since then I’ve followed their work closely and it feels as such an honour to be able to share some of their work with you in Enfants Terribles Magazines newest feature: STORYTELLERS. ABOUT COOPER AND GORFER Cooper & Gorfer comprises the artists Sarah Cooper (USA, 1974) and Nina Gorfer (Austria, 1979). They have worked together since 2006 and have similar backgrounds in architecture, art, design and photography. They met during their studies in the master program at HDK in Göteborg, Sweden, where they started collaborating. Early on they realized that they both sha-
red a love for storytelling tied to their experience of a place and or image. Both in a general sense, but also in their own personal reflections and understandings of their own family histories. Their work has many indirect influences from the family farm of Nina’s grandmother in Styria, Austria, and Sarah’s family stories and photographs from her great great grandfather’s life on the frontier in 1880s US. This chain of history in their lives, in relation to our creative motivation and personal narratives, plays a significant role in their work. Cooper and Gorfer’s fascinating work belongs to a narrative tradition within photography, with roots in 18th and 19th century painting, based on the personal and collective stories of place, where the pictures become condensed impressions showing the latent and ephemeral rather than the obvious. Their images show more than just an objective view of the person portrayed. Instead, they also depict something we can not see – the past, the insubstantial and intangible, where the life and sentiment of the person photographed are woven together with our perception and experience of the moment. In the end, these pictures are the stories’ beautiful remains. Nina and Sarah live and work in Gothenburg, Sweden, but their images are travelling the world right now, telling stories to everyone who come across the images.
How did you get started as photographers? What is your background and training? ”We come from different backgrounds, Sarah is a classically trained photographer with a BA from Syracuse University, Nina studied architecture under Zaha Hadid at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna and has worked many years within graphic design and art direction. We met during our studies in the master program at HDK Göteborg, where we started our collaboration based on a fascination we share for narrative structures, visual storytelling, the influence and expression of culture and last but not least our love for books. What personal experiences have most influenced your work and/or style? We both share a love for storytelling tied to our experience of a place and or image. Both in a general sense, but also in our own personal reflections and understandings of our own family histories. Our work has many indirect influences from the family farm of Nina’s grandmother in Styria, Austria, and Sarah’s family stories and photographs from her great great grandfather’s life on the frontier in 1880s US. This chain of history in our own lives in relation to our creative motivation and narrative plays a significant role in our work.” Your work and photographic style belong to a narrative tradition rooted in the 18th and 19th century painting - can you describe your work method and technique? ”We work in many layers. The main medi-
um of our work is photography and every image is always based on a photograph. But we work beyond this, creating a more haptic experience of the image through experiments in composition, light, texture and metaphorical cues. We take the image away from the classifiable, away from photography in the classical sense. Our process can take several weeks for one image, where we add, take away, and reassemble using different techniques. For us, something interesting happens in this grey-zone between photography and painting, when you as a viewer have to leave the certainty of knowing what medium it is you are looking at. We always direct and stage our images, always using portable flash system lights. We shoot with a digital Medium Format Camera, a Hasselblad H4D. Clothes and styling have a big relevance in our work, both in the process of photographing, as well as in the post photographic process of creating the image, because clothes have a significant symbolic potential. We do not want to document the time we live in per se, to document or analyze this very moment or event. We are more interested in blurring time. The digital process is one of our tools – in the end, everything comes together in the computer. This tool must be mastered just like any analogue process. Like with paint and brush, or in the dark room, you will have to find your own expression within a given technology.”
SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW You’ve described your technique as a combination of very old and very new methods. How is your approach both traditional and innovative? ”Our process involves a daily dedication to working and reworking a concept or image. It involves the many levels of any work of art: intention, research, concept, intuition, creation, evaluation, composition, production, etc... And in that sense we would say our general process is very traditional. We have mentioned such techniques as layering, this can be both completely digital or with a combination of analogue techniques: meaning drawing, painting, scratching and sewing on or into the image – which will then be digitally collaged back into the image. As any artist, we are children of our time and privy to the technology that surrounds us. The ascendancy of digital technology within image making has become a characteristic of our time. As artists, we think it is more interesting to contribute to pushing innovation within the technology prevalent today, rather than working within the traditional conventions of a field or medium. We also want to point out, that we have experienced a lot of curiosity but also skepticism as reaction to our work, because part of the process is done digitally. There seem to be a lot of preconceptions and opinions in that field that take away from the worth and meaning of an art piece. Technology is a tool only, a catalyst in the best of cases, but it is not the artwork itself.”
You’ve described the manipulation of the photos as a way to capture the full complexity of your experience when taking the picture. What did you do, and how did it make the final product more authentic or truthful than the unaltered photograph? ”A photograph shows us the outside, rather than the inside. It shows us what we can see with our eyes, not necessarily what we can perceive in a moment or about a person. In that sense, photography is limited in its ways of expression. Because even if you stage your photograph and meticulously decide and design all the details, from light to the decisive moment, composition, etc... you are still bound to the rules of our physical world. But this is not how perception, intuition, memory or emotions work. So in our work, instead of being true to what we see, we extend, supplement, deconstruct and layer our images, to portray something we cannot see – the insubstantial and intangible. We want to transcend the life and sentiments of the person photographed and engage the viewer. This is an essential part in our process. A good image is as much about the one looking at the image as it is about the one portrayed. There must be a connection; otherwise you will walk away from an image, uninvolved. So our work, when seen as strict photography raises all these questions about what is real versus what is manipulated, what is digital and what is analogue, and alteration versus “the truth”. But we find ourselves not working under the paradigm of the medium of pho-
tography, as it is perceived today. We are aware of the lines of definition for classical photography. But our work does not follow this line and therefore disappoints the one who wants to believe that what might be defined as “real” in a photograph is completely non subjective. If you look at our work as not photographic, you will find yourself in new territory. In that sense, we often feel more akin to painting than we do to photography.” Your artistic production can be said to contain a tension between your anthropological way of approaching and observing “the Other” while also working in close collaboration with the people that you portray. How do you perceive your own position when you work? ”Many times when we work we are observers. Coming to another culture, even if you don’t want to be, by nature, you are different – the further away from your own cultural home, the more obvious this difference and therefore your observing role becomes. But we also noticed that with some of the people you meet, you overcome that abyss of cultural differences and meet as two people. It is based on curiosity for the other person, and more importantly, on recognition. You are touched by someone in your life, because you recognize and because you relate. It is the same with people we meet on our journeys. Those who leave the strongest impression and often become muses in our work, are the ones we could connect to emotionally.
This is when we stop observing and start to relate. When we then show our images, we strive for that same recognition – a momentum that lets the viewer not see the cultural differences, but feel an emotional connection with the image because it touches them. To be touched you need to be able to relate. And to relate you need to recognize something in that picture or person that is already within you. So in our work we do and experience both, the role of observers, and the role of friends. You have stated that you view yourself more as painters than typical photographers since your narrative and poetic way of working challenges the photograph as a document of reality. But why do you still work with photography – what do the medium offer you? ”When we started to collaborate as artists, photography was our shared skill and quickly became our main tool of expression. Photography is still a relatively young medium and it is constantly changing. The rapid succession of technological inventions opens for new ways of expression, but also continuously alters the very substance of the medium. As an artist, to not only be able to experience, but also be part of the development of a medium or creative era, is very tempting. On a more practical level, photography allows us to interact with people in a more immediate way. Even though our photographs are staged, we still work relatively quickly and spontaneously during our project travels.
Photography allows us to meet a person one day and do a succession of portraits of this person the next day. We can also photograph the dog of the house, the pattern of the tapestry on the walls, the mist coming in early in the morning... with photography we can be collectors. So we do take documents of reality, if such a thing exists, but they undergo a transformation. And maybe it is this that we find so compelling – the notion that reality only exists in this very moment.” STORYTELLING CHILDHOOD Has your childhood experiences influenced your work? Tell us about where you grew up? Nina: ”I grew up in Vienna, Austria, but my family originally comes from the countryside, about 2 hours south of Vienna, where the Alps start. It’s an area known for it’s many thick pine wood forests. when we were kids, my siblings and I spent a lot of time there, on my grandparents farm. It was a small family farm with a long history and it was the meeting point of the extended family. There were always kids around. Cousins, neighbours, friends. When I see myself as a child, I see myself there. For us children, my grandmother was the heart of the farm. She was a gifted storyteller, roaming freely between fiction and reality, and to us children, it did not matter what was what. More often than not, the stories were connected to either her, the place, the nature, or people who had lived here before. It was a wild mixture
of folk tales, stories from the war, and memories of the happiness and hardship of her own childhood. And somehow her memories became our tales and her tales our memories. And with every story connected to it, the place grew. It was a very real and a very magical place. The memory of it inspires me still.” Sarah: ”I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA in the US. My mother is a statistician and my father an artist and professor in architecture. So yes, my home definitely had an artistic vibe. It wasn’t uncommon to be surrounded, while sitting at the dinner table, by the most recent 3 x 3 meter giant charcoal drawings by my father. During my teenage years the whole city was shifting away from industry and the last of the steel mills and blast furnaces were becoming all but carcasses in the landscape. I got my first camera when I was around 16 and spent most of the time breaking into the last of the abandoned sites with friends, photographing the traces of what was left. I remember one day coming across a giant abandoned factory room where the floor was covered in thousands upon thousands of sparkling metal spoons. In the middle stood a perfect line of about 10 carefully placed platform shoes. I remember feeling instantly hyper aware, wondering who had created this and, are they still in the building. A sensation of simultaneous fascination and terror – a kind of psychopathic introduction to installation art.”
Were you drawn to creating images growing up? Nina: ”Some years ago my mother gave me a couple of small papers, each paper contained a drawing of an animal. The animals were all sad with strings of drop shaped tears attached to their eyes. So deep was their sadness, that the tears had formed small paddles on the ground beneath their feet. Above each animal’s head there was a thought bubble - a cloud shaped memory containing the story behind their sadness. I had forgotten about these drawings, but I when I saw them again, I remembered them and how I sat at the wooden desk in my parents small bedroom, immersed in visualizing the stories of all the sad animals. I must have been around 7 years old. I am not sure, what had motivated me to draw this, but I think even as a child I have been intrigued by stories and how to visualize them. And I have been intrigued by melancholy. I think many children are.” Sarah: ”As a child, I was completely obsessed with building miniature worlds and sets with all of the finite details and accessories intact. Places I would play in for hours created out of the remains of boxes, bottles, woodplanks and fabrics left for waste. I also remember spending endless hours designing vomit-enhancing rollercoasters that I would introduce to my family after dinner. As far as art, the first art experience I can remember being completely floored by was a Van Gogh exhibition at the Metro-
politan Museum of Art in New York in the early 1980s, seeing the paint and it’s thickness practically lift itself from the canvas. As a teenager I loved to visit The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and remember vividly a room that simulated the great Pittsburgh flood of 1936. A story told to me repeatedly by my Grandmother who spoke of salvaging and ironing money days on end. And I especially remember the first Carnegie International show in Pittsburgh where I saw the photographs of Richard Avedon documenting the emotionally charged first hours of the Berlin Wall coming down.” USING CHILDREN TO TELL A STORY TO THAT INNER CHILD Why are children so strongly featured? What do they represent as narrators or otherwise in your work? ”Children have a fascination to them. They represent the innocent and at the same time they seem to stand for innate wisdom. They speak to us because they remind us of a part in ourselves. We have all been children once and somehow we bear this child with us through our lives. In some of our projects children play a bigger part because of the subject matter. Like in our new work about Argentina, where the sad story of the stolen children influenced our way of depicting the project. Other times, we use children to tell a story to that inner child.”
What are insights do you get from working with these children? ”There was this one time when we worked in a school class, a small rural school on the foothills of the Andes in Argentina. We usually know immediately who we are interested in photographing and so we did this time. There was this group of girls and one of them was absolutely stunning looking. We asked the teacher if we could photograph her and pointed towards the girl, but she misunderstood and got the whole group over, telling all these small girls, that we would like to take their pictures. We felt so responsible to not make anybody feel excluded, that we photographed them all, one by one, leaving our favourite girl to the end. And when we finally got to her, our time was over and they needed to return to class. We ended up with only 2 pictures of this amazing looking girl with the puzzled look. On our research travel to Kyrgyzstan we met a woman by the name of Shola. The daughter to one of the families we stayed with. In the evenings and over tea, we would talk with Shola about her life and situation. She began to tell us of her kidnapping and eventual abuse. When she was 21, a student of mathematics at the university in Bishkek, she became the victim of Bridal Kidnapping (a tradition that has resurfaced since the fall of the Soviet Union. About 80% of the woman we met in Kyrgzstan had been kidnapped. Some as acts of love some as brutal abductions).
In Shola’s case, she was forcibly taken, becoming the bride of a man in a distant rural village. Later, a victim of Stockholm’s Syndrome, she fell in love with her kidnapper. After years of physical and psychological abuse she left her husband, allowed to take only one child with her. When we met Shola, she was in her early 30s, living with her family and her son Islam, she had been away from her husband for about a year. In the work of Shola and the Cat from the Kyrgyzstan series, the viewer is taken from the real moment of when we captured, with our camera, Shola standing there in Kyrgyzstan holding her cat. Her stance rigid, as she disliked the cat. But there is a truth to Shola that you would not see in a 30th of a second photograph: the remnant of pain in her from her former kidnapping, her triumph in leaving the man who captured her and new levels of criticism facing her in the society she returns to. Through metaphorical cues and manipulation in the image we bring forward these other moments of Shola’s life that are also a large part of “Her” in this moment.”
art class THE ARTIST HEART
photographer JULIE A. MARTIN EVERY ARTIST DIPS HIS
BRUSH IN HIS OWN SOUL, AND PAINTS HIS OWN NATURE INTO HIS PICTURES
~ henry ward beecher
Top: Marin & Morgan
Blouse: Ultra Violet Kids
Dress: Twirls & Twigs
Sweatshirt: Molo + Shirt: Motoreta
Skirt worn as cape: Ava & Lu
Sweater: Tambere
TRENDS AUTUMN PLAYTIME recommendations for you by
kathrine houe
@littlekinjournal www.littlekinjournal.com
Nor-folk: Because who doesn’t like playing ha Bobo Choses: So simple, so wearable and so p The Bee and The Fox: This amazing T-shirt private instagram @thestorkandthebeanstalk By Clara: It’s hard not of fall in love with these
Now, that we have said our final goodbyes to summer, we’re getting ready for a few months of golden leaves, muddy puddles, windy days, wooly socks in rubber boots and an endless number of hot cups of tea. For me, autumn is the perfect time for outdoor play-time, and what’s better than to do it in comfortable clothes that are all made for playing and learning?
Mabo Kids: Is there anything better than gettin
Nico Nico: Canvas ponchos, soft jumpsuits a Louise Misha: If you want to make your ma
ard? pretty. Bobo Choses has made a collection full of amazing nature-prints. t with the best text ever, is made by a beautiful little american family. Make sure to check out their
e chrome-free mocc-boots, that would be perfect for kicking those autumn leaves.
ng into a cozy and organic pajamas, and then play all night?
and cotton T-shirts. This brand makes the best clothes for outdoor playdates! ake your autumn outdoor playtime into a fairytale dream, this is the place to look.
cooking class
THE APPLE ADVENTURE
Photographer: Søs Uldall-Ekman
Coat: Hilda Henri Shirt: Yellow Pelota Hat, Scarf, Pants, Boots: Zara
Shirt w. fringes + pattern: Zara Jeans: H&M Boots: H&M Kids Collection
Jacket: H&M Kids Collection Hat + Sweater: Zara Pants: Knast by Krutter
Sweater + Beanie: H&M Suspender pants: Yellow Pelota
Grey Cape+ Leatherpurse: Zara Hat: H&M
T-shirt: Knast by Krutter sweater: H&M Kids Collection
Longsleeved shirt: Knast by Krutter Pants w. suspenders: Zara
Dress, Pantyhoses, Cardigan: Poppy England Beanie: H&M Boots: Zara
Sweater + Scarf: Zara
Hat + Sweater: Zara Pants: Knast by Krutter Wellies: Bundgaard
FOOD LUNCHBOXING DELUXE by louisa lorang
@louisalorang @lorangmini www.louisalorang.dk
ABOUT LOUISA Louisa (38) lives in Copenhagen with her her three kids and husband. She’s a TV chef and cook book author who likes food that’s sensible but fun, healthy, affordable, organic and quality conscious. She also has a penchant for cupcakes and embarrassing drinks. She’s a lunchbox expert and has written multiple cook books with inspiration for everyday lunch box goodies, delicious everyday food, yummy salads and vegetarian dishes. She likes eating a bit too much, but enjoys every single bite!
MAKI & NIGIRI WITH CUCUMBER AND ADVOCADO Having homemade sushi for dinner is an all time favorite at our house. The makirolls are my daughter Ester’s favorite, she loves them simple with cucumber or avocado. And no we don’t get up and steam rice early in the morning. We figured out that if we make it for dinner the day before and make sure to have enough for lunch the following day, it’s taking homepacked lunches to whole new level.
SUSHI RICE 1 portion .......... 3 cups of sushi rice Plenty of cold water 3 dl of cold water 2 1/2tbsp.of rice vinegar 1 1/2 tbsp. of sugar 1/2 tsp. of salt Rinse the rice in cold water by putting them in a bowl with plenty of cold water and stir the rice around with your hands. Change the water and repeat until the water is clear. It takes quite some time and this could be th perfect job to involve the kids in. Drain the rice and place in a saucepan with 3 cups of water . Cook the rice and let them simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Turn off the rice and let them continue to cook under the lid for another 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid. The moist needs to saty with the rice. Mix the vinegar, salt and sugar untill the sugar is completely dissolved. You may heat it carefully on the stove if necessary. Mix the rice with the cold dressing and leave to cool. Ideally the rice should set in a wooden dish, but I normally just use a reular dish and it’s just fine. When they have set and cooled of they are ready for making sushi. TIP: In my book it’s perfectly okay to use leftover rice from yesterday’s dinner also, just add a little vinegar and sugar to the rice and no one will notice once the sushi is rolling. You can also buy pudding rice in stead of sushis rice, they are cheaper and available in an organic version and they’ll do just fine for this dish.
MAKI & NIGIRI WITH CUCUMBER AND ADVOCADO Enough for 2-3 lunches .......... 2 sheets of nori (seaweed) 1/2 a serving of sushi rice (see above) wasabi (optional) 1/2 a cucumber 1 sliced avocado Sesame seeds (optional) Sushimat Cut approximately 1 cm strip of each norisheet and save them for later. Place one sheet of nori on a sushimat and spread approximately half of the rice on the sheet, leaving the upper 2-3 cm free of rice. Spread a bit of wasabi on the rice if you want that nice sting to the sushi, but keep in mind that wasabi it hot stuff, so you just need a bit. Cut half of the cucumber into sticks and place them with the avocado on the bottom part of the nori/rice roll. Sprinkle with sesame if you’re up for it. Roll together tightly and gather by wetting the outer layer of the nori left without rice. Cut in 6-8 pieces or leave as a roll. Repeat with the second sheet nori. Use leftover rice to make little riceballs, spice them up with a bit of wasabi and place thin slices of cucumber on top. Wrap the thin belts of nori that we cut of earlier tightly around the riceballs. Place the sushi in little containers in the lunchbox to keep them neat and fresh. Remember to pack a bit of soy sauce, ginger and sticks for eating if the kids know how to use them. I always add a andwich and/ or lots og fruits and greens to go with the sushi. If you’re up for it you can find really cool molds for the nigiri/riceballs online huge hit with the kids!
CHICKPEA GUACAMOLE WITH TORTILLA CHIPS
This recipe is my take on a healthy and yummy a personal favorite of mine. I love eating it with fresh greens and the fresh made dip and it’s both immensely satisfying and very filling when you get a salty craving.
Chickpea Guacamole (enough for 4 lunchbox servings) 3 avocados 200 g cooked chickpeas 1 clove of garlic 1 handful of fresh cilantro Juice of half a squeesed lemon 2-3 tbsp of olive oil Salt (optional - chopped jalapenos for spice only for older kids who like it spicy) Cut the avocados open, remove the pit and scrape out the fresh avocado into a mixer. Add the cooked (and cold) chickpeas, garlic and cilantro to the mix and blend till it’s smooth. Add lemon, olive oil and salt. Blend in the jalapenos if you’re going for the hot version. Stays fresh in fridge for 2 days.
Tortilla Crisps & Greens 3 wholegrain stortillas 3 tbsp of olive oil Salt Crisp greens such as snacksized carrots, radishes, cucumbersticks etc. Cut the tortillas into triangles. Spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzle them with oliveoil and salt. Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 8-12 minutes or until they’re crisp. Let them cool of until they’re no longer warm before you pack them in the lunch box with the chickpea guacamole and green (each separately of course). Don’t store the tortilla crisps in fridge overnigth as they will go soft.
drama class
Photographer/Director: Karla Conrad Dress maker: Cate Hukill-Swan Book: The Nitch Props: Satyrus Jeering Child Model: Isabella Rose
DO IT YOURSELF created for you by heidi korsgaard
@denkreativesky www.denkreativesky.dk
SWAN BOOKMARK Once in a while you need to take a break from all the school reading and what cuter way to mark your page than with this glittery swan bookmark. I made a template for you to make your own the swan bookmarks. It’s super easy to make and it’s perfect for some co-creationwith the kids who will probably love decorating them with glitter -a lot of glitter. Remember, sometimes more is more. WHAT YOU NEED: Printed Template Scissor Glue Glitter Markers Paper scraps WHAT TO DO: Print the template (here) Cut out the swan, the feathers and the crown. Decorate the Swan and ”feather”s as you wish. Glue some of the feathers on the swan. Finally you glue a large feather on, but remember only to glue the top of the feather ! Place the feather midwise of the center to the swan. Let the swan dry. Now you have your own swan bookmark...
LITTLE LABEL CRUSH HARD WORK & ALL PLAY interview by danielle chassin www.hippieindisguise.com @hippieindisguise
Enfants Terribles Magazine loves playfulness, childhood and creativity. For this issue, focused on education and imagination, we want to celebrate labels that take a creative approach to wardrobe basics and imaginatively reinvent children’s wear classics. We hope the interviews will inspire a newfound appreciation for basics and renew your nostalgia for the classics.
PAADE MODE By Linda Raituma
@paademode www.paademode.com www.facebook.com/PaadeMode
What’s in the name? What does PaadeMode mean? Paade is an old Latvian folk name that was given to newborn babies before they got their actual name. When they are pure, themselves and not yet personalised in a way. Something fresh and new. That is also how we try to create our clothing, celebrating the pristine and what a child is. Tell me a little about the person or the team behind PaadeMode? The backbone of our brand is creator/brand owner/designer Linda Raituma. She is as versatile as they come, having both a creative and business mind. While Linda is the generator of ideas, our brand works as a team. Everybody has their input and exchanging ideas and opinions tends to be the way how to create interesting styles.
PaadeMode keeps it in the family, with values and our close knit team. We work with artists and craftsmen to create powerful collections, while also inviting newcomers, style icons and thinkers to collaborate on capsule collections. Our latest collaborations have been designed with blogger, artist, stylist Santa Bindemane from Kidsgazette. We keep it light in our team, going back and forth and complementing each other. What’s your background and how did you get started designing children’s clothing? Sometimes there comes a time in life when one realises that they are just not doing what they want. That is exactly what prompted our brand owner Linda to leave her very high paid job in banking and marketing. Having spent numerous hours at a high stress work and not spending enough time with her family, she realised that it was just not fulfilling. So she said goodbye to that and decided to
create a brand that celebrates children, imagination, innovation, while staying grounded and true to nature. While running a brand is not an easy task, it is something that Linda is very passionate about and feels that this is how she shows a good example to her own kids how to do what you love and balance work and home life. What was the first piece designed for PaadeMode? It was for our first summer season, a set for a toddler girl made from linen with shorts and a light dress. Linda has always found it important that girls can twirl in dresses, so the skirt of it is very wide. Since then most dresses in our collection are made so that they flare and are fun to twirl in. A play of fabrics and a little romance.
What are the basic principles your designs live by? Emphasis on simplicity and comfort maintaining classic traditions in combination with modern shapes and innovative styles and ideas. Comfortable and airy, delicate yet powerful. A play of textures, colours, patterns of fabrics, embroidery and knitwear. On top of that locally and ethically produced. Your designs are beautiful, classic, but still feel fresh. What inspires your designs? The main inspiration is kids themselves, how they see the world, trying to remember what we liked when we were kids, how the little person sees the world. At the same time we also find it important that even young children learn how to recognise and appreciate quality and sense of style.
Another big inspiration is nature, especially Nordic one. The colours, textures and feeling that one gets when being out in the wild. Nowadays though, while living in an urban environment, the city also plays a part. Or rather how to combine the busy city life with little bits of nature that manage to be around us while we run around everyday. Our very social, global lifestyle (blogs, “instagrams”, “pinterests”, printed and online magazines, shared stories of being a parent and kid), also add to the ideas or help in regards of the current climate, likes, dislikes and such. It is a helpful tool, just have to be careful not to drown in it! On top of it all though, we just want celebrate personality.
Do you plan to expand the line? What’s next for PaadeMode? A lot of brainstorming goes on in our office about future prospects for PaadeMode. We did a Teen collaboration for our SS16, testing the water for the young almost adult. While most our styles range from 0 to 16, teens are special in their choices and likes. We have always done accessories to complement our lines, there is talk to expand to perhaps shoes or backpacks. All a work in progress. And … quite a few grownups ask “can I please have this in my size?” We are thinking about it! When you aren’t working what do you love to do? Spend time with family, out in the nature, just enjoying and appreciating.
LUV MOTHER By Kevin Peacock
@luvmthr www.luvmother.com www.facebook.com/luvmothercom
Tell me a little about the person or the team behind luvmother? First, there is Kevin Peacock, co-founder and creative director of luvmother. Kevin is an art director and graphic designer, with a speciality in the outdoor sports industry. As a result he has worked with many apparel brands, equipment companies, resorts and tourism boards, and spent a lot of time in and around the mountains feeding a love of nature and developing a huge respect for merino wool threads. Second, there is Giselle Murphy, co-founder and voice of reason. Giselle is a teacher, a mom and, among other things, has a background in Public Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility. She helps with strategy and acts as the chief sounding board for the brand. Third, there is Amanda Eaman, PR, sales, brand development. Amanda brings to the mix an energy and passion that is very hard to equal. Her retail experience and sense of style have such a positive impact on the brand. Her tenacity is helping open doors for us that would have otherwise remained elusive.
What’s in the name? How did you choose the name luvmother for the label? We wanted a name to represent more than just the collections we put out, something that truly defined the spirit, integrity and intention behind the brand. The two words ‘love’ and ‘mother’ are packed with positive meaning and we tip our hats to all moms, mother earth, the mother of invention and the idea that with a little luv anything you put your mind to is possible. What’s your background and how did you get started designing children’s clothing? My training as it applies to luvmother and clothing design has its roots in growing up the son of a home economics teacher who would have us make our own surf trunks and taper our own pants. This later became a cottage industry in high school with kids lining up ready to shell out $5 to have their school trousers narrowed and cuffed. The rest comes from a keen interest in fashion design, observation and time spent with talented professionals in the field. The inspiration for the collection ultimately comes from our 5 year old twin daughters, Léla and Quinn. When they were born we
were spoilt to have their Norwegian cousins send us their great merino wool handme-downs but had a hard time finding our own quality merino kids products in North America. What little we did find was limited to sleepwear and long underwear. Merino wool has such amazing qualities, its renewable, its technical and the merino fabrics we’re using are awesome to design with. The idea of combining these attributes into a casual collection for kids and offering it to the North American market was all the motivation we needed to press go! What was the first piece designed for luvmother? The Aha Hoody would have to be the first one designed. It’s a really versatile piece that can be worn next to skin or as a layer and is a great top to have at the ready when you aren’t sure what your kids will be up to next.
What are the core design principles for luvmother? Design smart, functional pieces that fit properly, kids want to wear and that have a hand-me-down quality built in. The goal has always been to put out a small, four season collection of pieces that work well on their own but also in concert as a layering system. Limiting the number of styles allows us to focus on the details and improve with each iteration. The design process has been very collaborative and inspirational. We start with a series of sketches then work with a seasoned designers with serious cred in the outdoor apparel world to refine and round out the offering. Why are basics important to luvmother? The styles are classic, the colours are great and the fits are dialled. We set out to create a line of clothing that not only compli-
ments kids energy but also one that has a hand-me-down quality built in and is created through an earnest, traceable process. We have no interest in chasing trends and would like to see the collection continue to improve year after year. Basics are often seen as functional and not necessarily fashionable. Would you agree or disagree? Why? Traditionally, yes, but choice of materials and attention to detail is upping the ante for the potential of ’basics’. Merino is both natural and highly technical, keeping you warm when you are cool and the other way around too. The best in the world comes from both New Zealand and Australia and we looked to partner with mills in those countries that understood what we were trying to accomplish with the collection and could help supply us with soft, easy-care merino in the custom colours that we wanted.
What inspires your designs? Fun and function, and our little people. Do you plan to expand the line? What’s next for luvmother? We do! We are! Though we never intend to have a big collection, we are working on some accessories for the winter season and a couple of product bundles. Though we strive to respect the balance between ’less’ and ’better’ we are excited to introduce new colour ways and a few fun styles. When you aren’t working what do you love to do? Play outdoors. Travel and adventure with family. Be creative. Constantly learn. Be good.
BREAK recess
Photography: Andrea Seifert
Styling: Irmela Schwengler
MUA & hair: Katja Luz Products: Hair: Glynt Make Up: Rouge Bunny Rouge
Models: Jolina, Luna + Enes
Beanie: Drum & Lace above Pullover: Drum & Lace bellow Tank Top: Drum & Lace Skirt: Toddlin Town Tights: Models Own Legwarmers: made of socks by Stylist Shoes: Vintage
Dress: Toddlin Town Tights: Models Own Socks: Primark Shoes: Vintage
Cap+ Scarf: Macarons Longsleeve: Toddlin Town Trousers: Drum & Lace Shoes: Vintage
In the middle: Blouse: Toddlin Town Skirt: Macarons Tights: Models Own Legwarmers: made of socks by Stylist
On the right Tunica: Toddlin Town Leggings: Drum & Lace Socks: Primark Shoes: Vintage
Beanie, above Pullover + bellow Tank Top: Drum & Lace
Slip Over: Toddlin Town Longsleeve: Drum & Lace Trousers: Drum & Lace Shoes: Junior Gaultier Vintage
Longsleeve: Drum & Lace Skirt: Macarons Socks: Primark
Shirt: Toddlin Town Trousers: Drum & Lace
On the left: Headscarf: Drum & Lace Dress: Toddlin Town Socks: Primark Shoes: Vintage
On the right: Scarf: Drum & Lace Dress: Drum & Lace Legwarmers: made of socks by Stylist Shoes: Vintage
Scarf: Drum & Lace Longsleeve: Toddlin Town Skirt: Toddlin Town
Jacket: Drum & Lace Longsleeve: Drum & Lace Trousers: Drum & Lace Shoes: Junior Gaultier Vintage
THE STORY OF MOLO
THE STORY OF MOLO @molo www.molo.com www.facebook.com/molo interview by søs uldall-ekman @thegirllikesrainbows www.thegirllikesrainbows.com
THE STORY OF feature is about sharing the personal story behind children’s fashion brands that inspire us. Behind each label lies a dream, which took shape in the mind of creative souls who devoted themselves to making clothes for children. We aim to give you personal insight and to make it possible for you to know the story behind the different children’s fashion labels, when buying clothes for your little ones. This time we place the spotlight on the Danish childrens wear label Molo and ask them to tell their story on how it all came to be and what they value when making clothes for kids. DARING TO DO DIFFERENT The Danish children’s fashion label Molo, has from the very beginning done things their own way. Their style of designs have that urban feel, that captures the essence of the Scandinavian rawness and edge. Breaking the mould in childrenswear and changing perceptions of parents’ one photo print at a time, Molo entered the market in 2003 with the first collection. Today Molo has four top designers and one print designer creating unique fashion styles that have made the boys’ and girls’ collections up to14 years grow in popularity the past few years. The idea for Molo came from a
desire to become ‘the naughty boy of the class’ wanting to spice up the kids fashion, which at that time was very light blue and baby pink and generic. It was time for a change: ”We wanted to create a kidswear brand with edge and an urban and playful look/expression. So we started from the complete scratch in an apartment in Copenhagen with only two sets of hands to do everything from designing, purchasing, sales, marketing, administration to logistics.” The brand name was actually established for more than 10 years ago by the CEO Mogens Jepsen and his former colleague a designer called Louise Frederiksen. Molo is a composition of the two first letters in each of their names. ”From the beginning it has always been in the DNA of Molo to experiment with materials, fabrics, expressions, design and colors. And basically it’s all about creating styles that both kids and parents fall in love with. Behind molo is a top energetic team dedicated to what they are doing: providing favorites for every child’s closet and giving kids and young teens an injection of high voltage charm and edge. Molo is feeding the child’s imagination with designs with an urban chic twist and always surprising color mixes that often have a humorous twist.”
THE MOLO APPROACH TO MAKING CLOTHES FOR KIDS ”First of all it has to be on the children’s terms. We design our collection based on how kids are developing throughout the years in what they find interesting and fun. Also we have learned that it’s all about innovation. The world is full of clothes so in order to survive there should be a reason-to-be for your brand and that you can obtain through innovation. You have to believe in what you do to break through the field within kids fashion. Of course there are daily challenges when you are running a production business, as a lot can go wrong through the process. Luckily we have a hugely talented team, who every day helps to make a difference so the problems will not develop. We try to be at the forefront I every part of our value chain. If the quality is not good or if you can not deliver on time, it does not help much only to have a nice design. Design-wise we stay
ahead by allowing a big playroom for our talented designers. We develop a lot and if you asked people within finance, there were a lot of things that we should not be producing, but we do it anyway to create out-of-the-box designs that will make us stand out. Besides that we do not inform ourselves that much within kids fashion, because if it is seen here, then it is seen before and then it will not turn out as something new and innovative.” CURIOUS, QUIRKY AND LOVED BY KIDS ”We have always been and will always be curious in everything we do. Not only in how we design but also in the way all our departments are working. Being within kids fashion is a journey of learning. You can never stop learning and for us it is important always to remember that. Quirky is a big part of our identity not only in how we design our clothes by making small, quirky details and mix the different fabrics but also in the way we make our imagery. It does not have to be the
perfect kids, the perfect surroundings or the perfect set up. We want the quirky. The girl with short hair or the abandoned warehouse. Today clothes are not just a practical object – but also a symbol of status within fashion. Also kids are a big part of our lives today. Besides that they are planned children who we prioritize and want to make something out of, we also teach them to be independent in an early age and then we also have to listen to what they have to say. It is so rewarding and fun to design clothes for children. It is exciting to develop kids wear based on something that the kids love themselves. e.g. kids love animals. And we can see that our animal prints always become great favorites and it is mainly due to the fact that it is the kids themselves who love what they see and what they wear – and not just the parents. Every day we get a lot of positive feedback on our clothes and as an example we had a
boy the other day, who loved his t-shirt with the lion print on the front so much that he was wearing it almost everyday – he even slept in it at night. To hear something like that really warms our hearts and makes us even more sure about that we are doing the right thing.” MAKING MOLO MAGIC HAPPEN We asked Molo to tell the story of a Molo style to get to know a bit more about the proces that comes before we see the styles hanging in the shops and as you can guess there’s more to it than just pushing a button: ”First of all we need to get the inspiration somewhere from. Our designers find their inspiration from all over the world in everything from music, postcards, travels and museums to people on the street, buildings and flea markets. Then they will look into shapes, materials, trends, colors etc. in order to create an innovative collection with lots of new twists - but without compromising
on quality. We will start off with a small set of samples or prototypes and after several improvements in color, fit and fabric we will finish up with a commercial quantity with multiple sizes, colors and patterns. Of course it is impossible to separate the production from the overall success of a brand, as great selling styles can be designed, developed and sold, but a business will ultimately live or die based on what is produced and in what quality it will be delivered to the end consumer. That is why we work with some of the best suppliers in a mutually relationship based on respect and trust. The final part lays within the sales and marketing team, as they have to sell it in to retailers and customers and promote the collection and the whole brand to the press and on social medias. The clothes are designed in Copenhagen, Denmark. Our print fabrics are manufactured in Europe and we also have suppliers in China, Bangladesh and India. Molo is sold in
more than 30 countries all over the world from Europe to Asia and The United States.” THE NEW COLLECTION ”In our AW15 collection we are working with a couple of different design stories where the first one goes a couple of decades back. It’s specially the 90’s rock ‘n roll, glamrock and biker trends that we wanted to work through this season. The graphic look has been reinterpreted in true molo spirit, which is seen in our choice of materials and focus on stitchings and details. Also the athleisure trend has rolled in on us so some of the boys’ styles have a slightly sporty twist, which is seen in reversible hoodies and baseball inspired bomber jackets. The second part of the collection is deeply inspired by New York’s street scene, where the dominant features are baseball caps, chenille patches, prints with reference to the city’s street looks and more intense colors that light up the dark autumn season.”
MOLO TAKES ON THE WORLD ”We have had a lot of defining moments on this journey we have been on so far. Every time we decide to enter a new market it is a change and a defining moment, because you will never know the outcome and how everything will turn out. Now The United States and Asia are two new chapters in our brand story and that for sure is a defining moment for us because their culture differs so much from the European. But we really are exited to embark this new chapter. Biggest mistakes made? ”Of course we’ve had some bumps on our way to where we are now, but we don’t call them mistakes because we have learned so much from them. Mistake is such a negative loaded word. When you start from scratch you would love to have this magic crystal ball to look in and predict the future, so you would know whether your idea and product
will become a success or not. But not knowing what will happen in a year or two also forces you to be innovative and think creative in order to survive. We have reached a number of milestones along the way, but we’re always looking forward in search of new challenges. To us the dynamics are hidden in the development and it creates a shared enthusiasm across business functions. For us it will always be about offering favorites for the child’s closet and be ‘the best one in the class’ doing it. We have grown a lot over the past years and we still have a lot of things we want to obtain. So we will keep on being innovative, curious and making the journey full of fun.”
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FATHER FIGURE FEATURE JOHN BOOTH
FATHER FIGURE FEATURE JOHN BOOTH www.bookhou.com @bookhou Photo + interview by Deborah Dewbury @larksnest In this Father Figure feature, we will introduce you to John Booth, an artist and furniture designer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. John and his wife Arounna Khounnoraj are artists and business owners and the parents of two children Liam (9) and Piper (6). The family lives in a downtown home that is a combination of a store front for their business “Bookhou”, their work shop, their living space, and art studios.
Designing a space to bring home and work together We designed our house not just for the adults or kids in mind but with the assumption that what is good for one is good for all. An internal staircase joins the shop downstairs with the house above - unlike other residences above stores where you have to go outside and then up to the apartment. Here everything is connected so everyone can wander around from space to space at will. And since it’s originally an old Victorian house become commercial shop and has been renovated many times over it has become a house of zones. Old ones, new ones, work, not so much work, but all our activities overlap. Of course it was meant to reflect our creative activities with different areas for life, painting, the fabric area, and the wood
shop in basement. Arounna and I always had so many interests and wanted a place where they could cross-pollinate, where we could try out anything if we wanted to. We always knew the kids would be here in the studios with us and I hope they’ve benefited from being able to create something with their own hands and see the creative process from beginning to end. The children are more than welcome to use the spaces as well, in many ways they either join us drawing or painting or claim the space for their own use - painting space is dancing space, mostly silly dance space; rolls of fabric become secret lying down spaces; scraps of material become spontaneous kid projects scattered about. Piper even places weird little creations in the shop complete with price tags. Usual-
ly with crazy high prices since she has no concept of what the market will bear for weird little creations. The great thing about the house is that although it is set up for life/work, especially for the kids is that they can come and go as they please. Even if Arounna and I are working hard on deadlines, the kids can either be with us or go off and do their own thing. I think it allows for a nice mix of togetherness and independence for them. We don’t have to keep an eye on them literally, and since it is all spatially connected we can trust that they’re ok doing something simply by virtue of hearing their voices drifting down from somewhere. They can have freedom and I don’t have to put cow bells on them.
On life with children in a metropolitan setting We’re fortunate to live where we do I think. Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods and we are situated in a little spot with interesting places in all directions; Kensington Market for food and restaurants (Piper is a picky eater but there are always some staples I can rely upon if in a bind: shepherd’s pie we make at home, beef stew also made at home and cheese empanadas from Kensington. Liam is always up for spicy Jamaican patties); also Queen Street for hip stuff and College Street and China Town. We walk everywhere, but the street car is out front. We have a car but rarely use it for anything but business and road trips. We don’t have a back yard but there are parks around all within walking distance. Even when I’m out running errands with the kids in town, we generally stop at one of them, each with a specific name that only makes sense to
us: Bellwoods Trinity - our favourite - is ”the nice park with the trees”, but there is also the ”secret park”, the ”hidden park”, the ”park with the pool”, the ”park where you keep your shoes on”, the ”strange little park” and the one which will forever be known as the ”park where a baby asked Piper to play with the kitchen set”. Of course as you know, we only have to go upstairs and look out to see that we’re downtown. We check out what color the CN tower is each night and movie nights aren’t too far away. I have to admit though that despite everything in the city, we stick to our home area for the most part. It never seems boring. We’ve thought about moving to more spacious grounds out in the country but I don’t think I could do it yet.
Involving children in art and work At this point our children are young-ish so mostly they do a lot of observing our activities, asking questions, sometimes helping out with little studio tasks for a few coins, which they generally get bored of quickly before deciding to do their own thing. Sometimes Arounna will get them to make their own products with their drawings on them and we end up selling them at craft shows or on-line. The sense of pride they have when they get positive feed back is really important. All kids are naturally artistic and creative and we openly let them take part in the family business if they want. Earnings they’ve gained generally go towards Lego products. But I think they also gain a sense of empowerment.
gether if they wish. They’ve already asked me to teach them to paint and cook. I had a dream once when I was younger, painting watercolour in the garden with a little girl. I’m sure it will come true. Also, there seems to be lots of computers around that the kids are more than happy to claim as their own, so not everything is creative on my terms, there is tons of Minecraft etc.
I haven’t quite yet taken advantage of the painting studio as we have only recently completed our renovation, but I look forward to a time where we can work to-
In warmer months we spend time after school in the playground where the kids decompress. There is always a large group of parents and kids that stick around. It
Piper & Liam’s School The kids attend a public school a few blocks from here. Considering our location near China Town and Little Portugal it’s pretty diverse, but it has also got more than its fair share of hipster/ rock star kids. Our neighbourhood has become much more cosmopolitan in recent years.
becomes quite a social setting...if only there was a mobile coffee cart. Although there is always a friendly vibe among parents we know and even the ones we don’t. Some bring ridiculous amounts of food and snacks. I’ve seen Piper lining up for snacks at complete strangers looking for a handout, but it has a bit of a communal vibe. In the early years I felt like a negligent father, searching my pockets for a stray dinner mint or something for them, not being able to compete with the fruit, croissants, or BBQ pork buns the other mothers were pulling out of thin air. But I quickly learned: the moment they leave the school, shove liquid and food into their hands. And bring my own coffee.
Daily Life I guess I’m the cook of the family and as such shop, as well as deliver and pick up the kids from school, play dates etc. Reading before bed is mandatory, a good way to end the day and fall asleep. Sometimes I lie down with them until they are asleep but I think the kids and I both know that they don’t really need me there, I’m just using it as an excuse to take a break and close my eyes for a few moments. John on John I’ve always been known as the quiet guy, relaxed etc. I’m not sure that’s true on the inside but I guess that’s the perception and I think the kids do pick up on that. The only thing I can say is that for me all things are connected. When I was a student at art school my mates and I knew that as much
as you need to believe in yourself you also need to question the ground upon which you stand. In terms on painting but also philosophy, opinions etc. raising children can and is sometimes stressful especially when life is busy and not always clear. But I do my best to locate where the focus of stress is coming from: is it the kids? Sometimes, but quite often it is my expectations that are out of whack. The kids are just kids. You need to rethink situations to keep yourself from entering into those asinine power arguments, good for nothing but asserting some sort of pointless control. Although arguments about how the new running shoes are perfectly fine might be unavoidable, I can’t get too upset. I have refused to wear shorts my whole life. And
school...I hated it until college. Surely I understand when they tell me that they really need a mental holiday now and then. As someone said, having kids is great. I’ve learned to share and play with others, and I don’t want to be some sort of policing agent. Sometimes you have to break windows and smoke cigars (I believe Tom Waits said that).
Geography
Hawaii
- Land of Aloha Photography - Stephanie Matthew Styling - Heather Rome Location Oahu Hawaii
Cape - Wolf and Rita + Gym Piece - Pop Up Shop
Pullover - Stella McCartney Kids
Cardigan - Macarons + Skirt - Leoca Paris
Cape - No Added Sugar + Dress - Motoreta
Poncho - Stella McCartney Kids
Dress - Mini Rodini
ILLUSTRATION feat. SAS AND YOSH
WWW.SASANDYOSH.COM - @SASANDYOSH
NEVER STOP PLAYING BENTOMONSTERS @bentomonsters www.bentomonsters.com Find the book here
PLAYING WITH FOOD Meet Lee Li Ming a foodblogger who makes the most awesome luchboxes you’ve ever seen. In our ”Never Stop Playing” feature we honour naturally playful people who inspire us to play more. Lee Li Ming is one of those very rare grown ups, who never stopped playing and that’s exactly why we thought she would be the perfect inspiration to us all. Even though most of us grew up with the rule to never play with our food, we always knew our parents had it all wrong. Because playing with food just feels good and it’s so much fun, not to mention a great way to teach our children food courage and enthusiasm for cooking. Lee Li Ming makes Bentos and we got to ask her how it all began and what bentos are all about:
Lee Li Ming 39. Lives in Singapore with her two boys (8 and 11). Bento What? ”Bento simply means “meal packed in a box. It is very popular in Japan and is in fact an integral part of the culture. Bentos can be bought in many places throughout Japan, including convenience store, bento shops, railway stations, and department stores. Bentos can also be homemade. In Japan, it is common for children to bring bentos to school and for adults to bring bentos to work for lunch. Over the past few years, bento culture has gained po-
pularity worldwide and there has been a global spread of bento to different parts of the world. It is especially interesting to see how bentos have evolved and adapted in different countries, cultures, and communities.” A Bento Full of Love ”I first started making character bentos when my firstborn began elementary school in 2011. He had problems adapting to the longer hours at school. He missed me and cried whenever I sent him to school every day. I started packing him character bentos, along with lunch notes, in order to cheer him up and let him feel my love and presence through them.”
Edible Cute Food ”All my food are definitely edible, for me it’s more important that the food taste as good as it looks. My boys eat almost all the bentos, I occasionally make them for myself. I make bentos around three times a week, and I sometimes make two different designs at one time. As I mentioned it started out as a way to help my older boy to cope with long school days. Later it became about helping my younger one, who’s picky with food, to eat more vegetables. After almost five years of making food cute, it’s now a hobby for me.
”I grew up where playing with food is frowned upon and my parents and grandparents would always ask us to eat up our food fast. However, I always liked how Japanese are good at making things Kawaii (cute in japanese), so I think it started off from there. I don’t really consider myself a food artist, I still see myself as a mum who enjoys making cute food. I do enjoy sharing on Instagram, everyone there has been really encouraging.” Bento Blogging ”I started my blog, www.bentomonsters. com, in August 2011 because I wanted a platform to journal down the character
bentos I made for my boys. One day, when they are grown up, I hope that they will be able to look back on the blog and remember the fond memories they had of their character bentos when they were little. ”Over time, making character bentos has also become a personal hobby, which I enjoy whenever I have pockets of free time. I intend to continue to make character bentos for as long as my boys are willing to eat them. Sometimes time is an issue with making bentos, but really it’s quite easy once you get started. I spend about half an hour on creating a Bento, not including the time spent cooking the food.”
Inspiration ”The ideas I get are mainly from our daily lives, things my boys like, things I see, whether online or around us. And I have a habit of jotting down what food art to make in my handphone notes, I’ve accumulated a long list there and I’ll just choose from the ideas there every week. The first bento blog which inspired me when I first started was http://www.annathered.com. I love Totoro and she has a lot of wonderful Totoro bentos. I tend to return to cute characters that I like, e.g. Totoro, Hello Kitty and so on.”
Make Your Own Bentos DIY Tips • When packing bentos for kids for the first time, always start off with food they are receptive to and like. • For packing charaben(character bento), plan in advance what you would like to make. This way, you can have all the ingredients ready beforehand, which will make the job much easier. • Some food can be cooked in larger quantify and freeze, saving you precious cooking time in the morning. Most of the tools you would need to begin can be found in your kitchen, such as cling wrap, scissors, knife, toothpicks, etc.
So yes making lunch can be such a boring task, butif you take on the bento challenge we’re pretty sure you’ll have fun while getting the job done and the kids will love you for it. Making food look beautiful, interesting, fun and delicious is half of the work when you cook for other people. So think about that when you make your kiddo’s lunch next time. Everybody needs a little help to get started so we’ve added a little DIY video made together with Bentomonsters and you can find the recipe for the little doggy buns right here!
Photography: CĂŠline Hallas Illustration: Marie Bjerre Turtleneck + shorts: Christina Rohde Socks: Mothercare Boots Timberland
enfants terribles on-FONT terr-EE-bluh
ɑŋfɑŋtæɐ̯ˈʁiːblə]
Terrible children. One who acts unconventionally. French expression traditionally referring to a child who is terrifyingly candid by saying embarrassing things to adults, especially parents. However, the expression has drawn multiple usage in careers of art, fashion, music, and other creative arts. In these careers, it implies a successful "genius" who is very unorthodox, striking, and in some cases, offensive or rebellious. Classically, one who "thumbs their nose" at the establishment, or challenges it.
OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE #10