Adriana Crespo
4
Blogger Dad
12
Jafflechutes
18
Pau Sampera
22
Kale Munro
32
Daniel Guerrero Fernรกndez
38
Toy Boats
46
Grace Helmer
50
Harry Reid
56
Dominic Kesterton
58
Hans Lienesch
66
Alexandra Hackett
70
Xeeva
76
Hello friend, welcome back AGAIN! What have you been up to lately? It’s really great to see you again! Welcome to the 4th issue! We have some more super fabulous and super fun people to introduce you to! We hope you love their work As much as we do! Hope you have a FUN time!
www.funapparel.com.au
Hi, who are you? Hi! I’m Adriana Crespo, an artist and designer based in California, who loves drawing, designing, learning, being in nature whenever possible, and listening to mellow music. Where are you from? I grew up in the suburbs of Guayaquil, Ecuador but I moved to LA 3 years ago for college.
What do you do? I study Illustration Design with a concentration in ‘Designmatters’ at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. I hope this answer will become more interesting in the future. What is your favourite food? Sushi for sure! And kind of any Asian food but Korean BBQ.
How long have you been making art and why do you think you started? I started ever since I can remember, like everyone has, but I never really stopped. I’ve always wanted to do something art related professionally, from fashion design to pattern design but I lost interest in that very fast. I think I never stopped making art because it just felt right, like, whenever I was drawing or painting I was present, it feels very true to who I am.
What animal represents you and why? Hmm... I’m not sure, I know there are like books and stuff about like your spirit animal, but if I were an animal I would love to be a bird so I can see everything from the top, like an observer, and move around to different landscapes and climates.
Is it hard to stay motivated in your art making, if so how do you maintain this motivation? I think it used to be harder. Now that I’m more confident about what I’m interested in, and I’m focused on goals not so art related, it has become more of like a second nature to me. It’s like little magical moments when I draw, I like being by myself, and it is a very personal process, it just happens, sometimes something good comes out of it sometimes nothing, but it’s all part of the process for sure.
I maintain my motivation just by knowing that it is what I like to do, I don’t take it too seriously anymore at all, and I allow myself to make mistakes and I’m ok with it, I’m ok with not making something pretty, or something I’m not so happy about. I think that not being so hard on yourself is very important when you are making art, because art is supposed to release you from everything else, it allows for emotions to flow in a way that nothing else in your day will allow for. Maybe all art related processes work this way? You just can’t control creativity, just understand that art will give you ups and downs, and be fine with it.
If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? Hmmmm... A mountain? Does that count? Tell us about your work with Yasuni National Park and how it came about.
Who or what influences you creatively? My two main and obvious influences are nature and music. I mostly look at photography of nature or experience nature myself and that sometimes is enough to feel inspired to start a new series of drawings or a short video. Music has always been a part of my every day, it is so powerful and it just makes me want to create something beautiful as well. I do look at a lot of art, and I love it when I find an artist whose work is very different and intuitive, it makes me want to paint and draw more. And also amazing people I meet every day, with different backgrounds, what’s going on around the world and seeing that there’s creativity involved in everything.
This national park in Ecuador, called Yasuní, is the most biodiverse area in the entire world; meaning the number of animal and plant species surpasses that of any other place of the same size. Despite of many efforts to maintain the park untouched, this year, the Ecuadorian government decided to exploit it “responsibly”. I believe that if more people in my country would be informed about the huge value of this paradise, we would be doing something to stop it, and save what lies on its surface, which is a sustainable source of bigger value to our country than oil will ever be. In my efforts to contribute as a visual communicator, I designed a booklet that contains valuable information about Yasuní in an interesting and easy to read format. I accompanied it with a poster side that represents the abundance of life existing in this area. I’m currently working in taking this further and actually implementing it through education or organizations who are fighting for the cause of saving the park.
Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? Besides the “Yasuní es Vida” project, I’m currently participating as a graphics documentarian for the SAFE AGUA: Colombia project at Art Center College of Design. In this project, students with industrial design backgrounds help create systems or products to overcome water poverty, in this case, specifically based on the necessities of families in Altos del Pino, a slum in the outskirts of Bogotá. I’m starting a book that documents the projects developed in the past four months, and I’m applying my illustration, graphic design, and photography in it so I’m very excited because the experience of being part of this project has been amazing so far! And I’m always working on personal projects that for some reason end up becoming zines, most of them, and a short video with footage I recently shot when I was in the jungle in Ecuador for the holidays with my family. Where would you like to be in ten years? Wow, I’m not sure... in Africa maybe, there’s a lot to do there, I’ve always pictured myself going there when I’m older for some reason.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? I like this question. A notebook to write and draw stuff, a box of black Prismacolor pencils (sorry but I’m counting this as one object), a knife, a guitar, and my green bag pack. I would like to be stuck with Harley Streten, a producer and DJ that goes by the stage name of Flume, but I’m only saying this because I’ve been liking a lot of his music lately and he seems like an interesting (and good looking) guy. I wish I could say a writer or scientist who can entertain me and teach me stuff but I don’t know of any young ones haha.
http://adrianacrespo.com/ http://adrianacrespo.tumblr.com/
Hi, who are you? Blogger_dad Where are you from? I grew up in Byron Bay, and now I’ve lived in Melbourne for a few years. What do you do? Street photographer, by hobby. What is your favourite food? Choc snack. When and why did you start taking photos? My mother took photos her whole life until I was born. Her cameras sat untouched until I was 11 and was allowed to use one of her cameras for 1 shot on a holiday in Tasmania. It was a photo of some driftwood on a beach I still remember. After she saw the print when it got developed she agreed to teach me on her Canon AE-1, which I still have but still can’t use very well hahaha. My parents bought me a DSLR a couple of years later and from then on taking photos was an everyday exercise for me. What animal represents you and why? I’m a Leo, so a lion: proud, loyal and pretty dramatic at times.
What motivates you in your photography? Constant inspiration from others - Instagram, Tumblr, exhibitions. I’m self-taught almost entirely so frustration and constant attempts to get the shot I can see in my head is motivated by examples of people that have attained them. I don’t really know what I’m motivated by; I just do it without question because I really love to do it! Your photography seems to focus on your friends as well as buildings and cityscapes, what about this subject matter interests you? I love candid photos. The accessibility of people with their walls down and their body language relaxed and honest is so attractive to me. Posed photos are great too through because people show the character they want to be perceived as, so I like to take both. As for the buildings, I just really like them! The lines and angles and tones in architecture are just really satisfying to play with through the viewfinder. I can’t paint for shit so I guess it’s my abstract version.
Do you have any influences creatively? Pretty much all street-photographers, then and now. William Klein, Rennie Ellis, Diane Arbus and Lauren Greenfield are great oldies and for the new I’m loving Nick Hawker, Phoebe Schmidt and Brea Souders, just to name a couple. But I love most styles of photography. The more photographers I accidentally come across the more my photography is influenced. But my style stays pretty similar. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? Any security camera. I’m a real creep. We understand that you’ve recently been travelling throughout Europe, did you shoot much while you were over there? Yes I went to Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin with my best friend. I basically only shot buildings, street and partying, as per usual.
Any highlights or crazy things that happened to you whilst travelling? We narrowly avoided getting shot one night, but the ‘Amsterdam experience’ was so incredibly enjoyable the photos record more of our trip than my mind has. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? Yes! There will be many zines coming up as well as on my blog and my first one is about to be released. You guys are selling it! Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? A digital camera, a massive SD card, a spare battery, a sketchbook, a music-box with a Twerps album on it, and Christopher Walken.
http://blogger-dad.tumblr.com/
Hey, could you introduce who Jafflechutes are? Who or what Jafflechutes is has never been very well defined, and we kind of like it that way. The three constants are Huw, David and I (Adam), but we get lots of help along the way from all sorts of wonderful and interesting people. Where are you guys from? Some of us are from Melbourne and some of us are from far, far away.
What do you do? We do all sorts of things. None of us work in the aeronautical or sandwich industries however, so putting Jafflechutes together proved a bit of a challenge.
As far as we know, you’re the first to be paid for chucking a meal out of a window, so how did the idea come about? We’re not totally convinced that no one has done it before. Is it possible that someone has done it and didn’t tweet about it? Jafflechutes started as a jeans apparel company. The idea was to sew miniature parachutes into jeans pockets so you could pass down things from tall apartment buildings. They were going to be called Pocketchutes. Watch out, Levi!
Have you ever encountered issues with the council, police or grumbling members of the public because of what you do? We try really hard to keep out of people’s way as much as we can so no, we’ve never had any complaints. At the end of the day, we’re just making sandwiches! What animal do you think represents Jaffechutes and why? A foxcat! We don’t know why! What do you do for fun when you’re not being Jafflechutes? We do a lot of scheming and drawing diagrams and crossing out diagrams and re-scheming.
What is your favourite jaffle combination? Cheese, cheese and cheese! It’s so hard to pick just one but all of the classics are pretty great. Ham and cheese, cheese and tomato, ham and cheese and tomato, last night’s spaghetti… Would you ever consider tying a chute to another food or is it strictly jaffles only? Possibly - but jaffles are pretty well suited to air delivery because all the melted cheese is sealed inside the bread. We considered Applechutes for a little while, but apples aren’t very sexy.
Jafflechutes seems to have a very keen following, with close to 4,000 fans on Facebook. Why do you think Jafflechutes has been so popular and did you expect it to be so well received? I think most people understand that Jafflechutes is just a bit of fun. We’ve always told ourselves that as soon as it stops being fun, or as soon as people stop having fun with it, then we’ll stop doing it. There are lots of things to take seriously in this world, and sandwiches aren’t one of those things. Do you guys have any specific projects planned for the future? A few, but they’re all unnecessarily secret at the moment. Sorry!
Now for all our local Melbourne readers or people that might be travelling here, how would they go about purchasing one of your projectile toasties? The best thing to do is to keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages. A Jafflechutes launch takes quite a bit of organising, but often we don’t even know that it’s going to go ahead until the last minute. Once we announce a launch, we’ll switch on the order form on our website. Lastly, if the Jafflechutes team was stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? A projector, every episode of I Love Lucy, a puppy, a ukulele, a subscription to the New York Times and Michelle Obama.
http://jafflechutes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ jafflechutes All photos by James Davidson (james@weheart.co.uk)
Hi, who are you? My name is Pau (Yes, like Paul but without the “L”) Sampera. Where are you from? Barcelona outskirts. What do you do? I travel, I see something, I laugh, it makes me think something and later I produce it. I show my work in galleries and I enjoy it. What is your favourite food? “Pollo Sampegá” is my new chicken recipe. You cook some chicken and then you add almost all the stuff you have in the kitchen. Always different but always tasty! How long have you been making art and why do you think you started? I was 11 when I bought my first skateboard, but I was really bad, so I started painting my friend’s boards while they were skating. Then I covered my entire hometown with stickers. Next step was painting some graffiti. Some years later I was in street art festivals here and there and now I’m in the professional art world. During all the process I studied Arts in the university but I’ve learned much more from the streets than lessons.
What animal represents you and why? All my friends say I’m a suricate (this kinda funny little rat that hangs out with that brown pig in Lion King). I guess they’re right, I’m never quiet. Is it hard to stay motivated in your art making, if so how do you maintain this motivation? It’s hard to keep interested in what you are doing when you are having success. When you create something that works (I mean... you sell it) is difficult to change your mind in order to start something new that they won’t appreciate that much. That’s the problem with a lot of young artists that I’ve met. You have to keep creative and fresh, you always need new inputs, new ideas, new references or you’ll be stuck. Being stuck is great to sell (people remembers the stuff, you get easy recognition) but it’s something that plays against you in the creative game. Your goal is to create something great, you need to always keep growing. To avoid too easy ways to get recognition is not easy, but you (well... I ) must.
You recently had a show at the gallery and bookshop Beach London (http:// www.beachlondon.co.uk) entitled ‘Draw A Penis and Run Away’. What type of work was showcased in the exhibition and did the exhibition title relate to the works displayed? It was all about that kid that spray paints his love to that girl in the wall next door. It was about those kids in the back of your class listening to music and not the teacher. I did some sculptures (installation and ceramics) and some paintings about this idea mixed with the idea of luxury art gallery and displays. So I used silly teenager stuff or ways to work and displayed it using professional techniques. Who or what influences you creatively? Contradictory stuff. Human beings. I have my visual references, but what I feel more interesting about my work are the human references. I talk about kids painting, about luxury stupid objects, about trends. I observe all that shit, I live it, and it makes me think how stupid we are and then I think about a stupid piece that explains what I have though, and I produce it. That’s how my creative process is. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? Money. I always think about where the notes come from. I would like to know all the people than a money note can meet. At least they travel more than your sculpture.
This was your first solo show, how did it differ from other group shows that you had previously been a part of? This was my first solo show in the UK, but I’m from Spain. I had other solo shows here and there before. Anyway, working alone is great as you can work with your own personal idea and materials. I use to show a lot with David Méndez Alonso, but we try to work as one. We think the whole thing together and we produce it together so it’s kind of a solo show as well. You can never be as free as working completely alone, but if you trust your partner is a good experience to work together so sometimes the final result can be even better when shared.
Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? I’m producing stuff for a couple of collective shows that will be shown this January in Spain and talking about another solo show in an amazing gallery for spring. And I’m always busy working for myself and other freelance stuff you need to do to pay rent. Oh! And I’m getting serious working in my music studio! But that’s another story :) Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? Maracas, Winnie the Pooh mask, skateboard, inflatable swimming pool, ninja stars. And I’d like to meet Ol’ Dirty Bastard and hang out on the island.
http://pausampera.com/
I remember when we first met. She smelled like roses. I prefer tulips myself, but this scent was overwhelming. It was like she had been doused with fresh petals, torn from the stem only moments before. I was with my Mother, and we were going to see my Father. August 3rd, 1983. It had been a little while since our family had visited Father, so naturally, I was a little excited to see him. Strange as it may sound, I can never remember what we spoke about that day. Me and my Father, that is. I like to think my memory rather decent at the worst of times, yet all I can remember of August 3rd, 1983, is roses.
April 17th, 1984. I’d just graduated from college at the end of 1983, and I thought I’d best pay Father another visit to let him know how I was going. Perhaps he could impart some wisdom for my future unto me. “Dad”, I would always begin the conversation the same way. He didn’t like to talk much anymore. I only ever heard him speak when I strained my hearing, closed my ears, and concentrated so very hard. He was the same as ever. Now, looking back on it, he was always the same. Not much changed for Father during those years.
The woman who smelled like roses the year before was there again, too. She wasn’t as lonely as she was last I visited Father, so I was a little apprehensive about approaching her. It was calming, though, to sit in front of her, stoic and peaceful. It was a different scent on that day, the aroma of roses having long faded. There was a development happening just across the road, and all that I could smell was dirt, floating along the breeze, floating into my nostrils. Roses or no roses, she was as captivating as before. I took it upon myself to ask around, perhaps Father knew of this mysterious woman? It was a useless endeavour. She was a nobody! The landlord didn’t even remember her moving in.
Patricia, that was her name. I would visit the library and the archives for weeks on end, trying to find out whatever I could. Unlike my Father, it was never difficult speaking with her. She would never answer questions about herself, though, always tiptoeing away from revealing too much information. It was a cleansing process for me, and I would have wound up visiting her more often than Father as the years flew by. Whenever I had some emotional troubles, or a relationship turned sour, I’d take some time off work, and visit Patricia. Father’s ‘pearls’ of wisdom just weren’t what they used to be. I remember Mark Twain said once, “When I was a boy of 14, my Father was so ignorant I couldn’t stand to have the old man around. When I got to be 21, I was astonished to find out how much the old man had learned in 7 years.” I feel like for me, it’s the opposite. It would be too strange if life played out itself through Twain quotes, anyway, don’t you think?
February 23, 1996. I’d been married for over a year when I made my final visit out to see her again. Roses. Had someone else been visiting Patricia, too? It felt like a violation of my privacy, the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement left in tatters. I wonder now, what kind of relationship that person had with her. Who did Patricia prefer? This particular day was Patricia’s birthday, her 70th. That might explain the flowers. I’d brought chocolates, but they’d melted in the backseat on the drive over. The landlord had called me, knowing I was a frequent visitor, mentioned something about the demolition of the property, and the subsequent rehoming of its inhabitants. There was nobody else who came to visit Patricia as frequently as I did, and he wanted to let me know that she was the one exception. Patricia wasn’t to be saved. “She’s been here too long,” he’d said. “It’s only you and one other woman who comes to visit her, and she didn’t want anything to do with it either.” Silence on the phone line. “I’m sorry.”
Here lies Patricia Pregowski, Mother of one, lover of many February 23, 1926 —August 3rd, 1965
What is your favourite food? Hi, who are you?
Victoria Bitter.
Hi, my name’s Kale.
When and why did you start taking photos?
Where are you from? At the moment I’m living in Brisbane, Australia. What do you do? I like to make pictures, travel, colour-in kid’s books and wear fake luxury clothing.
I’ve always had an interest in photography. I guess I’ve been taking photos my whole life but in terms of taking photography and my practice seriously; working on conceptualising bodies of work rather than taking photos purely for aesthetics, maybe 2 years.
You’re currently in the process of working on a series of photography revolving around rural car culture. What made you want to document this subculture and how have the people you photographed responded to it? I’m really fascinated by the idea of automobiles as a symbol of status and wealth. I spend a lot of time travelling around the place and whilst out in country Australia I found this “culture” was pretty prominent in most areas. The people I’ve photographed responded quite positively to the idea of their car being photographed and were more than happy to be seen behind the wheel rather than in front of it. Do you have any influences creatively? Ah jeez, that’s difficult… far too many to list here. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? Does a plant count? They’re not exactly inanimate but they are pretty interesting. We understand that you’ve recently been travelling throughout Europe, have you shot much whilst you’ve been over there? I did shoot a fair bit however it was quite hard to work on a project parse. A lot of my work revolved around the act of being in transit rather than a site specific project, coupled with some scanned records of transience it’s been a very fun project to work on but quite unlike my past work.
What animal represents you and why?
Any highlights so far or crazy things that have happened?
I like birds, flying would be cool.
I had a very crazy new year’s eve in Barcelona with Folklore Crew (folklorecrew.tumblr.com) from France, lots of partying on the streets, hopping trains, getting lost in the suburbs looking for a rave and ending up crashing in a tiny Volkswagen on the outskirts of town at 6am, freezing to death.
What motivates you in your photography? I just like to explore and take photos along the way.
Your photography has a focus on natural and derelict landscapes, how do you go about finding these locations and what about them interests you? I usually have a camera with me at all times, I have some friends who are into some pretty crazy stuff so we end up in places most people don’t know exist right under their noses.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? A Mamiya 7 camera, many books, Opinel pocket knife, some sort of giant cooling device to keep the island at a pleasant 0-5 degrees and some paint. A cute, quiet girl with dark hair would be nice also : - )
Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? I’m currently in the process of working on a 12 month project to be published at the end of this year for my graduating portfolio and some exciting stuff with Fun coming out soon! I’ve also recently started tattooing; the idea of travelling and tattooing really appeals to me so hopefully that will be a possibility in the future.
http://kalemunro.com/ http://kalemunro.tumblr.com/
Hi, who are you? I’m Daniel Guerrero Fernández. Where are you from? I’m from San José, Costa Rica. What do you do? I spend a lot of time at home/online, and I draw. What is your favourite food? I like lots of food, but I really like it when we go to this Thai place and order the red curry and the spicy pad thai all together and share it, it makes the best combination, also pickled quail eggs and good sushi. How long have you been making art and why do you think you started? I’ve been drawing since I was little and I started just because I liked it.
What animal represents you and why? I’m not sure, maybe a mouse or a monkey or a lizard or a toad and well … because my BF always calls me that.
You have a very specific style, how did it come about and who or what influenced it? I think I got to draw how I draw now from trying different things and experimenting a lot, like when I was in school my style was different. Lots of things influence me, things from when I was growing up… I like to look back on that, like the anime and cartoons I used to watch and also stuff from that time period (1990s - early 2000s) my friends also influence me and well countless things I see online everyday too (my Tumblr likes are a good source of inspiration). Is it hard to stay motivated in your art making, if so how do you maintain this motivation? It’s more like sometimes I don’t feel as motivated as I’d like to always be and sometimes I feel very motivated to draw and do stuff, when I’m happy I like to draw the most. When I make something that I really like or that I consider good that motivates me. Also when I get to be a part of exciting projects, that’s really good.
You’ve had your artwork used for many different products – t-shirts, notepads, temporary tattoos. What’s been your favourite and if you could put your art on anything, what would it be? I like the t-shirts cause you get to wear them! I also really like stickers, I collect them and well... if I could put my drawings on anything I’d like to design a pair of sneakers, I really like sneakers.
If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? A really cool pair of sneakers, or a fighter jet. What do you do for fun when you’re not making art? I like to travel and to visit my boyfriend, cooking nice meals and eating is fun too.
You do a lot of collaboration with milkbbi (Justin Wallis – milkbbi. com), how did you two start working together? It all started because back in 2009 he invited me to join him in a trading card project he was organizing but it actually never took off… a while after that I emailed him to collaborate, so we did a few drawings together all “via air mail” or we would just e-mail files to each other so we could print them and colour them cause I was in Costa Rica and he was in the US, that made us become good friends then we got to meet in real life and he’s actually my boyfriend now, so drawing together is something we have always done and it’s always a lot of fun, we both like it a lot. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? I’m working on a mini collection of products for an online shop (http:// www.heychickadee.com) also very recently I did my first comic ever for VICE’s website’s comics section, so I wanna do more comics now and I’ve been talking to a few bands I really like about possibly drawing stuff for them and maybe art directing a music video, so I’m excited about that.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? I would bring lots of video games, a really comfortable bed, a computer with one of those high speed data cards, a stove and art supplies and I’d just cheat and bring Justin because it’s great to have him around.
http://danielguerrerofernandez.com/
Hi, who are you? My name is Hugo Costin. Where are you from? Byron Bay, currently living in Melbourne. What is your favourite food? I’ve recently found a place that does spring rolls wrapped in nori rolls. It’s probably wrong on so many levels but it tastes so right. When and why did you start making music? I’ve been making music in some form or other since my early teens. I think you could say I’ve only really gotten serious about it in the last two years. I think it boils down to an attempt to search for and to impose my own meaning on an existence that seems inherently without one.
Toy Boats was initially just yourself, How has it grown and has the music changed direction with the additional members? After recording the 2A.M Bones demo and playing a few shows acoustically I wanted to make the live sound fuller. I asked my friends Riley McEvoy, Jono Niclair and Shaun Allen if they’d like to play guitar, drums and bass for Toy Boats, respectively. They said yes and we played our first show together around Christmas in 2011. We’ve been playing together on and off since then but now it’s grown into a full band. I really enjoy the dynamic of playing with other people. This dynamic definitely influenced the new record and the live shows a lot. My housemate, Kelly Greenhalgh, now plays synth with us too. I want to keep experimenting with dense and sparse modes in the music and the other members have made this a possibility. I love playing with them.
What animal represents you and why? Maybe a Beluga Whale. They look really confused but also like they’re having a good time. What do you do for fun when you’re not busy with Toy Boats? I like to write stories a lot.
Who and what influences you? It sounds really lame but I guess everything around me does in one way or another. Lately more tangible influences have been Kurt Vonnegut, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Rowland S Howard, New Order, The Modern Lovers and my creative friends.
You’re just about to release Wedding Town, tell us a little bit about that and how it differs from previous releases. Wedding Town is pretty much a meditation on the last two years of my life. It’s pretty different from previous releases in the sense that it’s a lot more diverse in terms of song lengths and instrumentation. There’s synth, cello, organ, keyboard, percussion and female vocals on top of the two guitars, bass and drums that appear on previous releases. Playing with the full band more had definitely influenced the way that I wrote these songs and their input made the record what it is.
Are there any plans for the future of Toy Boats? I really want to write a lot of songs and put out a new record soon. With the band spread out interstate and a few of the members having full time jobs it’s a little harder to get together than it used to be but we’re going to be hopefully playing a few shows in the next two months. After that we’re touring the East Coast with UK’s Basement in July/ August which I’m really, really excited about!
https://www.facebook.com/toyboats http://weddingtown.tumblr.com/
Hi, who are you? Hello! I am Grace Helmer, a person. Where are you from? Brighton, England, but I currently live in South London. What do you do? I’m an illustrator who paints and draws. What is your favourite food? I’d have to say an English breakfast. It’s also the context in which you eat it which is the best - usually with friends at the weekend. How long have you been making art and why do you think you started? Like most people in the arts I’ve always been ‘making art’ since I was young. My family are all quite creative and growing up in Brighton I was surrounded by art and design so it wasn’t really a big surprise that I was interested in it.
Who or what influences you creatively? Stories and new experiences and discussions with friends. Whenever I’m stuck I just need to have a chat with friends/colleagues and it will help so much. I’m lucky to know lots of great illustrators, artists and designers!
What do you do for fun when you’re not making art? Cook.
Your short film, ‘Black Holes’ (http:// www.gracehelmer.co.uk/Black-Holes) has been pretty popular on the net. In your own words, explain what it’s about and why you made it. It is loosely about what would happen to you if you got too close to a Black Hole (you would get spaghettified). I made it as part of my final degree year: we were given a fact to explain. All of the films that already existed about Black Holes were very computer generated, so I wanted to approach it from a more wonky, hand-drawn angle.
If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? A spoon. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? I am part of an illustration studio called ‘Day Job’, and we’re currently planning our next book which is really exciting. I’ve got a few personal projects that I want to try out - experimenting more with oil paints and different formats - but it all depends on how much time I get in between other things!
Is it hard to stay motivated in your art making, if so how do you maintain this motivation? Sometimes, motivation comes in waves. It is easier to make work when I have to make lots of it, harder when there isn’t an impending deadline. Motivation comes from reading a great book, walking down an interesting street, getting influenced by something which sparks an idea and an excitement to make work about it.
If you were able to illustrate the cover of any film or book, what would it be and why? A book I haven’t read yet.
http://gracehelmer.co.uk/
A POEM FOR E.E. CUMMINGS i’m afraid that on e day i’ll (it’s a blur ry distinction) have a son who grows (betw teen days) to be the age (and weeks) i am now
DO NOT FORGET TO BE KIND i almost took a photo of you then blood everywhere - “i don’t mind if you don’t” tonight you’re working the night shift while i’m throwing up at my parent’s house looking at that handwritten note: DO NOT FORGET TO BE KIND i am trying my best to feel connected with my body
TIME PASSES two days / ten years stuck between prose and poetics. rowing a small boat to that ever-unattainable goal. half a century ascribed to your influence; no one was ever as forward thinking when looking to the past. forever romanticised, i’ll keep a stone in my pocket for you.
TXT MESSAGES (often i have tried to find an adequate metaphor when writing about you. how am i to write in any tense other than the metaphysical ? when i see you, you appear more as the embodiment of a grand idea; something beyond my perception. i am sorry i fall asleep so quickly. i am sorry we are rarely alone, i know at times you find company uncomfortable. all my poems are written in text messages to you)
http://collected-entries.tumblr.com/
Hi, who are you? Dominic Kesterton. Where are you from? York in the UK. What do you do? I mainly draw. I’m an illustrator or an artist. In a few words, how would you describe your illustration? Weird nice.
What is your favourite food? I like olives. When and why did you start illustrating? I started drawing as a small boy to replicate my favorite characters and because it felt good. I only started thinking about illustrating when I was at university.
What animal represents you and why? A Beluga Whale because they have small dark eyes like me and a prominent forehead like me. What motivates you in your art making? I like drawing for the sake of it, as an exercise to keep my brain healthy. I like seeing my work nicely printed or collated or whatever so I’m pretty motivated by the end product too. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences you? Yeah a lot of other artists. Also, whoever I’m hanging out with. I try to keep my umbrella of influence nice and broad. I’m so bad at answering this question, sorry.
If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? A towel so I could be around people. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? Yeah I’ve got a new comic/collection of short comics coming up and I’m releasing a few t-shirts soon.
Have any interesting stories you’d like to share? A donkey bit my knee when I was a boy, my parents say because it looked like an apple. Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? I would like a snorkel so I could enjoy the water, a log drum, a lethal spear and some moisturizer. Instead of a person I would like a dog that I have never met.
http://dominickesterton.com/
Hi, who are you? I’m Hans Lienesch The Ramen Rater Where are you from? I live just north of Seattle in a city called Edmonds in the USA What made you decide to be a ramen-rater? I started enjoying instant noodles at a very early age. I really liked trying different varieties. In 2002, I was starting to explore web design and thought why not make a little website with my thoughts on varieties I’d tried. In 2010 I moved to Edmonds which has quite a few Asian markets and started reviewing – I’d reviewed about 60 in June of 2010 and in January 2014 I’ve reviewed over 1300.
Would you ever consider rating other foods or is it strictly ramen at this stage? I’ve reviewed hot sauces [www. theramenrater.com/saucerater] and have been thinking about reviewing low calorie frozen dinners. Why do you think instant noodles make such a good meal? To me, instant noodles are like a canvas. The base product is what I review, but I like to add various things like fish, vegetables etc to make them look nice and be a more full meal. I do this every day and really enjoy it.
What animal represents you and why? My wife calls me Pup because I call her Kitten, so I’m going to go with a dog, although I could also go with a half rabbit/half fish from my astrological/zodiac signs; they seem to be pretty accurate. How many packets of ramen do you think you’ve eaten? Not counting just the reviews, I’d say well over 5000 in my lifetime; hard to say could be a little more, a little less. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? A large photograph of food that one would see on a wall in a grocery store; perhaps a loaf of bread or some seafood.
What do your friends and family think of your love with ramen? I think over time it’s gone from ‘dude, what is your obsession with noodles’ to more of a ‘wow – you know a lot about noodles.’ I think getting international notoriety for it has kind of changed people’s opinions a bit. What were the absolute worst noodles you’ve had and why? There’s a Sichuan brand that makes one called Black Bone Chicken flavour – that stuff makes me wretch, although stores around here sell it a lot – somebody must like it. In fact, people have sent me angry mail saying I’m nuts for not liking it…
If you had could only have instant noodles one last time, what would you pick and with what toppings? I’d probably end where I began with Nissin ‘Chikin’ Ramen – the first instant noodle made. Cooked al dente, drained, then fried with a couple scrambled eggs. What do you do with your time outside of eating and rating ramen? I’m all about trying new foods when at all possible, I walk a lot and try to keep fit, follow politics, collect odd calculators and spend time with my wife, son and our two dogs Otis and Daisy. Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? A working bathroom, my vape, a computer with internet access, a comfortable chair, toilet paper and a historian from the 30th century.
http://theramenrater.com/ http://facebook.com/theramenrater/
Who are you? I’m Alexandra Louise Champion Hackett. And yes, Champion is legitimately my middle name. Where are you from? I’m from Brisneyland aka Brisbane. What is your favourite food? Almond croissants, I’m an aficionado.
When and why did you start making clothes? I taught myself how to use a sewing machine when I was twelve or so when my parents bought me one on a whim. It began as a novelty then became an addiction. What makes working with found materials and objects so appealing to you? I love the idea of making something unwearable, wearable and questioning what is and isn’t considered clothing. I’m also obsessed with branding and logos, so the two usually go hand in hand. I mean, why shouldn’t we wear clothes made from pie wrappers?
What animal represents you and why? Probably some sort of dinosaur because they’re extinct, have ridiculous names, are kind of scary and people make figurines out of them. What do you do for fun when you’re not making clothes? I drink responsibly and dance inconspicuously. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? I’d be a private jet, so I could travel all the time and meet lots of people. Think Glamorous by Fergie cross Toxic by Britney Spears. If you had to collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why? McDonalds and Nike, simultaneously, because they’re complete opposites and the hybrid products would be incredible.
Are there any projects you’re working on, or planned for the future? I’m pretty busy in my honours year at uni, but I’m doing a few collaborations with stylists, photographers and labels. The future sounds so serious, I’m just taking each day as it comes.
If you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already provided) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? - My sewing machine - A mirror - My laptop - Wifi - I suppose I’ll need electricity too and I’d take Michael Jordan, hands down.
https://a-l-c-h.com instagram: @sheniquadoezinstagram
Hi, who are you? I guess I am someone who is trying to have fun with this “game” called graffiti. Where are you from? Kenya. What do you do? I chill pretty hard, skateboarding, and sometimes I take film pictures to be fancy and cool! What is your favourite food? Any vegan food.
When and why did you start painting? I started painting in 2010, because I moved to live with one guy who used to be really active, so I started join him, but I have always been curious about graffiti.
What animal represents you and why? Any quiet and calm animal, because I am really chill most of the time :) I can’t think of any names now, maybe a sloth but he is way too quiet and slow! What motivates you in your art making? I wouldn’t say that I am making art! Being alcohol and smoke free makes me want to go out at night and do what I do! Is there anyone/anything that influences your work? I could make a long list of writers that I really like of course, but besides that I really like to look for old school cartoon movies, comics, contemporary art and graphic design. Have you painted much outside of your country? If so, was it different in any way from where you live? Trains are really easy in Kenya, maybe the easiest in the world; street is a little bit harder.
Is there anywhere in particular you’d like to visit to paint/travel? Jamaica, India, South East Asia.
If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? A dildo. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? Not really, I am just trying to improve as much as I can in what I am doing! I am never happy :( Have any interesting stories you’d like to share? Mmmmmm... One night I was painting on the trackside and as soon as I started a worker train came exactly where I was painting! They saw me, they asked me what I was doing, and after they realized I was painting (they took like 10 seconds) they started asking me questions about what I was writing, where I was taking my paint, and if I was also making canvases or if I was only doing walls. At the end of the conversation they kept working 5 metres from where I was painting and they were completely cool with me being there doing my thing! Good Workers not hating on graff!!! :) Every time I go out I expect something good, funny, bad, sad etc to happen anyway!
Lastly,if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. Who would they be? A surfboard, an Mp3 player (with infinite battery), a modem, a computer, and a skateboard (but I guess there won’t be any skate spots :( ). The person could be my ex-girlfriend maybe or any porn stars I am frothing at the moment!
Thank you for this! I would like to chuck up my crews : ADR . 1LS . PLG ... 4 eva!
http://toogtobreal.tumblr.com/
Hi, who are you? Hi!! I’m Spoonty, or James but everyone calls me Spoonty.
What animal represents you and why? A cat, I live for leisure and pleasure.
Where are you from?
Who and what influences you?
I’m from the Blue Mountains, about an hour out of Sydney. It’s super boring and lame here but there are good bush walks around.
$2 shops, decorations in Asian restaurants and meditation tapes.
What do you do? I make music. Electronic, hip-hop inspired beats. What is your favourite food? Umm, steamed vegetables and rice or maybe udon noodles. Something like that. When and why did you start making music? I guess it was a while ago now, I would have been about 16 and wanted something creative to do on my computer that wasn’t Photoshop that I had been playing with for a few years. It was lots of fun and I got better and better without noticing. What’s your set up? My laptop, Youtube or New Age music CDs for samples, Novation Launchpad, SP-404 and I’ve been using synths from my iPad recently also.
What do you do for fun when you’re not busy being Spoonty? Watch The Simpsons, Gameboy, make things, do craft, sewing, op shops. If you could be an inanimate object what would it be? I would turn into a hat. If you had the opportunity to collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why? Danny Brown, He’s crazy and weird and super cooool, he’s one of my favourite rappers and I think we would make an amazing track. For sure. Are there any projects you’re currently working on, or have planned for the future? I have started a new project, which is much more rave than Spoonty is. But it’s secret for now! SHHHH!
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could have five items (food, water and clothing is already included) and one person you’ve never met. What and who would they be? SP-404 sampler, it has an inbuilt microphone so I could make coconut instruments and record them and then make them into beats, a futuristic bed that’s really comfy and that also levitates a little bit, an iPad with lots of games and music and cartoons on it, some good tools that never break so I can build a jungle treehouse, a bubble bath and I would have a really exciting robot friend who I would always be fun to be around.