Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 108 - Jul/Aug 2022 i frankie Magazine

but every issue of frankie ends up becoming a Magic 8 Ball of sorts. Give it a shake, turn it over and a little pearl of wisdom comes into focus. Maybe it’s because we, like other creative souls, get caught in cycles of self-doubt (read: extended periods of lying motionless on the floor, fearing our work will never be good enough). Then when we’re up and running again, we subconsciously cobble together a pep talk on these very pages. While making this issue, we’ve been telling ourselves: “It’s OK for the first draft not to be Shakespeare.” (page 48) “Don’t be embarrassed to just ask.” (page 120) “The stupidest and scariest ideas are the best ones.” (page 28) And this gem: “Don’t be a turkey; fly like an eagle.” (page…

Tell us, how did you end up on the arty path? I have always been interested in visual arts and design. As a child I wanted to become an interior designer, then in the later years, my interest shifted to advertising. I was drawn to the power of a big idea and the challenge of expressing it in the simplest possible way. I enjoyed working in advertising but the hours were crazy, so I left the industry and started designing children’s clothing. In 2014, I made an Instagram account for my business and started throwing my art projects into the mix. To my surprise, those projects were so well received that I started getting commissions from amazing brands. It gave me a much-needed confidence boost to pursue a career in…

Tell us about yourself in 25 words or less. I’m a still-life artist who makes drawings, paintings, prints and ceramics of familiar objects that are mostly food or food-related. What is your Cup A Day series all about? I work very hard to make a living from art, which can sometimes limit creative exploration and experimentation. When I started my Cup A Day series, I was feeling pretty bored with making the same safe and reliable money-making pieces that I typically do. Giving myself a daily challenge to make fast and fun little drawings allowed me to feel free and not get caught up in monetary creative pursuits. Oh, and I love cups. Why are you drawn to illustrating household objects? I’m a Taurus! Just kidding. I see so many…

Hi Ýr, where are you from and what do you do? I’m a textile designer, artist and teacher from Iceland, but currently based in Berlin. I’ve been creating colourful, interactive, wearable knits under the name Ýrúrarí since 2012. I mostly upcycle unwanted secondhand jumpers and give them a new life. How did knitting become your thing? In Iceland we learn how to knit in school, when we are nine years old; that played a big role in where I am today. I instantly connected with the medium when I was young – I could even read comics while knitting at the same time! Then, when I was 18, I reconnected to knitting in a different way: I created a small line of jumpers for fun. I knitted the jumpers from…

By Kate Stanton I refuse – absolutely REFUSE, do you hear me? – to believe we’re all doomed to become our parents. I am determined to avoid this fate because it would mean turning into my dad, the love child of Frasier Crane and Danny DeVito. I am not exaggerating. If you met my dad, you’d see that this is the most uncannily accurate description of a person ever written. Dad has the personality of Frasier Crane; he’s a demanding, pontificating elitist prone to long-winded lectures about wine, jazz and international relations. Dad also has the jumpy, diminutive physical presence of Danny DeVito; they are both from New Jersey, and speak so similarly that watching DeVito play a degenerate wacko on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia makes me want to…

How good is a room of your own? A space where you feel safe and independent and are surrounded by stuff you love. Being in a comfortable and functional space is especially important for people with cognitive disabilities, who might be extra sensitive to weird sounds or lighting, and who can’t always express their feelings in the traditional way. Ilianna Ginnis learnt that first-hand while growing up in Darwin and Melbourne with her younger sister Michelle, who has an intellectual disability and is non-verbal, which means she communicates mainly through gestures or with the aid of images. Ilianna and her family made Michelle a room of her own – one decorated with calming pink and blue lights, as well as a special communication board. Part daily diary and part chat…

My projects are super-easy to make because they’re based on simple shapes and are constructed with no buttons, zips or darts. I think it’s much easier to understand garment construction when you’re starting out if you break things down into basic shapes. And then, when you see clothing in stores and on runways, you will start to think to yourself, I can make that, or even better, I can make my own version of that. And you can! Remember that there is only one size: size YOU. This project is self-drafted, based on your own measurements; there are no patterns to trace, so you can customise it to fit your body the way you want it to. You make the rules, choose the fabric, and decide just how big the…

It’s OK, you can admit it; we’re all friends here. You like grisly murders. The grislier the better. Abductions, embezzlements, disappearances, schemes in the shape of pyramids. You have a thing for serial killers. You especially like the mysteries that haven’t been solved, like that of suburban husband Rey Rivera, who received an anonymous phone call in 2006, ran out of his house, and was later found dead in an empty conference room, apparently hurled from an unreachable balcony. (Google it; it’s intense.) It’s not like you want Frank next door to be keeping a freezer full of toes, but a small, secret part of you would kind of enjoy being that neighbour on the news: “Frank? He always seemed too quiet. Lent me a cup of sugar once. Said…

I’ve been running my own business for the past five years, which means I’m about five years late to learning the most important lesson of doing business. It’s a simple, obvious piece of advice that we so often hear, and yet very rarely follow: you get what you ask for. For so many years as an aspiring photographer, I was too scared to show my work to anyone I thought of as ‘important’ in the creative world. I had lists of galleries I’d love to exhibit at and magazines I’d like to be published in. I didn’t touch those lists for a long time – out of fear that my work wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t ready, and ultimately, for fear of rejection. I felt that if they saw…

What led you to glassblowing? I knew I wanted to be an artist from an early age and was fortunate to grow up in a very crafty home with lots of access to materials and knowledge. After high school, kind of by accident, I fell into a BA in glass at Monash University in Melbourne and it was everything I hoped for. I really fell for glassblowing and sculpting, although we also had classes in casting, fusing and slumping as well. How did you end up in Sweden? Shortly after finishing my degree in 2004, I left Australia to explore Europe. I worked in a glass studio in London, before ending up in Denmark for nine years and taking further studies in glass. There came a point where it made…

Jessica Johnson is squeamish about offering tips on prioritising wellbeing in business because, truth be told, she’s still figuring it out herself. The Warumungu/Wombaya woman and founder of Nungala Creative design agency recently recovered from a tricky bout with COVID and had to force herself to “be horizontal for a while.” Even then, she was “just horizontal, creating with my iPad,” she laughs. “It’s a challenge to switch off sometimes.” It helps, though, that Jessica finds so much joy in her work creating content from a First Nations perspective and designing accessories as playful as they are pointed (like her super-glittery, heart-shaped ‘Decolonise’ necklaces). She is also the founding director of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, which advocates for Blak queer representation, and founder of the Trading Blak Aboriginal business collective. “Maybe…

Lana Launay Lana Launay started suffering from endometriosis symptoms when she was 15. “The pain was so bad, I couldn’t stand up,” she recalls. “Sometimes I would even faint.” By the time Lana was 21, she had seen roughly 10 different doctors and specialists and endured multiple tests and ultrasounds which each came back with no clear diagnosis. She knew that something wasn’t right, and that her experience couldn’t just be normal. “It got to a point where it affected every aspect of my life – my work, my study, all relationships, my physical and mental health. I was defeated and depressed.” Endometriosis is a condition where some cells, similar to those that line the uterus, grow in other parts of the body. People who suffer from endometriosis can experience…

Hi Zara, tell us a bit about yourself. I’m am illustrator living in the UK. I create illustrations for editorial, advertising and publishing for clients around the world. I have been collecting mid-20th-century illustration ephemera for over a decade. How did you pick up this hobby? I have always been something of a collector, but ephemera became an interest when I visited Prague back in 2009 and spent time exploring antique shops (where I ended up discovering Czech matchbox labels). Vintage illustrations still felt relevant and I wanted to better understand their significance to my own practice. There’s a design appreciation side to it, but also a treasure-hunt aspect which is a lot of fun! Why do you focus on the period between 1950 and 1975? There was a real…

comic sans The world’s most hated font was technically not intended for human consumption. When creating Comic Sans, the typographer Vincent Connare was thinking about a dog. It was 1994, and Connare was tinkering with Microsoft Bob, a user-friendly Windows interface featuring a talking pooch named Rover. Connare had no problem with the concept of a talking dog per se – it was the font in Rover’s speech bubble that stretched credulity. “Dogs don’t talk in Times New Roman,” he later explained. So Connare set about making a font fit for man’s best friend, inspired by the hand lettering in comic books. Comic Sans shipped with Microsoft 3D Movie Maker in 1995, then wormed its way into Windows 95. By 1999, an online campaign was already calling for it to…

Stepping into Steph Wilson’s home, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had somehow ended up in a jungle. Plants hang from the rafters and sprawl across the floors; leafy vines snake all the way up high ceilings. It’s a slice of tranquillity in busy Brixton. The home, in South London, wasn’t always this dreamy; when the photographer bought it five years ago, it was rundown and mouldy. “It was not anything Instagram-worthy,” she laughs. But the 1880s building, designed by an architect who built churches, ticked all the right boxes: it had enough space for a studio, heaps of natural light and unusually high ceilings for a London property. Plus, the only other prospective buyer was an Olympic trampolinist. Steph got to work creating her ideal home: somewhere that felt…

This chocolate, hazelnut and nougat roll ticks every box for me when it comes to dessert – it’s done well in advance and it’s a hand-around situation, which means so much less fuss and washing up. I like to serve it with some fresh fruit and jellies. INGREDIENTS 1 1/3 cups (200g) roughly chopped dark chocolate 1/2 cup (125g) butter, softened 1/4 cup (50g) caster sugar 1 egg 100g amaretti biscuits, roughly chopped 150g hard nougat, roughly chopped 150g hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed PREP TIME 15 mins, plus 3 hours chilling COOK TIME 5 mins HOW TO Makes 2 Melt the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.…

Creative vision has always been at the heart of Ronald Amanze’s life. A son of Jamaican migrants, Ronald drew on his love of reggae music to start Time Radio, a pirate radio station in London, during the late ’80s. Then, at just 58 years old, Ronald received a dementia diagnosis that would shape his life forever. Living with dementia has its challenges: the things we take for granted, like our memory, concentration and speech, start to wane. But Ronald wants others to know that living with dementia is not only about loss: extraordinary beauty and possibility still remain. This message of hope is what prompted him to become an ambassador for the UK initiative The Photobook Project – an arts-based project that empowers people with dementia through creativity. Using disposable…

MUSICALS ROB ME OF JOY BY JACK VENING A few years ago, I witnessed a pretty jarring scene that I still have some trouble processing today. Every time I bring it up, it takes people a little while to fully accept the horror of it. “Surely,” they say, “surely it couldn’t have happened that way.” I don’t blame them. How could I expect them to believe that I’d really seen a co-worker – mid-conversation with several colleagues – interrupt the chat by singing show tunes to themselves, completely candidly and without explanation, as the conversation slowly died around them. Not humming. Not singing quietly under their breath. A completely full-throated rendition of some gaudy number from Cabaret (Cabaret!) as if they were the only one in the room. Except…

GRANDMA MOSES The next time one of those unnerving ‘30 under 30’ lists make you feel late to the game, think of Grandma Moses, a celebrated American folk artist who didn’t start painting until her late 70s. Born in New York, Anna Mary Robertson Moses was a farm worker and grandmother of nine who only dabbled in art until 1938, when a collector spotted her pastoral landscapes in the window of a chemist. By the 1950s, the lady the press dubbed ‘Grandma’ Moses had become a national sensation – one who hobnobbed with US presidents and whose paintings were worth tens of thousands. In 1948, Mademoiselle magazine named the then-88-year-old ‘Young Woman of the Year’ for her ‘flourishing young career and the youth of her spirit’. Grandma Moses is proof…

closet mod Back in the early days of air travel, it was common for holidaymakers to arrive at the departure gate in their finest two-piece suits. Closet Mod’s new collection, Arrival, harks back to that glamorous time – and judging by the array of jaunty frocks and button-ups on display, they’re dressing travellers headed straight to Carnaby Street. Swing by closetmod.com to see more, or throw your hat in the ring at frankie.com.au/win for a chance to score the Heathrow dress in your size (pictured left). diana dawn Arizona lass Diana Dawn is not your average hatter. Armed with nimble fingers and a keen eye, she carefully embroiders her custom hats with soaring eagles, blazing sunsets, pine forests and other intricate designs. Desert dwellers, festival-goers and bohemian road-trippers can find…

Dolly Parton is universally adored. For a while there, when I was little and too dumb to understand much, I just saw boobs and that was all I knew of Dolly. She was a blonde boob punchline. But as I grew and learnt and listened, I got it. She’s so much more – she’s a queen, a savvy businesswoman, a voice for women (especially working-class women), a unifier and bloody smart. She transcends her genre in a way so few stars ever could. And her dumb blonde jokes are better than any that get thrown her way. This article would be easier to write if I could just list the reasons I don’t love Dolly Parton, like how she won’t answer my calls or give me a million dollars. Also,…

What made you start documenting Australian Chinese restaurants? Anna Satin: It began around six years ago as a way of combining our love of road tripping, op shopping and vintage clothing. Our quest is to photograph Chinese restaurants that are time capsules and have noteworthy aesthetics. What do you do for a crust? AS: I’m currently mothering a one-year-old, which is taking up all my time and energy. When I do go back to work, I’ll hopefully return to freelance writing. I’m a very visual person and am passionate about film, art and fashion. Joshua Burns: I currently freelance as an editor and audiovisual designer for stage productions and art installations. I take the photos for Chinese Restaurant Road Trip and Anna location scouts and comes up with most of…

1. LIVE IN A COTTAGE During COVID, I needed to get away. I’d just scrapped a whole album that was meant to come out and had a bit of a meltdown. I found the cutest little cottage in a place called Burrawang in the Southern Highlands, looked at it the next day and two days later signed the lease. I loved it; there were sheep and cows and chickens everywhere. It was just really beautiful and so peaceful. I lived there for almost two years. I’d love to have a cottage of my own one day. 2. RELEASE A LOOP-PEDAL EP Pretty much every time I use my loop pedal, I’ll do something weird on it and just put random stuff over the top, and it goes to all these…

Where is it? 608 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria. What happens at the Millie Savage shop? Heaps of stuff! People come in all day long to get themselves some bling. At the back of the store is my studio, where my team and I make rings and things. What does a typical day look like for you? I get in at around 10am after doing a coffee run for my staff. We have a quick meeting to go through what everyone’s got on during the day, then we get stuck into it. I usually design one-off pieces in the morning and then make them after lunch. If a customer wanting a custom piece comes into the store, I’ll work with them to pick stones together and start designing – I love…