Cafe Culture

Artist in Residence

Sometimes you can discover a private

world of creativity just off the street.

Keep your eyes peeled for these hidden

gems!

They are rare, colourful and add richness

and vitality to your neighbourhood.

Hendrix Hair

Suzy Quatro, Jimmy Hendrix, James Morrison,

Jet, Michael Hutchins, Keith Richards..

they all had HAIR..

Sometimes a legendary rock star mane

of hair really ...well, rocks out.. I guess.

One of the things about rock star hair is,

it is way harder to achieve than it looks.

It takes months of partying with no washing

and conditioner is never a friend of the

Rock God.

Never!

With Kirsten Stewart about to star in the

movie about Joan Jett's life..this do is about

to go mainstream.

So start growing , stop washing and start moshing.

Or just go against the grain and shave it all as

any rock star rebel would.

New Gothic

I love Gothic in that Tim Burton kind

of way.

Give me 'Edward Scissorhands' and I am

transported into his fantastic

world of dark winding staircases,

pointy steeples and grey cloudy skies.

And don't get me started on the fashion

in his films.

Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp

always look amazingly rich in

black on black on black.

The Cure is another Gothic love of mine.

Robert Smith's voice is always hauntingly

beautiful and standalone quirky at the

same time, and 'Boys Don't Cry' and

'Love Song' have to be two of my

favourite tracks of the 80's.

Japanese youth culture have long

embraced the Gothic aesthetic, combining it

with Lolitaesque dollhouse imagery to

create what must be one of the most

original looks of our time.

Black lipstick should not be tried at

home. However eyeliner and teased hair,

Docs. with black and white striped socks

and haunted houses on jagged cliff-faces;

deliciously dark and romantic, will always

have a place in my heart.

2009.. the year on the streets.

As the sun sets on 2009, what was that

year about exactly?

Or is it even necessary to sum up a year?

All I know from walking around ,

meeting people from various cities ,

photographing creative thinkers,

inspiring street art and design,

and just observing what is out there

on the streets I have visited;

is that despite the continuous bombardment

of media negativity,

there is an optimism in the air.

I think these ideas can sort of elude to the

year that was;

1. Making the most of what we had.

Reinvention, recycling, craft as design,

new simplicity.

2. Overt materialism is naff.

I haven't seen many labels splashed

across Tees or flash handbags.

They have been replaced by the humble

canvas shoulder bag and yummy,

perfectly loose, basic cotton tee.

3. Icons are everywhere ,with images

of the late M.J. dominating new stands,

Obama sweatshirts still going strong

and murals inspired by rock legends

popping up all over our streets.

4. Gossip. From clothing labels,

to TV shows.. nothing spreads faster.

Via text, word of mouth, blogs or

trashy mags; tongues are wagging and

appetite for juicy tit bits of

information seems to be insatiable.

I have noticed a lot of young people

reading magazines like 'Vanity Fair'

rather than 'OK', which is perhaps a sign

that articles about the environment,

or taste makers and shape shifters with

substance, are starting to appeal more than

endless images of Brangelina.

5. Colour. Everywhere. Bright, fun , light,

and a distraction from the doom and gloom

economy.

6. Bloodsucking sex symbols.

Dark and mysterious.

Who wants to live forever. Maybe we all do

hence our fascination for vampires of late.

7.Creativity is often ignited when

economy is down. There is a definite buzz

surrounding street art projects such as the

knitted street scape in Sydney recently.

Personal style has definitely gotten more

expressive and experimental.

I have also seen a lot of street poetry,

dance and mime ( and I am not talking

about someone spray painted silver with

a statue of liberty torch made of foam

rubber in there hands.)

8. Flower Power returns. From small

flower stickers stuck on the walls of

many streets in many cities to fresh

flowers worn in peoples hair.

The symbol of a new world blooming..

hope so.

9. Pink. Rosy pink cheeks and fluro pink

sculptures. Neon hair and

hot pink 80's blazers. This colour was the

brave shade of '09.

10. Cartoon madness was painted on walls,

stuck on lamp posts and sewn onto

denim cut-offs , back pockets.

Big global brands installed huge kooky

sculptures in their flagship stores and

street artists went nuts with their twisted,

sometimes edgy and dark, but always

intriguing characters.

Happy New Year everyone and hope you

all have a creative and exciting 2010.

Pyramid Perfection

The Pyramid has to be the most mystical

of all forms.

Created mysteriously in Egyptian a time

before the complexed machines used for

construction today were even dreamt of .

Could there have been some kind of

extraterrestrial intervention ,or even help

from the Gods?

We will never know, but this symbol of

perfection is as powerful now as it was in

the time of the great Pharaohs.

Drink Up!

The streets of busy cities can take a lot

out of you.

Thirsty work you might say.

Drink breaks are obligatory!

Whether you stop for a cool long glass

of fresh juice or a glass of wine in a

busy bistro ... drink up in style.

Lionhearted Style..

I recently watched an episode of Project

Runway Australia. Contestants were asked

to design a collection based on an animal.

Lion was one.

I personally think this girl in Tokyo may

have had the king of the jungle in mind

when she put together this look with its mix

of tawny textures , colour and her cute spiky mane.

Lets all be inspired by animals more often when

getting dressed. I am not talking hiring a giant

gorilla suit or a Donny Darkoesque rabbit outfit...

(though Ilove eccentrics and why not if you feel inclined),

just acknowledging that nature often gets it spot on.

Not only that , lets turn our urban jungles

into real jungles. Let animals climb our walls

and guard our doorways.

Who better to do that than the King of the Beasts!

Elegance..

Can true elegance be defined...I think

definitions of what is elegant, change;

but elegance is also timeless...


What is elegance...I don't know myself,

except that I think you know it when you

see it.

Undefinable and nonchalantly stylish

Matching the mood and surroundings.

Culturally appropriate.

Luxuriously simple.