Tagged: lot23
Interview With Artist & Curator: Natalie Tozer
1. How long have you been an artist? Since a dress-up day at primary
school – we had to dress-up ‘to be ‘ what we wanted, when we grew up.
Mum, Dad and I sat down and threw some ideas around, and came up with
‘artist’. A very formative exercise! I wore one of dads work shirts
(super oversize for an 8 year old), a red beanie my nana knitted
(positioned a la beret), found an old brush and made a palette out of card
board.
2. Where do you get your inspiration? Body memory. Repetition and
habit. Daily experiences.
3. Tell me about your exhibitions?
You know when you have a super
twisted dream which you wake up from and just have to tell someone about – for me exhibiting is like that. The world informs you, you mirror your experiences, then you share them. For me the work of an artist is like telling the dream – it’s just one way to describe the experience of living.
4. How do you define your style – as an artist?
I like to provide escapism for people. In contrast to blunt force media and the daily assault of our urban landscape, my style is organic and cellular. The shapes and vibrancy of my work matches what is happening in my life at the time.
5. Favourite colour?
The ‘mother colour’. Where a colour is made from combining all the other colours. Often a complex hue which speaks to all the other colours on the page.
6. Who would you (really) like to meet? Charles Saatchi maybe?
I’d love to meet Patricia Piccinini. Check out her work online and see why! She has incredible vision as an artist. Her works remind me of the
characters in one of my favorite novels by Margaret Atwood ‘Oryx and
Crake’. In fact these two powerhouse woman should meet each other as well. Although incredibly different from my work, the organic forms imagined in both these artists worlds are deeply inspiring to me and what I think about and try to convey in an abstract way.
7. Any influences?
People and experiences. Life is the same.
8. Do you believe in serendipity? Absolutely. In my work I chase
‘happy accidents’. The forms are fluid and design can only contribute to
50% of the outcome. Life is the same.
9. When it comes to chocolate -Cadbury or Whittakers?
If I’m at the supermarket I’d reach for Whittakers first, every time. But my Dad always has a stash of Cadbury, which I raid with glee.
10. What makes you smile?
Smiling!
Interview with Y&T: Fashion Designer Yuka O
1. When/why was Y&T founded?
Y&T started with the intention of raising funds for the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Fashion is what I love and know – so naturally this is what I could contribute to make this happen. My husband Tristan and I worked on our first range with all the proceeds going to aid. Yuka&Tristan was founded in 2011, April.
2. Where do you get your inspiration?
Anything that gets me interested at any given time, which then becomes my inspiration/concept to develop the range – architecture, paint, books, design, music etc. Also, I deal with very beautiful fabric – I often get inspired by that too.
3. Have you always loved fashion?
Yes. Always. x
4. What is your go to magazine?
I love Japanese fashion Magazines: Ginza, Fudge Internatinal – The Gentle Woman, Numero, Vogue NZ – Home
5. Have you had any Y&T collections in ‘NZ Fashion Week’ or offshore catwalk? Future plans?
I haven’t thought about doing catwalk into NZ fashion week yet – however I’d definitely love to experience this, if the opportunity arose. I have some exciting news to be revealed soon… (but can’t tell yet) so please stay tuned ! via /yukaandtristan – facebook / @Yuka&Tristan – twitter / #yooksasyuka – instagram
6. Who would you (really) like to wear your brand?
Tilda Swinton
7. Any influences?
Yoji Yamamoto, Kenzo
8. Are you living your ‘dream-job’?
Yes, Although It’s a really tough business – I feel super lucky to do what I love. Big thanks to my husband.
9. When it comes to chocolate -Cadbury or Whittakers?
Whittakers – I choose by label 🙂
10. What makes you smile?
My young children who try to tell me stories about their (daily) adventures, mostly about their school endeavours – those cute explanations are the most gorgeous of things.
Interview With Roccabella: Vikki George
1. When/how did you discover your ‘love’ of jewellery?
When I was a little girl, I loved going through jewellery boxes of my mother’s and my grandmother’s – really anyone who would let me look and play. Each box contained different types and styles of jewels, that expressed who they were at the time. I would love to play dress ups with them, but the best thing (of all) was each one had a story, and a memory to go with it. I like to remember this when I am designing a collection. I hope that my creations have stories told about them, and create amazing memories for the person wearing “Roccabella”.
2. Where do you get your inspiration?
The world around me. If you take the time to look around, you can find the most amazing and fascinating things, you just have to open your eyes. For example my latest collection INK: a tattoo/jewellery collaboration. I was going to see this guy (I had my eye on) who was getting a tattoo, done by Brock Fidow. I was looking around his studio and was blown away by his talent. We started talking about relocating from Christchurch after the earthquakes, and our design process. It just came to me that a tattoo/jewellery collaboration needs to happen and Brock agreed. Now we have worked together in creating this seamless collection.
3. Do you have a ‘special’ piece of jewellery that you wear or gifted?
My diamond circle pendant my mum gave to me – I wear it everyday.
4. How did you come by the name “Roccabella”?
We inherited it when we purchased our Christchurch store in 1999 which we lost in the earthquakes. I love the name – it means beautiful rocks!
5. Tell me about your last exhibition?
It was amazing! Held at Lot23, for my collaborate collection ‘INK’. I collaborated with Brock Fidow who is a talented tattoo artist. The collection was a seamless combination of ‘Western traditional tattoo’ and ‘artisan jewellery’, all proudly made here in NZ. We hung the jewellery on a (majestic) stand, hung from the roof. I wanted it to be a discovery, so we used Fresnel lenses which magnified the jewellery in a trippy-kind of way. Sam E was our DJ who created an amazing vibe.
6. Who would you like to (really) ‘wear and/or endorse’ your work?
Russell Brand – love his style.
Lorde – she is amazing.
Natalie Portman.
Jonny Depp
Banks, she is also amazing.
I think that’s all for now!
7. Any influences?
Oh yes, I love the creative talents of Solange Azagury-Partridge, she blows me away with her designs
8. What is your favourite colour?
I don’t have one, I love all the colours of the rainbow.
9. Do you eat breakfast?
It’s the most important meal of the day! Can’t beat Rye bread toasted with avocado. Tomato, lemon juice, and a sprinkling of Basil, finished off with a grind of salt and pepper. Oh, and a cup of coffee.
10. What makes you smile?
My daughter Lilly, she amazes me and makes me smile everyday. Love – out of the blue, and music which can instantly transform your mood.
Helen Clegg exhibits at Lot23
Auckland based, UK born artist, Helen Clegg (b. 1988), recipient of the NZAAT Emerging Artist Award in early 2013, is set to open her second solo exhibition The Bridge Gathers, (2014) as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
Alongside Helen’s exhibition in the gallery which runs from May 29th – June 20th, we have a unique experience to offer for our visitors and fringe festival goers for one night only – 3rd June 2014. The box throughout Helen’s series will be situated in the LOT23 Studio, and the audience invited to explore the set and participate in the scene. They’ll be able to interact with the box and take their own photograph, as Helen does. These images will be broadcast into the gallery via live feed and available online to download, tag and share. It will undoubtedly be a very fun and engaging evening.
About Helen Clegg’s work.
Helen’s art practice both draws on and challenges the traditional parameters of performance, self-portraiture, and landscape photography. Her work displays a consistent signature of using her own body in a way that blends with the environment though very consciously posed. Keeping the black cable release deliberately visible engages the viewer, and connects her as both internally and externally in control of the image, although she never engages the camera with her face. Landscape in Clegg’s work takes on an element of theatre, not only a stage for her to explore human sensibility by acting and reacting with the surrounds, but also a counterpart and aide within the photograph.
Working with analogue film slows her process. This slowing down between the performed momentary gesture and the photographic print, further distils an anti-immediacy into each image.This anti immediacy complements the deliberate and intuitive manner with which she composes each frame.
melissafergusson 