With one foot in Melbourne and the other in New York City, Ed Janssen has found such a big fan base for his hand-made jewellery that he has had to cut back on his other great love in life – making the best espresso you’re ever likely to sip from a cardboard cup. But Ed’s charm necklaces are still inspired by his experiences in the cafes of Melbourne and Manhattan. Under the label This Charming Man, his cult item is known as ‘the knuckle sandwich’. Fashioned from sterling silver, it’s a set of three charms – two pieces of bread to hang on either side of a tiny knuckle duster. Other pieces include ‘the knuckle bagel’, as well as steaks, burger patties and single slices of cheese. We don’t know about New York, but every man in Melbourne worth his winklepickers is wearing these right now. [see also Lynda Holt]
Also by IS NOT MAGAZINE
Ed Janssen is famed in Melbourne for his jewellery designs, sold through cult Morrissey-friendly label This Charming Man. ‘The Knuckle Sandwich’ charm necklace (two pieces of bread on either side of a tiny set of brass knuckles, as pictured above) exudes an oddly amusing menace. More recently ‘The Bear Trap’ has been dangling from every second neck, wiping out hope for Melbourne’s unsuspecting tiny forest animals. Janssen is about to launch a new range inspired by the iconography of various secret societies. Melburnians can check out their old and new favourites at the first This Charming Man exhibition launching this week at Alice Euphemia’s new store. Flex those tiny knuckles and watch those tiny feet. Read more
Melbourne illustrators, designers and men-about-town Tin&Ed are known and loved for many things. Their lost-in-a-forest illustrations, their science-meets-whimsy line-based art, their collages, their photographs, their escapades and their generally unexpected solutions to design problems. Tin&Ed’s work is great, probably because they strive to find the best answer to each design challenge rather than aiming for a distinct studio style. Their recent work for Crumpler is not only awesome to behold, but has applications way beyond the commercial. Check out the animated alphabet and behold your ticket to the best graphic email signature ever. Spend a few minutes on the site and you’ll work out what we mean.
Amanda de Simone is a Melbourne photographer who has a fine fine haircut. We also think she is the most exciting photographic artist in the city right now. Her portraits combine emotions like rage and grief with questions about masculinity, femininity, desire and … well … the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. Her new exhibition at McCulloch gallery is called ‘Cock Fight’ Playing with the idea of the men’s club, ‘Amanda explores men’s lust for undying fame, their internal prowess in battle, their sensitivity to insults’. We think the idea is to pit the portraits against one another in a kind of imaginary Battle Royale. Then maybe pick some fights with some jocks, which we do quite frequently anyway, or at least whenever we walk past The Prince. Those who saw ‘Crying Boy Fanclub’ last year will know this exhibition is going to be hot.
YOU'RE SAYING (5)
Andy said | 14 March, 2007
Love these pieces, top notch.
Penny said | 15 March, 2007
Hey guys, you can get ‘em at the awesome Bobby’s Cuts (scott alley, melbourne), Alphaville (brunswick st and flinders lane, melbourne), Somedays in Sydney. Don’t know about NYC, you’ll have to email Ed. He won’t mind.
Ed said | 15 March, 2007
If you are interested in purchasing (or stocking!) This Charming Man Jewelry please feel free to get in contact with me via my website http://www.edwardjanssen.com
thanks for looking, and thanks to lost at e minor and especially Penny at is not magazine.
derrick said | 8 December, 2007
damn whose that guy he’s HOT!!!
HAVE YOUR SAY
The art that usually grabs me has a mythic sense to it. Katie Brookes’ intricate and delicate drawings definitely has me by my eyeballs. Read more
Hahahahahaha! Cursebird is a ‘real–time feed of swearing on Twitter’. Perfect for idling away the hours when the work day just seems too damn sanitized.
Australian group Pivot have recently signed with the mighty Warp label and — even better (well, for us anyway) — have written a fun Secret Playlist for us. You can see where the many disparate influences have seeped into their latest recording, the beautiful and colourful, O Soundtrack My Heart.
This is the greatest invention. Ever. Commuters in South Korea can now do their grocery shopping whilst waiting for the train to arrive using their mobile phone to scan the QR codes of the virtual goodies they want. The order is then delivered direct to their doorstep the next day. Amazing! Sure beats moaning about the crowds, delays, smells, noises … Read more
Our friends over at Sex In Art recently posted the work of Japanese artist Aya Kato. Says Justin, the founder of the site: ‘I have this folder on my desktop titled Cool Shiat. It’s where I save all the inspirational images I find on the net. I’ve just finished filling it up with Aya Kato’s amazing images. Argh wow. Wow, wow, wow. I won’t say anymore. Just check her work out for yourself’. Read more
Hotly tipped by a handful of soothsayers to take 2009 by storm, Trembling Bells are an altogether different and refreshing musical experience to much of what seems to excite people at the moment. On first listen, it’s fairly easy to ignore — one could casually shrug it off as some limp take on Scottish baroque folk. Yet, there is something more to it. Rarely do you hear that high-pitched, warbling voice in mainstream music. Likewise the marching band cacophony going on in the background is both daring and highly intriguing.
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Ummmm, is there anything more to say than AWESOME? Tara Duff is capitalizing on pure awesome with these masculinity-boosting facewarmers.
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
It’s refreshing to see artists like Joe Kievitt who are contented to explore the beauty in simple forms and asymmetrical patterns. Read more
Cookie Boy’s creative cookie designs
I don’t eat cookies, so good thing Cookie Boy’s cookies are little pieces of art too pretty and cute to eat. Read more
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
Benjamin Edminston’s psychedelic heads seem to have some fearful wisdom behind their blissed-out eyes. Read more
Inspired by the aesthetics of architecture and graphic design, FAQ Clothing has a post-modern approach to design. Each collection is based on a conceptual theme: ranging from vintage comics to lunar phases. FAQ works with no boundaries, nor rules, which makes for a compelling line. Check out more FAQ products in the Lost At E Minor store.
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paul said | 13 March, 2007
where do we find these trinkets then?