Beeswax

WE'RE SUPPORTING

We asked New York-based photographer Mitchell Feinberg where he draws his inspiration from: ‘It can come from anywhere: a window display, a sculpture exhibit, even the basement of a hardware store. Sometimes I will have an old idea that takes many years to gel. Sometimes I’ll come up with something at the last minute. The Muse never tips her hat. As for still life photographs, Karl Blossfeldt’s plant studies, Steichen’s patterns for Stehli silks, and Mr. Penn’s still lifes stay with me, like old friends’. There’s an extensive interview with Feinberg on the Feature Shoot photography blog.

WE'RE THINKING

I always loved the powerful drawings of Benjamin Guedel, but didn’t enjoy browsing his website. Now he has a new easy to navigate site, so I can share his work with those unlucky ones who haven’t seen his drawing skills yet. Read more

Back in the day, New Zealand pop absurdists, Split Enz were the finest damn Australasian band around. This track, I Walk Away, off their final album — Spellbound — is their ultimate moment: a hefty dose of pure melodic majestry, wrapped around the aching lyrics and quirky arrangements of genius frontman, Neil Finn.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

On the roof of Bangkok’s Banyan Tree Hotel is a dining experience like no other. The Vertigo Bar sits sixty one floors up, and serves delicious gourmet meals and cocktails. These are expensive by Thai standards, but cheap enough for shoestring travellers to indulge in now and then (a cocktail costs around AUD$12). I’ve spent hour after hour in the bar, drinking and smoking and taking in the amazing view. Most nights at Vertigo end the same, with fast-moving storm clouds rolling in without fail at about eleven pm. While wait staff scurry to move tables, and drunken diners navigate the steep stairs down to the safety of the hotel, the more hardy can sit and watch the clouds race closer and closer towards the building, soaking in both the atmosphere and the rainwater until the lightning gets too close for comfort.

WE'RE READING

Yes, Cuteoverload has been doing it for years, but can there really be too many sites devoted to cute animals? Fuck Yeah Puppies may not be original, but they have puppies. Lots and lots of puppies.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

NASA has released some pretty amazing audio recordings of sounds from the moons of Saturn. The weirdest thing about them is that they actually sound like Theremin warbles and echoey whooshy sounds from ‘50s movies about space.

WE'RE WEARING

Alkemie Jewelry, the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson, is a Los-Angeles based company who make socially responsible pieces of jewelry. Their entire collection is made from 100 percent recast metal in the USA. When leather is used, Alkemie obtains the leather from cattle ranches that uses all of the animal, and are dyed with eco-friendly dyes. The current collection for Alkemie is named The Maiden Voyage, inspired by the Art Noveau Movement.