Art / Michelle Vandermeer’s Mini Majellen
I’ve been a big fan of Michelle Vandermeer’s work since I came across her Mini Majellen zines at this year’s Sydney Writers Festival. Describing herself as a doer — as in one of those people who are always doing or making something — Michelle’s work, which includes book binding, illustration, jewelery making and her zines, stems from an internal creative springboard and a double degree in architecture and graphic design. Her work is smart and succinct. When did you first venture into making zines? ‘I set out to make a zine when I was in my third year of my design course, but I accidentally made an artist’s book instead! Being a graphic designer, I went totally over the top with all the different papers I used and the hand embellishments and the bindings. A few months later, I decided to try something more ziney and simple, and ended up with Mini Majellen’. Do you have any favourite zines in your own collection? ‘One of my most favourite zines was actually the first one I discovered. It’s called Little, and it’s an A6-sized perzine created by Brisbane-based writer Joanna Coltman. I can credit Little with introducing me to zine subculture’. What do you think marks a good zine from a bad one? ‘I think a good zine is one that has had some good, expressive, creative thinking go into it. For example, I love the Melbourne zine YOU because it has a clear pivotal idea — a weekly letter to the world, delivered in a handcrafted paper bag — and I love Vanessa Berry’s zines because her quirky writings are beautifully focused on her inner-city exploits and observations. And I particularly love zines that have a purpose, like Ivana Stab’s tiny zine that gives ten suggested ways to enjoy Sydney’s western suburbs. Bad zines are too random, too pointless, too ‘nothing’. Like any method of communication, you’ve got to consider both the medium and the message, and the good zines successfully utilise both well’.
- 4
- 1
Also by KATE SUTERS
As the final festival devotees gather their bags, pick up their muddy gumboots, and make their long journey home, the hills of Byron Bay seem eerily quiet. Over 17,500 music fans poured into Belongil Fields for the three day Splendour in the Grass event to watch music juggernauts Devo, Sigur Ros, Wolfmother, The Presets and The Cold War Kids do their thing. Read more
Twenty-six year old Beth Rowley hails from Bristol, England, but her smoky gospel style creates a beautifully mysterious impression of a dark diva from yesteryear, sashaying across a small stage to a packed crowd. Her debut album Little Dreamer is an enchanting mesh of country, blues and gospel that draws heavily on Rowley’s talents as a singer-songwriter. Indeed, Little Dreamer is the perfect soundtrack to a rainy Saturday afternoon, when you’ve got nothing to do but drink wine and sing along.
YOU'RE SAYING (1)
HAVE YOUR SAY
Ok, a confession. And one made with the full weight of its implications bearing down on me like a load of feathers. Extra soft ones of course (well, it is my confession). When I see bands play - and I mean good bands; bands with rhythm - my right leg gyrates like a stunned jellyfish. Read more
London-based indie-prog group Klaxons take their name from the Greek word ‘to shriek’. We interviewed vocalist and keyboardist, Jamie Righton, and asked him why, unlike many of their contemporaries, none of them grew up to become great footballers: ‘Me and Simon are from Stratford-upon-Avon and the only famous footballer to ever come from there is Gary Barnett! Jamie’s from Bournemouth and there are even less from there. I was asked to play for the Tottenham Hotspur Legends and Celebrities team in a new Sky TV programme but it clashes with our US tour. Gutted’. Read more
What a wonderfully grown up ethos of punk is to be found in the latest effort by New Zealand’s Stolen Girlfriends Club. I saw sequin, lace, leather, denim, tulle, rhinestone and what appeared to be heshen, breaking all the rules of taste but nevertheless making me very, very happy. Read more
There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. Read more
Italian architect Antonio Cardillo is of the opinion that architecture is only still in pictures, as in its real life it is in a state of transition with man and light moving through it. Read more
Finnish folk band Gjallarhorn is named for the horn that the Norse god Heimdall blows to announce Ragnarock — the end of the world. The bands music is far from dark, however: their brand of Scandinavian folk music incorporates mouth harps, fiddles, flutes, and even didgeridoo in a melange of cheerful, but ethereally beautiful tunes sung in Swedish.
Mark Mothersbough, jack of all trades, most famous as frontman of iconic 80s band Devo, has recently started designing wallpaper and rugs, which are available from Walteria Living. Read more
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Czech painter Victor Safonkin does some pretty impressive neo-classical/surrealist paintings that pay homage to all the masters while having a quirky style all their own. They are thankfully free of snarky pop-culture references and irony, which makes the images timeless and strikingly beautiful. Read more
Chris Mars paints the kind of paintings you’d expect to find in the basement of a serial killer after he’s shown the cops where all the bodies are. Read more
I was listening to the Brazilian singer, Gal Costa, when I first came across Alex Prager’s photographs, which provided the perfect collision of music and imagery. We asked the Los Angeles-based photographer a few questions about her process and influences. Read more
New York-based designer, and sometime Lost At E Minor contributor, Deanne Cheuk visited Beijing prior to the Olympics as part of the New Grand Tour. We touched in with her to see how she found the experience of being over there: ‘we visited some really modern art galleries, which seemed to be on par with with the best galleries in New York City’.
Philip Toledano’s photo series, ‘Days with my Father’
Photographer Philip Toledano’s photo essay, Days with My Father, documents his 98-year-old father. Accompanied by some simple text, the images are intimate, heart-breaking, and ethereal, honestly depicting the nuances and tenderness of the photographer’s relationship with his subject. Read more
We have a Threadless Human Giant T-Shirt, the first season of Human Giant on DVD, and a fifty dollar Threadless voucher to give away to a randomly selected Lost At E Minor subscriber. Read more
This beautiful ultrachrome print on Hahnemuhle rag paper, measuring nine by twelve inches and in a limited edition of just 100, is available for purchase through the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
Recently
- Stephanie Simek’s Portland workspace Ilana Kohn
- Brett Dennen: ‘My Secret Playlist’ Zolton
- Fiction is better than reality in The Wire John Malloy
- Andreas Gursky’s new book: Architecture Ari Stein
- Damara Kaminecki, aka DamaraK the Destroyer Ilana Kohn
- Andrea Galvani Gerry Mak
- His name is Moofus, watch him draw Zolton
- The OBEYMA sticker Yuko Shimizu
- Ilana Kohn Puddle print Zolton
- Melbourne’s Klein Bottle House Zolton
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
TAGS: 1980s acoustic music animals animation Australian bands black and white illustrations black and white photography blogs Brooklyn cartoons China collaboration colour colourful illustrations comics electronic music flash games folk music France Hip Hop Japan London Los Angeles magazines Melbourne New York New York artists New York bands New York City New York illustrators New York photographers plush toys pop music portrait portraits rock music San Francisco soul music street art street fashion Sweden Sydney t-shirts Tokyo UK bands
IMAGES:
POPULAR:
- Brittanie Pendleton - loved 46 times
- Elaine Biss's feminine charms - loved 24 times
- Prefab House - loved 19 times
- Andreco's brilliant visions - loved 17 times
- Dongyun Lee - loved 13 times
- Fly Apart - loved 13 times
- An artistic tribute to Bjork - loved 12 times
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Or if you’d just like to talk amongst yourselves, that’s cool too. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
Kate said | 13 December, 2007
Wow…outstanding packaging/presentation…they all look beautiful!