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WE'RE SUPPORTING

I had the pleasure of meeting painter Maria Calderon a few years back through some mutual friends. Even then her work was stunning. It seemed as though you could stand back and take in everything you thought you could, and if you moved up to a piece, you were pulled in to all the different stories, different landscapes, within a single painting. The vibrant colors and never ending spacial trickery really does it for me.

WE'RE THINKING

Everything about Kasia Domanska’s sun-drenched, surf-soaked paintings screams endless Summer. You can almost smell the sunscreen and chlorinated water wafting off of them.

Back in the day, when I was a skinny teenager on the great pedestal of life, I had a real obsession for the understated, low-fi, deliciously melodic and somewhat blurry sounds of the New Zealand Flying Nun bands. I would pool my meagre savings and canvas the local record shops, scouring the racks for the latest cassettes from The Bats, The Chills, The Clean, and, later, The Straitjacket Fits. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

With literally almost half its population immigrants, Queens is the best borough for food in NYC. Between Thai food in Woodside and any ethnic food you’ve ever imagined in Jackson Heights, all foodies worth their salt make regular pilgrimages on the 7 train. If you find yourself at the end of the line in Flushing, check out Little Pepper on Roosevelt. Read more

WE'RE READING

Fat Cap is an excellent site for the latest and greatest in graffiti and street art. From pictures to interviews, and even a member site that you can upload your work to, this site is pure crack for anyone that loves art. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

I haven’t bought a CD in a while but I was strolling down Wellington’s Cuba Street looking for a bit of inspiration the other day when Liam Finn’s music tapped me politely on the shoulder and dragged me into the music store. Liam is New Zealand music royalty, of Neil Finn descent, although — with his wild hair and beard — he’s looking a bit more like a young Jesus these days. The record is made with the help of an analogue loop machine, and you’ll find the kind of stunning instrumental crescendos that I haven’t heard since The Beatles Hey Jude. He engages emotionally and spontaneously, with both skill and showmanship.

WE'RE WEARING

I wasn’t aware of who Emilio Pucci was until my work was compared to his for the hundredth time. I’m happy to have anyone make that connection. I’m not a high fashion person. I keep to the basics and feel alright about it. The introduction to his work was mind blowing for me. Not only for the rich colors and patterns, but how those things worked with the human form. It was an interesting revelation, and one that has sparked more interest for me to explore fashion as a medium for art.