WE'RE SUPPORTING

Paying homage to Francis Bacon, Annie Godfrey Larmon’s gestural paintings depict the sometimes cruel, sometimes sentimental relationship humans have with animals, couching the horror, violence, and hypocrisy in bright suburban colors, with smiling human figures seeming indifferent or unaware of the slaughter around them. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Designer Aaron Woods has said in a few short words, and a handful of timeless images, what the rest of us have long felt about the increasingly ubiquitous presence of social media in our increasingly detached lives. Brilliant. Read more

I spent the formative first six years of my life in Wellington, New Zealand, a beautiful windswept city framed by a magnificent harbour in one direction and a stunning collection of green, rolling hills in the other. It was here, on a return visit many years later and deep amongst the clipped accents and ruddy faces of the weather-beaten locals, that I stumbled upon the vast catalogue of the then Dunedin based record label Flying Nun. And what a roster of acts they housed — The Chills, The Bats, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, The Verlaines, and my favourite guitar-pop band, Straitjacket Fits. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

New York-based Japanese artist Shusaku Arakawa designed this small apartment block in 2005 in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka in conjunction with his poet partner, Madeline Gins. According to the SushiLog: ‘Painted in eye-catching blue, pink, red, yellow and other bright colors, the building resembles the indoor playgrounds that attract toddlers at fast-food restaurants. Inside, each apartment features a dining room with a grainy, surfaced floor that slopes erratically, a sunken kitchen and a study with a concave floor. Electric switches are located in unexpected places on the walls so you have to feel around for the right one. A glass door to the veranda is so small you have to bend to crawl out’. Read more

WE'RE READING

Our friends over at the street art and design site, Feed Me Cool Shit have a revealing interview up with UK artist Sickboy, who talks about his earliest days on the streets. 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 think Anne Geddes spent ten years in the desert with Dr. Seuss doing hallucinogens. She woke up one searing Nevada morning and decided her new name was Peggy Noland. Then she moved to Kansas City and released the line that is currently featured on her website. At least, that’s what I think.