WE'RE SUPPORTING

Funnily enough, my introduction to the work of artist and illustrator J. Otto Seibold was through a Norstrom holiday display many years back. The entire store was bedecked in Olive the Other Reindeer regalia. It took me forever to part with my Olive the Reindeer shopping bags, so when I later discovered that Olive was, in fact, a recurring story book character (not simply some character fabricated solely for the holiday display), I was pretty psyched and have been a fan of all the ragtag J. Otto Seibold characters and books ever since.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

The work of Australia’s Ben Frost is always interesting. He’s known for his controversial art juxtapositions that confront contemporary Western paradigms in our advertising obsessed society. Crapitalism is on display until November 3 at Opus Gallery in Newcastle, UK. I do hope any disgruntled viewers refrain themselves from slashing his work with a knife, unlike the infamous 2000 Australian episode.

WE'RE WEARING

The t-shirt range of Lollipop Loretta is essentially a bright and bubbly collection of wearable art. There are only two of each shirt in each size and the illustrative monster characters are printed on quality American Apparel shirts. Fun! Read more

WE'RE THINKING

Philadelphia-based artist AJ Fosik’s wooden sculptures look like Indonesian gods guarding an intergalactic temple built by time-traveling monks. Read more

WE'RE READING

Bunnylicious transcends cuteness and takes bunny worship to a another level. Squirrels are so passe. Read more

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a reminder of why the medium of film is so special. It features first rate visuals, performances, direction and acting, all of which fits together into one of the most insightful, powerful and touching pieces of cinema ever. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Already with a Spectrum show under their belt, The Archerbolds are an up and coming Australian band well worth checking out. I saw the Sydney-based lads play recently at the Mars Hill Café and it was evident that they should be permanently rocking out on a real stage; not in front of coffee sippers. Their floating lyrics, smart guitar riffs and meaty bass lines are infused by The Strokes, Mars Volta, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin — ultimately producing a freshly spun modern-vintage sound. Lead vocalist and guitarist Geoffrey ‘Gep’ Rectin says The Archerbolds plan to create a solid sound for next year: ‘Over summer, we’re recording an EP and working on a set sound, defining more of an image’. If their track, Rest Your Soul, is anything to go by, then it should be pretty dandy.