It was a race against the clock and Coronavirus for internationally-renowned Australian artist Dale Frank to make it to Auckland to begin work on his first series of prints in 30 years.
With just six hours to spare, Frank entered New Zealand before the Australian travel ban was instigated, allowing him to pursue an idea first sparked in conversation with Gary Langsford, director of Gow Langsford Gallery.
Frank’s incisive interest was sparked by techniques that would allow him to work directly onto the screen, creating truly unique prints with painterly, personal touches added to the traditional mechanical process.
The large-scale pieces (1500mm x 1020mm), created at Auckland’s Artrite Printers, are immediately recognisable as the work of Frank, with almost aggressively organic abstract movement and a palette with spiritual punch.
It’s not as though Frank hasn’t been busy in the past 30 years, with dedicated solo exhibitions at New York’s Museum of Modern Art PS1 Contemporary Art Center and Sydney’s Museum of Modern Art and his work being picked up by the Guggenheim and Boston’s Fine Arts Museum.
With Frank’s status as highly collectable creative and the long wait for his return to prints, the eagerly-anticipated artworks were set to steal the show at the now-postponed Auckland Art Fair, initially planned for May and now postponed until February 2021.
Now the pieces will come full circle and appear at the Gow Langsford Gallery once lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Join the queue early by contacting Cass Thompson ([email protected]) to arrange a viewing .
Let’s hold onto memories of blue skies and relaxed summer vibes more than a moment longer with the haute hippie LV Escale collection from Louis Vuitton, elevating tie-dye to new levels of luxury.
Utilising the ancient Japanese fabric dyeing method of Shibori, which dates as far back as 238BC, the French label has applied the tricky technique to pastel washes across their accessories and ready-to-wear collections, just in time for a Northern Hemisphere summer. Baby pinks seep into sunrise yellows, reds intermingle with pinks while deep blues, swirl with turquoise and white for a fashion thirst-quenching cocktail of Cali-cool.
Surfer-chick vibes across scarves, bucket hats, sandals and swimsuits hang ten alongside the statement LV mongram, while the trusty Keepall, Speedy, Néo Noé and Neverfull are transformed into Blue Crush-worthy beach bags.
It’s time to let some sun shine into your life.
The Louis Vuitton online store is currently open. Deliveries will resume once restrictions are lifted.
The sculptural form of the two-storey Canopy House seems to hover weightlessly among the plane trees in a leafy Melbourne suburb. Brought to humming life by Michael Leeton of Leeton Pointon Architects + Interiors and Allison Pye Interiors, this architectural artwork functions as a brilliant backdrop to a busy couple and their three children.
Serpentine curves define the exterior with a curved wall along the horseshoe driveway shielding the property from neighbours and extending the visual impact of the near-white facade, pleasantly punctuated by the verdant green of two long-standing elm trees.
Mattiazzi He Said/She Said chairs from Simon James and Gubi Semi pendant from Cult Design.
The near-minimalist interiors of oak, limestone and polished plaster add to the seamlessly sleek finish, with oak floorboards stretching up some walls for a touch of warmth. On the glass-encased ground floor the family converge on the expansive kitchen, sunken family room and formal and casual dining areas.
Spaces are defined by the gently winding staircase, which upstairs separates the master bedroom from the three children’s rooms and their dedicated play zone.
The long-standing relationship between Pointon and Pye can be seen in the attention to such details as rounded corners of raw brass set to develop a patina to match the bronze mirrors used in cabinetry.
Left: Tio chairs from Simon James. Right: Flos 265 wall light from ECC.
Sustainability boxes are all ticked with consideration given to plentiful light streaming through the property, with the angular top level offering welcome shade below from the brutal Australian sun. Solar panels and a rainwater runoff tank are integrated into the building’s fine lines.
Bursts of blue add to the coolness of the interior, defining a home which effortlessly captures the art of living.
It’s important to have goals for when this period of self-isolation ends and if you’re like us the travel bug hasn’t disappeared after 20 seconds of hand-washing to Happy Birthday. Feed your fantasies by mentally checking into these luxurious properties that are preparing to open their doors in 2020. There’s no place like home at the moment but room service, an exotic location and incredible design is what dreams are made of. Is it too early to start packing?
Six Senses – Shaharut, Israel If it’s an otherworldly escape you’re after, the Six Senses Shaharut in Israel’s Negev Desert should be at the top of your list when it opens in September. Nestled into a cliff, the hotel consists of 60 private suites and villas offering panoramic views across the expansive desert landscape and are designed to integrate seamlessly into their surrounds — made primarily from natural materials and furnished with pieces by local artisans. The resort includes bars and restaurants that will showcase seasonal produce, an open-air cinema, a Six Senses Spa and even an Earth Lab, where guests can learn about the hotel’s environmental initiatives and reconnect with the natural world. The Six Senses Shaharut is set to provide luxury for the new, sustainable age.
Airelles Château de Versailles – Le Grand Contrôle, France Set on the grounds of France’s most iconic chateau, the Airelles Château de Versailles will offer its guests unprecedented access to an important slice of history. The Château de Versailles dates back to the pre-revolution reign of Louis XIV and its opulent architecture and immaculate grounds still stand today as a testament to the air of excess that underpinned his tenure as king. Now, French hotel group Airelles has teamed up with renowned chef, Alain Ducasse, to open a luxurious, 14-room hotel in converted 17th and 18th-Century buildings that are part of the palace itself. Alongside views across the orangery and out to the lake in the chateau’s gardens, the hotel will boast an Alain Ducasse restaurant, a wellness centre and an indoor pool. More details are still to be revealed but this is one opening we’re particularly excited for. Let us eat cake.
Aman – New York Bringing its signature serenity to the Big Apple, this entry from Aman sees it venturing further into North America with a forthcoming New York outpost. Set in the iconic Crown Building on the corner of 5th Avenue and 57th Street, the new hotel will offer 83 rooms and suites and a spa set over three floors, with unprecedented tranquillity in the heart of Manhattan. Also offering a subterranean jazz bar, wraparound garden terrace (with views of Central Park), Italian and Japanese restaurants and a wine library, Aman is sure to be a welcome addition when the city that usually never sleeps wakes up.
One & Only Desaru Coast– Malaysia With secluded luxury as its core tenet, One & Only’s forthcoming Malaysian resort will be the group’s first foray into Asia. Set on a stretch of private Desaru coastline, the hotel will offer a beach club and spa, a raft of outdoor activities (including tennis, golf, diving and watersports), three restaurants, 42 suites, two luxury suites and the pièce de résistance — a sprawling four-bedroom villa. Fifty private residences will also be available to purchase outright.
Cheval Blanc – Paris As Cheval Blanc’s first metropolitan property, this new Parisian destination is unique in more ways than one. Located at 8 Quai du Louvre, walking distance from the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Jardins du Luxembourg (among other must-see Parisian sites), this luxurious hotel reimagined b architect Peter Marino will offer 36 rooms and 36 suites, some with floor-to-ceiling windows to frame views of the Seine. Its restaurant will be helmed by chef Arnaud Donckele of three-Michelin-starred La Vague d’Or at the hotel group’s St. Tropez location. Offering a unique sense of space from its left bank location, the new Cheval Blanc will give its guests a fresh perspective on the City of Light.
Amanvari – Los Cabos Set on the tranquil beachfront site of what used to be a historic hacienda, Aman’s first foray into Mexico will be a luxurious affair. With 20 two-storey pavilions, a central atrium on the beach showcasing three restaurants, a library, a lounge and a large infinity pool, an all-encompassing spa, and to top it all off, 24 Aman Residences set on the property that will be available for purchase, this hotel is taking the idea of luxury to bold new heights.
Words Mina Kerr-lazenby | PHOTOS Josh Griggs | 2 Apr 2020
Many artists can go through life producing vast bodies of work while remaining virtually unknown. Graduating from ‘struggling artist’ to success story is a rarity but young Auckland-based painter Toby Raine has already managed to sell-out several exhibitions in his short career.
Raine seems to have reached the top of his game swiftly with a Doctorate from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts and a position with powerhouse galleries on both sides of the Tasman.
In 2018 the artist gained representation at the prestigious Gow Langsford Gallery, allowing him to paint full-time and work his own hours. When I tell Raine that he appears to have been an overnight success he stifles a laugh. ‘Instant success’ is hardly the phrasing he would use.
We meet for a quick drink in the sun-drenched courtyard of a humming inner-city café to discuss his artistic ascent. I’m devouring a New Zealand Breakfast, Raine’s cradling a beer. It’s 11am. Today is his day off from painting, he explains.
“First of all,” Raine says. “I’ve just come out of an incredibly long period of education.” Eleven years of higher education at Elam, to be precise, beginning in 2006 when he was 23-years-old. Starting university as a so-called ‘late bloomer’ ensured he was “hungry and focused.” While his contemporaries were partying, Raine was painting. Over the next decade Raine would go on to complete a degree, then a masters, then a doctorate in Fine Arts. Reflecting back, he says, it was too much education. “I’m still recovering.”
“Education can certainly open a number of doors,” he says, “it’s not completely necessary.” Raine refers to his masters as “not meaning a lot these days” and his doctorate as “more a rite of passage than anything else.” Too much academia, he adds, can stifle a person, and stifle the practice.
The recovering student views universities as strange places where students are not encouraged to think for themselves. “They are encouraging them what to think, and that’s really not great at all,” he says. “Luckily I would never have been shaped in such a way. I’m quite stubborn.”
It’s hard to imagine Raine being fashioned into someone else’s idea of an artist. With copious amounts of oil paint, and often a small image or photograph projected in front of him as inspiration, he approaches the canvas with visceral, kinetic movements and gestures. Lashings upon lashings of paint are applied until “something begins to form.” He’ll scrape away excess build-up, add another energetic stroke, scrape away again until he feels satisfied with what lies before him. It’s “like a compulsion,” he says.
Raine favours what he calls “controversial iconic images.” Think Laura Palmer lighting up on the set of David Lynch’s nineties television series Twin Peaks or Hollywood siren Jayne Mansfield holding a human skull. “If I enjoyed the movie enough, or was interested in the song, or liked a piece of literature, that will inspire me enough to paint.” Raine has a penchant for horror, fantasy and cult classics — The Exorcist, Blue Velvet, Ladyhawke, The Shining — and rock musicians such as The Doors, Deep Purple, Kings of Leon and Led Zeppelin.
His tongue-in-cheek titles are often lengthy and acerbically specific. Take Brandon Flowers with purple hoodie going in for a drunken smooch with groupie which he will regret in the morning, or Ozzy with smoke and teddy bear, skinny from cocaine abuse. “I’m often told the titles are funny.” he says. “I’m not trying to be funny, I’m just being honest.”
Almost anybody with a smattering of cultural references will appreciate the titles. In fact Raine owes much of his success to the approachability of his art but you would be unlikely to hear that from him. He openly admits to regular bouts of imposter syndrome. “I’m always second-guessing what I’m doing. Sometimes I put some paintings that I wish I hadn’t in shows, because I felt as though they weren’t good enough. And I’ll think about them afterwards, and the more I think about them the more embarrassed I get.”
Humility can be useful. “I read something in a book about a year or so ago and it really struck a chord with me. It said that the people who are the best at what they do always remain in self-doubt. Those people who are overly confident,” he adds, “who think that everything they do is great, that’s never going to actually become the case, because it will breed complacency.”
I ask whether this is at the core of any advice he might offer budding artists. “Definitely,” he says, “but also, and it might seem like a very obvious comment, if you want something, then you can have it — but you have to really want it. You have to want it enough to be prepared to work really hard for it. It’s about grit,” he adds, “developing a thick skin, and being patient. Because it took me 11 years, which isn’t exactly overnight.”
In these trying times of trying to make online meetings work, get out of your sleepwear by 11am and find another tin of chickpeas in the pantry we suggest letting some comedy into your life. This selection of podcasts should cover most senses of humour, from wry to ribald.
Staying In With Emily & Kumail Before he became insanely ripped for the upcoming The Eternals movie, comedian Kumail Nanjiani was already insanely funny. Nanjiani has teamed up with his partner Emily V.Gordon to deliver advice on “how to make the best of living in quarantine.” You might remember the couple’s love story being brought to life in the movie The Big Sick, but here they mostly stick to the lighter side of life. “This is not going to be a podcast that’s going to be about updates about the science or this virus,” Nanjiani says. “We’re not going to be using the C-word very much.”
The Ron Burgundy Podcast In troubled times the general public turns to a face they can trust and anchorman Ron Burgundy is stepping up to the plate with his podcast. The aural-spin off from the hit film Anchorman features such diverse special guests as Sia, Brooke Shields and Gloria Steinem.
Off Menu Brit comic duo Ed Gamble and James Acaster invite guests into their imaginary restaurant to discuss their favourite entrees, main courses and desserts, as well as a decent tipple. Guests are mostly plucked from the ranks of British comedy, including Katherine Ryan, Noah Scnapp and Ronny Chieng.
Bubble This eight episode spoof sci-fi series follows a small band of monster killers, voiced by Alison Becker, Mike Mitchell, and Keith Powell, in the town of Fairhaven, which resembles hipster ground zero Portland. Narrated by Tavi Gevinson, this slick production is addictive and just alternative enough to give you the wry smile you normally get from a barista refusing to serve you a trim flat white. It’s a mix of Daria, Blade Runner and Broad City.
Office Ladies Ditch your book club and join a sitcom club as Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey take you through every episode of The Office, in which they starred. You can really commit to the podcasts by watching each episode before the actresses dissect the themes and take you behind the scenes.
Conversations Against Living Miserably A mental health podcast might not seem like a great destination for laughs but regular hosts Lauren Pattison and Aaron Gillies have enlisted their comedian pals to guide you through self-isolation. Comics Jenny Eclair, Lou Sanders, Jayde Adams, Matt Richardson, Elf Lyons, Dane Baptiste, John Robins and Sophie Duker take part in a two-part series that’s sure to take your mind on whether you have washed your hands for long enough.
The Worst Idea of All Time Comedians Guy Montgomery and Tim Batt ramble delightfully through a movie every week, applying their unique view to such classics as Gigli, Sex and the City 2 and Cats. The perfect background while you spend hours trying to decide what to stream on your television.
What started five years ago as a tribute to nineties style, has evolved into a fully fledged brand, with New Zealand label Paris Georgia favoured by Irina Shayk, Kendall Jenner, Phoebe Tonkin and Rosie Huntington-Whitely and stocked by heavy-hitting e-boutiques Net-a-porter and Moda Operandi.
Here designers Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie take us through the joys and challenges of making a name for your yourself in the cutthroat fashion industry.
How did you start your label?
Temple: We didn’t really even see ourselves being designers. Cherrie: We have been friends since we were about 14 and we knew that we wanted to do something together, we wanted to be connected to an international audience, and to be creative. And that was it really. The rest was a natural progression. Temple: Once we did the basics range, we just saw what it could be, and that we actually needed to offer a full collection. Cherrie: We had [designer] Maryam Nassir Zadeh pick us up with her showroom in New York and she guided us to get involved in that more traditional format. So we followed suit because we were so excited to be working with her. Temple: At the time, I was doing styling and that’s what I was focused on. So when I say I never saw myself being a designer, while it makes so much sense now and I love it, I think I was scared of it.
Paris Georgia SS20
How did you get started financially?
Cherrie: We started with The Mercantile vintage, so Paris and I had some money saved between us… Temple: It was literally like $10,000, which was how we started The Mercantile and whatever we sold from The Mercantile went towards the Paris Georgia Basics range. It was so slow up until 11 months ago, when we finally felt in a position to go to the bank, and they were like, ‘How have you girls done this?’ Cherrie: At the beginning, Paris was freelance styling and I was an account manager at Vice magazine so we both had part time jobs and we weren’t paying ourselves from Paris Georgia. We only just started paying ourselves two years ago, a very, very small wage at the beginning. We’ve been very strict with our budgeting. Temple: Now the bank is our best friend… we’re meeting with them all the time.
Left to right: Irina Shayk, Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whitely.
What are the core values that keep you grounded?
Temple: Surrounding ourselves with inspirational women would be ours right? Cherrie: The fashion industry is so female-focused. We’re surrounded by women and I’ve found it to be a really supportive place where people are constantly pushing each other. Maybe that’s just in our smaller industries in New Zealand and Australia, and perhaps when you get into places like New York it’s different. But so far that hasn’t been our experience. Surrounding ourselves with strong women is something that has kept us going. Really inspirational.
Are international buyers telling you what they’re looking for?
Cherrie: When the Paris market comes around, and the buyers just come out of resort season, they’re exhausted, they’re over it and they don’t care. And you’re standing there trying to talk them through a collection. I feel that so many people go over to fashion weeks like Paris with these big expectations and it’s really disheartening the first time… it’s really easy to get influenced during that week, and misguided.
Paris Georgia SS20
How do you feel about the wholesale versus the direct-to-consumer business models?
Cherrie: The pros of wholesale are being able to increase your production, and fund that process with deposits (when they do pay deposits). And they give crucial exposure to a wider audience. The brand alignment is incredible. But retailers are like a customer — they’re demanding, so the relationship with them can be really intense. With direct-to-consumer, our products would be so much more accessible. I don’t think our stuff is outrageous — it’s made in New Zealand, our fabrics are from Italy, and everything is justifiable. But for us it’s tough to operate as a business from wholesaling. The margins are so low.
Do you want to keep your production here in NZ?
Cherrie: We’re definitely open to producing offshore. But it’s about ensuring the quality remains the same, and making sure we’ve got the units. Producing in New Zealand is such a huge part of your brand right? The problem is, no one wants to do the behind-the-scenes stuff anymore. They all just want to be designers… no one wants to be making the patterns or do the sewing.
Who are you designing for?
Temple: I think our woman is international. Sadly, we’re making clothes we want to make, and we’re finding that mostly, the woman who wants to wear those clothes isn’t really here. Maybe after our concept store experience, we’ll start to take into account more of what the New Zealand woman wants. We’ll see.
Have you noticed that your businesses have been affected by the arrival of fast fashion stores into NZ?
Cherrie: It’s exciting that there’s backlash and education now because at the beginning, I remember when Zara first opened, I was so young and I thought it was incredible, and my mum was the same. Now neither of us would ever shop there. So there’s an education happening, thank God. Temple: I think there is so much more of an appreciation in the younger generations around craftsmanship. And people are so much more aware.
What are you most looking forward to?
Cherrie: Travel more and live between here and overseas. Also taking on directorship roles and employing more people.
Creating an inspiring interior is incredibly important for ushering away anxiety and maintaining aesthetic standards in challenging times, so forget about keeping things for rainy days and curate pottery pieces for your everyday activities.
Enduring British brand Denby Pottery, available from The Studio of Tableware, has been producing mugs, jugs, vases and bowls with a distinctive glaze and satisfying sturdiness since 1809.
Over the decades the designs have evolved through the arts and crafts movements, minimalist periods and Eastern influences, while retaining their organic appeal.
Part of the attraction to Denby pottery, even when stored in the cupboard, is its environmental credentials. These are pieces to last a lifetime, so to stress the point Denby teamed up with A Life Less Throwaway author Tara Button to show how you can help yourself and the planet.
Tara Button’s Tips
Buy for the life you have: By making more conscious choices, you’re helping to look after the planet too. What are the essential pieces that you use every day? For me, it’s a pasta bowl as I can use it for practically every meal whether that’s salad, pasta, rice or dessert.
Create a versatile homeware collection: Is it useful as well as beautiful? A pair of Denby mugs will update your tea and coffee pieces and can also be used for pens and plants in your home office. Choose versatile pieces that will work for different occasions.
Mix old and new: A few classic pieces can make great additions to a new kitchen and timeless pieces will last a lifetime. I like to unearth vintage finds in charity shops to style with my modern pieces.
Thoughtful giving: Be mindful of choices when giving gifts. Gifts that will last could be anything from a plant in a durable pot. Always give a meaningful, lifelong item that can be treasured.
For more exclusive access to what the city has to offer, engaging content, excellent imagery and thought provoking commentary on the life that surrounds you, subscribe to Denizen magazine now.
