Just like the smile plastered on Philippe Petit’s face in 1974, excitement dances in the bright wide eyes of this modern-day high-wire enthusiast. Self-taught filmmaker Seb Montaz captures the wild adventures of his friends tightrope walking between Parisian skyscrapers and jumping off the Norwegian fjords in his beautiful documentary I Believe I Can Fly (Flight of the Frenchies). Growing up in the French Alps, Seb took his childhood passion for winter sports and mountain climbing to the next level, qualifying as mountain guide and ski instructor. Then finding joy in photographing his clients, he strived to perfect his imagery, learning his incredibly vivid and inspiring filmmaking skills from the internet. The adrenaline rush from successfully traversing a flexible nylon line 1000 m above the ground is immeasurable, and it is this incredible achievement of mental and physical endurance – along with moments of fear, doubt, laughter, failure and strength – that he vividly captures in his documentary. Full of heart and character, I Believe I Can Fly connects audiences with Seb’s passionate circle of highlining and baselining pioneers, communicating how to find the strength to live your dreams.
Dreamers
Brisbane-based actor, director and writer Lucas Stibbard has a reputation for being darn funny. In 2011, audiences chortled their way through his smash-hit show, boy girl wall, where Lucas expertly played the roles of 25 characters, sharing the stage with only a sock puppet. The effort earned him a nomination for Best Male Actor in a Play at the 2011 Helpmann Awards, alongside industry heavyweights Geoffrey Rush, Richard Roxburgh and Toby Schmitz. Lucas is no stranger to riding the feast or famine seesaw that is an artist’s life and 2011 brought a banquet of roles, audiences and successes, but it also taught him that ‘balance’ is vital to his wellbeing.
The rhythmic whirl of the printing wheel, the overwhelming smell of fresh ink, the tactile pleasure of running your fingertips over thick, cotton paper. These are all simple pleasures that compose the daily toils of Alischa Herrmann, the graphic designer who left a successful career as a corporate art director to explore her passion for the art of letterpress. Almost five years on since she made the decision to follow her heart rather than her head, her home-based studio Bespoke Letterpress is delighting people worldwide with its menagerie of carefully created paperie. (more…)
Travelling the world on the back of a motorcycle can give you a wealth of thinking time, not to mention a distinct perspective on life. Spending two years intermittently traversing the African continent on two wheels was the impetus for Swedish entrepreneur Mats Wahlstrom to shift his focus in life to the realm of boutique hotels. In 2004, the rugged adventurer recognised an underlying spirit in an abandoned 14th-century palace in Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca. With the deft touch of his entrepreneurial hand, the palace was soon brought to life as the hotel Puro Oasis Urbano, a member of Design Hotels. (more…)
Melbourne-based product designer and maker Tim Fleming designs for the real world and also spends time lampooning design ideas in his imaginary land, Flatland. Tim makes actual limited-edition objects for Flatland on a miniature scale (think palm trees, skulls, crossbones and four-leaf clovers) and recently began tackling large-scale installations such as giant hand mirrors and escalators to nowhere, as well as crafting beautiful furniture. He also illustrates and self-publishes comic zines full of cynical characters and mock advertising that tell people how to live – although, he points out, he doesn’t expect anyone to listen.
Natalie Warne’s philosophy is that no one is too young to change the world. At just 17, she applied to volunteer with Invisible Children after watching a documentary about their efforts to end the abduction of 30,000 children forced to serve as soldiers, and to kill their own communities, in Africa’s longest-running war. Her passion and leadership skills stood out and she went on to lead Invisible Children’s largest project. The Rescue campaign went global on April 15th 2009, with thousands around the world raising their voices for the cause. Sleeping outside for six days, Natalie and her Chicago peace protest gained Oprah Winfrey as a celebrity ‘rescuer’. Natalie is now chasing her dream of becoming a filmmaker in California after also helping to create the documentary Together We Are Free about the global 100-city, 10-country awareness event.
Image via Invisible Children.
The eyes can detect an Andrew Baines work almost immediately and without question; his art has become one of the most recognisable and collectable of Australia’s contemporary artists. Moving to Australia from England in 1963 as a newborn, Andrew and his family settled into Australian life at Grange, just outside of Adelaide. It was the close proximity to the coastline and the subsequent beach culture that ensued, that has served as inspiration in most of Baines work: “the everchanging beach became a metaphor for my life”, he says. Work as a cartoonist for a local newspaper at the age of ten saw Baines receive his first paying commission, before becoming a commercial artist and working for brands such as BP Australia and Grand Prix Australia. In his early thirties, Baines became committed to his creative trade fulltime. Along with his appreciation of the beach, a trip to gloomy London as a teenager serves as inspiration in his most recent work, particularly seeing a group of businessmen, complete with bowler hats, briefcases and canes in the underground. Corporate people contemplating their futures in a goldfish bowl existence, is ever-present within his subject matter.
Inspired to bring a touch of greenery to her otherwise urban abode, Britta Riley began to think laterally. Wanting to be able to grow her own food, but lacking the yard to do it, Britta came up with the idea of using discarded plastic bottles as a means of starting a garden in her apartment. The concept soon grew and, as part of her work as a technologist and artist where she aims to problem-solve for environmental issues using crowdsourced R&D techniques, Britta created the organisation Windowfarms. Using vertical hydroponic platforms to grow food in city windows, Windowfarms have brought an element of self-sustainability to urban dwellers. The concept is constantly being improved upon by an online community known as ‘Windowfarmers’, whose feedback via social media allows the design to be tweaked and researched further accordling.
To travel, to really revel in a moment that will forever entwine itself into the depths of your memory, is to give in to your senses so completely that you engage with an experience with your whole heart. The whistle of a warm breeze caressing your ears. The soothing massage of ancient cobblestones under your feet. The sight of an archaic building so beautiful that it makes your heart swell. Close your eyes and re-engage with these senses at anytime and you’ll be transported back across the world to the very place you first experienced them. For some, such sensorial travel memories are a rare treat; fortunately, there are people like author, journalist and photographer Janelle McCulloch to fuel their imaginations.
With wanderlust pulsing through his veins, Loh Lik Peng’s love for travel has always inspired his adventurous spirit. His professional journey took an inadvertent turn in 2002, when he found himself making the foray from corporate lawyer to hotelier. Since opening his first hotel in 2003, Peng has refreshed the concept of boutique lodgings in Asia, driven by his passion for creating experiences that provoke thought. His vision is now responsible for a suite of unforgettable domiciles across the world, including the New Majestic and Wanderlust hotels in Singapore, clandestine The Waterhouse on the docks of Shanghai, and the Town Hall in London – all members of the Design Hotels group. (more…)
As a photojournalist, Nigel Brennan was completely transfixed by the vibrant sights and sounds of the developing world. In August 2008, his inquisitiveness resulted in him, and Canadian reporter Amanda Lindhout, being held hostage in Somalia for 15 months, throwing his family into a harrowing ordeal to secure his release. The 39-year-old photojournalist became the longest-held hostage in Australian history outside of wartime. Together with his sister and sister-in-law, Nigel has penned a book recounting his family’s traumatic experience. A brutally honest family love story, The Price of Life explores the very essence of what it means to love unconditionally. (more…)
A penchant for sunshine, surf and well-brewed beer are just a few of the passions Peta Fielding shared with her husband Brennan when they first met. Together the duo have channelled their love for these elements into a range of craft beer that is helping to change the face of the amber liquid in Australia. Through impish tongue-in-cheek branding and products that each spin their own unique tale, Burleigh Brewing Co. – based, as its name implies, on the Gold Coast – prides itself on creating the genuine article.
Digital Editorial Assistant Required // With a range of new publishing projects planned for 2012, map magazine and map creative are looking for an experienced Digital Editorial Assistant to join our passionate team. Working on various map magazine projects and for a range of map creative’s clients, you will work across our portfolio of custom-publishing projects, both print and digital. We’re looking for someone with a genuine passion for print and digital, social media and a true sense of design thinking. Experience across social media is critical. You will be responsible for listening, understanding and engaging in positive conversations with people and igniting positive word of mouth for map magazine. You will also need to have a strong grasp of spelling and grammar, as well as a creative flair and passion for writing, and be able to edit your own work and write large amounts of varied copy within tight deadlines. In return, we offer a wonderful place to work, incredible lunchtime conversations and the opportunity to work with talented people on fun ideas and projects. If you live and breathe social media, have a strong digital and editorial background, and can demonstrate both of these requirements, we’d like to chat. To apply please email your resume, ideas and portfolio to carl@mapcreative.com.au
A photograph– capturing a fleeting moment in life – can break your heart, make you smile, incite anger and incite overwhelming feelings of love. The photographic works of Singapore-born Australian humanitarian photographer Liz Loh-Taylor evoke unambiguous meaning that makes it virtually impossible to remain unmoved in their presence. Leaving behind a successful career in finance for life behind the lens, Liz’s motivation comes from the well-trodden yet largely ignored social issues in developing countries and their communities, such as poverty, economic development and displacement. From Africa to Mexico, Liz has been inspired by numerous stories of dignity amongst poverty. Her work, always displayed in emotive black and white, has been celebrated through various awards and exhibitions. But what is most important to this inspiring artist is to raise awareness and promote understanding and change in regard to the pressing social issues that are ever-present in the world today.
Determined Nick Vujicic really puts life into perspective with his incredible story.
Whether you’re wandering wide-eyed through the grand halls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, or edging onto a crowded subway line, chances are you’re in eyeshot of a Beatrice Coron artwork. This French-raised New Yorker, who first dabbled in the cleaning trade and truck-driving business before finding her niche in the world of art, is perhaps most famous for her public art works, which can be found in airports, subway stations and libraries, and portray the secret life of cities. Beatrice, inspired by memories, associations of words, ideas and observations of everyday life, dreams of creating a form of expression that encompasses all of her creative instincts. Often portrayed through video installations, papercuts and book illustrations, Beatrice’s works capture the imaginary worlds that exist behind the well-known facade of a metropolis. Her amazing papercuts are available for purchase via her website.
Image: BZCT, Numbered edition of 500, dimension 24 x 18″, lasercut on 100% cotton paper, price $150
Few things showcase the natural beauty of the female form better than a well-cut bikini. The image of a svelte figure, bronzed skin glistening in the sun as she emerges from the surf, is a classic one, reiterated time and again throughout pop culture. Inspired to create a bikini that enhanced the allure of the feminine form, friends Naomi Newirth and Lyndie Irons (wife of Andy) created ACACIA. Taking inspiration from the exotic beaches they’ve called home when not in their beloved Hawaii, the duo’s designs fuse the perfect low-cut Italian bikini with a flirty Brazilian fit that appeals to girls who embody elegance with a touch of daring.
In conversation, Megan Sarmardin emerges as someone who wholly understands that gratitude is the key to living a fulfilling life. On stage, the young performer transforms pieces of history into living, breathing aural adventures. Hailing from Mount Isa, she is grateful for her rural roots and considers her family and community her lifeblood. Megan’s latest musical performance, Little Birung, brings to life her own family’s history through six generations of resilient females. Passionate about sharing, exploring and celebrating her indigenous roots, Megan will bring Little Birung to the Judith Wright Centre from November 16–19.
A year or two spent aimlessly wandering the globe is a rite of passage for many people before they settle down into their chosen career. Sarah and Stephen Crooke’s 18 months spent travelling more than 30 years ago actually began their careers. Taking a working holiday job as cooks in Scotland, they were taught the art of handmade ice-cream – and little did they know it would become their lifelong passion. These days, living on a dairy farm in rural Victoria, the two lovingly tend their boutique ice-cream company, Gundowring Fine Foods, where the art of artisanal ice-cream now spans three generations of their family. (more…)
To walk a path that is shunned or feared by others, one requires great strength in character and steadfast self-belief. Hazel Dooney’s decision to reject the conventional method of selling her art, by refusing to be represented by a gallery, set her on a path rarely trodden. As is the case with many leaps of faith, her rebellion proved to be her success and, in the years since, her work has become some of Australia’s most coveted. At once confronting, thought-provoking and unabashedly voyeuristic, her works flirt between the genres of pop, punk, erotica and just a hint of manga.
