(inside)...
It was a title in need of help,
let alone serious direction.
The publisher sought vision,
but it would take time to
resolve this one...

A joint effort between my
dear colleague and designer
Sabine Selbach and I, this
became a consuming project
—but completely worth it.
The result had major impact on
the Australian design industry.
Repositioned and well
regarded within the best of
Australian print publishing,
(inside) is a leading
design title once more —
for it's editorial approach
and presentation of the
world's best design
and creative culture...

Sabine and I are both working
on new projects, and it's sad to
say, we no longer get to enjoy
the beauty of Australia...

Rossana Orlandi.
What a woman.
It was earlier this year that
I travelled to Milan to attended
the annual Salone del Mobile
on behalf of the magazine,
and ultimately had
a wonderful time with Rossana.

Now there's so much to say
about this woman — 
such a modern patron of design
— but the essence of her nature
and presence is that she lives
and breathes her work naturally
(everything that is Spazio Orlandi),
and particularly rejoices
in the spirit of Milan during spring.
Spending a few hours together,
quite chipper
to be done with the show,
she was all about pouring wine
and chatting up a storm.
While she's known to shy away
from the camera,
I couldn't help myself and asked:
"Could I take your portrait, Rossana?"

We kept on talking
about the state of design,
the calling and great timing
for a place like Australia,
the beauty of, yes, a little clutter,
and the strongest characteristics
of real craftsmanship
that still hold firm in contemporary
design. It was enchanting,
but most of all, real.
In an industry that can often seem
saturated with noise and hype,
particularly at a time like this,
Rossana brought a wonderful
close to my trip.

Thank you Rossana.

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Fashion design by Dannika Zen (Sydney).
Shot in North Melbourne,
my backyard, essentially.
Serving as a good light test
— morning-sky gradations.

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Plain sights...
Crumbling rock,
immense sky
and an endless blue...
There were burning rays,
a soft breeze
and of course you.

Then again, it was
just another day
— at Gordon's.



music: "Tybee Island" by Future Islands

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Roaming through Shanghai
— in a pair for Volta.
"Instant Classic..."

On a recent trip to Italy for work,
I had to stop in Shanghai to cover
a story for the magazine — a
swank little boutique hotel, perfectly
set along the South Bund
(The Waterhouse at South Bund).
Anyway, I went for a walk around
town at lunchtime, and headed
west...

The westside of Shanghai clearly
retains a good deal of its cultural
integrity, albeit in an old-fashioned
manner of modest communal living.
It was absolutely amazing. I was
fortunate enough to take a good
roam through this 'old side' of town,
and found some incredibly nice
people along the way.

They proffered some outrageously
delicious food, not to mention a
much needed cold bottle of beer...




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Good shout from the boys
at Volta and 24-7
(the Milan showroom).
Grazie mille, amici!
Ci vediamo...

This video wasn't easy.
It took a lot of paper,
and required the help
of some talented people
(Ashleigh M. Parker,
Jonathon Lim & Alex Ford)
to illustrate this idea:

Interior designers...
How to show what they
do or what they work for
— creating spaces and
compelling environments,
often out of mere bones,
from scratch?
Carte blanche became the
underlining message here.

[idea] is the annual
awards program, put on
by (inside) magazine,
awarding the best work
in Australian design.

Chapman & Bailey are an Australian company known for producing furniture and canvas frame (stretchers) that utilise timber as their main resource and material. In the process of manufacturing their products, a remainder of offcut wood pieces are often discarded or left behind. In an effort to 'upcycle' the wasted material, Chapman & Bailey have collaborated with (inside) magazine to introduce the Sow's Ear Challenge—a design initiative allowing designers from across the Oceanic region to submit their ideas and solutions for Chapman & Bailey to possibly implement in their manufacturing process. The project was ultimately judged by a panel of Australian design professionals in early June, and Hayley Anne Brown was deemed the inaugural winner of the 2011 design challenge. The resulting pendent light design has been prototyped and recently launched for this year's State of Design Festival in Melbourne, Australia.

You're all brilliant characters. Thank you.

So I ran into Henry Wilson the other day here in Sydney, at some random party, and it reminded me that I still had yet to edit this video. In any case, if you're not too familiar with Henry, or his design, I'm sure you will be soon enough. He's a great prospect and well on his way. Best of all, I seriously believe his approach embodies the best elements of what makes Australian design so interesting at the moment — Wilson's take on design is about re-thinking, re-interpreting, and in many cases, re-purposing things. Most of his pieces at the moment are one-offs (some of which I'd snag quickly if I were rich enough), but more importantly, Wilson's on the radar where it counts most. Big things to come...

We caught up a while back in Sydney as he had recently setup shop with Trent Jansen, doing this pop-up venture in The Rocks district of Sydney (historic/tourist-trap area of the city). The interesting thing about all this is that the 'pop-up' was intended to be a very temporary, seasonal thing. Turns out that it's now grown to be a much larger operation, including an ambitious idea to generate workshops and a whole bag of other relevant events. The 'trentandhenry' team, (Henry, basically) will soon be moving to the warf near by. The pier # is yet to be disclosed, and I'm happy to hear the news. He's a good guy, Henry. Good luck, mate...

I recently travelled to Santiago to
visit a friend, and I recalled there
being an old hat shop that my folks
introduced me to when I was a kid.
Fascinated by the place when I
first saw it, I was determined to
return and see it again.

It's long been an establishment
in Santiago, since the 1920s—
called Donde Golpea El Monito
("where the little monkey beats").
Anyway, I decided to go and find
myself a nice classic brown hat
for the fall/winter season ahead.
However, there was a very
particular style I was looking for.

After a chat, it was quickly shaped
to my specific order at this place.
Don Juan was the man that new
exactly what I was after.
This is how he went about his job.
If the place itself wasn't
nostalgic enough, he was playing
classic radio tango on an old
transistor, in his workshop.
I was blown away,
slightly transported to an olden
time... A time when men wore hats,
and they actually went to people,
such as Don Juan,
to get the bespoke hat they wanted.

Ah, good old "Mystery Film"...
You know the kind that pops
up from a dusty drawer
or cabinet?
Well that's what this was.
What a pleasant surprise
when I got the film developed.
I was seriously transported to
recall the amazing time I had
with my friend Emma Davies
in Hobart, Tasmania
(her hometown).

It was a such a lovely trip.
Flying a kite was just for kicks,
and we did so at the very tail
end of our trip.
As always, film has the
undeniable (tangible) quality
of retaining so much more
depth when coupled with
our memories. Big thanks
to you Emma
for showing me your home,
and sharing this time together
at the beach house.
You inspired me.

These are some family portraits,
captured the day after my
grandfather's death in Santiago,
Chile. This is family, on my
father's side. They're all brilliant
characters in their own right,
but on this occasion they were
obviously crushed and caught
off guard. What else is there to
expect from the death of a family's
patriarch? Needless to say,
it was an experiment in portraiture....

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you's a rollin' stone, man.
we met in Sydney once
and you had a quick ride.
SF was home for me—
Brooklyn home for you.
now you roll on again...

bon voyage, Georgie.
play on, playa
lets see you go, brotha...
lets see you go.

I think I'd like to do a complete series playing with this simple concept: symmetrically split and matched portraits like this. Get a load of Philip Glass (one of my biggest heros)!

Apparently I have 'lost' files that are vibrantly roaming the internet — and this whole time I had no clue. Mila Zou (2004, Anthem Magazine).

So I've definitely been going out a lot more lately. And I've been snapping away like crazy with my new DSLR, obsessed with people in the midst of their social bliss. Obviously, it's a very paparazzi approach here, but I've been having fun with the results. It's an easy thing for me to shoot, especially when there's a playful vibe in the air. Besides, who doesn't love a good, cheerful image captured in their lively acts of debauchery? Facebook depends on this sort of stuff.

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I went to the optometrist the other day, and realized how far off my vision has been for the past few years, without my old proper glasses. It seemed a symbolic indication that now, perhaps more than ever, is the opportune time to refocus things. Sitting at the computer later on that day, I started organizing these old images that all had a few similar qualities to them: the light, the warmth, the distance or horizon. It's definitely the way I see the landscape ahead. Full of open space, whether in front or behind, there's always something we should be aiming for, beyond what we know and see. I think there's natural longing for discovery still within me. It's all part of the human condition to wonder here and there, but wanting a piece of the beautiful unknown that exists "over yonder"—and actually going for it—well there's absolutely nothing wrong with exploring a bit bit further. And there's never been a better time than now....

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How to say this.... I love people that have embraced their age.

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An ongoing look at metropolitan moments, these images are shot in a quite and still manner as I roam through the city. Most often in transit, through almost any city, I have the habit handling my camera in a more instinctual way, always embracing the random. I like looking at these images and thinking: for an instance we freeze time — and photography makes the mundane look interesting somehow. I wanna be there again....

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