LA HOME Winter 2019

LA HOME /

Display until January 31, 2020

$7.99 | FALL/WINTER 2019

HOME + LIFE IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

ANNE ARCHER+TERRY JASTROW NIRVAN MULLICK/MARK ‘SOUNWAVE’ SPEARS JIM McKENZIE/ROB STARK

Contents

8/BRIEFING: WISHLIST Things we would love to have.

10/PLACES Exquisitely designed interiors to explore.

IN T E RIO RS

38

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Filmmaker, Nirvan Mullick, inadvertently started a movement when he discovered Caine’s Arcade in Boyle Heights and ignited children’s imaginations worldwide.

At home with Music Producer, Mark ‘Sounwave’ Spears, notable for his award-winning work on the soundtrack of Black Panther and with musicians like Kendrick Lamar.

A PERFECT MOMENT h

15/MAKERS A showcase of artisans from in and around Los Angeles, curated by The Culture Creative founder, Sean Yashar.

26/MEXICAN MODERN Architects, Ezequiel Farca and Cristina Grappin, bring their Mexican influences to Los Angeles.

30/FIVE FAVORITES Five Wallpaper Designers choose their favorite designs.

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HOUSE MUSIC i

Every person is born free and equal in dignity and rights.

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LOVE, KINDNESS AND COMPASSION

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Actress, Anne Archer, and Producer, Terry Jastrow, open the doors to their home in support of human rights organizations.

90 ART

70/DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS A timely reminder of the universal charter conceived by the United Nations in 1948.

A profile of the cult surrealist artist, Jim McKenzie, whose exhibitions draw a legion of fans.

PH OTOG RAPH Y

JIM McKENZIE i

84/ROB STARK The lyrical imagery of Los Angeles based photographer, Rob Stark. Through his travels, his compositions capture a prevailing beauty in isolation and the ravages of time.

98/TECHNOLOGY A roundup of the latest intelligent devices in the home technology sector, curated by Jenna Atchison.

103/LOS ANGELES LANDMARKS A regular feature on historical LA landmarks.

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LA/HOME E D I TOR I A L Publisher Andy Waldman/andy@lahomemag.com Editor-in-Chief + Creative Director Mark Castellino/mark@lahomemag.com Editor at Large/Tech Editor Jenna Atchison/jenna@lahomemag.com Features Editor Heidi Miller Content Development Editor Irwin Miller Copy Editor Felicia Kaplan

CO N TR I B U TO R S Erin Castellino Melissa Ximena Golebiowski Jessica Isaac Heidi Miller Irwin Miller Kelly Woyan Sean Yashar

I N QU I R I ES Advertising, Subscriptions, Custom Publishing and Distribution inquiries: hello@lahomemag.com Submissions: editor@lahomemag.com Events: events@lahomemag.com

LA HOME is printed twice a year by Focus Media Agency, ISSN 2378-5381, and is available on newsstands, retail outlets, bookstores and it is also strategically placed in upscale locations throughout Los Angeles.

FOCUS MEDIA AGENCY 149 S. Barrington Ave #178 Los Angeles CA 90049 All rights reserved. LA HOME is published by Focus Media Agency. No articles, illustrations, photographs, any other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of the copyright owner.

Focus Media Agency does not take responsibility for the claims provided herein.

Cover photo: Anne Archer and Terry Jastrow’s home by Irwin Miller

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emeco.net

Naturally iconic.

The Navy Wood Chair Our heritage shape, in the warmth of wood.

Solid. Sustainably sourced. Handmade in America.

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CONTRIBUTORS

IRWIN MILLER

In addition to being a partner at Gensler, Irwin Miller’s polymathic abilities include cooking, painting, photography and creating compelling and evocative social media content. His true passion lies in the collaboration with other artists and his most recent projects include award-winning stop-motion animated films. He has recently come on board as LA HOME’s Content Development Editor.

HEIDI MILLER

Heidi Miller is a freelance writer and producer zealously focused on the creative arts, lifestyle, skincare, cosmetic and fitness industries.

She is in the midst of finishing her first novel as well as working several screenplays. Originally hailing from Essex Junction, Vermont, she has lived, worked and thrived in Los Angeles for the past two decades. She serves as not only writer but also Features Editor for LA HOME.

ERIN CASTELLINO

Erin is a multi-disciplinary designer and healer. In her healing practice, she works primarily in the realm of prana and sound to bring awareness to clients of their inner healer, thereby restoring connection, auric vibration, and balance on micro and macro levels. She spends time in nature to support her creative and artistic flow, and she consults on design and land projects which are aligned with harmonic balance. Erin is a mother and a land steward, working to bring internal and external worlds into divine harmony.

KELLY WOYAN

Kelly is an author of three books, a producer, freelance writer, and television personality. She has appeared on Martha Stewart Living and The Today Show, as well as in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, The Guardian and others. Kelly is also a feature film and documentary producer in Los Angeles. She received her Masters in Professional Writing from University of California and she lives in Southern California with her five children.

SEAN YASHAR

Sean Yashar is the Principal of The Culture Creative – a holistic management and communications agency for designers, makers, and artisan brands, founded in Los Angeles in 2010. Yashar has developed projects for the West Hollywood Design District, LCDQ, and brand strategy for Walt Disney Imagineering. Yashar has been recognized in such publications as Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, New York Times, Wallpaper, and The Hollywood Reporter. He has been featured as a design expert on National Public Radio, and as a judge on Ellen’s Design Challenge on HGTV.

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JESSICA ISAAC

Jessica lives in Highland Park, Los Angeles and specializes in photographing interesting homes and the people who dwell within them. She believes every home has a story worth telling. Her photographs have been published online and in numerous print magazines including, Elle Decor, Goop, Apartment Therapy, The Huffington Post and Domino.

MELISSA XIMENA GOLEBIOWSKI

Melissa Ximena Golebiowski is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She is the National Assigning Editor for Literary Hub. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in Electric Literature, Literary Hub, Catapult and The Scofield, among others. She is currently at work on a short story collection.

BR I E F I N G /

shopping experiences

Wishlist

Skittle Flask by Daniel Lund Savage. A 500ml reusable flask made from recycled metal and available in 5 colors. $35 lundlondon.com

Penna Pendant A single piece of walnut wood with brass hardware suspended by a leather strap, designed by Nick Sheridan. cernogroup.com

Dorothy Lamp from Another Human designer, Leah Ring. anotherhuman.la

New Architecture Los Angeles Mike Kelley’s book features fifty of the most striking buildings in LA. $29 amazon.com

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Bertoia Side Chair and Table in Pink All net proceeds are being donated to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition while this is available online during October, but they may be purchased through the Knoll Home Design Shop throughout the year. From $1008 knoll.com

Photo:JC Buck

Avocado Vase allows you to observe the avocado seed as it matures. $35 ilexstudio.com.

This modern 7.5ft Christmas tree also hangs from the ceiling and there are multiple ring colors and ornament options. $799 modernchristmastrees.com

Firepit/Barbecue/Pizza Oven. A multi-function piece that allows a great experience to culinary and fire lovers. $1475 noori.com People Person Rug inspired by Swiss Dada artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s designs. $500 blockshoptextiles.com

Neck Vase Thrown and glazed by hand, no single vase is the same — its distinctive shape varies beautifully, as does the layered glaze. The “neck” is solid matte, while the body is a glossy combination of Opaque White and either Indigo or Grapefruit. $187 heathceramics.com

Corkscrew. Marble and copper corkscrew. uncommonjameshome.com $24

Lily Cocktail Table Inspired by tall lily pads these cocktail tables are made with eye-catching coloured glass which has been hand cast in Venice using the Murano technique. These jewel-like cocktail tables work well as a cluster or on their own. $80. tomfaulkner.co.uk

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Botanical Floral Champion Keds in collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. $60. riflepaperco.com.

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I N T E R I O R S

Photo: Sean Pearce

Photography by Amy Bartlam

Photo: Frank Wonho

STEPHEN KENN

FETTLE

STEPHEN KENN LOFT

audrey

Stephen Kenn and Beks Opperman have converted their Downtown loft apartment to showcase designs from their current collections, new prototypes and designs from partner brands. The kitchen and dining room feature their Compression Collection dining table, benches and newly designed floating shelves, alongside lighting by Allied Maker and appliances by True Residential and JennAir. The screened bedroom features their Inheritance Collection bed, with a Hastëns mattress and linen sheets by Morrow Soft Goods. The area also has a vintage military-issue punching bag and workout equipment designed and made in Japan by Itani Athletic. The kitchen lounge features a new sofa design that converts to twin guest beds, and houses a collection of rare bottles from the Los Angeles Whisky Club library. The Loft is available for overnight stays for interior designers and clients who are interested in a closer look at the designs. stephenkenn.com @stephenkenn

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The interior of Audrey, the new restaurant at the Hammer Museum, is a collaboration between Michael Maltzan Architecture and Los Angeles- and London-based firm Fettle. The cafe’s new wood flooring recalls the flooring in the galleries and annex and is repeated in the vaulted ceilings, amplifying the space’s sense of intimacy while providing incredible acoustic quality. The nearly 30-footlong inside-outside bar is the centerpiece of the restaurant, with precast concrete panels emphasizing its presence as an extension of the courtyard, while satin nickel fixtures and banding accent the bar and gantry. An island of semicircular banquettes and one niche banquette, with two-tone olive leather and mohair seating, face out toward the outdoor dining space to create an intimate alcove for individual tables or one large party. These are wrapped in Jorge Pardo’s signature bold tiles, with his iconic cluster of pendant lamps hanging above. audreyatthehammer.com

Photography by The Ingalls

KELLY WEARSTLER

The DRAYCOTT Also designed by Fettle, The Draycott in the Palisades Village, evokes the nostalgia of a grand European Brasserie balanced with the flair of its Californian location. The centerpiece of the space is a marble-topped jewel-box bar, with an impressive patina brass gantry above. Directly across from the bar is the dining area, with every piece of brasserie-inspired furniture custom designed by Fettle. Architecturally, the space is enveloped by a spectacularly high coral-colored ceiling with ornate cornice-work. The white walls form a canvas for the local and European artists on display.

The hidden gem of the design scheme is “The Queen’s Room,” a 26-seat private dining room with its own dispense bar that can be serviced directly from the kitchen for extra privacy. The 196-seating restaurant is greatly boosted by an elegant terrace overlooking the Palisades Village park, and it accommodates 86 guests. Dressed in a custom marble mosaic floor with the Riviera café chairs giving a French twist and a vast canopy the terrace allows for year-round outdoor dining. thedraycott.com

Proper hotel The 271-room Proper Hotel is a sensual delight with unexpected details and tactile, earthy tones. Using Santa Monica as muse, designer Kelly Wearstler took cues, motifs and hues from classic Santa Monica history. With room designs distinct to each building, these clean-lined environments are grounded in a bold, neutral scheme of subtle organic textures, materials, and natural elements: sandy palettes, light hardwoods underfoot; grasscloths, and floor-to-ceiling windows. To further enhance the site-specific, artisanal feel in public spaces, Wearstler has collaborated with the finest names in L.A. art for original artworks and monolithic installations, such as Ben Medansky, Morgan Peck, Tanya Aguiniga, Len Klikunas, and Bradley Duncan. properhotel.com

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makers

In this issue, our showcase of artisans is curated

by Sean Yashar, Principal of The Culture Creative, and it features a selection of the many craftspeople who work in and around Los Angeles.

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M A K E R S

“Our Gray Screen, made for our recent exhibition at the Schindler House in Los Angeles with pop-up gallery Furth Yashar &, pays homage to designer and architect Eileen Gray’s iconic screen. Our piece is composed of 21 unique cast resin tiles that play with color, pattern and translucency.

This screen is one of a kind.”

– Elyse Graham

ELYSE GRAHAM

Photo: Peter Bohler

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STEFAN bishop

Based on the abstract shapes created by spilling ink on his studio floor, Stefan Bishop creates a sense of movement and fluidity in his tables made of bronze.

Photo: Courtesy of Cristina Grajales Gallery

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M A K E R S

maria moyer

Maria Moyer’s work explores nature’s forms, in-between spaces and the patterns and principles that repeat at all layers of physical existence.

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MARY brogger

Working with the inherent qualities of a material, in this case wire and its potential to be twisted, can generate associations with the natural world.

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M A K E R S

male GLAZE

“I was actually storing some of my ‘Rough Around the Edges’ bowls and stacked them together for storage, and I noticed how amazing they looked. These bowls and plates are some of the ways that I get to test color on the porcelain.”

– Alex Miller, Male Glaze

Photo: Daniel Collopy

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waka waka

Part of a chair series by Waka Waka. Extruded shape from 2D design using circles and rectangles, translated into thick, baltic birch plywood, finished in indigo lacquer.

Photo: Tête-à-Tête

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M A K E R S

cHUCK moffit An edition of 7, the bronze and steel ‘Oshibana’ Center Table created by Mt. Baldy-based furniture maker and sculptor Chuck Moffit, is inspired by the Japanese art of using pressed flowers to create an entire picture.

As early as the 16th century, Samurai warriors were said to have created Oshibana as one of their disciplines to promote patience, harmony with nature and powers of concentration.

Photo: Dan Arnold

chuckmoffit.com

maryam riazi

“I’m always inspired by animals, nature and people around me.”

– Maryam Riazi

From left to right, 1: Hedgehog 2: Giraffe 3: Mayazar (this vessel has a Farsi word Mayazar written 25on it which means “do not harm”, inspired by a poem from Saadi) 4: Butterfly.

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maryamriazi.com

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DESI G N ER

S P OTLI GH T

mexican modern Architects, EZEQUIEL FARCA and CRISTINA GRAPPIN, share insights into a selection of the homes they have designed in Mexico and Los Angeles.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAIME NAVARRO AND ROLAND HALBE

G

uided by ideals of Mexican Modernism, as epitomized in the spatial works of late design icon Luis Barragan, Farca + Grappin is a holistic design practice. The firm focuses on the importance of collaborating with indigenous artisans who work in age-old Mexican crafts. They create environmentally sustainable, indoor/outdoor spaces and furniture in a palette of natural materials that is at once timeless and universal. Comfort and warmth are present in each of the projects they design.

Their diverse projects include a lifestyle theatre complex in San Diego, a Mezcal bar located in a landmark building in Oaxaca, a luxury yacht for Benetti and over 80 additional residential and commercial projects to date. They are currently working on the renovation of Roscomare House (William Krissel, Bel Air, 1955).

Ezequiel Farca and Cristina Grappin

Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin is focused on creating holistic spaces through an intricate approach to each part of a whole. The studio – which specializes in product design, interior design, and architecture was first established in 1995 by Ezequiel Farca. Later, Cristina Grappin joined as business and design partner, expanding the studio’s scope and influence.

Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin has offices in Los Angeles, Milan and Mexico City with over thirty inter-disciplinary employees.

Barrancas House, Mexico

A renovation project for a home originally built in the 1970s. To take advantage of the privileged location of the residence, full height windows were installed, bringing in natural light and forest views. There are also unexpected, multifunctional spaces created with mobile lattices, hidden doors, custom-designed furniture, and lighting. The selection of materials such as marble, stone, and wood, along with natural colors like dark green and brown, provide an earthy feel that, integrated with the exterior, create a sense of unlimited space.

The landscape was designed with plants that are adapted to the local climate, with vertical gardens on the walls.

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Top: The terrace in Casa Barrancas is an oasis in the middle of Mexico City. Details of modernity and spatial transitions generate a sense of excitement for users.

Top: Full height windows were installed, bringing in natural light and forest views without compromising the comfort and privacy of the residents.

Bottom: The Bathroom opens up completely to the pool area – an unexpected multifunctional space created with a mobile lattice.

Bottom: The selection of materials such as marble, stone and wood, along with natural colors, provides an earthy feel that, integrated with the exterior, creates a sense of unlimited space.

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Opposite The landscape in Casa Barrancas was designed with plants that are adapted to the local climate, with vertical gardens on the walls and ceilings.

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DESI G N ER

S P OTLI GH T

Magnolia House, Mexico Top: Magnolia House was a renovation process where a direct connection between the exterior and interior create a symbiotic relationship between the residence and its immediate context.

Below left: The wood on the walls, ceilings and furniture creates a sense of comfort that contrasts with the smooth surfaces of desks and fixed marble furniture. Localized details include stools which are hand-crafted in rock which comes from the volcanic field located in central Mexico.

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Below center: Spaces were conceived in relation to objects such as artworks; elements like scale, natural and artificial lightning and the intention and significance of the artworks were considered.

Below right: Three main materials were used for the renovation; wood, marble and Veracruz Travertine – a fine marble from the Gulf of Mexico.

Town House, Los Angeles

Above: The roof garden includes a jacuzzi, deck chairs, a complete grill with a pizza oven, a large dining area with an outdoor sofa and firepit. Concrete masonry and tall plants were used as a living, visual barrier. The exterior materials of the house affirm a contrasting palette, passing through a range of grays and different natural shades of wood.

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Below right: The town house in Santa Monica was designed to meet residents spatial needs and to host their collection of contemporary photographs.

Below left: The house is divided into three functional levels.

The first of these is a social or public area, the second is private and finally, there is a rooftop garden.

“We are storytellers, and through our multiple arms we are able to craft complete narratives around the lives of our clients.”

How long has your practice been established and what are your backgrounds?

Ezequiel Farca: I established my firm in1995, focusing on furniture, interior design and product design. Later, Cristina Grappin joined the studio as business and design partner, expanding the studio’s scope and influence in architecture. My background is in Industrial Design with a Master’s in architecture at the University of Catalunya in Barcelona and an MBA at UCLA. Cristina has a Bachelor’s in Architecture.

What brought you to Los Angeles?

EF: Parallel to completing my MBA at UCLA, we were already working with several clients with homes in LA and in Mexico... the expansion and growth happened naturally. We were interested in exploring Los Angeles design as we believed then, and still do now, that Mexican and West Coast contemporary design philosophies have a simpatico.

How would you characterize your influences and the themes of your work?

EF: Mexican Modernism influenced by Mid-Century architecture. We, especially, have always respected the work of California Mid-Century icons such as Neutra, Ellwood, Eames, and Kappe.

Ezequiel Farca and Cristina Grappin’s work was recently published by Rizzoli and is a valuable insight into their design repertoire.

Opposite Barrancas House, Mexico City; a renovation project for a home originally built in the 1970s.

Ezequiel Farca+ Cristina Grappin ezequielfarca.com

What differences do you find between the (contemporary) architectural styles in Mexico, Europe and LA? EF: Mexico is a country where value is placed on common spaces, to share and spend time with family and friends as a modus vivendi of entertaining. Gardens, terraces and living rooms play a big part in Mexican design for this reason. Europeans design workplaces as an appreciation of historical influences and restoration of classical architecure, so even contemporary work may need to thoughtfully play with and against a classically built environment. In LA, we find that the city is free and open to ideas, which certainly leads to more contemporary work that is influenced by trends, but it is also a place where there is curiosity in trying new things and pushing past convention.

Do you see product design as a natural extension of your architectural design?

EF: Yes, we are a holistic design service firm, starting with a multidisciplinary team of 42 professionals. The studio integrates all design services – furniture design, interior design and architecture. Every discipline in design is important to complete a project as we always aim at creating spaces that allow for immersive experiences. We are storytellers, and through our multiple arms we are able to craft complete narratives around the lives of our clients.

What are your goals? What would be your ideal project?

EF: We are exploring more design opportunities in public spaces like galleries, museums, schools and parks. Our ideal project is to create a dynamic space that could host art, design and recreation. Stay tuned!

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five WA L L PA P E R D E S I G N E R S

In a regular series of Favorite Things, five Wallpaper Designers showcase their favorite designs.

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WAL L PAPER DESI GNER

TRACY HINER

Tracy Hiner blackcrowstudios.com Amethyst Geode “It was a challenge to photograph the minerals in a way that captured the depth of the pieces and have it translate to the scale we work in. Both of these designs captured what I was trying to achieve. I wanted to do this idea because I was looking for a way to push myself, my team, and the collection further than the other designs in the collection had gone.�

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FAVO R I T ES WAL L PAPER DESI GNER

STEFANI STEIN

Stefani Stein augustabode.com Anthurium Waltz “My favorite pattern is Anthurium Waltz. I had just returned from Vienna and was captivated by the Ikebana-style arrangements juxtaposed by the Austrian architectural details. I started working on floral sketches inspired by those elements, which evolved into a pattern. This was actually the very first pattern I designed in the collection.�

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WAL L PAPER DESI GNER

bonnie saland

Photo: Diana Koenigsberg Photo: Ron Bolander

Bonnie Saland philomelasweb.com Lesson No. 10 “Lesson No. 10 from our “Penmanship” collection is a favorite pattern offered

by Philomela. There is a celebratory quality to both the joyous line and vivid color. All patterns from the collection come from visual journal work done in a calligraphy class combining pen and ink, mixed media and gouache.

I took the class, as a special treat with my daughter Jeorgea, at the home of Lauren McClintosh, an amazing artist and half owner of Tale of the Yak (favorite shop of all time) located in Berkeley, CA. Lauren’s home is a magical mix of beauty, whimsy and delicious tastes all curated with an impeccable sense of aesthetics.

The curiosity on my part, about penmanship and the dying art of writing letters, is about paying enough attention to doing simple things with full purpose and care, something I know brings elegance and joy to my life. I’ve carried a visual journal with me for the last fifteen years, since I embarked on art making. Extrapolated text and imagery is often present in the Philomela patterning, so I relished the opportunity to develop my own hand.”

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FAVO R I T ES WAL L PAPER DESI GNER

JEFF ANDREWS

Photo: Marcia Prentice

Labyrinth “For my second collection of wallpaper with Astek, again, I turned to my personal collection of studio pottery for inspiration. Labyrinth, my favorite in the new line, has a large scale repeat that seems to go to infinity. It works beautifully in a grand two-story entry, which I seem to be doing a lot of these days. It would also be really dramatic in a small room. It’s available in textural canvas and metallic wallcovering in eight colorways.”

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Photo: Stephen Busken

Jeff Andrews astek.com

WAL L PAPER DESI GNER

TERESA GROW

Teresa Grow madisonandgrow.com Sadie: Russian River Rocks “I think this photo epitomizes the basic vibe of our small company.

The Sadie pattern, shown in color way: Russian River Rocks, was inspired by wood beaded curtains I found in Sonoma. The Sadie pattern is part of our Sonoma collection and is a casual and cool pattern for a modern and fresh take on wallpaper. All of our patterns are hand silk-screened with water-based inks in Los Angeles.�

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THE MULLICK/CROSS HOME

A PERFECT MOMENT The cleverly designed spaces by HARLEY CROSS in their sprawling shared Downtown loft serve as the backdrop to a fascinating conversation with Filmmaker and Activist, NIRVAN MULLICK. INTERVIEW BY ERIN CASTELLINO PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA ISAAC

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DOWN TOW N

S

erendipity is a notion that Nirvan Mullick can appreciate, since a perfect moment was instrumental in altering the course of his life. A struggling filmmaker, he found himself among the used auto shops in Boyle Heights looking for a replacement door handle for his 1996 Corolla. Instead, he found a 9-year-old boy and an amusement arcade made entirely from discarded cardboard boxes. The result was Nirvan’s immensely popular short film, ‘Caine’s Arcade’, and a global movement to unleash children’s imaginations through creative play.

Nirvan Mullick with Erin Castellino at his Downtown LA home.

The back garden, now a leafy oasis with a jacaranda tree, once was barren, with rail tracks running through it.

Opposite and following pages Harley Cross divided the upper part of the warehouse into a series of artful vignettes. There are 14 couches and a grouping of tables which creates an expanded dining space – all of which helps accommodate their friends and the creatives who drop in for dinner or to hang out. Harley’s bedroom is situated at the far end behind a glass partition.

LA HOME’s, Erin Castellino, visited Nirvan Mullick at his home in Downtown LA to discuss ‘Caine’s Arcade’ and his work since then.

Erin: Tell me how you landed here, sharing this loft space with Harley Cross.

Nirvan: In 2004, I was living Downtown and working on an art film project called ‘The 1 Second Film’, selling $1 Producer credits on the streets. It was an early experiment in crowdfunding.

Harley had a business called Hint Mints and he had bought this building to be the mint warehouse, originally thinking he would live upstairs and run the business downstairs. However, the mint smell was so strong that he couldn’t live here. Buildings were cheap at that time so he bought another building with his partner and made this one his living space. He lived upstairs and the downstairs kind of became a forgotten land of storage.

By happenstance, I had sold a $10 Producer credit to Harley’s business partner, Cooper Bates.

Cooper followed what I was doing online as I started to get celebrities like Kevin Bacon, Spike Jonze, and Stephen Colbert to become Producers. Cooper thought it was interesting, and reached out with an offer; he told me that if I could get A-list celebrities to sign their mint tins, Hint Mints would donate up to $500 towards producing The ‘1 Second Film’. So I started carrying their mints with me and I got people like Benicio Del Toro, George Clooney and Cate Blanchett to sign the tins. I first met Harley in his Hint Mint office, where I laid out all the tins that I’d gotten signed, and we haggled over the value of the different celebrity autographs. I got $500 for Clooney, but only $50 for Kid Rock, which in retrospect was generous.

Harley and I were neighbors and gradually became best friends. When my cat passed, I couldn’t bury her at my place, so Harley offered his backyard. Behind Harley’s building is an alley where trains used to run, and I buried my cat next to the train tracks and underneath a jacaranda tree.

A few years later, I moved into the downstairs of Harley’s building. I ran water to the back and built a little garden, in a way to make a memorial garden for my cat, but also because I don’t think I could have stayed Downtown much longer if I couldn’t have some kind of green space. I’ve now been downtown in the Arts District for over 15 years. Everything upstairs is Harley, except for a few games I’ve added, and the downstairs is something we’ve slowly fixed up together. We also started a creative agency together called Interconnected, which produced “Caine’s Arcade”, and we co-founded the non-profit Imagination.org that grew from the film, which we ran out of this loft in the early days.

Erin: You are currently juggling three projects. I’d love to talk about Caine’s Arcade first.

Nirvan: It was the last day of summer in 2011. I was driving a ‘96 Corolla and the door handle had broken, so I went over to Boyle Heights where there’s an area of used auto part shops. A store caught my eye because it had a swing set hanging from the tree on the sidewalk. When I went in, I met this 9-year-old boy surrounded by cardboard boxes that formed an arcade he had built. He asked if I wanted to play, and told me that for a dollar I could get four turns, or for two dollars I’d get a ‘Fun Pass’ and 500 turns. I bought the Fun Pass and ended up staying for an hour playing this

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kid’s games. They were just incredible, all made out of pure imagination and discarded auto part boxes, with his old toy matchbox cars for prizes.

When I’d score a point, he’d crawl into the box and push out little prize tickets through a slot. I was just amazed and asked him what his arcade was called, and that’s when he turned around and showed me the back of his shirt which said ‘Caine’s Arcade’. On the front of his shirt was written ‘Staff ’. He’d made his own T-shirt! Before I went home, he wrote me a receipt for four-hundred and sixty more turns, because I hadn’t used them all, and he wanted me to come back.

It was one of those unexpected moments. Suddenly, in the middle of a junkyard, I found a magical world of imagination and was transported to my childhood memories. It made me feel like a 9-year-old kid again and reminded me why I started making things. I was at a place where I was getting pretty far away from that. I realized I was working too hard on something that wasn’t happening organically. If I put it aside and changed my tactics, I could re-approach it with better health and a better frame of mind.

I went back to Caine’s Arcade and asked Caine’s dad if I could make a short film about his son’s arcade. That’s when I learned that I had been his son’s first and only customer. His dad had been bringing Caine to work with him every day, all summer, and Caine had been asking all his father’s customers to play but nobody had stopped to buy a Fun Pass. When his dad told me that, it broke my heart. So we decided, as part of the film, to organize a surprise flashmob of customers and make Caine’s day. On October 2nd of 2011, over a hundred people showed up, chanting ‘We came to play!’

Caine’s face lit up with the best smile ever when he saw that crowd. He thought he was dreaming at first. I asked him how he felt when people came to play, and when he said he felt proud, my heart-stopped. As a filmmaker, it’s a feeling you hope for but can’t expect. It took six more months to finish editing. When I finally posted it, April 9, 2012, I set a goal of raising a twenty-five thousand dollar scholarship fund for Caine. The film got over a million views the first day, trended worldwide on Twitter with people like Justin Timberlake tweeting about it, and we ended up raising over two hundred and forty thousand dollars for Caine’s scholarship fund.

Within days, I received tens-of-thousands of e-mails from parents and teachers around the world, sharing pictures of their kids who had been inspired by Caine’s Arcade to make their own cardboard games. That was not something I had anticipated. Parents and educators were asking me to help foster their kids’ creativity, just as we had for Caine. Sensing there might be an opportunity to turn that moment into a movement that could have more impact, we decided to launch a non-profit. 5 days after the film went viral, the first Saturday Caine’s Arcade was open, the Goldhirsh Foundation gave us a $250,000 grant and Harley and I started Imagination.org.

That first Saturday after the film went viral was magical. Over a thousand people turned up to play Caine’s Arcade, and there was a five and a halfhour line, stretching around four city blocks, of people waiting to play Caine’s cardboard games. My sister and my dad showed up to surprise me, and my dad was standing next to me when the Goldhirsh Foundation gave us the $250,000 grant. It was the day that my life turned a corner.

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Nirvan’s bedroom space is dominated by a steel arch at the bedhead. The arch was added to the original warehouse as part of earthquake retrofitting.

Nirvan’s studio and office space. The factory window was acquired from the original brick wall, which had to be sealed for earthquake retrofitting, and was converted into a book shelf.

Caine had told his dad after we did the flash mob for him, that it was the best day of his life. And that Saturday after the film went viral ended up being the best day of mine. There were full-grown men in tears, who had brought their entire family to play. It wasn’t just me that Caine’s Arcade brought back to childhood. It was universal. I think that was the first time I’ve ever made anything that touched people on an emotional level, at that scale. It was incredibly powerful.

My dad had a sudden heart attack three months later and passed away – it was a total shock. That Saturday at Caine’s Arcade turned out to be the last day I spent with my dad. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful we got to share that day. My dad was from India, where my sister and I were also born, and he had immigrated to the US to get his Masters in Engineering. He raised my sister and I as a single father. However, unlike every other Indian parent I knew, he didn’t push us to be an engineer like him, or a doctor or a computer programmer. Instead, he let us make mistakes and follow our curiosity. I went on to Cal Arts to study Experimental Animation, after studying Philosophy at New College.

Two incredibly ‘impractical’ degrees – especially to an Indian dad with three Masters in Engineering. But when my dad saw that line of people at Caine’s Arcade and saw doors begin to open for me, I could tell that he was proud, and knew I was going to be ok.

The story of Caine’s Arcade has been a life-changing experience for me. It’s been such a joy to be able to share this story with other people and to see how its impact has grown beyond anything I could have imagined. After starting Imagination.org, we made a follow-up story, ‘Caine’s Arcade Part 2’, to launch our first program, the Global Cardboard Challenge. 11,000 kids took part that first year and our #CardboardChallenge has now become a popular program that schools do year-round. We’ve since had over one million kids in 80 countries take part, and Imagination.org continues to grow.

the surface, our Rick Doblin film is about the legalization of psychedelics and MDMA for therapeutic use. The transformation of mental health care, how to take on a large scale social justice issue and spend your whole life making it – but for me, it’s really the story of a young person, Rick, who stumbled onto his calling – the alignment where your creativity or your intentions start walking in sync with what you’re doing in the world. Rick is somebody who’s been walking on that path for longer than most. Almost 50 years, he’s been in perfect step with what he’s meant to do. He’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. He lives in a modest home with his family. He travels a lot and gives up a lot of that time to do this work that he’s dedicated to. But for me, this story, and why we’re following him for 8 years, is to see that moment when MDMA becomes a legal prescription drug, after which Rick will retire to become the Psychedelic Psychotherapist that he’s dreamt of being since he was 18. And that, I imagine, will be a perfect moment.

In another documentary I’m working on, a guy named Larry Walters spent 25 years dreaming of flying by attaching a cluster of heliumfilled weather balloons to a lawn chair, and in 1982 he finally did it.

That’s a perfect moment. He went up 16,500ft and didn’t take a single photograph when he was up there, even though he had a camera. The ‘1 Second Film’ began as an idea to create a perfect moment by spending a lifetime creating one-second of film as perfectly as possible, it led me to friends like Harley. And Caine’s Arcade was about creating a perfect moment for a perfect stranger, which is an idea that I’d written down and carried with me over 25 years ago. Suddenly, there was a chance to do it. In terms of recognizing those little moments, it can be helpful to first think of what it is you’re looking for. There are these little ideas that are all around us all the time, and it’s just when we’re in the right place to receive them that the connection is going to happen and create something that can be transformative.

Erin: And that’s just from one person saying ‘yes’ to someone. Maybe we all need to slow down and take notice of things that might easily pass us by?

Nirvan: On the speaking circuit that’s something I talk about a lot – how it’s often these small moments that can have the biggest impact. If you think about the most powerful thing we know, in terms of energy, it’s splitting the atom. It is an incredibly small thing, but there’s just this tremendous relationship between big energy and very small things.

I’ve been chasing this idea of crafting perfect moments for 25 years.

It’s one of the themes that I think runs through a lot of my projects. On

Erin: I do think that there’s a kind of a modern-day term going around about being a bridge, and I see you being a bridge to people taking more notice of these moments. It’s like creating an art project with many layers, and you may or may not know what it looks like at the end. Ultimately, it’s that gift to the world that says OK, this can handle itself now.

Nirvan: When I come across an unusual idea I feel a bit of a responsibility to take care of it and see it through. We were incredibly lucky to have the Goldhirsh Foundation invest in the potential of this story quickly, which allowed it to grow and have more impact. You know, there are a

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Clockwise (from top left) One of the original games from Caine’s Arcade.

Nirvan’s studio door.

A drawing of the artist Tadeusz Torzecki by Nirvan.

Nirvan found this car made from trash in Kenya, while working with kids in Africa.

A sculpture that belonged to Nirvan’s grandparents.

A miniature “Mondrian” closet Nirvan designed for his stop-motion animated short film, “The Box Man.” An encapsulated dandelion for a lifetime of wishes.

Indian Marble tile with stone inlay that belonged to Nirvan’s dad.

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lot of magical stories that happen. We’re not filming them all, but more often people are. It’s becoming more accessible to capture things. It’s a real gift to stumble onto a story that has magic in it like this, and I want to do everything I can to take care of it. I hope that if we do, it will help make it possible for more of these kinds of ideas to get funding and happen. Ben Goldhirsh and the Goldhirsh Foundation took a big chance on us at a critical time. Seven years later, thanks to that initial support, Imagination.org has grown. And this year we received a one million dollar grant from Vans in partnership with Vans Checkerboard Day, to grow our programs and foster creative expression even more.

Erin: Wow, that’s incredible! So, there are three film projects that you are working on right now...

Nirvan: Yes, I already mentioned two of them - “Prescription X” is the story of Rick Doblin, and his lifelong work with MAPS.org to legalize psychedelics for therapeutic use, starting with MDMA to treat PTSD. Another is the story of Larry Walters, who tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to his lawn chair in 1982 and flew over 16,000 ft above Los Angeles – which is an incredible story, though the end is very tragic, as Larry committed suicide 11 years after his flight. I’ve been working on this documentary film about Larry for the past 5 years and started researching it 15 years ago. I thought this would be the year I finally finish it and had set aside time and funds to finish it. But then last November the deadliest wildfire in California happened. And I decided to put the Larry project aside and started to work on a third project called ‘Climate Uprising’ to talk about the link between these wildfires and the climate crisis.

Erin: Can you tell us more about the ‘Climate Uprising’ project?

Nirvan: I think story-telling can help communicate the emotional stakes of the climate crisis. For background, after Caine’s Arcade, I got to direct the #EarthToParis campaign for the U.N. Foundation, which was their digital campaign leading up to the COP 21 Paris Climate Agreement.

I made a series of videos to help bring the voices of people around the world to world leaders, calling on the leaders to make bold commitments to combat climate change. So now, to be the only country (under Trump) that has pulled out of this agreement, was already deeply upsetting.

In November, when the Camp Fire was burning down Paradise, the role of climate change was very much on my mind. Warming temperatures are making these wildfires more frequent and ferocious.

At the same time, the Camp Fire was burning Paradise, the Woolsey Fire was burning down here in Los Angeles. My sister had to evacuate her

place in Topanga, and I have several friends who lost homes, and two people died. This is a story that impacts all of us, and what happened in Paradise should be a wake-up call.

That’s why I was really angry when I saw a video of Trump visiting the ruins of Paradise, after eighty-six people had been killed and fifty-two thousand displaced – where he continued to deny that climate change is real. He didn’t even know the name of the town, repeatedly calling it “Pleasure,” and suggested we simply “rake our forests” to prevent these disasters. I was so angry, I shared that video of Trump on Facebook, and from that, some friends and I decided to crowdfund a trip to send some Camp Fire survivors on a trip to DC to meet with elected officials and share their stories and connect the dots to the climate crisis.

The Climate Uprising project started with this crowdfunded trip, quickly organized. I started to find Camp Fire survivors with powerful stories to share. The fire had moved at 80 football fields a minute, and many of the 86 people who died burned in their cars trying to escape. I met three nurses from Feather River Hospital who, after evacuating all their 67 patients in under an hour, were themselves trapped in a police car when trying to escape. Their car became surrounded by flames and a flaming car blocked the road ahead, with downed power poles behind them. They got out and tried to push the flaming car out of their way, but couldn’t, and when they tried to start their car again, there wasn’t enough oxygen for the engine to start. Trapped with no place to go, they all made phone calls to their loved ones and said goodbye. Then they got out of the car and started walking up a flaming hill, their clothes catching fire, their hair singed, one of them broke her foot. The police officer turned on his body-cam to film what he thought would be the last moments of their lives. Then, miraculously, a bulldozer appeared out of the smoke. It pushed away the burning debris and everybody was rescued. This was all captured on the body cam. These nurses volunteered to go on this trip to D.C. to share their stories, just a few weeks after the fire.

While organizing this trip, I also met a woman named Audrey Denney. What a lot of people don’t know about the Camp Fire is that it happened just 2 days before the midterm election, when Audrey Denney lost her race to a four-term climate denier Congressman Doug LaMalfa in the conservative California District 1. Audrey had no time to process the loss of her election, jumping immediately into fire relief work. She then volunteered to join this trip to DC to help the Camp Fire survivors navigate DC. The trip showed the power of a story, told by the right people at the right moment, to open doors. In a few days, we were able to set back-to-back meetings for this group to meet with elected leaders like

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“I feel that ideas have an inherent sense of what they want to become and that you have to choose your ideas very carefully because they become like a marriage. They can lead to a lifelong relationship.”

Opposite Left: Vintage clocks adorn the walls of this contemplative space, which looks out onto the back garden.

Right: A 1950s Aljoa Sportsman Travel Trailer, which serves as a guest room to visiting artists, friends, and weary travelers.

Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders, as well as environmental leaders like Bill McKibben and the founder of the Sunrise Movement. Bernie ended up sharing the nurse’s story on his social media and also on the Tonight Show when Colbert asked him about the climate crisis. The Camp Fire survivors that went to DC also invited Bernie and the Sunrise Movement to come back to Paradise to have Climate Town Halls, which they both did, bringing even more press to allow more Camp Fire survivors to share their stories and talk about solving the climate crisis.

During the trip to DC, Audrey Denney told me she was going to run again in 2020 against LaMalfa, and so I decided to make a film following her and the community’s efforts to call for climate action in the 2020 election. We started #ClimateUprising to help the community connect their stories.

I had to put my Lawnchair Balloon project aside to work on Climate Uprising. So it is a bit of a juggling act. I love Larry’s story, but my thought was – what is the point of making a whimsical story about flying in a lawn chair if we won’t have a habitable planet in a few decades? The scientists are telling us that if we don’t address the climate crisis in the next 10 to 12 years, it will be too late. I think we all have to do whatever we can right now. ClimateUprising.org is still a small grassroots project, but we are hoping to grow it into a story-driven platform for climate action while making this documentary. The 2020 election will be critical to elect leaders who understand that climate science is real, and I hope that telling this story can help.

Erin: Did you ever think that you’d be in this place, tackling the climate change issue?

Nirvan: When I was a kid in grade school, I was in a program called Future Problem Solving, where we would be given a brief of some faroff problem and be tasked with brainstorming solutions. I remember one of them was global warming. That was over 30 years ago. And now we’re the adults that have to do something. We’re the last generation that has a chance to solve this crisis before its irreversible. I have always been interested in the intersection between storytelling and social impact, so whenever possible, I look for ways to do that with the stories I tell. Caine’s Arcade began by seeing what we could do for one kid.

Then we got a chance to impact more kids. Shifting to climate, I was friends with the folks who started GOOD, and after Caine’s Arcade went viral, I mentioned to them that I wanted to get more involved with the climate crisis. They were working on the #EarthToParis U.N. Foundation campaign and asked me to direct it for them. I did another video featuring Jack Black and Lil Bub for COP22 in Marrakech a year

later. And I just got to make a short film about the historic youth-led global climate strikes on September 21st, which played in the UN to world leaders at the General Assembly directly before Greta Thunberg’s “How Dare You” speech. So I’ve been very lucky to get a chance to make projects for issues I care about.

It’s something we can all choose to get involved with, at any level. I’m really inspired by local community organizing. There is a group of folks in Malibu who organized after the Woolsey fire, led by Trevor Neilson and his wife, Evilin, who also recently announced a Climate Emergency Fund. Several philanthropists are now contributing to this fund to help frontline climate activists, like Extinction Rebellion. I think a lot of us are having this wake-up call moment. Seeing these devastating climatefueled disasters from flooding to wildfires happening more frequently.

We’ve continued doing grassroots organizing with Camp Fire survivors, in collaboration with other climate groups like Sunrise and 350.org, and we’re hoping ClimateUprising.org can help to tell the stories that connect the dots and share some of the emotion. I learned in Caine’s Arcade the power of communicating a feeling. People often won’t remember what you say, but they will remember how it makes them feel. If collectively, the world could truly feel what is at stake with the climate crisis and mass extinction, we would act.

Erin: How do you keep a balance? Do you have more whimsical projects, or are you focused only on making a difference?

Nirvan: I just follow my curiosity and intuition. Caine’s Arcade didn’t start as a social impact film. It was pretty whimsical. And then there’s the Rick Doblin story. Rick is super whimsical, as is the world of psychedelic science. It’s fascinating and full of colorful characters. And I think my lawnchair balloon movie has a lot of whimsy in it as well. That said, I’m prioritizing this climate project right now because it feels like a timely story and the most important thing I can be working on. But it is a pretty heavy topic, so I do try to keep whimsy in my life in other ways.

Erin: I guess, maybe personal practices that you do so you are not incredibly exhausted all the time?

Nirvan: I have a personal practice of keeping track of one perfect moment from my day. I’ve got two artist friends – Greta Morgan, a musician, and Bianca Giaever, who makes radio stories and films – and the three of us text each other one perfect moment from our day. You know it can be a very small thing and doesn’t necessarily have to be perfectly good, it can be perfectly awkward, perfectly horrible. It’s been a fun practice and we’ve been doing it for almost two years now.

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A gum-ball machine filled with encapsulated dandelion wishes, made by Nirvan to promote his animated short film, “The Three of Us”, at film festivals.

A Sea Dragon and Figurine sculpture made by deaf, blind, and mute artist, Chris Cook, who creates figures by feel from his dreams and books he has read in braille.

Opposite: Some adornments designed by Nirvan. A Cardboard Top Hat, a Dandelion Helmet, and a Fish Eye Guy mask with mirrors that allow you to see in two opposite directions simultaneously.

Erin: It could be interesting to make that a journal, screenshot those messages and make it a publication. I imagine that it’s hard to not make everything a project.

Nirvan: It could be! But, yes, it’s nice to have simple little things that aren’t a big project, and personal things that aren’t meant to share. I like to go out in the woods and whittle tiny little spoons and other little things. I garden. I play soccer. I’m doing a little watercolor for my friend Gideon Irving’s album – and dinners and cooking, and you know this loft space is always bustling and great for large potlucks. I’ve got a lot of quirky, whimsical people in my life. We’ve got a friend Alice who’s kind of an artist in residence here, working on her album. We have a community that feels like chosen family. And Harley has 14 couches for them to crash on.

And whenever I travel for my projects, I try to bookend a little downtime. Some of the most important times in documentary filmmaking happen when the camera is not on. The relationships that you’re building. The trust you’re working to earn. That’s another way that “Caine’s Arcade” has been helpful. It’s something I can point to and say this is not only something we made, but then also something we took care of after we made it. I ended up working on Imagination.org full-time for a year and a half after making “Caine’s Arcade”, getting the non-profit off the ground. Now, we have a great ED and staff running it, and I’m able to just be a board member, help fundraise and work on my other projects.

Erin: What’s happening with Caine?

Nirvan: Caine is now 17! He’s a senior in high school, driving a car, and doing well in school. He is a Junior Board Member for our nonprofit foundation, which merged with Two Bit Circus Foundation last year. Every Friday, Caine comes into Two Bit Circus and works for a few hours. He’s getting mentorship from some of the game designers there, learning how to code, solder, and program. And he’s also continuing to inspire the next generation of makers and kids.

Erin: Tell me about Imagination.org and how people can help.

Nirvan: Imagination.org is the nonprofit that grew out of Caine’s Arcade. It wasn’t something we had in mind when making the film but grew organically from the viral response. Fostering creativity is so important. 65% of kids in school today will end up having jobs in careers

that don’t yet exist, so creativity will be the number one skill they need to be successful. But our schools often kill creativity, and studies show creativity has been declining since the ‘90s. So we started Imagination. org to foster the creativity of children worldwide, inspired by the imagination of Caine’s Arcade and the way a community came together to support it.

We now support 200 Creativity Chapters around the world, where kids meet each week to do unstructured creative play. We’re going to grow another 100 Chapters, thanks to this one million dollar grant from Vans Checkerboard Day, including Chapters for kids in refugee camps. Studies show that play can help kids deal with trauma and stress, especially at a young age.

Last year Imagination.org merged with Two Bit Circus Foundation, where we do S.T.E.A.M. Carnivals, and also have a cool program called ‘Trash 4 Teaching’ that collects clean waste from companies and makes it available in bulk for educators who subscribe for material delivery. We have two T4T warehouses that sort, store, and distribute these up-cycled materials to schools, diverting over 550 tons of clean waste from landfills to classrooms.

Last year, Two Bit Circus opened their first ‘micro-amusement park’ downtown, about a block from our loft – it’s a sixty thousand square foot state of the art, reimagined arcade experience, and it’s all about social gaming and getting strangers and friends to play together. It mixes VR and story rooms, escape rooms and physical games. And they have a robot bartender. The space is packed on the weekends and bustling on weeknights. During the weekdays, as the non-profit arm of Two Bit, we bring kids from underserved schools across L.A. on field trips to Two Bit where they can do experiential play, get their imagination lit up, and then prototype their own games using cardboard and up-cycled materials as part of their curriculum. Two Bit Circus parks will be expanding across the country, and we plan for the non-profit to grow along with it and bring these educational programs to more kids in more communities.

We’ve also got an Inventor’s Challenge that we’ve been doing with AT&T Aspire, where kids invent solutions to problems they identify.

And we do a lot of S.T.E.A.M. programs and professional development for educators. L.A. Makerspace also merged with our Two Bit collective of creative nonprofits, and we’ve helped create over a hundred maker spaces. So we’re at this fun intersection between play, creativity and creative reuse. I’ve been fortunate to be able to speak about this to

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some large companies and educators at events. That has led to a lot of partnerships, including the one with Vans, who are all about empowering creative expression. They saw me share the story of Caine’s Arcade and Imagination.org at the WORLDZ conference last year, loved our story and decided to partner with us for their first international Vans Checkerboard Day on November 21st, where $1 Million of their global sales will benefit Imagination.org to foster creative expression.

People who want to help can find out more at Imagination.org and TwoBitCircus.org, and can support the programs by donating, volunteering, and sharing our story and programs with educators, parents, and kids in your community. Oh, and we’re also looking for companies to add our Reimagine Symbol to their cardboard boxes!

Erin: When this stuff comes in are you just kind of mind blown about what’s happening?

Nirvan: Getting a million-dollar grant from a company as cool as Vans hardly ever happens in the non-profit space. Corporate giving is less than 1 percent of all philanthropic giving. It’s the hardest money to get, and it often comes with fewer strings, so you can use it operationally. This is the largest single grant that Vans has ever made, and we’re incredibly honored and excited for the impact it will have. That Imagination.org literally started with a door handle and one kid’s imagination still blows my mind. So, yes, it’s pretty mind-blowing.

Erin: If anybody is looking for inspiration they should take a moment to see what you’re doing. The way that you take the whole 360-degree approach is incredibly inspiring and also really refreshing. Usually, when people finish an idea they move on to the next. You allow ideas to grow and flourish and take on their own life, without having to control it in any way and allow the thread to weave its pattern. It’s really special and unique.

Nirvan: I feel that ideas have an inherent sense of what they want to become and you have to choose your ideas very carefully because they become like a marriage. My projects often become a lifelong relationship.

So I want to be selective because I want to take good care of them. I feel that ideas at a certain point come to life and tell you what they want to be. But it can take time. With Imagination.org, it took 7 years before we received our first million-dollar grant. Over that time, we built programs and developed more ideas. The grant is going to finally let us start to build

out one of the bigger ideas that I’d started sharing when speaking, to create a ‘Reimagine’ symbol that companies can add to their boxes, next to the Recycling symbol, so that before kids recycle a box, they’re invited to reimagine what that box can be. We can potentially take billions of boxes and turn them into building blocks for creative play. Eventually, we hope to create a free curriculum for educators worldwide to scale project-based learning in a way that hasn’t been done before – which I’ve always felt was the real potential of what Caine’s Arcade could become.

The hope is to take our Cardboard Challenge from a million kids to 100 million kids in the next 5 to 10 years. This support from Vans will help to build out the online platform and app, which will become the ecosystem for ‘Reimagine’ projects made out of cardboard and up-cycled materials.

It took 7 years to finally get to a place where we are getting the level of support we need to build bigger ideas like this. It’s going to be a really exciting next chapter for the Caine’s Arcade story.

To see where we’re at now and where we’re headed is exciting. It’s already gone beyond my imagination – to have an organization called Imagination.org and to be able to stay connected with so many kids and community. Picasso said that every child is an artist, the trick is how to remain one as you grow up.

Nirvan Mullick nirvan.com Caine’s Arcade cainesarcade.com Imagination imagination.org

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INTERVIEW BY KELLY WOYAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA ISAAC

house music

Award-winning music producer, MARK ‘SOUNWAVE’ SPEARS, finds inspiration in the quiet surroundings of his self-renovated home and music studio in West Hills.

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eyna Biddy wrote in her 2017 book “I Love My Love” that “the beauty of being a writer and connecting with someone’s soul is, no matter where the relationship leads, the love never dies when pen meets paper.”

It’s a fundamental truth about any artist and one that especially drew Mark “Sounwave” Spears to connect with the author, Reyna, who is his partner and the mother of their first child, Umi. The Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated record producer, best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning album “DAMN” with iconic musician Kendrick Lamar, knew there was something special about Reyna from the beginning.

Mark with his son, Umi and dog, Mooki in their cozy living room.

Opposite Top: Capturing the vibe of a cozy modern feel, by using real wood and warm earth tones, creates an inviting ambience.

Below: A cabinet of awards, with room for more. The two Grammys (best rap song, best rap album) sit between a framed photo of Reyna and Mark at the 2017 Grammy Awards in New York and Reyna, Mark and son Umi on their way to 2018 Oscars (nominated for best song Black Panther’s ‘All the Stars’. Also on display, an Ihart award for best soundtrack (Black Panther) and Best Media Song award (Black Panther).

“I couldn’t let her go at that point. After knowing her and seeing where her mind goes to, I was blown away. I was like oh my goodness, this is the one for me,” says Mark. Reyna used to write music when they first met but reconnected with Mark a year later when she was working on her first book. “I told him I have this book and I don’t know how I feel about it, can I read it to you? Then I went to his house that night to read it to him, and literally ever since then we’ve been together, “ says Reyna. The Los Angeles natives - Reyna is from South Central and Mark grew up in Compton, found they had similar mindsets and values, a trait important to both. “I feel like it is hard to connect with someone who lives in LA but didn’t grow up here.

Because it’s different,” she says.

The couple first lived in DTLA together with their dog Mooki, but over time became miserable with the hectic vibe. They craved a quieter, serene place that was more aligned with their minimalist lifestyle. It took eight months, but their search eventually led them to the San Fernando Valley. “As soon as I saw the prices for the quality of the neighborhoods - I moved toward this…the neighborhood was so quiet, peaceful and friendly. The view and price everything lined up so perfectly. To me, it was a fixer-upper, a normal house that had nothing really to it. I was like, I can make this my own,” says Mark.

The 2,500 square foot, five-bedroom home was originally built in 1972, but needed significant renovations. Mark’s innate talent as a visionary artist played a crucial role in how he reimagined the space but also was careful not to “overproduce”. The couple wanted a modern and

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creative haven while integrating family- friendly practicality and comfort. Mark first knocked out a set of French doors off the living and dining area and installed wall to wall sliding glass windows that expanded the first floor to sweeping views of the valley. The backyard is surrounded by lush greenery and an abundance of white noise through the continuous flow of hummingbirds, eagles, and falcons, something Mark and Reyna especially love about the property. The couple also installed a second level balcony on the back of the home, a place where Mark’s favorite place to reflect and unwind is in his swing chair.

The kitchen, designed entirely by Mark, is bright and contemporary with a delicate color palette of whites and subtle hues and includes new appliances and a deep farmhouse sink.

An adjoining room lends itself to a fun pool table and a large piece of artwork that originated from Mark and Reyna’s trip to Honduras. He impressively curated much of his style from his personal collection of photography and decorated without the use of a designer. As with his music, Mark relied on his ability to produce layers of interesting and functional art. For example, he strategically placed stacks of wood in the living room for a sense of warmth, a noticeable detail that perfectly offsets a room of cool colors.

“When we first moved, he tried to modernize it with new windows. But I feel like when he found out I was pregnant, everything changed. His entire style changed,” says Reyna.

Fatherhood for Mark changed him in ways he never imagined. He is quieter in his home studio and only works in there when he knows he won’t disturb his young son. “I don’t like to be too noisy. When he’s home I like to take him (into the studio) and play the guitars. And, I am the most careful person in the world now! Everything now is tippy toes…it changes everything. You don’t want to miss out on anything,” says Mark.

An unmistakable focal point in the main living area is the stunning gold pair of Grammys sitting on a simple shelf, along with several of Mark’s other distinguished awards. Most notable is the picture of a pregnant Reyna and Mark, dressed in elegant black-tie attire as they head to the Academy Awards as a nominee for Best Song in the box office hit BLACK PANTHER. The regal-looking photo feels somewhat in contrast to Mark and Reyna’s relaxed demeanor in person. During a visit to their home, the couple was both dressed in a casual, California cool style of jeans and baggy tees, along with their 12-month-old son playing around their glass coffee table scattered with a few toys. For a moment it seems like they are just like any other

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“I always said I had no Plan B, and if I didn’t make it as a producer I’d live at my parents’ house the rest of my life. So, fortunately, it worked out for me,”

Opposite Top Left: Mark in his music studio. He is an accomplished musician in his own right.

Top Right: On the wall, hang photographs of candid moments with a few of the people he has worked with and who inspire him, (Dr. Dre, J Cole and Kendrick Lamar).

Below Left: Mark’s intriguing projects list has the initials of artists he is working with, mostly confidential. Among them, Mary J. Blige, which is coming out soon - and Beyoncé’s latest.

LA couple, and almost nonchalant about the enormity of the awards perched in their living room. Their grounded humility is perhaps the most admirable trait of all.

“When I was first nominated, of course, I was excited, shocked, nervous. The moment you actually win one, it’s an amazing feeling but as soon as that feeling happens, you automatically start thinking, how can I top this? And I don’t know, it’s a gift and a curse I guess. Your mind just never stops wanting to do better than what you did. And fortunately, we have made good stuff, according to the people. But I don’t know…to me, it makes me more hungry.

This happened, so let’s see what else we can accomplish,” reflects Mark. It is something many artists who have catapulted to such critical success have to make peace with, the idea that they’re ready to move on to the next thing already. Reyna says this is the story of Mark’s life and that he tends not to revisit his music after it’s been released. “I hear it on my own time because he won’t play it,” says Reyna. laughing. Mark is a self-described perfectionist, and works tirelessly to keep pushing the boundaries of his personal sound. “That’s when I try to take pages out of her book, and I just go to work. And whatever happens, happens. But I know myself, whenever I get to a level of it about to be released, I have to perfect everything as much as I can. That’s the only thing I can do, and the only control I have before the world will hear it. I have to make it as perfect as possible. It’s tough. It’s really tough. And at times, it is really, really tough.”

The producer’s home studio gives just a hint of some of his most important collaborations.

Scrawled on a whiteboard hidden behind a door to the studio is a list of artists Mark is working with (currently it’s Mary J. Blige and Beyonce). Elsewhere in the room, framed candid photography showcase Mark’s work with Dr. Dre, J. Cole and of course Kendrick.

Mark first found Kendrick Lamar in much the same way he found his home and Reyna, by following his keen sense of intuition. Not surprisingly, they met by chance at first and reunited later. Mark instinctively knew there was something extraordinary about Kendrick. “Basically we were random kids in a hole in wall studio and out of ten rappers he was the one I said was going to be a star. And he was ironically the only one who didn’t sign. We separated, and then a year later we met in the Top Dawg studio, and have been working together ever since. From that first moment really, I thought, this kid is something special. I didn’t know what it was yet, but I just wanted to be part of it” says Mark.

When Mark graduated from Compton High School in 2005 he knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. “I always said I had no Plan B, and if I didn’t make it as a producer I’d live at

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Above: Previously, the entry to the backyard was a small French door with a window next to it. Mark knocked down most of that back wall to create a 5 door glass slider and the balcony above. In place of the four windows on the second floor, there are now sliding doors for each room that lead to the balcony overlooking the pool and with a view of the valley and hills beyond.

Opposite Top: The dining room is adjacent to the sliding doors, which open up entirely to create an indoor-outdoor eating experience.

Below Left: The two art pieces were found in a vintage store and are entitled ‘Foggy Days’, artist unknown.

Below Right: Tired of searching for the perfect art piece, Mark decided to create them himself from photos he took on their trip to Honduras.

my parents’ house the rest of my life. So, fortunately, it worked out for me,” laughs Mark. He went on to teach himself how to play the piano and other instruments simply by watching YouTube videos, and at the time was heavily influenced by artists such as Timbaland and jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd. He is a self-made musician and producer, and his success is largely owed to always following his instincts, and working tirelessly to achieve the vision he imagined.

Mark and Kendrick would spend the next several years experimenting in the studio as kids.

But in 2010, Kendrick decided to change his name from K. Dot (the first alias of Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) back to Kendrick Lamar. “He wanted to be himself. And once he changed his name I automatically knew that this was it,” says Mark. Their musical partnership and longtime friendship propelled them to iconic status and prestige (Kendrick is the only nonclassical, non-jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize). Their work, especially with Black Panther, has played an important part in the film and music industry with a wide-reaching impact. Still, true to Mark’s life as an artist, he’s always looking forward and says he doesn’t pay attention to the role he’s played in making history with Kendrick. “I still haven’t done that. Even for Kendrick’s albums, we just go to the next thing. I have not sat back and said just wow. This happened. It’s just like, I’m proud of it…what’s next? And that is how we have always functioned.”

Similarly, Mark and Reyna look forward to what’s next as they continue to build out their family home and continue their numerous projects as artists and as parents. “I feel 90 percent there with this space. I probably will never be 100 percent and she would probably agree with that,” laughs Mark.

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THE ARCHER/JASTROW HOME

LOVE, KINDNESS AND COMPASsION ARE IN THE AIR Actress and Activist, ANNE ARCHER, and her husband, Writer/Director/Producer, TERRY JASTROW, open their doors to celebrate love and to raise awareness for human rights.

INTERVIEW BY HEIDI MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY IRWIN MILLER

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Previous page The prints lining the wall near the main entrance were purchased in the mid-70s in a NYC Theater memorabilia shop for $7 each and, much to Anne’s shock and surprise, were later identified as museum quality pieces.

Left: Anne & Terry in front of a Rudolph Bauer painting.

A

ctress and Activist, Anne Archer, along with her husband, Writer/Director/Producer, Terry Jastrow, open their doors to celebrate love and raise awareness for human rights.

“I first met Anne Archer in LA in an acting class in 1977,” says Terry in a smooth, Texan drawl, using his wife’s full name as he gazes lovingly at her from across the room. “It was the greatest moment of my life.” After 40 years of marriage, Terry Jastrow is clearly still Anne’s #1 biggest fan. A close family friend reveals that Terry often, in conversation, still refers to her as his girlfriend. No, there is no shortage of love in this house. No shortage of kindness, generosity and compassion either.

“We’ve hosted seven weddings here. All seven are still going strong.” Terry chuckles.

The couple bought the house shortly after the release of Anne’s box office smash, Fatal Attraction (1987), the classic psychological thriller for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Built in 1959, the house possesses a European feel. Its open-flow, indoor/outdoor style, combined with the lush gardens, gravel pathways, wisteria vines, and copious amounts of lavender is quite Italianesque in a loose perfection. The property boasts 6 different places to eat and four of them are outside. In the living room, the hue of the moss-green sofas draws one’s eye out through the glass windows into the yard beyond.

“The house is not defined by its walls, but rather by its outside fences.” Terry points out.

The property has gone through various renovations and expansions over the years. Recent upgrades include a much larger and brighter kitchen, all new floors and a complete overhaul of the family room.

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Below: Anne and Terry’s love of art is evident in the numerous original paintings throughout their home.

The bucket painting is by Yuri Kuper.

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Originally from Midland, Texas, Terry fell into show business at a young age when an unexpected opportunity landed him a job at ABC Sports. At age 22, he became the youngest producer in television history and has since been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards, winning 7. He produced and directed six Olympics Games and directed both the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Terry is a published novelist, award winning playwright and produced screenwriter.

Opposite The kitchen was designed by Anne Morgan. The tile is Mediterranean 6 from Tabarka Studio.

When it came time to find an interior and landscape designer for the house, Anne looked no further than her closest friend of 25 years, Anne Morgan (who goes by Morgan).

This fellow Academy Award nominee’s day job is as a full-time, on-set hairstylist to such A-listers as Jim Carrey, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Connelly, Margo Robbie and, of course, Anne herself.

“I used to hate to cook in that little kitchen. Now I cook every night.” She says. “And Morgan did it all. She picked out the tile, she told me which appliances to buy and where to buy them… texting me photos day and night from the makeup trailers of one of the three movies she was working on at the time. She’s incredibly talented. I couldn’t have done this without her.”

“This has really been a beautiful, artistic endeavor by Anne and Morgan. It’s like a canvas for them and it’s been a constant, never-ending work of art,” adds Terry.

In the heart of the house sits the master bedroom, through which one must pass to reach the secluded, jasmine-lined courtyard equipped with both a Jacuzzi and outdoor shower.

“We were filming (the movie) Patriot Games in London and were supposed to meet Harrison Ford for lunch but he was running late. When he arrived, he explained that he was staying at the Savoy Hotel and was in love with the showerheads. The manager had sent him to Czech & Speake on Jermyn Street to get one. Several days later, we were down on Jermyn Street, found the shop and got one too,” says Terry.

In a city where location is everything, their home’s placement on the map is equally remarkable. Tucked into a sleepy neighborhood in Brentwood, full of cul-de-sacs, great hikes and winding horse trails, the neighborhood gets virtually no through traffic. There are also 5 golf courses within a 10-minute drive, which for Terry, who was a 7 time Emmy Award winning producer/director at ABC Sports for over 25 years, is a massive bonus.

“Where this house is situated has arguably the best weather in the world.” he explains. “It does so because there is a micro-climate here. The cooling air from the ocean makes its way inland at the same time the hot air from the desert makes its way here. There is about a quarter of a mile area, a rectangle, where those two masses meet each other so that, on hot days, it’s a little cooler here and on cool days it’s a little warmer.”

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Left top: The etching in the family room is by Jasper Johns.

Left center and bottom: Robert Graham’s statues are present throughout Anne and Terry’s home. Graham’s first monumental commission was the ceremonial gateway of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the occasion of the 1984 Olympics. Terry produced and directed the Opening and Closing ceremonies that year and he and his team documented the evolution of the Olympic Gateways over a year and a half. That historic and emotional connection led Terry and Anne to purchase the female piece (below). Her male companion (center) was acquired a few years later.

It is a combination of these elements that make it an ideal location for a ceremony or special event of any kind. A longtime friend married his bride here last year, under a canopy of olive trees in the side yard, timed perfectly to align with the setting sun.

In addition to nuptials, the couple frequently hosts salons for Anne’s non-profit organization, Artists for Human Rights (AFHR) Hope and Human Rights Speaker Series, whose purpose is to raise awareness of human rights and their abuses and create global solutions by utilizing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“It’s a document that everyone should know by heart, yet most people don’t even know what it is,” she says.

Past speakers have included Kerry Kennedy, President of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, José Ramos-Horta, the former prime minister and later president of East Timor who earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in bringing independence to his country, and organizations such as John Prendergast’s The Enough Project whose mission is to support peace and put an end to mass atrocities in Africa’s deadliest conflict zones, and Voices4Freedom which frees villages in India from generational slavery.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a historic document that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, consisting of 30 articles. What follows is an abridged version. The full text is available on the United Nations website at www.un.org.

By providing a platform for these rights to be shared, discussed, supported and defended, Anne and Terry are making the world a better place, one salon at a time.

For more information, please visit www.artistsforhumanrights.org.

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Photo: Ray Kachatorian

Above: One of their dear friend’s wedding ceremony.

Anne and Terry have hosted seven weddings in their serene backyard.

Right: The showerhead recommended by Harrison Ford which Anne and Terry found in London while filming “Patriot Games”.

Opposite bottom left: The gigantic tractor tire rims were found by Anne Morgan while filming “Walk the Line” in Memphis, Tennessee.

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T Photo: Michael Doven

he Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the most important document ever written, laying out the human rights of all human beings.

The traumatic events of the Second World War brought home that human rights are not always universally respected. The extermination of almost 17 million people during the Holocaust, including 6 million Jews, horrified the entire world. After the war, governments worldwide made a concerted effort to foster international peace and prevent conflict. This resulted in the establishment of the United Nations in June 1945.

In 1948, representatives from the 50 member states of the United Nations came together under the guidance of Eleanor Roosevelt, (First Lady of the United States 1933-1945), to devise a list of all the human rights that everybody across the world should enjoy.

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations announced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – 30 rights and freedoms that belong to all of us. Seven decades on, the rights they included continue to form the basis for all international human rights law.

Eleanor Roosevelt captured in these poetic words why human rights are for every one of us the core of our very existence: “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.

Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” Eleanor Roosevelt, 1958

In the divisive political climate we face today, we need to be reminded more than ever that the future of mankind starts with respect and implementation of these rights. Through activism we must insist that these rights are universally known and protected.

– Anne Archer

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.

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1 Every person is born

free

and equal in dignity and rights.

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2 Every person has human rights

regardless of race, sex, language, belief or religion.

3 Every person has the right to life, liberty and security.

4 Slavery and the slave trade are prohibited.

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5

No person shall be subjected to torture.

6 Every person has the right to

recognition as a person before the law.

7 All persons are entitled to equal protection before the law.

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8 Every person is entitled to the aid of law when not treated fairly.

9 No person shall be subjected to arbitrary detention.

10

Every person is entitled to an impartial hearing.

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11 Every person shall be considered innocent until proven guilty.

12 Every person has the right to protection of his or her privacy.

13 Every person has the right to travel freely within a country and to leave and return to his or her country.

14 Every person has the right to asylum from persecution.

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15 Every person has the right to a nationality.

16 All adults have the right to marry of their own free will and to found a family.

17 Every person has the right to own property.

18 Every person has the right to freedom of religion.

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19 Every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

20 Every person has the right to freedom of personal assembly and association.

21 Every person has the right to take part in the government of his or her country.

22 Every person has economic, social and cultural rights.

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23 Every person has the right to work, to just pay, and to form and join unions.

24 Every person has the right to rest and leisure.

25 Every person has the right to an adequate standard of living.

26 Every person has the right to an education.

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27 Every person has the right to participate in cultural activities and benefit from scientific advancement.

28 Every person is entitled to a social order in which these human rights can be realized.

29 Every person has duties to the democratic society according to the law.

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30 No person can take away these rights and freedoms.

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PHOTO G RA P H Y

rob stark There is poetry in the imagery of Los Angeles based photographer, ROB STARK. Through his travels, his compositions capture a prevailing beauty in isolation and the ravages of time.

INTERVIEW BY MARK CASTELLINO

Rob Stark robstarkphotography.com @_robstark

Bรกrdenas Reales Badlands - Spain

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What is your background?

I studied Photography as Fine Art in Glasgow, Scotland. It felt a little like they frowned upon Photography as a commercial medium there, and when I finished the course I started working in Film to support myself. I had always loved Film as a medium and I continued to make Photography that I didn’t have to rely on for income. The Film work allowed me to travel a lot and that also inspired a lot of the personal work in the Photography. Eventually, I started working commercially with Photography and I found that I loved that. So these days I work between Film, Commercial Photography and Fine Art. How did you become interested in photography?

Every year I find myself understanding my relationship with photography better, and what continues to be central, is the fact that it allows me time to process what I am seeing. I think that was very important to me as a kid, carrying a camera meant that I could be more in the moment because I knew that I could take away a record of what I was seeing and study it later. It allowed me to be less overwhelmed by what was going on and my sometimes insatiable need to understand it all. I think it also used to be a symbol of appreciation for your surroundings; people would see a camera hanging around your neck and they would know you were interested.

There’s a lyrical quality to your work. What are your influences/ inspirations?

As a kid, I thought I would grow up to be an Architect. Architects have always inspired me because they often draw from such a wide range of influences, and that in turn can shape our experience in such a profound way. That’s how I feel that I am now in terms of influence and inspiration but more and more I like to acknowledge the poetry I feel throughout the work of those who inspire me. Some examples of that are photographers like Lewis Baltz, Minor White and Emmet Gowin. Painters like Bechtel and Chadima. Poets like Sharon Olds and Ocean Voung. Architects like John Pawson and Alberto Kalach. And TRAVEL of any kind is a huge inspiration.

What do you enjoy about photography and what is your process when starting a new project?

For me great photography is about expressing essence. Essence, in my mind, is an intensity or frequency of feeling, something that has a distinctive style and rhythm. I don’t believe that one always has to show the whole in order to capture that. I like to take things apart visually and reduce them wherever possible, to focus on what engages me, what stimulates me. I like to believe that expression in that manner is what we call Poetry. On the commercial side this can be consistent with branding.

I often find that I love working with people in hospitality or design for that reason, where their goal is to create a thread or attitude; also an essence.

I see that Poetry in your work and I also see recurring themes of isolation and decay. One of my favorite images, in the Prospect Cottage series, is the birdwatcher. There is an ambiguity as to whether he is lonely or content in that desolate place. I wonder, since you cite Sharon Olds and Ocean Vuong as an influence, whether you feel that art (through photography) is born of suffering?

Thank you. I’m happy you feel those themes. It never ceases to amaze me how much we struggle with our feelings about isolation, decay and

loneliness, about how we see contentment for ourselves or others. There is so much contradiction in it these days. We love decay but we want just the right amount. We want to surround ourselves with stuff so that we don’t feel lonely, so that we can be comfortable in our isolation. So much art points to suffering, and in turn, I think that can give us hope that through our suffering we too will find beauty. Sometimes that begins and ends with the experience of a piece of art and sometimes it carries further. Sometimes, it’s hard to consider the purpose of art to be anything other than that. Photography, with respect to that, is such an intensely descriptive medium. Very often, when there is suffering there’s no place to hide; there is a confrontation in Photography that is inherent to it but that can all too often render suffering as the object. When you ask about Art being born of suffering, that to me is us seeing it as the subject. I would say that for the most part, Art is a conversation about suffering because it is about the desire to share and communicate. That desire, although sometimes born of joy, so often comes from a discomfort with being isolated or disconnected. In my opinion Olds and Voung are unflinching in that conversation. I love the birdwatcher. He is alone.

Maybe he’s lonely, maybe he’s content. Hopefully, you ask the same about me because I’ve taken that picture. Hopefully, you ask the same about yourself.

What camera/lens do you like to use?

For years, I shot a lot of medium format on a Makina Plaubel – that was a beautiful camera. Since digital, I’ve shot mostly on Nikon with Zeiss lenses. Recently, I’ve started using the Sony A7’s and I love the sensor and particularly how it renders light and color. I have a set of old Leica lenses that I can mount on the Sony and those have a great quality to them. I used to love my iPhone until I got the X plus. The camera in it is so affected it sucks. I hate pretty much everything I shoot on it. It has no character. It’s still an important tool though.

Can photography straddle the worlds of art and commerce?

I like to believe that it does but it is complicated. There has always been a love/hate relationship; the more that photography is a successful expression for commerce, the tougher it is for it to be respected as art. For me personally, artists such as Rinko Kawauchi find a way to transcend that very effectively.

With the advent of the smartphone, what do you think about the increasingly widespread use of cameras? What are some positive things we can do with all these images, or do they just vanish in time?

Never before has there been such pressure on a Photographer to be on their game. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. I think this circles back to the art and commerce thing. If a photographer has a belief; if it is an art form for them, then I believe they can sustain it. The only exception to that might be the tradition of Banal, which I personally loved. I think that Banal really fell prey to the mass communication we experience today because it was inherently about expressing that which is often considered mediocre or bland. Let’s face it though, there’s a ton of shit out there and I hope that most of it will vanish in time, if not sooner.

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Prospect Cottage The home of Derek Jarman.

He was an artist, film director, stage designer and author. He was best known for, Caravaggio, released in 1986 with Tilda Swinton. He nurtured a garden here until he died in 1994 from AIDS related complications. I went there soon after he died, there was still abundance, wild poppy, pale blue Devil’s-bit Scabious, dark red valerian, all thriving in Britain’s only desert. His signature work overalls hung from a clothes line blowing in the breeze, as haunting as the nuclear power station in the mist at the end of the headland.

Now the house lives in a sea of Yellow Genista anglica/ petty whin. Boat carcasses are scattered about and on the side of the house, written in driftwood and painted black is the poem “The Sun Rising”,

by John Donne.

Call country ants to harvest offices; Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

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PHOTO G RA P H Y

National Trust This group of images focuses mainly on Bateman’s, the 17th Century Jacobean Home of Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, in East Sussex. He bought the house in 1902 for nine thousand pounds.

“Behold us, lawful owners of a grey stone lichened house — A.D. 1634 over the door — beamed, panelled, with old oak staircase, and all untouched and unfaked. It is a good and peaceable place.

We have loved it ever since our first sight of it”. Kipling was loved by many and loathed by others. Henry James referred to him as “the most complete man of genius.” George Orwell called him “morally insensitive and aesthetically disgusting.” He died in 1907 and one hundred years later they named a crater on Mercury after him.

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Chile In the spring, I spent a few days photographing some old estates in Chile. Three are shown here along with an exterior of a street at dusk in Valparaiso.

Each of the houses on the estates felt as if it was somehow on the edge of life; lived-in to such a degree that it was not just full of life but also of those who had passed. Things hadn’t been patched up, no-one was trying to make you feel, as they do with the National Trust properties, that the owners had just popped out for a pint of milk. In one of my favorite images, the door of a bedroom is open to a terrace and on the dusty floor under the bed is a tennis ball.

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jim mckenzie The cult surrealist artist, JIM McKENZIE at his Los Angeles home and work studio.

INTERVIEW BY MELISSA XIMENA GOLEBIOWSKI PHOTOGRAPHY BY IRWIN MILLER

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Opposite Top row, left: (Clockwise) Artworks by Jim McKenzie, Tara McPherson, Charlie Immer, and Lori Nelson.

Top row, right: Artworks by Standard Designs, Mark Ryden, Alex Pardee, Charlie Immer, and Casey Weldon.

2nd row, left: “Woogle” by Jim McKenzie Resin sculpture with gem stones.

2nd row, right: Sculptures and collector art toys by McKenzie throughout the years.

3rd row, left: “Nest” by Jim McKenzie from his solo debut “Lost Magic”.

Bottom row, left: “Friends with Death” by Jim McKenzie. Resin sculpture with fabric flowers.

2nd row, right: Posters of McKenzie’s artworks “Noise” and “The Scarecrow”.

Bottom row, center: “King Gordo” limited edition collector art toy by 3D Retro.

Bottom row, right: “The Monster’s Mother” by Jim McKenzie.

Mixed Media sculpture.

B

efore Jim McKenzie became the popular surrealist artist he is today, he was a collector. On the walls of his Los Angeles home hang pieces by other pop surrealists such as Charlie Immer, James Jean, Tara McPherson, Lori Nelson, Alex Pardee and Mark Ryden. Each artwork possesses the signature style of its creator but there are commonalities among them—imagery evocative of magical worlds painted in saturated hues. The collection in McKenzie’s living room is tied together particularly by blues and pinks, an accidental theme he discovered when first arranging the pieces together in his new home.

“This isn’t even all the art I own, I still have so many pieces back East,” he says.

McKenzie, whose sculptures and paintings often depict surrealist wonderlands occupied by highly saturated characters, is originally from Brooklyn, NY. The remainder of his art collection lives in his father’s home in New Jersey. It’s a collection which has served as inspiration for his own art.

“I think it’s good to have artwork on the walls, especially as an artist. I like to envision their process or how they did it, the subject matter excites me, I like the vibrant color palettes. They evoke similar feelings to my own work.”

While growing up, McKenzie was a fan of stop-motion films such as James and The Giant Peach and Chicken Run. This childhood interest manifested into creating his own little worlds out of clay as a hobby.

He eventually applied to art school. In college, he discovered Hi-Fructose magazine and the surrealist art on the pages felt within the same vein of the stop-motion films McKenzie has always admired. It opened him to another world in the art community.

McKenzie graduated top of his Motion Graphics program at School of Visual Arts in New York City which landed him jobs with commercial animation studios like Framestore and Aardman/Nathan Love.

McKenzie directed commercials for clients such as National Geographic, Capital One, H&R Block, and he modeled the characters for Xifaxan’s mascot, Gut Guy and LeBron James for Sprite Cranberry. Despite putting long hours into his full-time job as well as teaching a senior thesis course at this alma mater, McKenzie spent the majority of his free time on his own artwork.

“My early work was mostly digital paintings. I would work on them at the weekends and on my train rides into work and back home.”

In 2013, McKenzie wanted to bring one of his digital creations to life in a 3D model and he created limited edition resin casts of “Pumpkin Crab”, a playful hybrid creature with the body of a pumpkin,

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arms of a crab, and three eyes. These casts caught the eye of Chet Zar, a well-known creator in the dark art and VFX world, who was curating a show at Corpro Gallery located in Santa Monica. He asked McKenzie to create a piece for the show. McKenzie’s King Gordo debuted at Conjoined IV. “I said yes but didn’t have much experience with sculpting, so it was a learning process. I ended up sculpting ‘King Gordo’ and the gallery loved it so much they invited me to do my own solo show in June 2016.”

McKenzie’s characters began to inhabit more depth as he set to work on his solo show.

Previously, his characters were easily described as playful and fun but McKenzie’s intention to portray the slight melancholia of being an outcast became more prevalent with his main show piece, The Scarecrow.

Jim working on Friends with Death. The 24” sculpture depicts the personification of Death as a skeleton in causal clothing walking through a field of blooming flowers.

McKenzie spent two years working on his debut solo show, Lost Magic, and documented the process of The Scarecrow.

“The Scarecrow is partially inspired by myself, but more so he’s apart of this world I’m trying to create. This fantasy world where all these surrealist creatures live but none of them really feel as if they belong within their group. They’re all a little different in some way.”

The video was initially released on VICE’s Creator Project and quickly went viral. As of today, the video has over 13 million views worldwide. Viewers across the world were impressed with McKenzie’s meticulous process. His focus on details expanded beyond his artwork, and in preparation for the show, McKenzie mailed hundreds of invitations with a customized wax stamp seal to friends, family, and potential collectors. Fire and Icing, a bakery that specializes in unique artistic cakes, created a cake for the opening night of the show which featured The Scarecrow and Pumpkin Crab. Due to the show’s extensive coverage, McKenzie was approached by a major film production company who was interested in using his characters for a movie but he declined.

“These characters are extremely special to me. I would have to be more involved in the filmmaking process which didn’t seem to be something they wanted. If I was approached by a motion picture company who was more interested in collaboration, then I’d definitely consider it.”

McKenzie continues to create process videos for his sculptures. He recently released a stop motion process video for his piece The Monster’s Mother, a large sculpture of a Frankensteinesque Cecaelia in a deep blue dress. The piece sold in 2017 to a collector in Singapore.

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sculptures, unlike paintings, only last in the photo that you take of them.

Documenting the process is kind of archiving it, whereas a painting lives on in prints.

“It’s an entertaining but also informative way to show people the intricate details that go into each piece. People are entertained by watching it but they’re also learning something. Also, sculptures, unlike paintings, only last in the photo that you take of them. Documenting the process is kind of archiving it, whereas a painting lives on in prints. I only have the images and video I take of the sculpture. That’s how I share it with other people aside from the collector who purchases the piece,” he says.

Recently, McKenzie has been working on a mini solo show, Art of Character, hosted by the Corey Helford Gallery in Downtown LA. He will be releasing another stop motion process video alongside his main piece, Friends with Death. The 24” sculpture depicts the personification of Death as a skeleton in causal clothing walking through a field of blooming flowers. This piece captures Death in a rare moment of reflection, stopping to recognize the beauty of the newly hatched butterflies – symbolizing the cyclical nature of re-birth. While still maintaining McKenzie’s signature style, Friends with Death is more grounded in reality than his previous work as it was inspired by the grief of loss and the joy of new life simultaneously.

While creating the piece, McKenzie lost his paternal grandmother in January of 2019 and his son was born the following month. It is a very personal piece constructed of resin based clays.

Opening night of “Art of Character” at The Corey Helford Gallery

His second piece in the show is entitled The Woogle. This resin sculpture is a regal, hybrid avian creature who emanates an observant and protective aura. In aura spiritualism, turquoise radiates a calmness and knowingness while gold indicates a connection to the spiritual soul and enlightenment. The egg, which he guards in a pouch above his feet, features a brilliant crystal in its center. The piece is accented with pink flowers containing the same crystals, though the expressive face of The Woogle is its key feature. The show runs from June 29th through August 3rd, 2019.

McKenzie is now friends with many of the artists whose work he’s collected over the years and he often shows his own work alongside them. McKenzie also serves as inspiration for aspiring artists and includes Q&A’s on his YouTube channel based on the many questions he receives from fans. Fellow artists have also expressed their appreciation for his art.

“It’s exciting when the people that inspire you see you as a peer, but I still feel very new, like I’m still just beginning, especially compared to them. I just hope my artwork can provide inspiration to aspiring artists in the same way I receive inspiration when I look at the art on my walls.”

Jim McKenzie jimmckenzie.bigcartel.com @jimmckenzie

For more information on Jim McKenzie’s artwork, follow his Instagram or YouTube Channel @jimmckenzie

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T ECHN O LO GY

CURATED BY JENNA ATCHISON

(Top left to bottom right)

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Keen Smart Vent Imagine every room in your home kept at the perfect temperature.

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L A N D M A R K

Richfield Tower demolished 1969

555 S. Flower Street, CA 90071 Architect, Stiles O. Clements.

1929