RIFF RAFF 1
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
H A M I L T O N ’ S
C R E A T I V E
I s s u e: one W i n t e r 2010
ARTICLES BY WINTEC STUDENTS STUDENT’S GUIDE TO OPSHOPPING IN HAMILTON. AFFORDABLE AND FUN! MAKE YOUR OWN PROJECTS RECIPE SHARE SECTION GREAT PLACES TO EAT IN HAMILTON PROFILES ON MEDIARTS STUDENTS FROM WINTEC
issue one
P E O P L E
We hope you enjoy reading our first issue...
Illustration by Wendy
Richdale
2
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
Fresh thinking A truly rare quality. For a limited time only, you can experience the very best in fresh thinking. It’s alive at the Bold Horizon National Contemporary Art Award. Don’t miss out.
[ Waikato Museum [ 1 Grantham Street, Hamilton p 07 838 6606 7 August 2010 to 9 January 2011
Free entry to all
Join the conversation… facebook.com/NatConArtAward
twitter.com/NatConArtAward
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 Click to see The Waikato Museum Home page
NOW ON
Major Exhibition at the Waikato Museum 1 Grantham Street, Hamilton, New Zealand www.waikatomuseum.co.nz
Rukuhia farm workers during World War Two, about 1943. Waikato Museum Collection
3
4
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
e-mag info
ON THE COVER illustration ‘boy’ (Monobrow) by Wendy Richdale
RIFF RAFF
e-magazine
Click to see riff raff -emag Facebook page
Based in Hamilton, New Zealand Riff Raff is an e-magazine dedicated to celebrating the creative people and sharing their projects. A place for Wintec students and local Hamiltonians to share with the community things they are up to.
EDITOR/ ART DIRECTOR /DESIGNER Emily Jane Russell emily_russell56@hotmail.com CO-EDITOR/WRITER Sophie Boladeras sofie_boladeras@hotmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Edmund Overbeek, Kerrie Felton, Bianca Angel, Tony Stevens, Iris Riddell, Amanda Ratcliffe CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Timothy Carter, Tyler Barakat CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Nikita Brown, Wendy Richdale, Alix Rogerson, Carmel Van Der Heoven, Jack Gatasa-Shaw, Alister Agen Selliman.
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? If you have any project or article ideas for Riff Raff, please email riff_raff@live. com. We are interested in what people of Hamilton have to share, say and do! ADVERTISING if you have a local business or event in Hamilton that you would like advertised in Riff Raff email riff_raff@live.com Riff Raff is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the Editor. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication
5
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 Editors note
Hello Readers! After many late nights of designing and gathering content from enthusiastic contributors I can finally share with you the first ever issue of Riff Raff. Hamilton in the thick of winter can be a tad dismal, so I have decided to have the first issue available to you with the click of a button! Hooray for the internet! You don’t have venture into the cold to get your hands on creative content, simply curl up in front of desired heat source and click away. I wanted to make Riff Raff an interactive e-publication, something that enables people to share their creative endeavours with the Hamilton community. It’s been an exciting project and I am so grateful to the abundance of talented people who have contributed to issue one. I’ve been truly impressed with the amount of amazing things students are doing at Wintec. Riff Raff is a great chance for you to see some of what Hamilton’s creative’s have to offer. In this issue Wintec students and local Hamiltonians collaborate to bring you articles and profiles about people, places and projects in our city. Issue One features the work of Media Arts students at Wintec; their poems and photography, articles about where and why to op shop, popular local band Knights of The Dub Table, recipes to share, guides to making cool projects as well as a review on River Kitchen a popular Hamilton eatery (I can vouch it’s amazing... I work there part time). On the cover we have the work of one talented lady and Wintec graduate Wendy Richdale. Her piece is titled ‘boy (monobrow)’ and is an illustration print currently showing at the Waikato Museum. Another talented artist profiled in Riff Raff is Alister Selliman whose prints are also showing at the museum so go on down and check them out. We all need a place to escape the winter blues and I hope you find something that takes your fancy within issue one. Join Riff Raff E-Mag on facebook to receive a free link to our first issue. Enjoy the winter and keep warm! Editor & Designer
Fabric brought at The Salvation Army Family Store for 50c
6
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
Contents
40
The river kitchen
43 Sweet treats
20
Alister Selliman
28 Tyler Barakat
18
Jack Gatasa-Shaw
42
Home made lemonade
7
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
24
Alix Rogerson
Enjoy e issue on
05. Editor’s Letter 09. Meet the Contributors the peculiar peeps who helped make issue one..
12. Projects to Make
Get crafty making projects this winter.
16. A Thrifty Business
Score a bargain op shopping in Hamilton
16
A Thrifty Business
18. Student Profiles
Showcasing Wintec Media Arts sudents work.
28. Photography ‘Picture this’ ... by Tyler Barakat
34. Post Graduate
The work of one talented lady and Wintec graduate Wendy Richdale
32. Cameras Rolling for Wintec 36. Soba
The pursuit of hoppiness
40. The River Kitchen
One popular place to have breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.
42. Recipe Share
Winter warmers + sweet treats to make.
46. Local Lads
Knights Of The Dub Table
48. Some Poetry
12
Carmel Van Der Heoven
51. Reads 52. Pinboard 53. Next Issue...
8
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
Click for Spark timetable 2010
9
RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
The peculiar peeps who helped make issue one.. SOPHIE BOLADERAS WRITER I like that words can evoke images in your mind’s eye, that by putting them together I can create new and exciting people, places and situations. The ability to weave words that conjure, express, and create mental images is something that I aim for within my writing. I like the word combobulate. Ba boing boing boing. EDMUND OVERBEEK WRITER Greetings my name is Edmund, although sometimes I write under my gangster rapping name Edon Ruse – a title bestowed on me by a shady Shaolin monk after some sheisty, shadowboxing, shenanigans. My main interests are skateboarding and playing poker, although in between times I like to write rhymes that intertwine and entertain, refrains that bring pain and leave bloodstains like David Bain. Right now my favourite poets are Allen Ginsberg and Nick Cave.
KERRIE FELTON WRITER
My true passion is fashion. I’m from Auckland (please don’t hold that against me!) but am currently living and studying in Hamilton. By the end of this year I hope to be a successful journalism graduate, but my end goal is to be the Editor of Vogue magazine - move over Anna Wintour!
AMANDA RATCLIFFE WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER I’m a band photographer and have been contributing my words and photographs to the likes of Amplifier, NZ Musician, Muzic.net and most recently Sideroom.com for about four years now. I’ve also picked up a slot at student radio station Contact FM hosting a show promoting local music.
TIMOTHY CARTER PHOTOGRAPHER Hola! My name is Tim Patrick Carter ME + CAMERA = CONTENT I am currently studying in my first year at Wintec with an interest in photography. I like Tom Foolery, horseplay and practical jokes. I’m getting there while I can. Travelling, skateboarding and music are tubular subjects to take photos of. Choice.
the contributors
10 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 the contributors
TYLER BARAKAT PHOTOGRAPHER Kai Ora! What really gets me off is music, skateboarding and photography. These three wonderful creations go hand ‘n hand with my life. I try to keep as positive as possible and try to avoid trouble as much as I possibly can but some times getting arrested at 2 in the morning with nothing on but your boxer shorts is just un avoidable…. Not the goods…. BIANCA ANGEL WRITER
Hey everyone, my name is Bianca Angel. I am a communications graduate with a passion for writing and events management. As well as my café day job, I am currently working towards holding my own music festival here in Hamliton.
WENDY RICHDALE ARTIST In 2009 I completed a Bachelor of Media Arts majoring in painting & sculpture at Wintec in Hamilton. I enjoy painting, illustration and photography and am currently studying towards a Post-Graduate Diploma in Fine Art at Massey University in Wellington. I have a long-standing interest in creating works relating to the ‘home’ and domestic spaces. I am interested in investigating the concept of unheimlich or the uncanny that can arise in depictions of these spaces. ALIX ROGERSON ARTIST I am a 23 year-old Media arts student in my third year at Wintec, majoring in painting and sculpture. I guess I would consider myself a geek, being that I’m into reading classics, magazines and style blogs, as well as art and art history, of course. I love following art discussions and forums online and am currently battling with a rather strong coffee addiction.
11 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 the contributors
NIKITA BROWN GRAPHIC DESIGNER I’m a South African born, Kiwi graphic designer. I am currently in my last year of Wintec studying Graphic Design. I heard someone describe designers as “solution providers”, which I think is a great way to sum up what design is about. I worked as a Graphic Designer at Lugtons Real Estate for 4 years, which was a great learning experience and allowed my passion for design to grow. Being creative is what I love to do and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
IRIS RIDDELL WRITER Hi, I’m Iris and I’m a drumaholic. Currently, my life is split into two equal portions: Wintec and Wai Taiko. My life at Wintec consists of writing news stories, essays, Shorthand and tearing my hair out on a regular basis. Wai Taiko consists of drumming. Lots and lots of drumming. We perform regularly in Hamilton, so if you’re out and about and hear an undeniably funky racket, that’s probably me. Come say hi! CARMEL VAN DER HEOVEN ARTIST
I have no qualifications, haha! I like everything art, fashion, food, music and my daughter. I’ m not particularly good at any one thing but all of it helps me make stuff! So I am here to help you make stuff too!
TONY STEVENS WRITER Tena Koe. I be studying the science of Journalism here at humble old Wintec (yes it is a science). So if anything crazy happens here at tech like a mutant pukeko attacks the engineering students please email me straight away. Though you may not think so to look at me, I am pretty much a geek in all sense of the word. Video games, movies, comic books, cartoons. Pretty much any form of geekery I’m all over it. In my wild and wonderful dreams I am an entertainment journalist, entertaining people with my enlightning stories about all things entertaining (except Susan Boyle).
12 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 yee haa
Add a touch of leather Level of difficulty: easy as BY CARMEL VAN DER HEOVEN
A trick with the whole ‘cowboy fashion’ is not to over do it. Don’t wear this with say a jean jacket, cowboy boots and hat because you may be mistaken for a western movie actor… MATERIALS: A piece of soft leather or suede measuring approximately 55cm x 30cm Scissors, craft knife and a hard surface to cut on like a wooden chopping board Toggle/button and a needle and thread
METHOD: Step one: draw in your triangle making sure it has soft curves to its lines Step two: slice up the piece of cloth randomly making sure no lines are too close that they may tear and become one big hole. As you get to the sides make the incisions smaller and as the triangle turns upwards tilt your lines a little. Step three: sew on the toggle at one end of the triangle and make sure there is an incision near the other end that is smaller than your toggle. Steps four and five: wet the fabric then allow to dry in the sun or near a heater this will make it shrink a little opening up the incisions. Step six: enjoy! Add on notes: if you want a more dramatic effect elongate the triangle and make the incisions longer. If you have any left over material, why not sew it by hand onto an old top; see last picture.
13 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 yee haa
left overs
PROJECT CARMEL VAN DER HEOVEN
14 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 peace out
Shield of peace yo!
level of difficulty: medium BY CARMEL VAN DER HEOVEN
Note: if you don’t have access to wood and a band saw/jigsaw this design can be used on heavy duty cardboard instead, just glue on some vintage material and you’re done. MATERIALS: Thin MDF or plywood, I used 4mm MDF (please remember if you use a thicker wood you will need to make all the join slots the size of your materials width) Band saw/jigsaw (most of us nzer’s have at least one builder friend) Sandpaper Paint - test pots are always good
Step two: cut out each piece. If you are using power tools for the first time please be careful!
METHOD:
Step three: sand all the rough edges, then paint according to the instructions on your paint pot.
Step one: draw up the grid provided in the picture, making each square 10cm x 10cm. Draw in the cut-outs.
Display: to hang I made a small hole at the end of the bird to make a slight angle.
15 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 peace out
PROJECT CARMEL VAN DER HEOVEN
16 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 Score a bargain
HAMILTON OP SHOPS The Salvation Army Family Sto re – 369 Te Rapa Road, Beerescourt St Vincent de Paul – 224 Commer ce Street, Frankton Red Cross Shop – 189 Commer ce Street, Frankton Hospice Shop – 900 Victoria Stre et, Hamilton CBD Savemart – 105 Maui Street, Te Rapa
A Thrifty Business PHOTOGRAPHY EMILY RUSSELL WORDS KERRIE FELTON In a time when the words ‘economic downturn’, ‘financial crisis’ and ‘recession’ are rife in conversation the world over, fashion fights back with savvy bargains, unique second-hand finds and shabby chic trends our grandmothers would be proud of. Although op-shopping has always been a choice for some fashionistas, for others it has become a necessity. With throw-away fashion from cheap chain stores no longer a viable option for those of us on a tight budget that want our clothes to last, many of us have had to look further afield for a unique fashion fix. I am, and always will be, a bargain hunter. I can sniff out a sale item from over a kilometre away and I scoff in the face of swing-tags that feature more than a two digit number. I have been this way for as long as I can remember, and it is the only way I can maintain such a jam-packed wardrobe on a bare minimum student budget. Yes, I am a shopaholic with a habit so bad that if clothes were an illegal substance I would have been forced into rehab years ago and it is nothing new for me to scour through my wardrobe only to find something I didn’t even know I had. For me op-shopping is part and parcel of my clothe-acquiring ways. I can spend hours rummaging through piles of items labelled ‘$2’ and love nothing more than the thrill of finding an absolute treasure buried in a pile of otherwise, well, junk. Take for example the chocolate brown leather jacket I found in the ‘garage sale’ section of my local Hospice shop. I couldn’t believe my luck when I read the care label and confirmed my suspicions that it was in fact real leather. Imagine my disbelief when I looked at the swing-tag which announced that this beautiful item was only fifty-cents. Yes, not dollars, CENTS. I’m pretty certain that the only deal as sweet as this is a 50-cent mixture from the dairy. But op-shopping isn’t just about finding bargains amongst other peoples unwanted goods. There is a whole raft of reasons why this form
of retail therapy is just so damn satisfying. For starters, when you hand your coins over to the cute little grandma at the till you can rest assured that your money is going towards a worthy cause. Whether it be the Hospice, Sallies or the Red Cross your cash is going to a charity that receives little or no funding from the government and relies on the donations of the public to keep up the good work. And dealing with the sweet elderly volunteers who work in these shops is far more charming than being pushed around by an overzealous shop girl who would rather be gossiping with her other shop girl friends than helping you find your size. As well as giving back to the community and engaging in idle chitchat with shop assistants who resemble your nanna, buying from an op-shop guarantees you a purchase that no one else will have. Be it a one-of-a-kind scarf in an exotic print or a 70s-inspired dress that, once altered, will look more 2010 than anything Glassons has to offer. Nothing commands more attention (or compliments) than something that is unique, slightly off-the-wall, and bold enough to make you stand out in the crowd. Why hide yourself in a jeans-andtee-shirt combo that almost looks like a uniform in a throng of other jeans-and-tee-shirt wearers when you could be wearing something one-off that truly celebrates your personality and individuality? I have one dress in my closet that has received more comments than I ever thought possible – and it cost me $4 from a Salvation Army store. Paired with some great heels it steals peoples attention every time I wear it out – even in Miami in a club filled with the rich and beautiful! You might surprise yourself with just how great something secondhand can look when you add a couple of accessories, your favourite shoes and a big smile. Op shops are a fantastic way of experimenting with new looks without spending money on items of clothing that you might not be wearing in a years time. Not only that but when you need a quick update on an ‘old favourite’ outfit what better way than to stock up on accessories from a thrift store. Often bangles, earrings and necklaces – particularly faux gold costume jewellery – can be picked up for less than a couple of bucks. A pile of gold bangles in all shapes, sizes and tones can breathe life into the most over-worn of outfits. It is worth noting that because style is one big vicious cycle it is likely that what is in fashion right now has been seen and done before
17 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL OP-SHO
Photos taken at the Hospice Shop 900 Victoria Street
PPING
e it’s cheap. *Don’t buy something just becaus what you currently and it r wea will Consider when you have that it will go with. p bought garments *Avoid wearing too many op sho with your regular at any one time. Pair a vintage tee modern heels. The jeans, or a secondhand dress with . aim is thrifty chic, not bag lady
MY TOP TEN TR
EASURES
op shop in Paeroa coat – $7 from an *Long brown fur spice ket – 50c from Ho *Brown leather jac n Army tio lva Sa m fro s – $4 *Tie-dye sun dres ice – $10 from Hosp *Retro television m Hospice fro $8 – p to quin *Hand-stitched se
many years ago. This means that if you find an item of clothing from the original era in an op shop, it may fit in with what is being worn today. Chances are it will just be a bit better quality with a little more love having gone into the making of it, rather than being mass produced on a factory line in China. With this in mind it is important to remember that although cheap as chips, older garments need a little more TLC than the top you picked up for $10 on sale at Valley Girl. Hand washing then hanging on the washing line is the best way to keep vintage clothing looking as good as new and preventing it from losing that special appeal that caught your eye in the first place. Unique pre-loved clothing and accessories aren’t the only things worth checking out whilst op-shopping. Thrifty style can filter through into your home or bedroom as well. It is of course important to remember that while a couple of kitsch items here or there can look great, a room full of salvaged retro goods might in fact resemble an antique store, or worse – a junk yard. Try a collection of retro mirrors or ornate photo frames clustered together on one wall in your bedroom or lounge. The more varied the shapes and sizes the more interesting and eye-catching the display. A dreamy vintagelooking painting can be a moody addition to an otherwise sterile space. Likewise a collection of mismatching vases or ornaments grouped together on a coffee table or shelf can brighten up an room – particularly if you fill the vases with posies of wild flowers. Experiment with the weird and wonderful as well – how about a stack of old suitcases in an otherwise empty corner (I got mine for $2 each at the Hospice shop), or the frame of an antique bicycle amongst the flower beds in your garden. Your bedroom or living room doesn’t have to be boring and empty just because you are a poor student in a flatting situation, or renting a small apartment. If you can’t change the colours of the walls or rip out the old shag pile carpet, work with it. Hang pictures on bare walls, drape an ethnicinspired scarf and some mismatched cushions over a grotty couch, store your jewellery in a crystal looking jar or bowl. All of these items can be found for less than $10 if you are willing to spend an hour or so in your local second-hand store. Of course this thrifty way of shopping doesn’t suit everyone. Some people can think of nothing worse than sifting through other peoples
hand-me-downs in a messy store that smells slightly of moth balls and ‘old people’. Those people usually have full time jobs and zero responsibilities. They can afford the latest Mi Piaci boots or Ruby dress. While many of us would absolutely love that luxury it just isn’t a reality if you are a struggling student with expenses coming out of your ears, or someone who is saving for that one big item such as a home of their own or the famous Kiwi OE. For those people who like the idea of something unique with a little bit of history behind it, New Zealand has some great vintage stores to add to it s growing shopping repertoire. The difference between these stores and op shops is that the owners have scoured the country – and sometimes the world – looking for unique, authentic items which are still in mint condition despite being decades old. The cost of sourcing these items is high and therefore prices are usually triple what you would find in an op shop for a similar garment. Usually the vintage store has had to buy the goods from the original owner – someone who might have owned the garment or accessory for its entire lifespan. While I love vintage shopping almost as much as op-shopping, it lacks the thrill that you feel upon finding an incredibly cheap, one-off item in a thrift store. It is a little more predictable and because of the need to make a profit, the sales assistants really are sales assistants – not that there is anything wrong with that when you are after a second opinion on a Oscar-worthy evening gown or a pair of vintage cowboy boots. If you have a true nose for bargains though it always pays to check out the op shops after finding something you like in a vintage store – just in case. For years I toyed with the idea of buying a completely hand-stitched sequined top from my favourite vintage store, despite it being way out of my budget at $195. Imagine my fall-off-the-chair shock when I found its identical twin in the Hospice shop for $8!! For the most part op-shopping is a style-savvy, fun, economic way to feed your fashion addiction without the need to apply for a personal loan. It offers a way of being stylish and unique on even the tightest of student budgets. It is a creative way of decorating your home; and a conversation starter for the fashion obsessed. And as a wise woman of notoriously individual style once said: having lots of money makes it easy to be stylish, having no money makes you more creative.
18 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 whats wrong with seahorses?
Four media art students from Wintec answer questions about their creative practice and life. INTERVIEWS SOPHIE BOLADERAS PHOTOGRAPHY TIMOTHY CARTER AND STUDENTS
Jack Gatasa-Shaw
Where would you like your work to take you in the future? Overseas would be great. If I can comfortably get by in the future that would also make things a lot easier. But for now at least, the student life is pretty good. What was the first piece of artwork you ever created? I can’t even remember! It would probably have to be still-life drawings from school. When do you find you are at your most creative? I find that I seem to work harder late at night, but I’m not sure if I’m more creative at night. I’d say I’m the most creative in the mornings.
What are you studying? Bachelor of Media Arts. Majoring in Graphic Design. Who inspires you? I’m inspired by designers and illustrators like Frank ‘Shepard’ Fairey, Geoff McFetridge, Dan Mumford as well as some painters but for the most part, I’m inspired by my colleagues at Wintec. I see some great design produced there and its good to be in that environment, it kind of rubs off on you I guess. How would you describe your personal style? I really like using rigid grid structures throughout my work! I’d describe my personal style as clean and structured. I tend to rely on sans serif fonts to help create work which ends up being quite ‘cold’ in aesthetics. That cheesy saying ‘less is more’ could never be more true. What’s on your iPods playlist atm? TV on the Radio and Jimmy Eat World. Do you use the ‘word’ LOL? Why/Why not No, not very often. It’s starting to get out of hand these days.
Would you rather be a fantail or a seahorse? Why? I think I’d go for the fantail! It would be amazing to fly around all day! Have you had a massively encouraging/inspiring teacher? Yeah definitely, I think everyone has at least one teacher or tutor that just clicks with what you are trying to do and knows where you are coming from. For me, my second year typography tutor was that person, he offered good advice on where you could improve and let you know if something was working out. It’s good to have that influence during the working stages for sure. Tell me about the techniques and tools you use to create your works? I’ve used clipping masks to layer over other imagery to create a few works, it’s quite easy to do also tend to use scale and contrast to help create points of difference in my work. But mostly, I rely on grid structures to form the foundation of my work, then its just a matter of figuring out how flexible you want to be with it. I enjoy working with typography, I can spend ridiculous amounts of time playing around with leading and kerning!
19 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK JACK GATASA-SHAW
20 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 whats wrong with seahorses?
Alister Agan Selliman
him and I still have a lot to work on before we can pack our bags. I really wouldn’t mind just staying here in New Zealand though... I love it here... What’s that, Wellington...? What was the first piece of artwork you ever created? As far as I can remember.... when I was about 5 or 6 years old in kindergarten, I drew a scene of a building on fire with one hundred firemen coming from all directions of the page. Some floated down by parachutes with water packs on their back, some came out from the sewers, and others rode on the coolest looking fire truck EVERRRR. It was pretty cool, I came 2nd place for it and it got put in the newspaper. I was a very happy boy that day.
What are you studying? Bachelor of Media Arts. Majoring in painting & sculpture. Who inspires you? Anyone who smiles nicely at me. How would you describe your personal style? Like feeding the ducks at the park. Time consuming and at the same time exciting... (I cut the bread into cubes for them.) What’s on your iPods playlist atm? The Teacups and Ray Barbee. Do you use the ‘word’ LOL? Why/Why not No, no I don’t. I don’t think LOL is as expressive as BAAAHAAHAHAHHAHAHA... don’t you think? Where would you like your work to take you in the future? It’ll be super cool if my work can take me to a far away land, but
When do you find you are at your most creative? Rainy cold days, and late at night to the early hours of the morning in the studio. I get really distracted during the day.... there’s always so many things happening when the sun is up. Sometimes, a quiet walk to the park helps get the creative smoke going as well. Would you rather be a fantail or a seahorse? Why? Both? Sea-fan-horse-tail? I love all animals equally; it would be rude to choose between those two beautiful creatures. Have you had a massively encouraging/inspiring teacher? Yes! All the teachers and tutors I’ve ever had are super-duper-cool. Very encouraging and very inspiring... every single one of them. Tell me about the techniques and tools you use to create your works? It’s different on different days... having money to buy materials helps, but I try not to rely too much on having money for materials. There’s always a lot of stuff around to make work out of.... it’s just a matter of putting two and two together. My old time favorite is doodling with a 4b pencil on thick, textured paper with coffee to color. It always smells really nice afterwards.
21 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK ALISTER AGAN SELLIMAN
22 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK ALISTER AGAN SELLIMAN
23 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK ALISTER AGAN SELLIMAN
24 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 whats wrong with seahorses?
Alix Rogerson
Where would you like your work to take you in the future? Everywhere imaginable I guess, Venice Biennale would be amazing as would Documenta. What was the first piece of artwork you ever created? I imagine some kind of scribble when I was tiny. Scribbles are always the best.
What are you studying? Bachelor of Media Arts. Majoring in painting & sculpture. Who inspires you? I don’t think inspiration comes from other people, places or things, I guess it’s inherent and you just have to believe enough in what you are doing, although I do love being surrounded by people who get excited about their work and their ideas. How would you describe your personal style? I’d probably be inclined to say I don’t have style, being that my entire wardrobe is black, white and grey. In saying that I do love The White Room and wearing shiny shoes. What’s on your iPods playlist atm? Cat Power, Cocorosie, Anthony and the Johnsons, Bjork, Regina Spektor, Teacups, Harry Potter audio books and a bit of Bowie among others…. Do you use the ‘word’ LOL? Why/Why not Never. For the same reason I don’t use facebook I guess, it’s totally unnecessary.
When do you find you are at your most creative? Usually when I’m trying to sleep and my brain just doesn’t want to. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Either that or early in the morning, around six am when the rest of the world is quiet and still. Would you rather be a fantail or a seahorse? Why? Definitely a fantail. Seahorses are neat but who wouldn’t like to be able to fly. Have you had a massively encouraging/inspiring teacher? I’ve had a few along the way. I guess they’re the people who let you know you’re doing what you’re doing for a reason, and that while it might be hard at times you should never give up. Tell me about the techniques and tools you use to create your works? I’m addicted to working on paper. I love it for the flexibility it provides in scale, weight and texture as well as the differences that can be achieved when adjusting these variables within a work. I tend to work on a large scale and stain and stretch my paper before drawing in detailed imagery, usually with oil based pencils-another tool I can’t live without. In terms of paint, which is usually the last thing I apply in my work, I love working with Golden acrylics due to their quality of pigment, lightfast qualities and smoothness, even if it means breaking my bank account at times.
25 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK ALIX ROGERSON
26 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 whats wrong with seahorses?
Nikita Brown
Do you use the ‘word’ LOL? Why/Why not Yes I do... Actually I do quite a lot, because I have a lot to laugh out loud about. Where would you like your work to take you in the future? I would love to work in publication or any area where I’m able to be creative and have the freedom to come up with creative design solutions for corporate identities. What was the first piece of artwork you ever created? I can’t say I remember the first; I’ve been designing ever since I discovered computers and Photoshop! When do you find you are at your most creative? I’m most creative early in the mornings, when no-one else is awake and I can just create artwork in peace with music playing.
What are you studying? Bachelor of Media Arts. Majoring in Graphic Design Who inspires you? Fellow designers in the creative industry and even students here at Wintec inspire me, as we all have different ideas on the same projects. To look at other designer’s work and try find out why they approached it a certain way is inspirational. How would you describe your personal style? I’m not too sure about this one... What’s on your iPods playlist atm? Akon! Lifehouse! Alot of Ministry of Sound helps me feel energised...but I do have range of artists.
Would you rather be a fantail or a seahorse? Why? I’d say a fantail... I’d love the freedom to fly anywhere... & they’re pretty cute Have you had a massively encouraging/ inspiring teacher? I’ve been lucky to have great, encouraging design teachers throughout high school and tech... They’ve definitely inspired and encouraged me to grow as a designer. Tell me about the techniques and tools you use to create your works? When designing, we are always encouraged to go through routine steps of finding out target audience, purpose for our design etc... But then we’re given creative freedom which is when I love to come up with various concepts, choosing only one or two to refine. I’ve learnt never to send the client too many choices, as that only confuses them.
27 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
WORK NIKITA BROWN
28 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
We asked Hamilton photographer Tyler Barakat to... Photograph an animal Photograph your shoes Photograph your surroundings Photograph a friend Shoot a self portrait In the next few pages are the photographs he came up with....
29 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
Photograph your surroundings HAMILTON LAKE
Photographs by TYLER BARAKAT
30 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
Photograph an animal MEOW
Photographs by TYLER BARAKAT
31 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
Photograph a friend MICHAEL LAMBERT
Photographs by TYLER BARAKAT
32 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
Photograph a Self Portrait REBEL
Photographs by TYLER BARAKAT
33 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 picture this...
Photograph a pair of shoes HIGH
Photographs by TYLER BARAKAT
34 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 post grad
Wendy Richdale WINTEC GRADUATE
in 2009. She was also awarded the “Gordon Harris Award for Excellence in Contemporary Art (3rd Year)” at the School of Media Arts 2009 Special Awards ceremony in April.
STUDY Wendy completed a Bachelor of Media Arts (Painting & Sculpture) at Wintec in Hamilton in 2009, with interests in painting, illustration and photography. Wendy is currently studying towards a Post-graduate Diploma in Fine Art at Massey University in Wellington. AWARDS Wendy was one of the recipients of the Waikato Graduate Women’s “Wintec Undergraduate Women’s Scholarship”
Illustration prints - “Boy (Monobrow)” and “Girl” Wendy has a long standing interest in ideas of ‘home’ and domestic space, and is interested in investigating the concept of unheimlich or the uncanny that can arise in depictions of these spaces. Wendy’s illustration utilises the visual vocabulary of folk art and combines the use of naive drawing with contemporary rendering and digital colouring techniques. Boy (Monobrow) and Girl are illustrations from a series of portraits of imaginary characters completed in the final year of her Bachelor of Media Arts (2009).
35 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 post grad
ILLUSTRATIONS BY WENDY RICHDALE
36 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 the pursuit of hoppiness
SOBA
“There’s as much artistic expression in a well made craft beer as there is in any painting you’ll ever see.” WORDS TONY STEVENS ILLUSTRATION EMILY RUSSELL In a corner of the Ruakura research complex, a humble building akin to a country school hall offers solace to embattled employees. It’s the sort of place where you can wind down after work and enjoy a tasty drop of beer in good company. Unless your idea of tasty beer is Export Gold or Lion Red. And why would you want a pint of Lion Red when you see what’s on tap here at the Ruakura Campus Club. As well as AgResearch employees the club is the den of Hamilton’s resident beer nerds and only the finest Kiwi brews grace its taps. These nerds have turned up in force this Thursday night. Grieg McGill is massaging his palate with a glass of Emersons Bookbinder. The bar has a backlog of six or seven thirsty customers all vying for the attention of barman John Edmonds, better known as ‘Big John’. Members cluster around pub tables exchanging tasting perceptions for their respective tipple. Tonight there’s an extra spark in the air. People are clearly excited about the arrival of Invercargill Brewers the Yeastie Boys, probably because they know they will get to sample some superb beer. Yeastie Boys head brewer Stu McKinlay takes the floor. The chatter dies down. The audience is in for a treat. McKinlay is revered in the craft brewing scene having tasted more than 2000 different beers from more than 50 countries.
The Yeastie Boys have come to share their unique beer and brewing experiences with the SOBA club. SOBA stands for ‘Society of Beer Advocates’ and is a national organisation that advocates, pontificates and contemplates all things to do with craft beer in New Zealand. Those here tonight belong to the Hamilton chapter, one of the few cities that have a formalised SOBA community that meets regularly to enjoy a good brew. The Ruakura club is their beer temple, with its rich tradition for serving craft beer since the late 1980s. Don’t assume these people are just a bunch of boozers with a better educated palette. For SOBA, beer is valued as the height of artistic and scientific expression. Hamilton SOBA facilitator Greig McGill puts the enthusiasts’ case. “There’s as much artistic expression in a well made craft beer as there is in any painting you’ll ever see. “I’m always looking for that next wow beer, that beer that sits you down and makes you go ‘holy crap!’ “If I go to a bar and theres eight beers on tap I say ‘oh god, this is gonna be bad’, because I have to try them all. I don’t know whether its obsessive compulsive disorder, but I’m a beer ticker. “It’s just about passion really. I care enough to want to test every single beer on the planet.” He’s well on his way, having sampled more than 2000 from various countries, but says his tally is but a fraction of the beers being produced. In Belgium alone there are some 800 beers in production. So he has his work cut out for him. A secret compartment in his home reveals a beer cellar which he affectionately refers to as the ‘nerd cupboard’. Here he keeps a regular stock of tasty beers as well as some fiercely guarded beauties including a magnum sized Chimay Blue Grande Reserve, a fruity and peppery beer that matures more gracefully than a Barossa Valley Shiraz.
37 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 the pursuit of hoppiness
While it is inevitable that getting drunk occasionally does happen, it is not on SOBA’s list of priorities. “It’s an occupational hazard” says McGill, who wears a t-shirt bearing the words “The pursuit of Hoppiness.” “The goal is to have something and appreciate it, and if you get a bit boozed along the way, well such is life.” Patron Pete Dobbie has been involved with the Ruakura club for decades and is fond of its ambience. “There’s nothing pretentious or flash about this place. It’s just a homely, comfortable feel.” Dobbie is no stranger to craft beer either. “I’d like to be able to remember when I last had a non-specialty beer. It was many months ago, and that was only because someone shouted me the wrong beer.” The Yeastie Boys do not bring the wrong beer. McKinlay gives a spiel about a forgotten brew he wants to test drive on some SOBA guinea pigs, then hands the floor to the other half of the Yeastie Boys, Sam “The Grandmaster” Possenniskie. He unveils a substantial collection of their brews. The members flock for a taste. The only voice of discontent is Scotty McDonald, who keeps provoking the other members by blasphemously demanding DB Export. But Scotty has come to the wrong place if he wants a pint of DB. At the club, people drink and talk Kiwi craft beer, not those crass mainstream spammers such as DB Export, Tui or Waikato. Good Kiwi beer comes from little breweries that most punters haven’t heard of. The likes of the Yeastie Boys, Marlborough’s Renaissance and the capital’s Tuatara are the stars here. SOBA hijacked the club in 2006, recognising it as the only place in Hamilton with a penchant for good Kiwi beer. Many of the loyal
members were already drinking craft beer there before SOBA was born so it was an obvious site for the beer advocates to set up shop. But it didn’t become their official headquarters until February this year when they decided it was time to promote craft beer in the Waikato. All and sundry are welcome to join the club, as long as they are friendly and thirsty. Most of the members are slightly weathered blokes but Beth MacGibbon reckons there’s a place for women as well. MacGibbon was originally a SOBA member by proxy, tagging alongside her partner Phil Murray. She has since developed a blossoming appreciation for beer after exposure to brewers, fanatics and of course some darn good beer. And single women out there might want to consider SOBA membership as a way to meet a nice bloke. “Guys seem to dig the girls who like beer,” MacGibbon says. The SOBA Club has set itself an ambitious agenda since becoming official. Ultimately McGill would love to see Hamilton hosting its own beer festival with the SOBA club steering it. But he anticipates the event would take time to gather momentum. “If we get 500 people through we will be happy, and maybe in five years we’ll have 10,000 people coming from all over the place.” In the meantime the SOBA community is working on having a presence at the various food and wine festivals in the region. McGill wants more people to join SOBA and take up their local cause, the benefit potentially a revitalisation of the beer culture in Hamilton bars. “By helping to promote good beer, what they get out of it is good beer. Maybe in ten years time they will be able to walk into any pub in Hamilton and have a choice of good beer to drink.”
38 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
Cameras Rolling for Wintec WORDS IRIS RIDDELL Wintec moving image students have been busy filming a sitcom pilot episode which may one day see light on regional television. Since 2005, third-year students have tried their hand at a multicam studio production, the style of filming used predominantly for television. This year they have an extra incentive: Matamata-based television station tvCentral has expressed interest in screening the episode, and might consider continuing the series. Wintec student Lisa Brown is the producer for the project and says the experience has been great. “It’s quite exciting. Most of what we have done has just been for class, but we know that we’re actually doing this for a reason. It’s a little bit intimidating, but so far it’s going well. Everyone has roles that suit them, and I think the end product will be pretty good.” As producer, it’s Lisa’s job to make sure everything runs smoothly. “I’ve been going to locations, getting permission to film, coordinating times between everyone; which is seven or eight actors, makeup artist and 13 crew members. It’s a lot of work, but it’s been alright.” Wintec moving image lecturers John Mandelberg and Joe Citizen
conceptualised and wrote the sitcom, called The Couch, which is based in a casting agency. It has mostly been shot in Wintec’s moving image studio, which is the first time a set of that size has been used. Joe Citizen says they are pleased by the interest shown by tvCentral. “Although tvCentral haven’t said they will screen it, they’ve given us an expression of interest and I think there’s a real potential for it to be broadcast. And that’s worth something to students when they leave here, because that’s exactly the kind of experience they can show to an employer.” He also sees this as an opportunity for the Waikato to represent itself, not only regionally but nationally. “The timing is right. This is a critical moment to take a stand for the region, and it’s got a lot to offer. I think it’s important to bear in mind that it’s all here.” This year the project involves a fair amount of talent from the Waikato community, says John Mandelberg. “This is a first because what we’re doing is connecting the community: the arts community, the local community, the local industry, the students and the institution. It fits with us because we live here as well.” The first unit crew started shooting on May 22, and the final product will be screened in early August during Spark Week, an international media arts festival hosted by Wintec. “Bringing on board industry professionals means our students get the most they possibly can out of this, not simply as a learning
39 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
One Lovely Place To Eat and Recipes to Share PHOTOGRAPHY TIMOTHY CARTER FOOD SUZANNE MCINTYRE & EMILY RUSSELL
Fabric brought at The Salvation Army Family Store for 50c
40 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 237 victoria street
Click for The river kitchen 237 Victoria Street
41 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
2010’s e!! best caf
Essential Ingredients
The River Kitchen 237 Victoria Street, HAMILTON WORDS BIANCA ANGEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIMOTHY CARTER Small in size but grand in atmosphere, this tiny café located in Hamilton’s CBD comprises a contemporary, yet a charmingly cosy ambience. High ceilings and clean white walls are seamlessly complemented by texturised tongue & groove wall cladding, original wooden floor boards and hand crafted Pine table tops. With its tasteful balance of contemporary and natural design elements, The River Kitchen is a perfect canvas for the compelling art works of Paul McKinnon. His minimal approach to art, subtly captures a slice of kiwi identity and encapsulates New Zealand’s political and cultural history. Mckinnon’s ‘Queens Chain-Seaview’ is made of salvaged and new cedar shingles and recycled house paints. This simplistic and emotive work defines fine art in New Zealand and contributes to The River Kitchen’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. The River Kitchen’s deli cabinet is an art piece itself, displaying an aesthetic array of vibrant fresh foods to match any appetite. Owners, Lisa and Brent Quarrie head the kitchen making everything on site daily. Fresh seasonal salads, gourmet pies, risotto cakes and homemade terrine are some of the delectable lunch varieties found here. For those with a sweeter tooth, there are also a wide range of devilishly good homemade sweets. From custard and date filled scones, to delicate and petite lemon curd and fresh berry tartlets. The River Kitchen offers certified free range eggs, ham and organic milk, as well as a vast variety of vegetarian and gluten free options. Everything from relishes to pasty is made by hand on site and uses only the best quality sourced ingredients, such as Valrhona cocoa and imported cheeses. This hidden gem has truly combined the essential ingredients for a top contemporary café. Customers can enjoy the best quality food and coffee while accompanied by the café’s tasteful artwork, not to mention the fabulous magazine selection. The café sound track is also fine tuned for its particular clientele with an eclectic selection of folk-rock and quality jazz that lends a sense of fervor and relaxation. It’s no surprise that The River Kitchen took home first prize for ‘Waikato cafe of The Year’ after only 8 months of trading. An award winning café that has set a standard of excellence for café culture in the Waikato.
42 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 Sharing recipes sweet and sour
PERFECT LEMONADE RECIPE easy to make! RECIPE SUZANNE MCINTYRE Serves 6. INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup) 1 cup boiling water 1 cup lemon juice 4 cups cold water (to dilute)
HOW TO MAKE 1 Place sugar and boiling water in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved completely. 2 Use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. 3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it. Serve with ice, sliced lemons.
43 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 sweet treats
MINI LEMON MUFFINS with yoghurt and lemon icing INGREDIENTS 1-¼ cups of flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 8 Tbs of butter 1-¼ cup sugar 2 eggs 4 Tbs of yoghurt 2 drops of vanilla essence Juice from 1 large lemon ICING 1 drop of vanilla essence 1 tsp. of butter 2 tsp. of lemon juice ¼ cup of icing sugar Lemon zest from one lemon
HOW TO MAKE Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture along with yoghurt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until blended and smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place paper cases into muffin tins. Spoon the batter into the cases (cases can be brought at the supermarket) and bake for about 18 minutes. While muffins are baking, make the icing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, vanilla essence and melted butter. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for about 15 minutes. When they are completely cool ice with lemon icing and finish with lemon zest. This recipe makes around 30 mini muffins. Dust with icing sugar =)
Print me
44 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 winter warmers
SHEPHERD’S PIE yummy winter food INGREDIENTS 2 brown onions chopped 3 garlic cloves 1 broccoli 2 carrots 6 button mushrooms 2 cubes of beef stock 600g mince 2 x 400g can tomatoes Salt & pepper 1 tsp. curry powder 2 tsp. sugar
HOW TO MAKE Preheat oven to 180°C. Line casserole dish with pastry sheets & prick with a fork. Cook for about 10 minutes. Put chopped onions into a pan and add garlic, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and lightly fry. Mix beef stock with 1/2 cup of water and add to pan. When the veggies are cooked add the mince and cook until brown. Then add the tomatos and sugar, season with salt, pepper and curry powder. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
POTATO TOPPING
Meanwhile cook potatoes. Drain and mash adding milk, butter, pepper, salt, herbs and cheese.
5 medium potatoes 2 tsp. butter cheese grated Salt, pepper & herbs
Add the mince and vegetables to the casserole dish, top with potato, then sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Cook in the oven for a further 2030 minutes until golden brown.
45 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 winter warmers
TUNA BAKE with cheese and herb topping! INGREDIENTS 1 tsp.of crushed garlic 1 brown onion 10 button mushrooms 1 broccoli 2 cans of chopped tomato’s 4 Tbs of tomato paste 300g spiral pasta 400g tuna 1 cup of grated cheese Salt and pepper 1 tsp of sugar
HOW TO MAKE Dice onions and fry in a large pan with crushed garlic until brown. Add chopped mushrooms and chopped broccoli and lightly fry. Once vegies are cooked add canned chopped tomatos and tomato paste to thicken. Then add the tuna sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot, once cooked add to the pan mix. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Place mixture into a casserole dish adding cheese to the top along with herbs and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes enough for 6 people, or 3 overeaters.
46 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 local lads
Click to see - Small Ep release video by indie film
EP Review – Knights of the DUB Table – Tronic EP Local lads from one of Hamilton’s favorite bands, Knights of the DUB Table first started their journey at Wintec in 2007 whilst completing their Bachelor of Media Arts, Commercial Music. PHOTOGRAPHY AND WORDS AMANDA RATCLIFFE Come 2008, the six-piece was complete and the work had begun on bringing their unique sound to the people - all while sharing a common goal - “To honor and protect the late King Tubby’s way of life, and the way of the DUB (Dedication, Unity, Brotherhood)”. Showing off their fresh tunes to a pumping crowd at the Mammoth Band Experiments in 2008, it was already apparent that it wouldn’t be long before the Knights would start turning heads and attracting attention from all over. And attract they did, gaining support slots for the likes of dDub, Katchafire, Cornerstone Roots and The Versionaries, along with performing at a string of successful dance parties and the ever popular Tribal Pride Music Festival. 2009 saw the act win the York Street Band Experiments along with the hearts of the well respected Tiki Taane and Charlie B of Optymus Gryme. Both of whom have remixed versions of radio release, Sing It To Me and the guys explain, “We’ve been stoked with how helpful Tiki and Charlie B have been eh?. It’s awesome
when people at the top of their fields are willing to help new acts. That’s what’s so good about NZ!” And what’s so good about Knights of the DUB Table is that their latest release reflects that warmth and generosity making this disc a truly glorious listen. It’s a mix of reggae, dub, and drum ‘n bass smothered with an obvious love for not only the music they create, but for the entire process that goes into producing such a tight EP as Tronic. If you like dDub and The Black Seeds, I have no doubt that you’ll be a fan of the first four tracks on this EP, titled Sing It To Me, Small, Living Care Free and Come Down – all of which have that distinct New Zealand flavor that is hard to resist. Completely fresh and delightfully mastered, these original tunes are placed in perfect order to lead up to the five remixes that follow. Tiki adds his touches first before dub-step duo Aum get into Come Down, splashing around their infamous sci-fi sounds with precision. This is followed by Optimus Gryme’s Bone Crusher Remix and Undertow’s Low End Theory Remix of Living Care Free – both of which reek with the same amount of care as the previous. It becomes pretty apparent that the Knights have some amazing people supporting them – not only by the way of name, but also their nature. Tronic is a debut EP so epic and tight that I’m left wondering how these guys can better themselves in the years to come. With huge plans on the horizon including further studio time to complete their debut album along with gaining sponsorship from Converse, I doubt that it will be long before finding out the answer. There’s no stopping these guys who seem to go from strength to strength, day to day.
47 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010
Click to Buy Tickets
MYSTERY CREEK EVENTS CENTRE HAMILTON
RHOMBUS IN DUB dDUB
The BlackSeeds Knights of the DUB Table
KATCHAFIRE 23/10/10
THE DOWNTOWN SPECIAL CREW, DJ STAYLO Bus transport available
www.shiverdown.co.nz
48 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 some poetry
Oh Ferdinand.
James Bulger’s Ballad.
Mother.
It’s long and straight It fits in great My favourite tool It’s so pleasurable Together in bed Releasing what’s in my head Today it’s blue and not so new But I don’t mind I’ll use any kind ‘Cos it takes me places And captures faces It’s under my control I make it roll Wrapped between my fingers Its imprint lingers My pen in hand I call it Ferdinand
They led him by his little hand down to the tracks, Only two to be tortured his baby brain cracked, Thirty-eight witnesses on a four k stroll, Not one intervened and the bell it did toll, Two youthful assassins with mature malice, Calculated and cruel, cold-blooded and callous, They beat and kicked and bashed him with bricks, Ten skull fractures - no quick fix, Head weighted down on the railway line, Blood on the tracks and half a spine, Severed in two by the scouser express, For two days dissected till they cleaned up the mess, Served up as fodder for the tabloid press, An abominable act that they could not redress, Child A and Child B they stood in the dock, Child C in the mortuary finally free from the shock, Two kid killers - an unspeakable crime, Toddlers on trial - there could be no hard time, Now merely pioneers in judicial precedent, A reference for lawyers, rhetoric for presidents, A lament for society – do they deserve the name? Moral decay – who is to blame? Anfield wept after he walked – not alone, Merseyside murders – no remorse shown, Eight years later and the duo are free, Rehabilitated? New identities, For Denise Bulger a lifetime of pain, Her broken little boy so sadistically slain, She can never be released she will not be free, Her son’s portrait immortalised on CCTV. Death is not the end in self pity city, Where the loveable rogues turned dirty and gritty, The Liverpool lullaby will always refrain, The question of motive will always remain, And one former hard case in words quite profound, Questioned the line parents drew on the ground, The important things are abandoned in the rush, Good examples are stifled in Hillsborough crush, This is the message they gave to their kids, They cherished objects, but people? Forbid. Their children robots that knew everything’s price, But the value of nothing; including human life.
Feeling you Kissing my face I’m wrapped In your embrace
Anonymous
By Edmund Overbeek.
While your friend dances In my hair And your daughters Sway Delighting in this Day From you I came And to you I come And we are one Me and the sun And below my feet I feel your heat And on my hair I feel your tear And in my eyes I see your skies And in your hand The fate of man By Sophie Boladeras
49 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 some poetry
Writers Block.
To ask.
Uphill and Down Dale.
On an autumn amble through Leamington, I pause to stand in a man’s field, I shake spare change and wonder… What are words worth?
Looking at life through a veil The sun heats but doesn’t burn
Numerous ales drive me off the rails, To refresh my memory I rely on second hand details that sound stale, Wish I could see without the veil. Caught in a bullet hail on the day I make bail from jail, Two masked assailant’s male, In comparison pale, To the force of this gale, To the pitch of its wail, It penetrates uphill and down dale, So disorientating I have to feel my way like Braille, These tactile tall stories full of hot air like sails. Search for the Holy Grail in the mail, Only to find a hand drawn map and it’s not to scale, With this disinformation I’m bound to fail.
by Edumund Overbeek
Vague about what life will entail Experiences are heightened when you wait your turn To not know can be beautiful But rose tinted glasses are superficial... The breeze doesn’t hit your face Or caress windswept hair You observe with distant grace And live with minimal care But to seek is to find And to know is to be aware... And to be informed Is to live and to care Questions reveal the hurtful truth But empathy can only flow When you’re in the know By Sophie Boladeras
By Edmund Overbeek.
50 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 hero’s and eggs
Film Review – Boy
What if the hero you have longed for turns out to be ... an egg? Click to see the Boy trailer
directed by Taika Waititi
WORDS SOPHIE BOLADERAS Written and directed by Taika Waititi, the film Boy is comedic yet confronting. It’s sentimental and emotive.
I didn’t need rose-coloured glasses for the all encompassing beauty of this film to bring a tear to my ducts. Unlike Boy, the title character played by James Rolleston, who through necessity and childlike innocence views his father Alamein, Taika Waititi, in a peachy reverential light. His other idol, almost as choice as his Dad, is Michael Jackson who may be more deserving of Boy’s adoration. Set in 1984, Boy is shot in Waititi’s childhood town, the small, isolated and picturesque Waihau Bay on the East Coast.
This film delves into the outwardly simplistic life of Boy. Boy is a goat loving, girl chasing, fantasy dwelling, small town Maori boy. He lives with his Nan, an assortment of stray cousins, and his younger brother, the quirky and creative Rocky, played by Te Aho Eketone-Whitu.
Nan heads away for a week to attend a funeral leaving Boy in charge of the house and its young inhabitants. Following her departure, Boys irresponsible, yet endearing father Alamein turns up out of the blue after seven years of absenteeism, of which some time was spent in prison.
Boys distorted imaginings of his father as a superstar to rival the dancing prowess of Michael Jackson, a war hero, a master carver and a deep sea treasure diver soon gain some focus. Alamein belongs to a gang of three, The Crazy Horses, who claim to represent the free spirit of the wanderer and the renegade. In reality they do shit all except smoke dope, guzzle grog and try to pull off a few criminal high-jinks with minimal success, hence Alameins stint in jail. Ultimately this is a coming-of-age story in which Boy learns some important life lessons about the power of relationships, money and truth.
Boy is the kind of film that doesn’t need sex to sell or action packed into every second scene. The honest appeal of the land and the truthfulness of the characters speak for themselves. Although dumb and dumber the other two members of the crazy horse gang were a little exaggerated for my liking. Te Aho Eketone-Whitu’s portrayal of Rocky was touching and amazing, offering an insight into the dancing imagination of a child who still believes in the magical.
For a majority of New Zealanders this film is bound to hit home and to bring tears of mirth and more to many an eye. If I were the sky and had stars to give I would give Boy 27 sparkly ones.
51 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 reads
Book Reviews BY TONY STEVENS
CAESAR BY COLLEEN MCCULLOUGH
DUNE BY FRANK HERBERT
BATMAN YEAR ONE BY FRANK MILLAR & ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI
A swords and sandal epic to rival Gladiator, Caesar is Colleen McCullough’s seminal portrayal of ancient Rome’s greatest general Julius Caesar. The story follows Julius Caesar in the prime of his career, a career that has planted him in the middle of war torn Gaul (modern France). But his enemies are not confined to the battlefield. Jealous of his military success, a rival faction in Rome is determined to see Caesar toppled. With the fifth book in the acclaimed Masters of Rome series, McCullough is not content to weave a masterful narrative around Caesar, but uses his exploits as a platform to explore the fascinating society that was ancient Rome. The research poured into this book is mind-boggling. One can easily make the mistake of accepting the book as factual and would probably be forgiven for it. Caesar fuses historical accuracy with a driven narrative that challenges the reader’s view of what it means to achieve.
Dune is one of the greatest works of science fiction ever written. For those who have seen the David Lynch’s screen adaptation but have not read the book you owe it yourselves to grab a copy. Readers are thrust into an interstellar battle for control over the most precious resource in the universe – the spice melange, which makes space travel possible and prolongs life. The main character Paul Atreides rules House Atreides, one of the factions vying for control over the planet Arrakis, the home of the spice. Paul must contend with the amoral House Harkonnen, the native warrior-tribes of Arrakis and the murder of his father to realise his destiny on Arrakis. Characters like Paul are amazing creations but the true star of Dune is the setting of the story, the planet Arrakis. Frank Herbert’s imagination rivals that of J.R.R Tolkien for the sheer scale of the universe in which Arrakis exists. He has created a living breathing world that sucks the reader into it and challenges the mind while it dazzles with its engrossing narrative.
Batman: Year One is a superstar comic book. It is Frank Miller’s interpretation of The Dark Knight’s debut year as the defender of Gotham City. This comic is a certifiable classic and any self-respecting Batman or comic book fan needs to read this. More than once. The writer of 300 and Ronin does a superb job of capturing the motivations behind Bruce Wayne’s decision to declare war on Gotham’s criminal fraternity. The story follows Bruce Wayne’s first attempts to tackle crime, his inspiration for the Batman concept, and his partnerships with District Attorney Harvey Dent and future Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. Year One also delivers an excellent portrayal of Batman’s chief ally Jim Gordon. Gordon’s character plays a large role in the story with his background operating as a parallel narrative to Bruce Wayne’s. The art is very noir but the bleak shades of black and grey do an excellent job of highlighting the grittiness of Gotham city and the shadows Batman likes to inhabit. Simply put, this is a must read. Do it. Do it now.
52 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 pinboard
Art News
The New Friends Trust is proud to present: Wiki Art Experiment, Explore, Experience. 1 Event 2 Weeks 5 Exhibitions 30th July - 14th August 2010 557 Victoria St Hamilton Wiki Art will be showcasing 25 established and up and coming artists from the Waikato. Each artist has been encouraged to push the boundaries, creating a dynamic over view of art practices that are taking place in the region today. Wiki Art is an exciting event that is fun, fresh and innovative. Wiki Art is a meeting place that aims to energise, inspire and challenge people’s ideas on fine art creating a platform for open discussion. Each exhibition will last 2-3 days and will hold an eclectic array of work. The five exhibitions include: Performance: 30th July 5:30 opening Painting: 2nd August 5:30 opening Video Installation: 5th August 5:30 opening Poetry / Written Word / Spoken Word: 10th August 5:30 opening Installation: 12th August 5:30 opening. This event is supported by the Creative Communities Scheme. Click to see Wiki Art Website
T i m  C a r t e r P h o t o g r a p h y t i m c a r t e r _ 6 2 @ h o t m a i l . c o m 0 2 7 3 6 0 2 6 9 0
facebook.com/NatConArtAward
twitter.com/NatConArtAward
53 RiffRaff: Issue #01 2010 coming next next issue
THANK YOU FOR READING THIS E-MAGAZINE The next issue of Riff Raff is only a little while away featuring tips on how to flat sustainably in Hamilton, as well as what Wintec Media Art graduates are up to now. So keep a look out. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? If you have any project or article ideas for Riff Raff, please email riff_raff@live.com. We are interested in what people of Hamilton have to share, say and do!