ABSURD VOL.IV SPRING 2017 Dollhouse Productions Lucia Marti Triathalon Lavender Mist Karianne Stanton Tre Knight
GENERATION YUNGR
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CONTENTS
spreads WAS IST DADA CHILDS PLAY: Lucia Marti
monthly EDITORS LETTER CONTRIBUTORS ABSURD APPROVED ABSURDITIES
MODERN YUPPIES #RATCHET YUNG LUV TEA PARTY
features HOW SOON IS NOW?
HOW TO BE A NORMAL ART STUDENT ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM TRIATHALON THE BAND DOLLHOUSE PRODUCTIONS BOY CRUSH LAVENDER MIST
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ABSURD Editor @ Large Karina Tong Creative Director Maggie Hoyle Design Director Sidney Ruebensaal Art Director Shelby Moore Fashion Director Emma Santulli Production Director Ines Aldana Models Angel Flores Nina Nahitchevansky Aubrey Skies Andrea Madrid Emma Craft Cathy Nguyen Rain Xie Yuchen Ines Aldana Savannah Rose Visser Yanivrka Pedroza Kai Blackmon Lance McDougal
Masthead
Features Peter Mavrogeorgis Blake Olmstead-Mavrogeorgis Adam Intrator Tre Knight Ethan Russ Lucia Marti Carson Ferguson Contributors Clay Ehmke Jonathan Hanneman Matthew Conzelman Gabriel Aldana Thomas A. Mizelle Brooks Tompkins Maeve Kroeger Mia Lee Photographers Jack Geshel Madeline Thomas Katie Walker Mia Celeste Lee Ana G. Santoni Special Thanks Civvies on Broughton issuu Konfidential Dance Team Dollhouse Productions Triathalon Anthony Miller
EDITOR’S LETTER
Youth is not a point on a timeline, but a state of mind and being that gives way to the realm of freedom. There ceases to be a beginning and an end, but rather a blend of ideas that open our hearts and minds to a place where the embrace of ‘timeless’ triumphs above all else. One is not limited to the confines of a title given by third parties. Inside you’ll find a blend of the amazing, the daring, and the liberated. It is rather hypocritical how society often encourages people to be “young in spirit” but as soon as a ray of said youth shines through, that same society is the first one to shut it down. A woman in her 50s walking down the street wearing a red sequin dress and a badass leather jacket is told to “dress her age”. A high school teen who spends hours submerged in his comic books is mocked for being “childish”. A man in his 40s fulfilling his life long dream of purchasing a Harley is said to be going through a mid-life crisis. Is that woman obligated to abide by a dress code because her biological age mandates her to do so? Does that wide-smiled 40-year-old man speeding through the highway on his bike, rocking his helmet, look like he is going through any sort of crisis? Hell no. We have dedicated this first issue of ABSURD to celebrating the rebellious, the childish, and those too stubborn to grow up. From first-account stories of individuals who lived through the grunge era to a young woman who aims to be president in order to change the traditional idea of what politics should be, we wanted to provide a small window to the world of those who do not surrender to the passing of time. We hope you enjoy this first issue, and hope above all else that we leave an impact on you that inspires a push into a more open life, stimulated by the youth we often suppress. Hold on to it. Embrace it. Karina Tong Editor-in-Chief
CONTRIBUTORS BROOKS TOMPKINS Brooks Tompkins, famously known for his hair being just long enough to form an unwanted middle part, lives in Savannah, Georgia. He is currently in the Ardsley Park Residency program which allows him to have the unique opportunity to share an apartment and cool things like milk with four other roommates. Outside of his successes in writing, he was also the freshman class president for his high school class of 32 young adults.
MAEVE KROEGER Is a writer and activist from Cleveland, Ohio. Her passion for zines, feminism, and a general fighting for justice fuel her writing and her work. Maeve is an honest individual but somehow still manages to be quite the enigma! Her personality is the perfect brew for what she is: a talented creative overflowing with passion and love. To read her work, visit her site: postcardsfromcleveland.wordpress.com/
CLAY EHMKE This Savannian is truly a special one. He currently works as a barista but will soon open the best vegan restaraunt mankind has to offer. He has a massive crush on ‘Mothers’ singer Kristine Leschper and is kinda shy about it. He also has a cool tattoo of pad thai on his arm. Love you Clay!
THOMAS MIZELLE Otherwise known as ThomCat, lives in Savannah Georgia and really loves pineapples. In fact, he just had a pineapple themed birthday party. Happy birthday Thom! He’s one of the most giving humans you’ll ever meet and knows how to throw a good party.
CONTRIBUTORS JONATHAN HANNEMAN Nebraska born & bred, this Cornhusker fan graduated in 2012 with a degree in Business Administation. He moved to Georgia in 2013 following a love interest and hasn’t looked back since. His hobbies include home brewed beer, video games and ocassionally taking road trips around the US. He currently resides in Savannah with is girlfriend and two cats, Icarus & Kit Vonnegut.
GABRIEL ALDANA Born in the land of the eternal spring, Guatemala City, Gabriel Aldana decided to take his studies abroad to land of the Aggies. In 2016 he graduated with the title of Industrial in Systems Engineering at Texas A&M. Now, with his non-stop desire of learning, he’s currently attending Georgetown University to acquire a Certificate of Strategy and Performance Management.
MATTHEW CONZELMAN Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, this SCAD student is currently studying Post Production Sound & Sound Effects Editing. This dude is one of the most dedicated, honest, loyal & creative individuals you’ll meet according to his LinkedIn & I’ve got to agree. He loves Twin Peaks and currently works as a barista at the local coffee joint.
MIA LEE Is a New Jersey-born photography student at the Savannah College of Arts and Design. Her favorite thing in the world is Charlie, her baby Australian shepherd which she walks religiously. Mia, a selfproclaimed “snack enthusiast”, wears a fanny pack on a daily basis is is rarely seen without a hat in public. Other interest of hers include poetry and graphic design, which she is minoring in.
ABSURD APPROVED DOPE SHIT WE LOVE & THINK YOU SHOULD TOO
MUSIC // ‘Flying Microbial Banana’ King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
FILM // Personal Shopper
Twenty-seven-year-old Maureen Cartwright (Kristen Stewart) moves to Paris for one reason: to make contact with her twin brother Lewis, who died of a heart disease in a villa in France. Maureen suffers from the same disease, so the siblings made a pact that whoever died first would attempt to contact the other from the after life. In Paris Maureen takes a job (which she highly dislikes) as a personal shopper for a celebrity. The film is a mix intimacy, sexuality, and the supernatural. A ghost story mashed together with an erotic thriller. Oddly enough, the film seems to have no real focus on any of the subjects in it. There is no special attention to the exquisite garments, the scenery, Lewis’ ghost, or even Maureen. It’s as if the camera is simply a spectator in the events unfolding in front of it. Director Oliver Assayas won the prize for Best Director at last year’s Cannes festival for this film. Worth the watch.
Aussie band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard came out with their 9th studio album this past February & I couldn’t wait to dive into their array of psychedelic riffs and unconventional lyrics. At the 30 second mark of track “Nuclear Fusion”, the guitar kicks in with what could only be one of the best fantasy catwalk songs ever, strut worthy of Gigi or Kendall at Alexander McQueen foRsure. In its entirety, the album evokes a sense of middle eastern flair dipped into late 60’s rock & roll.
ART // @pollynor
The subject of Polly’s work is all about women and their demons and insecurities. She goes about this with a satirical tone which creates very relatable art work. Women are faced with their insecurities in a way that seems more easily accepted. Polly’s artwork captures average women, doing everyday, vulnerable things in the confines of a room with a devilish figure lurking in the background and sometimes directly interacting with the women. This highlights the idea of becoming comfortable with our bodies and our insecurities no matter how people may bash it, with a focus on the female body and sexuality.
BOOK // ‘One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter’ Scaachi Koul
Through a collection of essay, the Canadian author describes her experience as the daughter of Indian immigrant parents as she tries to find her way in a “country made of ice and casual racism”. Though funny and full of wit on the surface, Koul actually tackles some pretty serious themes such as sexual assault, race, and gender dynamics. It sticks strictly to narrative with not a lot of space spent on the author’s personal reflections. While at first that might be perceived as a lack in substance, it is pleasant to feel like you are given the opportunity to create your own reflection without the author’s influence. Refreshing. Easy to read. Not nearly as grim as the title suggests.
ABSURD APPROVED HOME // First Time Plant Buyer
FASHION // @avanope
I’ve never owned plants before last month, but this is what I know so far. Do buy a rubber plant. They do great in low light areas and require little watering, particularly with how humid it is here in Savannah, GA. Don’t buy ferns. Especially if you have a hangry devil of a kitten who eats any plant that isn’t huge and waxy. They require constant watering and seem to be sensitive to lower lighting conditions. RIP Fern Gully, she lived a whole four days in my house before becoming a kitty treat.
In our logo and brand obsessed world, one artist is making her mark on the consumer world with her cutting edge, bootleg designs. Ava Nirui is an artist, writer, and most importantly, a provocateur. Her goal? To make consumers uncomfortable. She does this by taking iconic high-end fashion logos and mixes them with sportswear logos. Ava will also take these bootleg designs and place them on ordinary objects, bringing them to a new life. The result creates a desirable tension between worlds, one that makes people BOOK // The Crucible stop and and most of all, envy. Up until recently, I was long overdue for a reread of Arthur Miller’s legendary play The Crucible. After finally settling down to refamiliarize myself with it, I can attest that it still retains its relevance and greatness. I highly recommend taking a read of it yourself, particularly the version that includes an introduction by Christopher Bigsby; Bigsby helps set the tone for the novel by detailing the story and 1950’s MUSIC // Gorillaz “HUMANZ” McCarthyism. I’ll always recommend Gorillaz to anyone who asks; they’re my favorite band, after all. (Sorry, Depeche Mode!) However, I highly recommend their most recent album, Humanz, which dropped on April 28th this year. It’s a sinister-sounding body of work with a political twist - and it has plenty of collaborators to boast, Grace Jones being one of them. How could it get any better?
BODY & SOUL // @inesaldana
Yoga. Meditation. A good night’s sleep. You know all these things are good for you (even if you don’t always incorporate them into your daily routine). A vital addition to that list is TRAVEL, which offers a host of health benefits to your mind, body, and soul. Anybody who has traveled outside his or her comfort zone can attest to the excitement that comes from being in a new environment. As research has shown, travel is not only exciting; it also offers the following six health benefits.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Promotes Heart Health Enhances Creativity Keeps Your Mind Sharp Shifts Perspective Relieves Stress and Boosts Mental Health Increases Connection To Other (cultures) and Self
ABSURD APPROVED T.V. // Cable Girls
FOOD // herbs..
I have very fluctuating herb phases. Last year as I began to cook in my first ever home I began to realize the potential of a leaf that goes by the name of mint. You could find me in the kitchen throwing that shit on steak, tacos, smoothies, and all things rum. After mint came cilantro but personally this herb is a little bit more basic so that phase started and ended pretty quickly(but on good terms still of course, shouts out to my favorite ingredient in a blueberry watermelon gazpacho.) My newest herb addiction is Dill. It’s a beautiful looking herb, really. It’s my favorite so far and I add it in hummus more than anything. Incorporating dill into a light and savory yogurt snack with grilled zucchinis and shrimp is definitely refreshing and a half.
PEOPLE // Chef Goldblum
This Netflix drama offers the aesthetic of a period piece while keeping its feet planted firmly in the daily challenges facing women today. The flapper dresses may be prominent, as well as the vermouth, but there is an all-too-familiar feeling of helplessness, of trying to move beyond traditional expectations of marriage, children, and home. The new title lacks feminist agency (when will we stop calling women “girls”), but the characters still speak for the struggle for independence outside of those traditional and domestic expectations. However, it is clear the mounting pressures of expectations cross both cultural and liminal spaces, manifesting themselves into new pressures that face women today. Despite its historical backdrop, the first episode of Cable Girls asks the age-old question: can women have it all? And what obstacles will they face as they seek out new opportunities?
ART // Shoe-Shi @onigiriart
Sushi has lots of texture and color variety within it compared to most food which makes the construction possibilities endless and approachable. Yujia Hu’s creations are highly creative sculptures that can surely attest to that statement. Yujia Hu is a Milan based chinese dude who, by day, works at a rather traditional sushi restaurant called Sakana Sushi. By night he still sticks to the same medium but adds in his own personal flare. Hu is a big fan of sneakers. He enjoys becoming very familiar with the details that make up some of his favorite fashion pieces by shaping them out of different pieces of sashimi. His “shoe-shi” lineup consists of Nike high tops, Air Jordans, Vans, and sneakers from the Supreme x Nike Air More Uptempo Collection. If your a sneaker head who loves sushi you should have checked him out
I’m never not talking about Jeff Goldblum, but in this instance you can hardly blame me. Apparently, just after he announced he’d be reprising his character Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World II, Goldblum appeared selling sausages out of a food truck in Australia. The truck was called Chef Goldblum, and when asked why he was doing this, he offered zero explanation. Explanation or not, a food truck where you’re sold sausages by the Jeff Goldblum is definitely ABSURD, and definitely approved.
Absurdities
Text by Gabriel Aldana Photo via Wikipedia
Referred to it as the epitome of stream-of-consciousness novel, ‘Hopscotch’ has transformed self-expression completely. In this novel Julio Cortázar transmits his viewpoint of life and love through the eyes of a Latin-American immigrant. The setting: Paris at first, and Argentina after, serve as the canvas to convey the desperate feelings of Horacio Oliveira as he searches for the meaning of love in the most intriguing places. The impact a girl, “his Maga” has in this character after crossing paths in the chaotic environment shapes the story in a remarkable way. What is love? This unanswerable question is born in this story; a question that leads the author to embrace his nomadic existence in this world drifting from girl to girl, love to love, and destiny to destiny. Horacio’s vague fate is decorated in a prose like form with slang and metaphors. Is love a girl? A kiss? A simple sigh of the elder lady sitting across the table of a Café in 1960? Whether you believe in love, or the pure existence of that personal attraction between two bodies, human or metaphorical, this novel is going to break every paradigm you had previously created.
Absurdities
Text by Matthew Conzelman Photo via @rightternes
From across the sea to the west, or across the sea to the east, receiving post from countries like Japan, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany to name a few, has become rather usual for me. I am a crate digger, a connoisseur, a collector. Vinyl records mean more to me than just a piece of wax/art to support my favorite band. “Digging� is my form of release. Rarely do I now walk into a record store looking for something specific. The idea of the unknown and discovery is what makes flipping through the years of history so exhilarating and exciting.
Absurdities
Text by Clay Ehmke Photo via Mothers “Big Thief”
Not to kill the vibe, but... Lately, I’ve been into a lot of sad music. Some of it falls into the, as expected, genre of emo and some doesn’t really but it truly is depressing. Hello Shark, Told Slant, Soccer Mommy, Julien Baker, Elvis Depressedly, Keaton Henson, Mothers, Texas Is The Reason and of course the masters of sad songs, Bright Eyes and Elliot Smith are just a few examples. Sometimes it is the sound itself that evokes a feeling of nostalgia, longing or regret whereas other times the instrumentation itself can be bright and cheerful [i.e. Dream Pop] but the words really are a drag. For most, this music has a time and place in their life. For me the time is now and the place is here. I can’t really listen to much on the radio anymore. Sad songs can be validating & cathartic and I am grateful for their place in my life. https://open.spotify.com/album/2KQZTDp3njE2EhpPtK8DIX
Absurdities
Text by Jon Hanneman Photo via Pitchfork
Josh Dibb aka ‘Deakin’ of Baltimore band Animal Collective, fame released his first solo album Sleep Cycle in 2016. For an album that has been out for over a year, I find myself crawling back to listen to it over and over again. To say this album strikes a chord with me is a bit of an understatement, it scratches the itch of Animal Collective while being something wholly new and beautiful. Sleep Cycle, to me, is an album of selfdoubt, overcoming fear and the ultimate internal growth that follows. It truly is a summation of the human element. This album was one of my favorites of last year, highlighted by the songs Seed House and Good House in order, is a perfect end to the album. “By my hands or with fire / I’ll be cleaning black temples that I’d built in defense / my polishing shines I find.”
HOW SOON IS NOW?
a first hand look into the 80s punk scene
The lift is one of those special places that can never be recreated no matter how hard someone tries, Its no studio 54 or BCBG, but it was something special in the late 80’s punk scene that was Cleveland. The Aqualong ( or “the lift” as we all knew it) was aptly named for the industrial lift, or elevator, that you had to take to access the bar which was on the upper floor. It was in an old non descript manufacturing building in a rather non descript and rather grungy part of the flats in Cleveland. You had to know it was there or you would drive by. Which was much to the point. No posers allowed. The only guidepost if you wanted to attempt entry was a solitary bouncer and a movie theaterr style line marker (word) and a line of all black, combat boot wearing, mohawk sporting, vintage clad dudes and chicks. The bouncer was your ticket to the lift and punk heaven. You had to stand in line and essentially be judged by the lone bouncer. Most clubs he’s there to check IDs. This club, he’s checking your punk pedigree. So much for the fringe of antisocial conformity accepting all interested in participating! There were so many factions within the punk movement and posers were always trying to infultrate the system so the bouncer assured the aesthetic was met and any mall hair or jocks or preps were cut short and sent home. Some punks were fighters and instigators and those needed to be culled early. Moshpits werent the norm de riguer and that was his job to send them home packing. A random band reference usually weeded out the weak ones. We had a strong music scene in Cleveland and the underground bands were proliferate. If you knew the names you knew they were dedicated .If they didn’t they probably actually listened to Bobby Brown and went to the Beachclub.
I was underage at the time but had a horribly manufactured ID that usually got me close to the door if not in altogether at most bars. But this was no ordinary bar. The bouncer would check IDS but also ask a few questions and give the up and down which was almost more important than being of age. Sometimes the line went quickly and sometimes you just stood, craning your neck around the line to see if anybody had been given entry and move the line up. If for some reason he liked you or your look he would pull you out of line and escort you to the front.. I was a lucky one, and I owe it all to my leather jacket. At some point I had purchased an authentic biker jacket. Costly, but so worth it. Few people had them and I was always envious of the ones that wore them. It completed “the look� and said you were all in. It was way too big for me, which was the style, and I personalized it with paintings of the cramps and the cures albums... a sex pistols and dead kennedys sticker and some keychains people gave me along the way finished the jacket. That was my in. I stood in line with everyone else and the bouncer struck up a conversation with me about the paintings on my jacket. I told him I did them myself and we started talking art blah blah blah and before you knew it he had snagged me out of line and escorted my girlfriend and i to the door. I think my love of VIP treatment stems from this.
All you could smell when I took the first step inside was dirt and grease as only old industrial manufacturing buildings can. The lift was manned and you had to wait to be let on. It probably only held ten or so at a time, and the hold itself was bare bones. The ride was a little unnerving. Jerky and claustrophobic, but what awaited once the elevator stopped and the door opened made it all worth the assault on the senses.. It isn’t like any club I’ve been in since, and I’ve done my fair share of drinking and dancing. It was so ahead of its time in that the grungy aesthetic and minimal decor allowed the people to be the spectacle and center of attention. Each time the lift arrived it ushered in a new set of people that were adding to the aura and feel of the night. They’d made it through the gauntlet. The bar itself was really nothing to look at...a large room with high cielings, two story industrial caged windows and maybe a few tables or couches but the piece de resistance was the large lighted bar at the back wall. The bar itself was plexiglass or glass block and was lit within and gave everybody standing behind or in front a sinister glow. You could feel the pulse of the room as the lift went up and when you stepped out into the room it engulfed you like stepping into a beating heart. There is nothing like that feeling in the world.
Huddling seemed to be the norm at the lift and I dont remember “conversation areas” and there were no VIP rooms with bottle service lol. It was bare bones and we liked it that way. The music was phenomenal and you could hear all the music that embodied being punk. We didnt have spotify, pandora or itunes and the only stations that played our music were local college stations and they were relegated to playing it in the wee hours of the morning or on the weekends. Record Rev was one of the only shops that carried our records, 7’s and cassette tapes of all the bands, so having it all played at one place was amazing. I was into a lot of the music genres that made up punk so I liked most everything they played but few songs got me on the floor. I think it must have been the same for everyone else because when How Soon Is Now by the Smiths came on the only people left standing on the fringe were those that were too stoned to move or they were deep into someone trying to get lucky . I still blast that song no matter where i am. Both my kids know all the words and probably knew them before they knew the wheels on the bus haha. when that meant you may be denied a job and people still looked at you like you had ten heads and were a loser...we danced because for the 5 minutes Morrissiey lamented the trappings of shyness, it made us all feel ok. We were all the same and we did fit in, if only for the time we spent at the lift, and there on the floor. I had never felt so apart of something.
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How to be a Normal Art Student Short Story by Brooks Tompkins First, pick a path: Fashion or Pokemon. This will decide everything. This will decide your friends, where you will work, even the thing you will marry and how your littler things (children or cats) will be laughed at. Pick 3 things you want to study. You don’t do them, but you always bring up how you “would like to do them.” You call them “hobbies.” You don’t start studying those things until you are about to graduate in a field that did not make the top 3. You are called a “very normal-looking straight white boy” and make it your life goal to never be called that again. You make something “your thing”. Perhaps it’s playing that soccer game Fifa. Perhaps it’s being known as the “pizza guy” because you are “allllways chomping on some ‘za.” Perhaps it’s allllways wearing sweatpants to class, or dressing as a woman on a full moon. You decide that “your thing” is talking about how crazy you were in high school two months ago and don’t leave your thing until something really bad happens like a family member dies or you switch your major. You try to learn how to draw. You buy minimal art stuff and do minimal art things. When asked to do the art things, you draw shapes and circles and call it an “abstract horse” or something, and sneak in how your friend might have cancer. You make it a joke. It is not a funny joke, but you make sure your professor knows that you too can get “emotional”.
You try to be who you were in high school, except older and you have new hair. You establish why life is hard. You become an asshole. This does not have to last long, but it does. You unleash the badassest part of you like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. You are labeled as “spontaneous,” “unpredictable,” and “dangerous.” You look and sound like a guy who would make a great “project boyfriend.” You go to your first party and you’re remembered as that “guy who looks like Orlando Bloom.” You say you get that a lot but you disagree. Then you get stuck in an unbreakable circle of people and spin around quickly as you hear faint whispers of “he does look like Orlando Bloom,” “he is so normal looking,” and “I am not growing my armpits out anymore.” You talk to the girl who doesn’t want her armpit hair anymore. You say you are having fun. Say you are living it up. Say “I just don’t know anymore” as you are throwing up pizza and silver rum solely through your nose on armpit girl’s dorm room floor as she is shaving. You start crying and search for a hug. It doesn’t matter who tries to hug you first, armpit girl or her quiet roommate that always wears a pikachu beanie, whoever it is will be the one that truly loves you and you must primitively tongue her. When both of them quickly say “I’m tired, goodnight” you shrug your shoulders like a dumb husband in a 90’s sitcom, like Tim Allen or something, walk through your throw up and leave.
You find a girlfriend. Make sure she is interesting, almost lesbian. You get your septum pierced, or a tattoo on your knuckles. If you were to do both, you would do it right before you get new girlfriend. New girlfriend starts with short hair. You say you like it and grow your hair out, because that is what she likes. You say “cute” a lot more than you use to and now you are on the right track of a normal healthy relationship. But you decide that you don’t like the parameters of a normal healthy relationship, and go rogue. In rogue phase, you go to the bars. You smoke the cigarettes, and get to the point where you smoke the cigarettes by yourself. Once there, you see cute girls walk by and toss your cigarette like a hat after work. Acting like a Jet in West Side Story, you lean over and side-step behind the cute girls while snapping your fingers and laughing like a hyena. When the girls walk faster say, “what? You didn’t like it? Release your inhibitions and feel the rain on your skin! No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in!” And never see those cute girls again until one of them is in your speech class and you say “sup.”
Establish you are still in rogue phase. You let everyone know it. You drink beer in dorm room. Smoke weed in dorm room, and tell everyone how awesome as shit your dorm room is. You leave a party without telling anyone, so you can establish the state of your life as you walk and pee on some flowers in a park. You get cold and scared you are going to get mugged, and after day one of the rogue phase, you decide that riding a scooter is your new thing. Your parents tell you to pay off the rest of your loans. You consider being a pastor with a “craazzzy past”. You consider why you are paying for school now. Perhaps this was because they saw a C on your report card. Perhaps because they would rather have a hungry goat than an artsy son. Perhaps it’s because you have a septum ring. Perhaps because someone told your parents they saw you pissing on flowers. You take septum ring out and watch sports.
W A S I S T DADA
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Elephant in the Room BY: KARIANNE STANTON
There was no better place for an aspiring politician to be than in Cleveland. Ohio was considered one of the key battleground states for candidates to win this past term, in addition to its continued status as a swing state. Understandably, its importance drew all the presidential hopefuls; Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump all frequented the Cleveland area leading up to the polls. It was natural that fledgling politicians flocked to the city and its events in hopes of expanding their political portfolio - even more so for the young students dreaming of the presidency themself.
S: Why did you decide to go into politics? I know you have a theater background and that was the initial thing you were interested in doing. K: Mostly it came down to the fact that, looking at current leadership both on the local and federal level, I see a lot of people that I care about being hurt by policies that are being enacted. So I feel like it’s my responsibility and my duty to change things for them. I’ve always been the type of person that wants to be an advocate for other people, and so I want to dedicate my life to making this country, local and federal, work for people I care about.
One such individual was Cleveland State student Karianne Stanton. Stanton, a Cleveland native, used this amazing opportunity in her hometown to her advantage. Along with working diligently on the Clinton campaign, she had the opportunity of a lifetime to meet with an array of politicians and attend rallies occurring en masse around her. She has already considered running for office and, now a year out from receiving her undergraduate degree in political science, it could very well soon become a reality. Stanton is a naturally vivacious, unique individual - a perfect brew for a prospetive politician. She has a distinctive, curly red mane of hair that’s always cause for commentary. She’s very extroverted; it’s unsurprising to learn that her previous major was in performing arts. And giggly though she may be, Karianne gets quickly serious about topics like feminism and the future of our government. Naturally, she was the ideal candidate - pun intended- to sit down with and chat.
S: Good answer! That’s the answer of a politician, right there. K: Absolutely. (laughs)
With seven-hundred-odd miles between us, I sat down with Stanton over the phone to discuss her political prospects, our mutual hometown, and the future of a post-Trump America.
S: How does your experience in theater impact how you deal with politics, and how you manage in your studies? K: It definitely helps to have a theate background in speaking, as you can imagine. The greatest tactic I have learned has been, in particularly difficult debate situations, using that training to keep my composure when things go awry or don’t go in my favor. That’s a really important skill for politicians to have. S: You’re openly bi. Is this going to be a big thing when you start running? You’re a big advocate for LGBTQA+ rights. Do you think that it impacts you substantially? K: At the beginning, when I was just starting to think about political aspirations, I decided that I would never hide that part of myself. If it deters some people - fine. The people that would be behind me anyway would still be behind me. I figured they’d appreciate my honesty more than shrouding things in mystery. That was a major decision for me....My main goal, obviously, is president one day. But if they would not be okay with who I am, I’d be willing to give up that office for a lower one if it means being true to who I am. If I’m dating a female at the time, I’d much rather choose to live in my truth than ignore that and find success through a lie, and shove that part of me away.
S: So what was it like working for Hillary Clinton’s campaign? K: As someone wanting to go into politics, it was a life-changing experience. Every person I think, in every field, dreams of getting that up-close-and-personal, handson experience... It’s going to sound biased, but a lot of it was because we do live in a state like Ohio. S: We both attended the same allgirls high school. Do you think that impacted you in any way, with politics or service in general? K: The main focus of my political agenda - if I’m qualified enough to have a political agenda, that is - is the rights of women, one-hundred percent... I was around girls every day that weren’t as privileged as I was. Hearing their experiences, and immersing myself in that culture, definitely impacted what I wanted to do. S: I wanted to ask what important figures and politicians you met and what interactions you’ve had with them during campaigning. I know you said you met Bill Clinton and he talked about your hair (laughs) K: (laughs) Yeah, that was fun. Honestly, the most substantial conversation that I had was Elizabeth Warren, who is great - she’s incredible. She spoke here at Cleveland State toward the end of the election season… We talked about how I want to run for office someday, and she gave me words of encouragement. She told me I seem like “a tenacious young lady that could get some real stuff done.” So…That nearly knocked me off my feet… I have this sign in my room, it has [Hillary Clinton’s ‘H’ logo] in a heart and she wrote me a note. “We need you Karianne! Love, Elizabeth Warren.” It was probably my favorite during the campaign... It’s hard to pick out specific conversations because every conversation that I had meant something… Every conversation I had seemed to have a little nugget of wisdom in it. S: Cleveland, and Ohio just as a whole, had a huge role in this election. K: Oh, yes. It’s funny... Cleveland saw presidential candidates more than six or seven states combined during the entire campaign. There was a candidate here, up until the election, two or three times a week leading up.
S: How do you feel about Trump already campaigning for the 2020 election? He’s already doing campaign rallies. It’s almost - I don’t want to use the word, but it’s almost masturbatory. K: It’s a strategy that other presidents have employed as well - no matter what office you’re in, you’re always fighting for the next one. And so, they use that honeymoon period of the first 100 days to say, you know, “Oh, I’m here now, but if you like what I do the next few years, elect me here!” Like you said, though, it’s too much coming from Trump. If he spent more time getting comprehensive things done, instead of golfing or talking about his next election, we’d be in a different place right now. S: What made you decide to possibly run for office next term? K: I thought it would be a goodthing to do. (laughs) It would be at a time when I’m just graduating college, during a half-year gap. However, it’s kind of up in the air right now. I don’t want to necessarily say “yes or “no” in regards to whether or not I’ll be running. It depends whether I’m taking the LSAT this coming year. If I were to get a scholarship to law school, I’d go straight out of undergrad.
S: What made you decide to possibly run for office next term? K: I thought it would be a good thing to do. (laughs) It would be at a time when I’m just graduating college, during a half-year gap. However, it’s kind of up in the air right now. I don’t want to necessarily say “yes or “no” in regards to whether or not I’ll be running. It depends whether I’m taking the LSAT this coming year. If I were to get a scholarship to law school, I’d go straight out of undergrad. S: What district will you be running for if you end up running? K: District 16 in Ohio, if I’m not mistaken. That’s exactly where I worked for the Hillary campaign. I got to be really close with those communities, particularly with the Democratic collisions in those communities. It would be a very opportune time for me to run. We’ll see what happens!
CHILD’S P L AY
LUCIA MARTI
Jewelry & Accessory Designer Interviewed by Karina Tong
So Lucia, what is it that got you started in jewelry design? Have you always been passionate about it? Probably my mom has been my biggest influence. Whenever we went to the mall when I was little, she would always go into the stores and instead of buying anything she would ask about every product. Every detail. Later on when I was in high school I would always ask myself “what am I going to do for the rest f my life?”. I knew I loved jewelry and I knew I had an artistic side I wanted to embrace. So the summer between 11th and 12th grade I decided to go to a three-week program at RISD, which is another art school. I loved it, I learned all the basics of jewelry there. I think jewelry I also something that is innate in women. We love to accessorize. And personally I love clothes, but I would much rather splurge in jewelry than in a nice dress. Clothing goes out of style but jewelry lasts forever. I love that part about it. So what made you pick SCAD over RISD? You seem to have had an amazing experience. I didn’t really go because it wasn’t the vibe for me. It was very artistic and so incredible, but at the same time it was little bit more depressing. I decided to come to SCAD after I did more research on other schools. Aside from like being in Savannah with the warm weather, SCAD also has the biggest jewelry facilities in America, literally the biggest. Since then I’ve been in love with jewelry and I’ve made it my career.
Okay, so before you said your mom was a big influence on you and she was pretty much the one that got you started on the path of fashion. Is there anyone else who has influenced you in a similar way? Like a designer or a fellow student?
Yes! Carmela! She was whom I did my first collaboration with. She was the first person to truly believe in me. I was just a freshman when I collaborated with her for her senior collection. It was an amazing experience and we became extremely close. She is now a mix of a big sister/ mentor. Her full name is Carmela Osorio Lugo. Did you guys know each other from before? Or did she just happen to see your work and became really interested in it? We met at an Oscar de la Renta event a few years back during my freshman year. We had a mutual friend and we all went out for dinner later. I met her there. I was wearing one of my pieces and she just noticed and loved it. Asked me where I got it. I was like ‘thank you so much! I made it!’. After that she told me I just had to collaborate with her. That’s how it all started. She didn’t even know me! She just loved my work. I appreciate her so much because I never thought that during my freshman year I would be able to get so far with my own work.
So I can see that your collaboration with Carmela really made a mark on you. Where there any other moments, like an event or an award, that made you feel specially accomplished and proud of your work as a designer? Definitely when I got the chance to go to Panama Fashion Week. It was the Mercedes Benz fashion week in Panama. That was unbelievable. So basically after Carmela got chance to show her work at the SCAD fashion show she got a lot of recognition from that. Teen vogue, WGSN, Fashionista.com, a lot of website like that had pictures of our work. That was extremely exciting. Later in September we went to the Panama Fashion Week. Carmela invited me to go with her, but I never thought I actually would. Thank God my parents said yes! That’s so exciting! Have you ever thought of trying your hand in apparel? Or are you 100% sure accessories and jewelry are what you want to dedicate yourself to? I love apparel and I love clothes, but I feel that since I did major in jewelry and I have a minor in accessories I think that those fields are my niche and where I want to be. At least for now. In the future it would be amazing if I get to dabble into apparel, but not for now. I am super invested in what I’m doing right now. So what are your plans after graduation? Do you have any idea where you want to go or someone you would like to work with? To be honest, right after graduation I would work under someone else just to get a real feel of what a designer does on a day to day basis and start observing every bit of what I can. Hopefully, maybe New York or Los Angeles? I know those arethe biggest accessories and jewelry capitals. As for designers I like, they are mostly Latin American. Right now I am obsessed with a Colombian designer called Paula Mendoza. There is also a Puerto Rican designer that I would love to work with. Hopefully by graduation they will have a job for me, but we will
Savannah based band Triathalon formed in 2011 and consists of Adam Intrator (guitar/lead vocals), Hunter Jayne (guitar), and Chad Chilton (drums). Were big fans of them here at ABSURD and think you should be too. Read below as we catch up with Adam on what theyre working on now and how it’s been leading up to the release of their third studio ablbum.
SHELBY How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before? ADAM R&b baby SHELBY Could you describe the most important musical moment in your life?
INTERVIEW:
TRIATHALON
ADAM Grinding to kc & jojo in 8th grade.
SHELBY Who are you guys and where are you from? ADAM Myself, Chad and Hunter. Chad and I are from Texas and Hunter is from Atlanta,GA. Southern boys. SHELBY When did you guys start working together and how did it all begin? ADAM Chad and I met in high school where we first starting playing music together,the band didn’t officially begin until we all met at SCAD. SHELBY Why and when did you start playing music? ADAM At the age of 4 because I couldn’t catch a football. SHELBY What does your band name mean and where did it come from? ADAM I just really love the word triathlon. Unfortunately I misspelled it when we started the band.
SHELBY You guys are about to record your third album, what’s the process been like so far and how is it coming along? ADAM I’ve spent the last 7 months writing the album in NYC. It’s been kind of exhausting but I’m really excited to hit the studio and see how they turn out. I think this is the one. SHELBY What has the dynamic of the band been like living apart from each other at times and how do you guys communicate creatively during? ADAM I just email them shitty demos and wait for them to respond weeks later and say “that’s sounds sick”. SHELBY Do you have a routine or proces when writing new material? ADAM Recently I’ve been exploring the drum beats that are already built in my Casio and then building the songs from there. Most of these songs were written on that thing so it’s been fun to learn how to play piano at the same time as writing new ideas.
SHELBY Who are some artists you draw inspiration from and why? Main influencers? ADAM I love D’angelo. What he chooses todo in his vocal melodies are really interesting and I love his arrangements. I was really inspired by school boy Q’s last album too. SHELBY Are you guys working on any other projects other than Triathalon right now? ADAM Everyone always seems to have personal projects to explore ideas that don’t necessarily fit with Triathalon. Hunter has been working on his solo album for the past year so we are really excited to see that finally surface. SHELBY You currently have over 51,000 listeners on Spotify, how does it feel to reach such a large audience and has this changed the way you see yourselves as artists? ADAM It feels cool that people listen to our music in general but it doesn’t change how we view ourselves. It just makes me hopeful that people might listen to what we make next. SHELBY What is your craziest fan experience so far? ADAM Being kidnapped and forced to play our entire discography at gun point. SHELBY What is your favorite memory from your earlier years together? ADAM Hunter quitting the band during our tour and driving the van off. He came back 30 minutes later because we had the band money and he was hungry.
SHELBY Dead or alive, who would be your dream artist to play with? ADAM Marcos Valle. That guy is a fucking legend.
SHELBY You guys have played at both house shows and at public venues around Savannah, do you prefer one audience to the other? What’s the difference to you and does it affect the way you guys perform? ADAM We just love playing shows in general. Intimate shows are my favorite but it’s nice to be able to play for larger audiences. As long as the crowd is having a good time if makes what we are doing worth it. SHELBY What are some newer artists you are currently listening to? ADAM Elujay SHELBY Where would you like to play next? ADAM Europe baby SHELBY What is your dream venue or city to play in? ADAM The jazz cafe in London. SHELBY Musician & producer Danger Mouse once featured you guys on his monthly Spotify Jukebox playlist, what was your reaction to this and how did this make you feel as artists? ADAM All I could think was, “damn - that’s the guy who was in that band with Cee Lo”
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MODERN YUPPIE: DANCE SHOOT
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come play with us at the
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Fitting the role of that fun power couple we all daydream about, Peter Mavrogeorgis & Blake Olmstead-Mavrogeorgis share their lives together in every aspect and have a shit ton of fun doing it. The duo not only worked at Marc Jacobs together for a short while, but currently play in the band Twisty Cats and have co-owned multiple recording studios throughout the years. Prior to living in Georgia they attended art school in Manhattan, later deciding to relocate in Savannah due to the cities great art scene & influential SCAD community. In 2012 “Dollhouse Productions” was born and has since gained recognition for its top notch environment & equipment, whilst currently holding the title of best recording studio in Savannah five years running Read below to hear us gab about their history, studio life & why we think they’re the couple we all want to be.
Where are you both from & how did you meet? Blake: I am from Atlanta, but I usually tell people that I’m from New York because we lived there for so long. Peter: New York B: We met in New York in 2003, we worked at Marc Jacobs together. We weren’t a couple but we worked there, that was my first fashion job, he did Photoshop P: And she was doing PR B: He worked at Elle also at the time doing photoshoots. P: I was good at lying my way into jobs (laughs) When did you guys start playing music? P: I started touring when I was around 16 with some jazz groups, but then I was a teenager and got introduced to girls and lost a little bit of my discipline for a couple years. Did you go to school for music? B: I went to school for painting (laughs) and I haven’t used a day of it since leaving. P: That’s not true, you have some beautiful paintings in the kitchen and the upstairs. B: That’s true. I’ve been wanting to get back into it but I just haven’t been able to. Everyone has their creative outlet and mine is more of music, costume design, and styling. I went to school at Agnes Scott which is an all-girl school in Decatur and then I transferred to Marymount Manhattan College just to have a reason to move up to NYC. Peter had grown up there in Long Island though… P: Yup, moved in 92’ and attend Fordham University until they kicked me out, then went to Hunter College until they kicked me out & then Fordham let me come back. It was a crazy time in New York during my college years. It was hard to focus when there were so many emerging cultures happening. I went to college for English Literature and didn’t us a bit of it since. College was helpful, but I just didn’t need a degree for what I was doing. I have no regrets though, I love what I do and I have a good thing going now. How did you guys come up with the name “Dollhouse”? P: So basically after Napster surfaced in the early 2000’s a lot of studios in New York closed. We had to shut down our studio because the rent went up double and sales weren’t the same anymore. We couldn’t be reliant on the music industry like we once were, so we closed. After that I teamed up with the band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and we were together for a while. My parents said ‘we gotta put the brick cording console somewhere’ so they gave us the basement in their house
and we built a studio down there. My sister’s Barbie doll house was in the basement studio from when she was a kid, so at first it was Barbie Doll Dream House and then just became Doll House Why do you guys enjoy producing together? P: Yeah, it’s so cool to get to meet and work with some of our favorite artists that have influenced us since childhood Who are some memorable artists you’ve worked with so far? P: We’ve hosted some of my favorite bands that I thought I would never meet. Los Hermanos from Brazil, one of my favorite bands since I was a little kid, such a great psychedelic band, I couldn’t believe I would ever meet them let alone have them in the studio B: And we had Art Garfunkel from Simon & Garfunkel in the studio for two nights
P: yup, 2014 Valentine’s day and then the day after B: sold out, that was surreal P: The National & Beth Orton back when we were still producing out of my parent’s basement in NY. Modern English. B: yeah, having dinner with them, like this is so cool You guys just worked with Todd Fink of The Faint & Orenda Fink of Azure Ray, could you tell us more about that experience? P: That’s right, we worked with them at Grave Face Records though. They play under the name Closeness & have a new EP out. Our band Twisty Cats played there that night with them and Dollhouse also provided sound. How did you guys form your band Twisty Cats? P: We had an apartment above a bar when we lived in NYC called Lit B: Lit was Lit for sure (laughs), it was in Manhattan in East Village and late at night people would come back to our house, we had a drum machine and some silly songs and we would kind of torture our friends with them and then it became a real band when we came to Savannah.
P: We would have these demos on Garage Band and our friends Gus & Jae from Boy Harsher had a production setup called Safe Sound, they did a little festival called Cry Fest at the late Hang Fire in 2015. They were like ‘we are putting you guys on the bill’ and we’re like ‘but were not a band’ and they said ‘well, you’re just going to have to learn your songs and play’. So we did. We kind of came up with a set and played. After that we were like this is awesome, let’s just keep playing, because we always wanted to but we just didn’t let ourselves until then You both just got back from being on tour in Europe, what’s next for your band? B: We teamed up with owner Erika from local vintage store House of Strut. She put our record out and we are the first band that she produced a little seven-inch single for, that’s what we toured Europe with. P: Now we are working on our full album because we already have tour dates for the Fall, but we don’t have an album (laughs). So we have to make the album and then we go back in September to tour Europe again. How did you get your band name? B: It’s really stupid, there was a place where we were playing in New York and we saw something about this woman who breeds deformed cats, she calls them ‘Twisty Cats”. Then we saw a sign that said “We’re against the twisty cats!” We looked up what these cats looked like & decided they’re so cute. P: And then they were like this is a perfect band name because it’s so stupid, but more importantly it has to do with being imperfect since birth. So who does the writing? B: He’s does most of the writing for the songs we play. P: Well yeah but you’re my muse What is your process like when creating new sounds & beats? B: When we get into the studio I am the bassist and I do keyboard, I’m pretty good at knowing what should go where but he kind builds it up and then I kind of go in and fix. What’s some good advice that has stuck with you throughout the years? B: Fake it till you make it, literally that is our life motto, just say you can do it and then figure it out, you can google anything P: Just don’t be a surgeon with that (laughs)
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Boy Crush Tre Knight keeps it real with us as we sit down to learn about his life in N.Y.C and what it means to come of age in a time like this
Shelby: Who are you & where are you from? Tre: I’m Tre Knight and I spent the last 11 years in N.Y.C. working in the Fashion industry, I did everything from styling & creative consulting to production & design, kindove everything. What brought you to Savannah? Well my Mom lives here and I turned 30. I was like, alright let’s try something else, let’s have a change. I spent all of my 20’s in N.Y.C and just wanted to reevaluate what’s important in life & what it is ultimately that I want to continue to do. Did you go to school for fashion? Well I went to North County School for the Arts in Encinitas California for costume design for a year and I’m an Art School dropout (laughs) How did you get into the industry? I had a friend call me that following summer and he was like, ‘ we have a room open up, want to come?’ and I was like ‘Yes!’. At that time I was 19. Two weeks later I was in New York City. At first I was working doing makeup for MAC at the time and stuck with them for about two years at Fifth Avenue. How did that go? Well then I met two designers, The Blonds, David & Phillipe Blond. We were all working at MAC together and they had just started out, they needed help so I went on with them for like two years as their design assistant, so I was making all of their corsets and all that stuff. We did the flower show at Macy’s, all the windows for them that year and then that just kindove led me into other jobs in the industry. What kind of jobs did you get after that? I started doing styling on the side with clients & record labels doing packaging and then worked for a company called Form which was an avant garde design collective, we showed on top of Rockefeller, it was amazing. That’s so cool, so where did that take you? Then I worked for my friend Dominic Lewis as an in house stylist consultant and we started out doing unisex Menswear. We did three seasons of Mens, then just solely focused on womenswear because it was selling more. Left there, that I worked April Johnson who was a stylist for years and helped her start her brand ALASDAIR, I was with her for about three years.
What was working at ALASDAIR like? At the time it was just Johnson and I, we were doing everything. She was the design half and I was in control of production. I did everything from styling the photoshoots & videos to making sure everything at the factories came out correct. So for her, she didn’t want to style anymore so she got me into her work with musicians & I worked with Columbia & Epic Records, American Express for a while. How did that help you in your career and what did you learn? I think that, working at ALASDAIR, was probably the most challenging and rewarding experience. I gained the most knowledge there because I was thrown into just having to deal with financial shit, money & understanding that side of the business. Before it was all design work for we and I was never on the other end of things. Who were some other clients you worked for? Throughout my time I had a client, Dr. Lisa Airan, a cosmetic dermatologist based in NY. I did all of her shopping for her & styling. She’s in Vogue all the time, so you know best dressed, this that & the other... You currently still work for her right? Yeah, mainly from afar since I’m here in Savannah but sometimes I’ll go up to do some work for her. So tell me of a time you remember as being your pivotal in the industry where you knew you wanted to work with fashion? I guess it was going to the tents for the first time during my first year in NYC, I had never been to Fashion Week before. You know back then there were still flip phones, it was different times, an experience. Back then it was super exclusive, it wasn’t like now where everything is digital and instant. It doesn’t even make sense to go to fashion shows anymore, everyone is just there to be there and to be seen now. Now you just go to tweet about it, it’s not exclusive anymore. Don’t you think making the industry more attainable is a good thing though? To me high fashion is the exclusivity of something you know, the unattainable, to aspire to be a part of it. Now there’s just no filter anymore, it’s just so consumed by everyone. Now you can go into Zara and get current runway looks but luxury fashion is not for everyone to be obtained, where is the fantasy in that?
With all the hype on how polluting fast fashion is lately, where do you see the fashion industry heading? I see it going back to creativity, to not being so mainstream and going back to actual design, new things. No more recycled ideas. I see more simplistic ideas coming out, almost Jill Sander & just really modern, beyond classic, beyond simple. Just because it is so timeless. What are your thoughts on bloggers and dressing for fashion week? I think that goes back to personal style. I see so many people piling on everything they own and heading out the door. It’s just so trendy and a lot of them get so tied up in who they’re going to wear that they don’t let their personal style shine through. Do you ever see yourself getting back into he business so heavily again? It’s always been my dream to have my own collection, outerwear is my love. Ultimately that’s the long term goal, couture outerwear. Do you think you have to be in NYC to make it in fashion now? No you don’t. NYC is not the same as it use to be. I feel like so many people move to NY just to say they are in NY. You can be anywhere now and still be connected to the industry because of the digital age.
How would you describe your personal style? For me, I’m not a big supporter of fast fashion brands just because I don’t believe in the labor that goes into producing the clothes, but I like to mix high and low pieces. I love vintage shopping and prefer to buy a nicer timeless designer piece that I know I’ll wear forever opposed to just throw away things. I call myself the Blouse Queen, I just feel like you can have ripped up jeans but as long as you have a nice blouse on you look pulled together & more sophisticated. So what would you say to someone just getting into the industry? You’ve got to know it just not going to be all glitz and glamor, it’s a lot of fucking hard work. Everyone always thinks it’s this fantasy world but it’s not, yeah there are moments but to get to that moment was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Even then after you get notoriety it still a lot of work, because you’re having to keep that up. I mean, I would not be who I am today if it werent for my time in NY and I urge anyone starting out to pursue your dream as an artist, but make sure you are getting into it for the right reasons. You can do it, but you can’t take it lightly.
I feel something that is not talked about a lot is figuring out your self worth as a creative, within whatever job you are doing or just on a personal level within the industry. What are your thoughts on this? I feel like that is such a taboo topic and it shouldn’t be such. It is so important to know what you are worth. Coming to Savannah and stepping away from the city has really helped me focus on myself and what I want. Not what others expect of me, but of what I want for myself in life. I feel like you can loose your personal identity sometimes so you have to step away to reevaluate what’s important and what your dreams are and to look at things in a new light. It seems like all that is ever talked about is how to get ‘there’, how to get to where you want to be and not what happens after. You work so hard to get to a place in the industry, and then what? I feel like it’s more of a question of happiness. After years of working hard and having some self doubt, I come to Savannah and it’s when I left that I realized how much I had done. You should always know your personal value. I left NY because I wanted to focus on my dreams and because I don’t ever want to be content, you should always have butterflies.
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I like people from the south who talk slow like Honey pouring out of a teddy bear and into a glass Of tea like your of high school slow I like listening to things men say to women Outside of bars on Friday nights like I’m really into meditation I like hearing Two babies talk to each other learning
How to make sounds into words i like to Lay on the couch and hear people drive By on their way home to their couches I like hearing I love you fall out Of someone’s mouth when they didn’t Really mean it to I like hearing you say it Too i like to hear your voice change depending On the time of day i like to hear the Way you say my name
U V POEM BY MIA LEE
A dance between want and need we, like ghosts shuffle the streets that lead back to your apartment. Electric buzz in my pocket reminds me I am never truly alone. A distaste for everyone at the party dressed the same in their gently worn clothes
I want no one to harm the contents inside of our glass jar so I’ve sealed shut the lid. I want to dance like our grandparents did. Sway our hips soles of feet hitting cold floor. I want a photo of us on the shelf before you die or kill yourself. No electric buzz I want
A dance between want and need everyone here smells too clean. Photos for the Facebook feed as bubblegum pop floats between you and me, a slip of the tongue a joke that my ears will bleed.
Forgive me, all apathy and enthusiasm. A painted canvas, empty walls, used matches. Alone now with your kiss like an eclipse. Casting shadows in the room. Swoon. I used to think that I hated those bastards. But here, looking at your eyes like harvest moons, I’ve realized we’re all that is apart of it.
I fumble around words because you already know what I have to say. Scattered laughs descend the darkness, waiting on the edge of precipice.
the hum of your breath in my head. I want the smell of your sweat on the sheets of my bed. I want heaven, synthesized sin, the forbidden, the divine and to know that for one
you were there and existing and mine.
POEM BY MAEVE KROGER
We sat down with Ethan Russ, AKA Lavender Mist - noted drag queen in the Savannah area, to get an inside look on this crazy world of drag. He is a cancer sign from North Carolina who moved to Savannah ten years ago and started pursuing drag three years after that. Lavender Mist is part of the House of Gunt drag group who are known for their outrageous drag queens, over the top looks and off the wall anti-performances. Read with & to what drag
below to see how it went this extroverted introvert get the inside scoop on really happens in the community.
LAVENDER MIST
Photo via WUSSYMAG / @idratherbeinbed
Q: To start with, what’s your background apart from drag and how did you end up in Savannah?
Q: So next, we want to know more about Lavender Mist and how this all started. Where does the name come from?
A:I’m from Durham, North Carolina and moved to Savannah about 10 years ago and I currently work in the pharmacy at CVS. That’s my day job.
A: The Jackson Pollock painting. It’s my favorite painting by him and I think it just speaks to me. There weren’t any other names that I even considered. I knew the painting and then when I started doing drag it just fit perfectly and I’ve been doing drag for seven years now with it.
Q: Yeah we kind of tracked you down there, didn’t we? I wanna know why the pharmacy are you interested in medicine? A:No, I just sort of fell into it but I’ve been there for 10 years now and it’s a great job. Q: Are you looking to stay in Savannah long term? A: Who knows. I have a few projects in the works so we will see where they take me.
Q: Oh wow, Seven years. What made you get into it in the first place? A: Dame Darcy. She’s this crazy lady who dresses up like a mermaid and I was going to be one of her backup dancers and then she decided she wanted me to be her “mom” and she was going to beat me up on stage. So that was my first time in drag. Q: How did that go? A: I got beat up. Q: So that was your first time in drag, and you were getting beat up on stage? A: Haha yes. I actually dated Raja, a well known drag queen and I would watch him get ready all the time and I eventually picked up a few tricks. Q: What about drag culture appealed to you and made you want to keep going with it? A: Well I really appreciate the art of drag. I love the doors that it opened up with fashion and the accessibility of portraying different fashions that you can’t just do as a male. So that’s what I like to do with my drag mostly, it’s all about the experience. Q: Any idols in the business? What inspires you? A: Obviously Raja. But really my inspirations are works of art more than actual people.
Photo via @masterofboring
Q: Would you say you love
the performance side of Drag more or the process of getting ready?
Photos via @masterofboring
A: Well I hate shaving so I really don’t like getting ready. But my acts are a bit different. With House of Gunt, we aren’t traditional drag queens, we don’t just lip sync for your dollars. We care more about portraying a concept and what our performance actually means. Most of the time I actually just sit there. Which is part of the fun, having people anticipate something and not delivering, as sort of an anti-performance, sometimes not engaging the crowd at all. Which is something that is confusing for some. Q: You like to just let them observe and take their own opinion? Almost like a piece of art. A: Yes, exactly. I like to be more of an art exhibit than a performance. Q: Obviously Jackson Pollock is a major inspiration, but what other works of art would you say you’ve pulled inspiration from? A: The Kiss, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, and whatever that modern gothic one is.. Q: Those are all great. So going back to Lavender Mist, how would you describe her? A: She’s like a fashion forward, queen bitch. Q: Do you design your own outfits? If not, where do you get them from? A: No, I don’t. I’m sponsored by a couple people and I get most of my clothes from House of Strut locally. I also have a lot of sponsors from instagram. I set a goal for myself to reach 10,000 followers in 6 months - and I did it.
I’m at 15,000 now. Q: So it seems like social media has played a big role in how you’ve grown in this industry? A: It definitely is. In the process of learning how to use instagram has made my drag better in pushing myself to take better photos and acquire better drag. And to also just create new ideas, even when you’re not performing and just doing more photoshoots. It’s really up-ed my drag, I’ve stepped up to a new level just in the last year. Q: For you, is this to have fun or to be more outgoing?
A: Well this has definitely made me more extroverted because I am normally an introvert. It has helped which is an interesting side effect. But I’m definitely not catty or queeny, which I think is annoying in a lot of queens. Q: How do you think Savannah drag scene differs from other cities? I feel like it’s more underground. A: There’s almost a duality. They are definitely the traditional, pageant showgirl drag at Club One and then there’s the alternative, grungy, punk which is the House of Gunt drag.
Photo via @thewydow
Photo via @lukasemory
Q: So, Lavender Mist has grown and developed as a persona but have you ever thought of taking on any other personas? A: Well, I feel like Lavender Mist is me but just a little exaggerated. I don’t necessarily think of her as a character as much as other drag queens do. I almost feel like she is just an extension of myself, she’s not like an alter ego or a different character. And also as I grow, she grows. Always growing and changing. Q: Do you have a favorite performance to date? A: Yes! It’s called 10 Hours of Ocean Noises and I basically laid out and sunbathed for about ten minutes. I did it on stage, whipped out my beach bag and beach towel and put on some sun tan lotion and read a book. Q: Are you looking to branch out eventually to different cities? A: Well I love the community here in Savannah and it’s definitely really easy to live here. But, obviously, I think drag will take me other places. I did get booked in L.A. for over the summer so we will see where that takes me. House of Gunt does get booked as a group but I also get booked individually for appearances.I have a lot of plans to travel with this coming up and my ultimate goal is to get drag away from this performance-centric place that it’s in right now because I think that’s important. I think it’s time to evolve.I’m tired of lip-syncing.
Photo via @thedrinkybear
Q: So you’re really establishing yourself as a drag queen which is amazing. What would be some advice for anyone starting out in drag? A: EXPERIMENT. Don’t limit yourself to youtube videos. Always push yourself to develop your identity as a brand and not just as a performer. Q: Any last things you’d like to tell our readers? A: Come to Meme Girls show at the Jinx! June 2nd.
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