FRESH SALON AT THE PROMENADE ON PROVIDENCE 5349 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY + SUITE 800 + CHARLOTTE www.AFRESHSALON.com
704 841 2100
PEACE JACKETS BY REGINE BECHTLER
Flying the Flag of Individuality www.peacejackets.com | 704.905.6320
ertĂŠ 6
N°5
iconic the people issue
We are bred to be extraordinary, given vices but no advices, and thrust into a society in which being the same is somehow accepted and acclaimed. Acceptance is overrated. Every rejection is the explosion of a revolution, a radical change in thought. We don’t regret to inform you, you’re way too unfamiliar and unusual for mere mortals, and you don’t fit into a fucking box. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid communion. Leave that bullshit at the altar. It’s just a coffin anyway. All of space and time could not hold you. Volume N°5 rejoices the iconic rise and transcendence of the creators looming behind the muses and sparks of inspirations we relish. Artists are people first – beautiful, complicated minds, arrhythmic beating hearts, poster orphans of rejection, selective inspiration sponges that spawn the next creative revolution in your soul. Serendipity seduces the most salvation from our creative DNA. Do Not Assist, society. Do Not Resuscitate worldly impressionisms. They will do anything to bring you back. Lose who you’ve become to find who you were always destined to be. Virgin Mary your thoughts. Let them divinely impregnate you, wonder in your womb of wander, and then shamelessly birth them into your own deliverance so they can save you. Sacrifice. Let the hallelujah chords of your soul set you free. Name them from the inside out – let the universe guide you. Or don’t label them at all. Be otherworldly. Don’t wade under wanton societal influences. Go sober. Levitate instead. Elevate. Transcend your thoughts, your passions. Pull creativity from your own unbelieving bleeding heart. Witness your own amorous ascension. Don’t live like today is your last. No, live like you’ve already departed. After life has tried to reach you. Rise above in grand panache. What would you have to lose? What would you have to leave behind? Would you be remembered? Would you live on in the heart and soul findings of others? Defy creation. Save your sacrosanct soul. Anything else is ungodly. Be your own icon, darling. Work it like you own it. Own it like you’re your own damn Greek god. Because, let’s face it – aren’t you?
nicole camack and ciara bird, founders of four magazine 7
contents
12
66
ag a i n s t t h e wo r ld a fashion story
lux e t r a n s c e n d e d nikki chu
22
yo u n g , f r e s h , a n d r e le va n t raven roxanne
28
d e at h o f c h i ld h o o d a poetic account
32
f u ll ci r c le , n o ch a s e r mark dabney
36
f e e li n g s a reflection
38
the ascension an artist collective
56
b e h o ld t h e m a n a visual story
70
t h e e s s e n ce donald drawbertson
72
p o r t r a it s o f pi ca s s o a fashion story
80
a c lo s e t o f cu r i o s iti e s sasha bikoff
92
3 :16a m a reflection
94
c li m a x a poetic account
98
deep patrick-earl barnes
eckhart hahn, ng collective, raven roxanne, nirrimi firebrace 9
104
a r oya l d e s i g n barrie benson
108
clo s e t + ca s a cheryse fulton
110
pr o u d m a ry harper poe
116
b e h i n d t h e ba r s ray ellis
118
l a st wo r d s a reflection
121
t h i s o r t h at kathryn godwin
N°5
four magazine the people issue
nicole camack founder + editor-in-chief
ciara bird founder + creative director
contributing writers
on the cover
ariene bethea, cpmaze, nirrimi firebrace
Marsha Robinson + Zoe Bios Creative
contributing photographers
artists + illustrators
thomas babeau, evelyn bencicova, nicole cohen, paige french, chris edwards, joshua galloway, olivia rae james, sean pressley, eugenio recuenco, lean timms
aitch, andrea mary marshall, donald robertson, jessica gatlyn, kristen giorgi, maya gohill, eckhart hahn, marcus jahmal, alexandra loesser, fanny nushka moreaux, laura naples, marsha robinson, ryan simpson, velwyn yossy, zoe bios creative
advertising + distribution
contact
advertising@fourmagazine.tv stockists@fourmagazine.tv
four magazine PO Box 480815 Charlotte, NC 28269 USA +1.980.224.0258 info@fourmagazine.tv
visit us online
www.fourmagazine.tv twitter.com/fourmagtv facebook.com/fourmagtv @fourmagtv
published upon inspiration
All rights of this publication are reserved by FOUR magazine, Little Bird, LLC or third parties. All artwork is copyright of the contributing artists and may not be reproduced without their explicit permission. Their presence in the magazine implies that FOUR is authorized to publish them. This publication cannot be reproduced electronically, digitally, in printed or any other form, format or media without the explicit, written permission and approval of the copyright holders. FOUR accepts no responsibility for the documents submitted. Every effort has been made to contact and properly credit copyright holders— please contact us regarding corrections or omissions. From their art house in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, Zoe Bios Creative creates repeatable originals in editions of 100, with hand overlay that includes aging, leafing, gesso and India ink, working with 27 artists globally to curate full-bodied collections. zoebioscreative.com
10
11
12
i knew i was out of my league and i knew they were better than me, but i projected the fantasies i had of what my life could be onto their lives and imagined that i was one of them,
but still me. only better. photography by thomas babeau artwork courtesy of zoe bios creative 13
14
15
16
17
I can do what you do, easy, believe me Frontin' ni**as give me heebeegeebees So while you imitating Al Capone I'll be Nina Simone And defecating on your microphone -Lauryn Hill 20
21
Full Circle. No Chaser. interview /
nicole camack
portraits /
maxim vakhovskiy
In the canvas of life, some circles brush by us so effortlessly and organically, resonate with us in a way that ignites in our soul and stirs itself there for the duration of life’s exhibit. Enter Buffalo-born Mark Dabney, a charismatic collector of art and appraiser of fine trinkets and sentiments, and also, a giver – of extended lifespans in memories and heritage. With something so fleeting as life, he captures invaluable and precious pieces and people – the present, the history. Growing up accompanied by his mother’s patterns and pieces of fabric flirting over the dining table to later marry and merge, it’s only fitting that Dabney acquired a knack early on for piecing together times and treasures. Raised by a single mom, Dabney was hardly raised alone and maintained a strong connection to family. “I’m that kid who was raised by the village – uncles, aunts, community,” he says. And these people, blood or not, are family, too. For such a savant who has traveled
across the world, careers and experiences, one fear looms over him still, heavy and dark, and drives him to stay connected. “I don’t know if I’ll ever overcome my major fear – losing my family,” he confesses. Starting with ambitions as an athlete, strengthening the human kind—physically and spiritually—has been with Dabney since an early age, his attraction to travel ignited with his collegiate abroad studies for his athleticism. 32
33
“I’m that kid who was raised by the village – uncles, aunts, community” The catalyst for his fire, however, is two-fold. An absolute fiend to finding the many places in his heritage his extended ancestors involuntarily dispersed across countries, Dabney’s provocation is largely inspired by the revolutionary Marcus Garvey, and the Langston Hughes book, "I wonder as I wander", all culminating to a love affair of learning with each appraised piece to fill fractures in the familial lineage. He realizes the dispersal is not just geographically around the world, but also internally, running through his veins – therein lie copious synergies of cultures and heritage.
acclaimed appraisals, adventures and experiences. His biggest accomplishments? Reuniting with his school love later in life, and marrying her. His love, like his life, cyclic. And purchasing his grandparents home, haunted with history of abolition and freedom fighting. Unfortunately, the pleasantries of heritage aren’t the only things dispersed. In his travels, Dabney most admires St. Martin for the abundance of experiences to acquire, and Barcelona for the architecture and spirit of the people. But Madrid makes for a dark dichotomy, “During the day I was a nigger; then at night I was a star,” he says. Pretentious, unauthentic areas abound, Dabney’s ambivalence for Madrid have not quelled his love affair with Spain, travel, or culture.
Making history himself as he travels and treks for the ties that bind, Dabney reflects, “I was one of only five African American appraisers when I started.” Inspirations abundant, sparking a creative start entails escapism to an elusive mental island, clean, without clutter, to focus on one feat and one feat only – the next find, the next creation. As he marvels in to people’s homes, their most intimate dwelling, and shares in their most precious intricacies, he unearths the value, the history, the story, the people. All in all, bringing the past to the current and future generations of a people scattered and searching to stay connected – to each other and to their origins.
His own culture with diluted dots to connect, Dabney remains committed to his people, his family, and the power of community – and educating on the value in valuables, knowing and recognizing worth and history. "With Obama winning," he explains, "now we all think we can. But when you go back to the Black Wall Street in Oklahoma where Black people had their own businesses, their own Wall Street – they torched it and burned it down. It makes me go back to Marcus Garvey” – and his plight to piece together a history burned, captured, killed, mixed, and let loose albeit not yet liberated.
His people, his “family”, definitely beat close to his heart in the soundtrack of his life. In the midst of his grandfather’s passing, Dabney found comfort and community while promoting a spirits brand on the Tom Joyner cruise, surrounded by Black people of all shades and sectors – all with a singular salvation – coming together to have a good time. “It wasn’t on my bucket list, but I can check it off. It was one of the best times I’ve had,” he says. Promoting spirits is kind of his niche, after all.
Dabney remains committed to his lineage and his people. "I want to give back to the community, show them the values and valuables that they have. All of our parents and grandparents worked so hard to obtain certain things,” and Dabney is ignited in the potential and possibility of bringing past, present, and future to the same table to marry and merge. “Everything is cyclical,” he says. “What you think is new is really old.”
That aura of love, peace, and happiness accompanies Dabney in his personal and professional life, and he acquires and spawns the energy of a bursting star from exotic islands to the concrete jungle. He recalls, “In Brooklyn, that very first hot day, the projects open the windows, they come out and all you hear is Biggie. That’s Brooklyn. It’s a beautiful thing.” And this inspirational spread of love continued into the homes of his most admired confidants and business associates, his most
And in the end, it’s back to the beginning for Dabney. “I want to do a project in Buffalo because that’s where I’m from. In the future, I just want to be able to be here for my people to offer them the information that they need. I want to give back to my people what they’ve given to me.” And with that, the beautiful circles of art on life’s canvas complete and continue simultaneously.
34
boris & natasha 1214 Thomas Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 704.375.0079 @borisnnatasha
a concept store
www.birdhausconcept.com
“i know the feeling”
...you know the feeling of feeling so much to the point of not feeling and letting that overall feeling of not feeling make you feel... kesh x salvador dalÍ
The Ascension Soul stirring Soul searching Fatal flirting. Fleeting. Beseeching. Paradise absconded. Beyond it, the way the light hits you makes everything else go dark. Stark. Blurred. Perturbed, let’s succumb to the sanctity in our sanctuary. Tainted fairies. Baptized on blank canvas tears, fears. Mesmerized. All in your eyes. Canvas me. Canvass me. I couldn’t break the glance, my mind just kind of danced interpretively with no nautical Optical illusions. No words. No intrusions. Asylumed adulations. Masturbation. Black widow ourselves. Let’s just step into each other’s souls, and know that we could never express this moment except by giving birth to it. Unearthing it. Orphaned. Although it could later manifest into Forever mores and Stop the wars, but right now … it is you … and eye. And we. Only have. This moment. Ascent.
words /
interviews /
nicole camack
38
ciara bird
a l e x a n d r a l o e s s e r What inspires your work? People and animals. With people it’s more about the nuance of flesh tones or capturing an emotion rather than just creating a picture of someone. I find animals very interesting because I think they have a real untapped depth to them, and I want that to show in my paintings. I’m inspired by all that is alive, and I want my subjects to have beating hearts.
Do you have a trick you use if you're having trouble with a painting? Yes; when I’m having trouble, I put all of my small brushes down and go back to the large brushes – it’s important to stay loose. I also stand up rather than sit to get a better perspective of the work and refresh the way I’m looking at it. These things allow me to paint the relationships that shapes have with each other rather than coloring in lines. Do you feel pressure as a full-time artist to be creative all the time? If anything, I feel pressure to think less and take mental breaks. I have a hard time separating work and life, and I’m ok with that. How do you get through creative block? The only way is to stop trying to force it. They don’t say, “sleep on it” for no reason. I am most creative when I’m not trying to be. For me, working early in the morning or late at night is best. I think it has to do with being closer to that dream state of mind. How do you feel when you're in a creative zone and things are truly flowing? That’s the best because you feel nothing. When I am really in that creative zone five hours will feel like 20 minutes, and all the decisions I make for the painting just happen without much thinking. My favorite quote is one from John Cage: “When you start working, everybody is in your studio – the past, your friends, enemies, the art world, and above all, your own ideas – all are there. But as you continue painting, they start leaving, one by one, and you are left completely alone. Then, if you are lucky, even you leave.” I think that describes the creative zone better than I could.
39
fanny moreaux
nushka
Describe the first moment that you truly felt like an artist. I don’t really feel like an artist, the word scares me. I’m a painter. And I’ve always been a painter. Are you self-taught or did you study to become an artist? I studied political science and then business in Paris, so not really arty studies. But, I’ve always painted in my free time. When I was 14, I met my mentor who taught me everything I know about painting. How did you end up where you are? Luck. A few good reviews, then someone at Saatchi noticed me, then more and more galleries started to offer to show my work. Would you ever give up on a painting or do you always push yourself through? I’ve given up three times so far. I hate when it happens. I cried all three times. Do you feel pressure as a full-time artist to be creative all the time? No, should I? I never thought about that before. 40
What have you learned during your art career that you wish you'd figured out a long time ago? It’s ok to feel so deeply and drastically free. 41
laura
naples
How did you end up where you are? My sister Kristen and I have sort of always had an unspoken idea that we would collaborate together, though we weren't sure exactly what we would do. Finally we realized we were inspired visually by many of the same ideas, and decided to each try painting. Do you feel pressure as a full-time artist to be creative all the time? I never completely emerge from "artist mode" and that's the only way I can imagine existing. How long did it take before you began to find your own style? In some ways I think I always knew my own style since I was a child, but the influence of peers and experiences growing up changes that. I think the process of discovering my own style really was a subtraction of those things that didn't truly set my soul on fire. What's leftover is what I felt I was all along. Do you have any daily rituals? A set schedule or workflow? I aspire to a set schedule or workflow, but the nature of our family's rhythm right now forces me to sort of wing it. I work when I can, and that's good enough for the moment. Funnily, I tend to fall into the creative zone at the most inconvenient times. Like, when it's
time to get my daughter off the bus. I would love the mornings to be my most creative times, but I am too contemplative in the mornings. "I need chaos in order to create" is something Francis Bacon said about his messy studio. Do you agree? Chaos and I do not operate well together.
kristen
giorgi
How long did it take before you began to find your own style with Laura? I am always experimenting so my style will forever be evolving. However, I will say that everything Laura and I do looks like it belongs together and that is how we plan to keep it. I feel like we sort of had our formula from the beginning. Our aesthetic and look has always been complementary. It was sort of effortless to start working together. Would you ever give up on a painting or do you always push yourself through? I have never given up on a painting per se. I have decided that I hated something and completely covered it up with something else. It’s crazy how you can go from absolutely loathing something to having a love affair with it in five minutes. The tiniest change can make it or break it. How do you feel when you're in a creative zone and things are truly flowing? This is such a fun feeling. My husband says I look like a mad scientist. He can see so much happening in my brain. He has witnessed “the zone”. "I need chaos in order to create" is something Francis Bacon said about his messy studio. Do you agree? What does your studio look like? I think Francis and I would have gotten along just fine. I like that I have paint bottles scattered all about. It makes my work more unplanned. Another difference about Laura and I – she needs order to be able to work. My studio is literally a disaster and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Do you feel pressure as 42
a full-time artist to be creative all the time? Definitely. It’s crazy though how my creativity can be tied to my mood. If I’m having an off day I almost slip into a bit of a depression. As soon as I start working on something I like, the mood is lifted. How would you describe your personal style? I’m definitely a bit of a quirky person. I am also completely disorganized and scattered in my thoughts. Which is something so funny about Laura and I because she seems to always have it all together from her outfits to the organization in her pantry. It’s pretty funny that our painting style is so similar having such different personalities. 43
eckhart
hahn
What inspires your work? My inspiration comes from my intuition. And my intuition is fed from a great openness to all kinds of things and phenomena of our world. I think that my childlike amazement is still very much alive. Also, I do not have many rules in my head in respect of any artistic canon. If I feel the need to address a subject, then I'll do it. Do you have a trick you use if you're having trouble with a painting? When I´m painting I always listen to audiobooks. But when I´m in trouble in my studio, usually it´s me – not the painting. I listen to the audio drama "The Green Mile" by Steven King. This is like a reset in my head. And if this isn´t working, I go cycling. There is a lot of symbolism in your work, what are you trying to convey to the viewer? I don´t try to convey anything. Painting to me is like writing a diary. You won´t solve the problems of the world, but you feel better afterwards. 44
Do you feel pressure as a full-time artist to be creative all the time? I feel lucky that my working process needs a lot of time. When I´m working on a painting, I´m thinking about the next one – my creativity is more like a flowing river than a storm flood. Do you have any daily rituals? A set schedule or workflow? I have a very normal workday – like living in suburbia. I´m in my studio from 8 to 5. What have you learned during your art career that you wish you'd figured out a long time ago? The altitude of the step between where you are and where you want to be is always the same, no matter how successful you are.
45
46
marcus
jahmal
Describe the first moment that you truly felt like an artist? Euphoric. It was at my first gallery showing. The showing was in an industrial loft in the financial district – the energy in the room was great. Everything sold! What inspires your work? NYC streets, punk rock, old things, cultural concerns, the cosmos, animals, and solar power. How would you describe your personal style? Rugged and comfortable, compared to my painting style – which is more colorful and playful. My paintings are a surreal environment with some recognizable figures – a place you might see in a dream.
Have you ever experienced a creative block? And how do you get through it? Creative block doesn’t exist. Sometimes I step away from painting to refresh my mind or whatever I was feeling at that moment. When I get back at it, all the answers come to me. "I need chaos in order to create" is something Francis Bacon said about his messy studio. Do you agree? What does your studio look like? I find myself happier when my space is organized. I’d prefer a clean palette to work from to get my idea across fully. It’s a rectangular space with a large worktable in the middle made from a ping-pong tabletop, covered in layers of paint and all kinds of tools for canvas stretching and fabric cutting. I’ve also been building my own frames lately so power saws and nail guns are around. 47
ryan
simpson
What inspires your work? The grace and dynamic range of the human athlete as an abstract expression of how humanity rises to new heights, despite the physical and environmental limits and restraints we are born into… just kidding, I just like basketball.
Could you ever consider doing something less creative? Recently I have started to consider it. I’ve found that being creative as a career – where you don’t have full creative control, are under pressure for it to be really good, and/or are on short deadlines – becomes less and less enjoyable as time goes on. Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and get to work." What are your thoughts on that statement? I call BS on Chuck Close. I don’t think you can just create something out of thin air with no influence or inspiration from the things that you have seen or experienced. 48
Would you ever give up on an illustration or do you always push yourself through? If I’m drawing something and halfway through I decide it sucks, I give up. If that happens I always burn it and then ship the ashes to a small team of monks. They bury portions of the ashes in five remote locations across the earth. Have you ever experienced a creative block? How do you get through it? Yes, but I drive one of those old steam locomotives through it. Do you have any daily rituals? A set schedule or workflow? No. I truly do it only when I feel like it. Sometimes that means I don’t do anything for weeks. Since I don’t illustrate for a living, I can keep that flexibility. I suspect that is part of the reason I still enjoy it so much. 49
velwyn
yossy
the need to be honest with my strengths and weaknesses. Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and get to work." What are your thoughts on that statement? Awhile back, I used to be in that phase where I just had loads of inspiration but rarely did anything because of fear of not knowing where to start. I think if we just keep making excuses and waiting for the perfect moment and the perfect place, we would never be able to create anything. How would you describe your personal style? I am naturally a deep and contemplative person; I love both
Describe the first moment that you truly felt like an artist? When I was a kid, I would arrange my colored pencils that my mother bought for me in a very obsessive-compulsive way. I imagined how each colored pencil is a character within a social hierarchy. It’s absurd, but I knew that I was meant to be an artist in that sense. Would you ever consider doing something less creative? Growing up, I was struggling financially and almost ended up doing something else because of a strong fear that I would not be able to support myself, but now I can’t imagine doing anything else because I feel 50
light and dark things that are sensual and atmospheric. However, I could also be bold, colorful, and very silly. My style of work tends to be minimal, gestural, and surreal, but I hope it continues to evolve. What have you learned during your art career that you wish you'd figured out a long time ago? I find that being creative means coming up with things that haven’t been explored before and sometimes it’s a scary thing. As humans, we have a tendency to go to a safer place by copying what’s been successfully done, but I realized that nothing new will come from that and eventually things will become formulaic. So, one thing that I wish I knew earlier would be to trust myself more and to acknowledge that you can’t satisfy everyone by being somebody else. At least if you’re being yourself you can satisfy your own mind.
maya
gohill
What inspires your work? People who inspire with their art, creativity, tenacity, brilliance and ideas; and life - the beauty and mystery of it. Are you self-taught or did you study to become an artist? I have two degrees, a bachelor’s and a master's. Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and get to work." What are your thoughts on that statement? I love this quote. There does exist,
this romanticized idea that artists are these mythological-like creatures who live by a different set of rules and off of divine inspiration alone. That's not how it is for me. When I have deadlines and clients waiting for work, the luxury of waiting for inspiration is not a reality. If I were to sit around waiting for inspiration to hit, I might be waiting forever. How would you describe your personal style? I would say that my style is quite eclectic. I like a wide variety of styles, and themes, and I enjoy merging them into a cohesive aesthetic that makes sense to me. I like the idea of juxtaposing and contrasting, and in many ways that is reflective of my personality—a bit paradoxical. What have you learned during your art career that you wish you'd figured out a long time ago? To be true to yourself and don't give a shit about what anyone thinks. 52
marsha robinson Could you ever consider doing something less creative? No. My brain is constantly lighting up with images and ideas that need to be manifested and given life. If I were to stop that from happening to focus on other things like sitting in front of a computer or waiting tables, I'd shut down emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and get to work." What are your thoughts on that statement? I find a lot of truth and honesty in that statement. If we as artists want to progress and make magic happen we can't wait to have a whim of inspiration come our way to get those wheels turning. We need to find the strength and spark within ourselves at any given moment to get right down to it and produce. It takes discipline, determination and most importantly, confidence. Would you ever give up on a painting or do you always push yourself through? I've been known to throw away a completely finished piece that I wasn't happy with. If I get to a point where I'm unhappy with the way a certain aspect of my work is looking and know that I've run out of options to improve it, I don't bother putting in the extended effort fixing it. To me that's wasted time. I’d rather invest the energy into a new piece in which I have a better hold on the direction I want to take. I don't like to call it 'giving up', I'd like to think of it as moving forward.
54
55
a
i
t
c
h
Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us show up and get to work." What are your thoughts on that statement? That probably worked for him; I guess it's applicable when your art depends mostly on technique rather than imagination. Do you feel pressure as a full-time artist to be creative all the time? Yes, I sometimes feel guilty for not having a full-time job like most people do. I get panicky when I hit a creative plateau or even worse, a creative block. It's the worst feeling: having no purpose, all is futile, we're all gonna die, what is the meaning of all of this, did I lose my imagination and appetite 56
for painting forever… but I think everyone gets through these fits, right?! How would you describe your personal style? I would say I'm a nature-loving, all-black, conscientious nomad. Do you have any daily rituals? A set schedule or workflow? Nope, I'm pretty random. But when I do have to work and I'm excited by the project I usually do that all day, and forget about stuff like eating, socializing or sleeping. Are you able to ignore your inner critic? I rely on my inner critic – we're best frenemies. How do you feel when you're in a creative zone and things are truly flowing? I just get lost in it – like I'm connected to some energy source and a really good shrink at the same time.
57
BE HOLD THE MAN photography by evelyn bencicova
58
59
60
61
68
Graphic designer turned exquisite interior designer Nikki Chu orchestrates some of the most transcendent, cutting edge, fashion-infused spaces – sleek, fearless, and multifaceted – just like the woman herself. interview /
ariene bethea
luxe transcended You’ve been practically designing your whole life; tell us about your work as a graphic designer and how it has influenced your interior design work. I can honestly say that I owe my success to my background as a graphic designer. I learned the core fundamentals of balance and proportions. Graphic design taught me how to place art and repeat patterns in design. I use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator every day to design. These skills have set me apart in literally everything I do as a designer. What has been your most rewarding project to date? To date, the Xen Lounge. It’s a bar and lounge in the valley owned by Duane Martin. I had the opportunity to design it from the ground up. It allowed me to create an atmosphere for people to feel good, relax and enjoy the space. It makes me proud to see this popular spot being used for just that. My home line gives me that same feeling of pride. All my life I’ve dreamed of a line and here it is. How were you able to create a brand that translates from fashion to interior design? What are the key elements? I’m an artist and I’ve always been into fashion. I used it as a way to express my personal style. A designer’s home is a reflection of his or her fashion sense. They go hand-in-hand, so it’s not difficult to translate. The evolution of moving from fashion into interior design was having the right opportunity present itself. What has been the public response from your work on Girlfriend Invention? It has been really great; people love the show! It’s four experts – interior design, beauty, fashion and mind/body/spirit – who come together to change the life of one lucky woman. It mirrors “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”. Tell us about the Imax Collection and what inspired it? My collection was inspired by my love for fashion. From my studded shoes to the quilting and chain on my Chanel bag, I’ve combined these very elements into the home collection. I also take my inspiration from vintage silhouettes. I exaggerate them and turn them into modern heirlooms. Would you consider your own show on HGTV? Of course I’d considered it! 69
other interaction and have to execute their vision and hope they love it. Thankfully my attention to detail pays off and they love it every time.
Explain to us how important timing has been in your career. Timing and being prepared is everything. I always have pictures of my work on my phone. I keep my website updated with recent projects, I keep business cards on hand and stay current. You don’t want to miss opportunities because you weren’t prepared. Preparation meets opportunities.
Many would agree that you were lucky to discover your passion at an early age, what advice would you give to a 30-something who has just discovered his or her passion? You have to stick to it. A lot of people expect to see results immediately, but it takes 10,000 hours to be a master at something. Give it a good 5-10 years to see the true results. You have to have patience – just because one door closes, don’t give up. Stick to your instincts.
What is the best part of your day? Waking up and being able to work from home, create, light a candle, and have running water as my soundtrack. If you could design a line for any retailer or designer, who would it be? It would be a home section in Macy's – luxury at an affordable price. There is a market for bringing fashion-inspired home accessories into the home. Young people want super cool homes like Kimora Lee Simmons and Alexander Wang.
There aren’t many women of color in interior design shelter magazines or who have a home line. Who has inspired you? What advice can you share with new and experienced designers who look like you, about developing a brand and product line? My brand inspiration is Martha Stewart. She has such diversity in her brand and product selections. No one else in space has done it like her, successfully marrying lifestyle and home.
What has been the greatest risk you’ve taken thus far as an interior designer? It would have to be my work on Girlfriend Intervention. I go in blind with just some ideas from the clients’ Pinterest board. I have no 70
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. I can’t do things because I’m designing. You have to choose what is important. Success is a choice. Believe in what you are doing and be passionate about it and so will everyone else.With branding, there are lots of steps involved. You have to find a company that supports your vision and your dreams. Building a home line requires multiple license deals in rugs, home décor, pillows, bedding, lighting as well as manufacturers to expand your brand. Build a brand first and find companies that want to invest in you. Partner with large companies. You have to be successful in what you do first. Maintaining a brand's integrity is also important.
What would be your favorite childhood TV show to set design? The Jetsons, super modern and cool. Other than Crate & Barrel what other private brands do you design for? Zgallerie, Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware. Tell us why creating affordable pieces is so important to you at this point in your career. With the popularity of Pinterest and DIY home shows, interior design has become more accessible than ever. Having a stylish home shouldn’t just be for the rich. I am passionate about the home being a place for inspiration, a place to rejuvenate your soul. And if you want it to look like your favorite fashion designer’s style, you should be able to afford it.
What is the greatest sacrifice in building a brand? While you are building your brand, it is not paying you. In the meantime, you have to do other things to pay your bills. If you have to take 2 or 3 jobs to build your brand, do it. It doesn’t happen overnight. Try to get a job in the space of what you’re interested in – this way you are at least doing what inspires you the most.
nikkichu.com
71
i begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else.
Eugenio Recuenco is wonderful at creating a scene, determining a stranger‘s point of view, telling us just enough of a story for us to want more. Here he has photographed models to resemble Picasso’s paintings. During his cubist period, Picasso’s ladies were awkward, and feeble, and his lines, most remarkably the eyes, were rendered surrealistically. We may say Recuenco has made a homage to the painter, as many liberties were taken with poses, and garments. The effect of this homage is forced in some photos more than others. The visual patina the photographer has used both in camera filters and backgrounds creates a weird and dreamy hallucinatory woman. — ROBYN GERMANESE
74
Portrait of Nusch Eluard, 1937 75
Jacqueline in a Crouch, 1954
76
Jacqueline with Crossed Hands, 1954.
77
Woman of Majorca, 1905
78
Der gelbe Pullover, 1939
79
Claude con bal贸n, 1948
80
Waiting, 1901
81
A Closet of Curiosities Intense, eclectic designs purvey the most exquisite approaches of Sasha Bikoff, with rooms that pique the senses and manifest inspiration in every nook, lingering a dramatic narrative long after the paint dries. interview /
ciara bird
photographs /
nicole cohen
Tell us about the client− when you first began this project did she have a clear vision of what she wanted? This was a very unique client – she hated decorating and found it to be stressful; however, she had a clear concept that she wanted her apartment to reflect the Ballets Russes, her life in Tehran, and the great concert halls and opera houses of Europe. She wanted her home to reflect her passions in life, which are ballet and piano in a very feministic way. I call her my "dream client" because she respected and trusted my vision so much so that I just did whatever I wanted to do. I work best this way. What aspects of her personality and lifestyle did you draw upon as inspiration? She uses her living room, which we call the "grand salon", to do ballet and play on her Steinway concert grand piano, so I drew upon the costumes of the Ballets Russes, the hermitage, and the Paris opera house to achieve this. The library was inspired by Yves Klein – I wanted this to be the only room that was a bit more masculine because it is a library. Apart from the French feministic qualities, the décor has many pieces that reflect a more Studio 54 disco vibe, which was a great moment in her life. 82
83
84
85
You've used a fascinating mix of eclectic furniture and art that give the apartment a very worldly, well-traveled appearance – did any of these belong to the client or did you source everything? Most of the pieces I sourced from France, Italy, and parts of the U.S. There are a lot of Italian and French mid-century pieces, a lot of Rococo Louis XV pieces as well. The only things that belonged to my client were her Persian Tabriz silk carpet collection, which came from her childhood, and all the Persian manuscript artwork. Were there specific pieces you built each room around, or was it a fully organic process? The living room was painted around the silk carpets that have these blush and peachy tones. The dining room was painted around the minty sea foam green silk carpet that she had. I do not go to a showroom and conceptualize an entire room. Pieces appear at auctions, in stores, at flea markets. My concept, just like painting, is about layering the color and the texture. An abstract artist never knows how a painting will evolve, and that’s how I work. As an artist yourself, do you find that you treat designing differently than you do when painting, or do they share the same approach? For me, they share the same approach. Designing is supposed to be exciting, fresh, and unique. No two paintings are alike and no two rooms should be alike. The creativity and ideas just come out from every angle. Let’s just say that people who like expensive grey, beige, or perfect symmetry don't call me. 86
87
88
89
90
91
Tell us about your time at the Gagosian Gallery and in Paris and Miami− how influential has it been on your design style? The Gagosian gallery taught me discipline and a very stringent work ethic. It also taught me how to work with clients. Clients put their trust in you especially when it comes to the importance of their home, their oasis. The gallery was all about the sale; it was all about the business side of art. In many ways it inhibited my creativity, but the business experience I got was priceless. My time living in Paris was the happiest time of my life. I was living in a city that described everything I love in life. This period gave me that sophistication you cannot get in America. It’s where I developed my eye for all things beautiful. You need to go to museums, galleries, and visit classic architecture in Europe to elevate your mind’s eye. I partially live in Miami, and for me it’s all about this Tony Montana, Scarface, Art Deco revival and Miami Vice period. I am so attracted to the energy and colors of the city, the pastels mixed with the deco motifs and Latin party nightlife vibe. 92
How did you make the transition from working in an art gallery to starting your own design firm? I always did interior design on the side. Many collectors start collecting after they have furnished their homes and realize they need to fill their walls. I would help people pick out art based on their décor, and I finally took the plunge and left once I got that big job which was the Dakota. It was scary, but I was ready to be my own boss and follow my passion. Aesthetically, have you always trusted your instincts? Always. In the beginning, there were many times when my clients would want to do something that I didn't agree with, or wanted to buy something I didn't like. I would struggle with how to react towards this because I would never want to do something I didn't agree with. In the end I let honesty prevail. I know what looks good and I know what doesn't. Trust the professionals. Who are some of the people you're inspired by? Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, and my grandmother, the most fabulous woman there ever was, are my greatest influences. Were there any unplanned discoveries that ended up working out perfectly? The original moldings worked out perfectly because we gilded them gold all around the fireplaces and ceilings. Each room feels like a jewel box; what's your relationship with color and pattern like? So funny! I describe rooms as little jewel boxes. I studied color my whole life because of my background in fine art. I know what colors work together, what shades of colors work well together. I refer to nature and paintings to achieve a color palette. For instance, I am working on another project on 65th Street and the living room has every color found in Fragonard's "The Swing". What qualities do you most admire in a room? I most admire bedrooms. They tend to be the most like a jewel box. I love making bedrooms a little more feminine because I think it creates a warmness and sexiness that women want and that men desire. You've certainly created an exotic escape from the city; would you say this is this your signature? Yes! No one wants to live inside a concrete jungle.
sashabikoff.com 93
out of place, out of space and time wide awake out of papers, i am not okay, i am out my mind outer space, that's where i've been going to a place where place where nobody knows floating, at a pace where now you see me, and now you don't i do not feel the fear of falling i wanna fly if it all goes well, then i will but what if i don't? i'll be right where i was before but i'm not alone you say "take my hand" and we go‌ JhenÊ Aiko x ANDREA MARY MARSHALL
94
95
words /
cpmaze
lettering /
jessica gatlyn
paintings /
zoe bios creative
Eardrum echoes, last dance kisses, and goose bump breath. Your solarscented skin slips and slides across shoulda woulda beens like back flipping fingers, all fickle flicked, and I dare you to find me or forget me again. I'm not here, but then again you've never been all there, so sell me a smooth lie I could curl up with in the corners of your mouth. Swing at every insecurity hurled and fast balled and projected towards you. For you've never been one to play games, but you’re damn good at walling up wallow and winning anyway. That’s why curtain calls voicemail miracles in your name. Our imaginations hump day'd each other into the backwash of a brunched Thursday. We planted our conversations inside the fields of each other’s Irises, getting to the bottom of each other’s beautiful. Squaring up each other’s roots. While watering down colorful margaritas with our top shelf selves, I lost myself in you. Told heartbeat to tell my inner voice to beat the life outta my eardrum with an, If you don't make it back to me before this night’s over I will throw caution against the patient and smell your sweat back to me. I don't know who you were in your past life, but I can tell by the way you shoot me shotgun looks you've killed many a love’s maybes with the moon’s so what before.
96
You know how there's something special about being in a foreign city that allows you be a kid again? Your
mouth is that foreign city that allows all of my love sick to become kid again. I stacked and saved up all of my mistakes in past relationships just so I could afford to not make the same mistakes with your skin. If I gave up the fight or flight back to my sober self, sling shoot me down with a whisper and remind me to try again. Golden chairs buckled bath wash. Muted
moments screamed for our deepest secrets to be heard by anyone but ourselves. Honesty left used silkworm
condoms on the I don't understand nightstand, with a note that read thanks for the smooth ride. Sincerely, yours. You're rocky times. Water colored brush sickles fell up from the ground.
Can I lay by your side and wrap whispers around the symphony of your rib cage? I want to sleep with the lights on in your conscious. Could you see the I'm yours in my hellos. Sense all sheet music when I'm around you. Linen listen to me, lay paradise down into the parade of passion floating waves across veined streets of loneliness.
We've both fucked our way across burning bridges before. So this time
shouldn't be as difficult as your downtrodden upbeat crooked-long bowlegged orgasm that never learned to shoot straight or narrow anyway. I want nothing more than to grasp at the god given ghost haunting your hipbones but that can only happen if you learn to let go of your past and hold onto me. And by me I mean now. And by now I mean love. I don't wanna wait for the shallow water to run deep. Oh swift kick universe chinny chin chinning above the tree tops, I
know your alarm clocks are made out of recycled human beings, falling in and out of love not making a sound. ‘Tis the season of saltshakers and save your wounds for the thrift
stores that were born wanting to live here. We should never try to perfect the double-dutch decker of chess-bored checkered front yard lawns. Somewhere, someday, soon is going to explode. Tourist tickle, I miss you. I miss the tender of skin between your left-hand fingers holding mine. I've
never kissed a guitar rift as smooth as 3 forevers and 2 fuck yeahs crying in the rain. Backwards forward guitar progression of fire licks and
I can't read palms, but best believe I've studied the cracked plastic baby dolls in yours. The sky looks pissed. The raindrops are tossing up their graduation hats into a cloudy horizon of the future bright, and it is yours. I could smell the limit to your love across the careless truth or dare that’s become my name. Have
you ever seen a whisper fall in slow motion? Have you ever read a smile that’s only been considered a foreign language? Your wrists are out of place caterpillars that crawl across the save
me from hitting the road to nowhere again. Or hitting the brick wall of your I can't afford to let you in close to me. And that’s okay. It really is. It’s really the only reason I
97
stayed up
so late last night in my prison stitching together all of the dirty laundry we've both acquired. I used the tattered battered bed sheets and bleached worn hearts ripped from sleeves and climbed out of the window of why not just stay filthy. I want to run through fresh cut grass in bowls and drink lovers spit until liquor stores open up. Lewd and crass. Sensual and organic. Obscene and salacious Crayola-purple silence, a Jesus drink special you've become. We both laughed like hallelujah hipbones, like hippy hypocrisy, as we contemplated the
silliness of how the word “Mistletoe” sounds like a deadly walk. We pressed the red buttons. Answered our cell phones. And spoke smoke signals into the carbon silk of the night. These eyes are wondering why in the hell are your thighs wasting my precious time. Your mortal mouth makes angels butterfly with envy. Hopping tadpoles
dance in our premature ways of skipping away from difficult questions. Let’s let the sensitive skin behind our knees determine who pays for dinner tonight. I would love to go tabletop dutch on a charge card dream and sign the receipt whoever in the hell you want me to be. Hand woven scarves glass slipper liquid into the impossible of you. While an autumn of apple martinis make up their minds to prom night themselves into the perfumed cologne festival of fingernails and moonshine. Too lost to turn back. Too passionate to turn down the sheet music. Confession: tomorrow’s just one second away. Confession: y(our) collar bone’s been nominated for a religious doctrine. Confession: your kind of surreal shouldn't be acceptable in any Adam apples court of law.
Unwrap my teeth and allow me to be any light switch in your home. I promise you hugs until fears go down easy. Drive ashtrays through wine bottles until my baby sounds like a good enough rest stop to sleep in. You're a water lily dew, air crafty bubble bath, across airbags. Always betting on right now. You’re
a stay with me until you're an all I need. You're a let’s not parking lot. You're a let’s Tokyo drift donuts around halos. Fortune's an overpriced fish bowl prescription with a sunflower
for a stigmatism. Instead can we just focus on each other’s got damn I love your natural language tongue. When the distance goes hitchhikers sundown; thumb heartbeats across country cheekbones. Our laughs went half on the gas. The epic dawn drove seat belts across backstroking faith. Drove seat belts across the find any another other good reason to doubt this moment. Living sounds like a pretty good place for us to hang our always scared on. It ain't perfect picture puzzle pieces of skin. Just sexual cake batter spoons hiring any part-time tongue to mop up our floors.
98
99
Perusing pavements of New York provoked Four to explore the people behind the passions after serendipity serenaded an organic artistic encounter. Captivating Soho artist Patrick-Earl Barnes captures his version of society in organic, mixed media paintings and creations, all different, daring, and entwined within his poignant theme of deep folk art. With a strong connection to his father and hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, his faith steadfast and his visions invigorating, Patrick-Earl’s persistent passion has become a part of what he continually perceives and successively creates. interview /
nicole camack
portrait /
sean pressley
deep. In your own words, what do you do? Art is a way to spread higher consciousness and inspire individuals to think. For the last 25 years, this has been part of my daily purpose to show people how I think. I am a deep folk artist who is driven to succeed in his artistic quest.
I love doing things my way. What’s a job you’ve had in a past life that has influenced your perception? I started working in corporate America early, while in undergraduate studies via the federal government. I had the opportunity to study people’s behavior. I got caught up in the aesthetic of corporate America – the pens, the suits, the happy hours and the symbols of success.
Can you talk about the move to New York and how you got started? I started by asking God to let me know my purpose. I arrived in New York in 1995. In 1999, I began selling my shirt-and-tie fabric collage artwork on the streets of the eclectic neighborhood of SoHo in lower Manhattan. I began to use my full name Patrick-Earl, in further recognition and acknowledgement of how important my father was and continues to be in my life. I also created a self-brand, Patrick-Earl, from the use of my artwork.
What stereotype do you most aspire to defy? I passed that issue a long time ago. I know who I am. You use a lot of found art and mixed media. It’s very organic; tell us why that is significant? I like finding the spirits and energy in the things I find. How do you get in your element? I’m always in my element. Art is how you think. What I learn, I teach in my art. I like to inform with my form of deep folk art.
What did you want to be as a child? As a child I wanted to be an entrepreneur, because I had my own lawn business. I love cutting grass and doing yard work. 100
101
102
103
“ The struggling artist is just a term used to damage your creativity. I’ve never heard the term struggling doctor, struggling accountant, struggling engineer. ”
What keeps you going? This world, this society. Who has had the most influence on the creative you are? I find the most influence in folk artists who you don’t read or know about. Greatest accomplishment? Keeping the promise to my late father, Earl A. Barnes, Jr. that I would be happy. Creating and sharing my art makes me very happy. Biggest fear you have overcome? I learned about having faith, believing in what you pray for. What’s in the future? Purchasing an original shotgun house and converting it into an art gallery, for my shotgun house paintings. And to continue to engage in developing, nurturing and managing my art brands.
patrick-earl.com / @deepfolk 104
"allure" is a word very few people use nowadays, but it's something that exists. allure holds you doesn't it? whether it's a gaze or a glance in the street or a face in the crowd, someone sitting opposite you at lunch... you are held. diana vreeland // tastemaker
120
Street fashion is real fashion now. Ultimately, that’s what is driving the industry. The kind of fashion that I love exists only in images, where it becomes part of a world of dreams and fantasies. Only a few great eccentrics can wear it. But chasm doesn’t bother me, because I think there’s a tension– or a continual dialogue— going on between street fashion and the fashion depicted in photographs, which very few woman can afford to wear for obvious financial reasons, as well as certain social pressures. Luxury isn’t an easy thing to do these days. Luxury has become so vulgar. Luxury items have become the symbol of nouveaux riches, of new fortunes made out of IT and the dot-com industry, and by people who don’t have experience with this kind of culture appropriating historically luxury items.
carine roitfeld // image maker
I find that writers tend to be, obviously, very in their heads. They’re difficult to be around because it’s hard to decode what’s happening in there from an outer-perspective. But what I find very endearing about creative people across the board is this very earnest sense of narcissism. It’s so hard to be a creative individual and not be vaguely narcissistic, and in some ways, it’s okay because it’s not covering itself up as anything.
gina nanni // PUBLIC RELATIONS
Go listen to all of my music. It's the codes of self-esteem. It's the codes of who you are. If you're a Kanye West fan, you're not a fan of me, you're a fan of yourself. You will believe in yourself. I'm just the espresso. I'm just the shot in the morning to get you going, to make you believe you can overcome the situation that you're dealing with all the time. [...] I've always felt I can do anything. That's the main thing people are controlled by, thoughts, the perceptions of themselves. They're slowed down by the perception of themselves. If you're taught you can't do anything, you won't do anything. I was taught I could do everything, and I'm Kanye West at age 36. So just watch the next 10 years.
kanye west // artist
121
the queen city style By Whitley Adkins Hamlin
whitley adkins hamlin
.
wardrobe stylist
.
www . thequeencitystyle . com
+ commercial + . 704 560 7005
personal
editorial
this or that with
kathryn godwin Whimsical and imaginative, visual artist Kathryn Godwin’s magical, meticulous perspective, love of life, and travel-infused installations transcend space and mediums, leaving you breathless and inspired. words /
nicole camack
succulents or flowers? flowers jewelry or plane tickets? plane tickets east or west coast? east coast gal with dreams of a west coast life. big city or small town? small town, but big city vacations. the beach or the mountains? the mountains magazines or books? books 9 to 5 or freelance? freelance studio or on-set? both! i love the solitude of my studio, but the collaboration that comes from working with a team. vintage or modern? vintage dance parties or movie night? movie nights that end in dance parties! Learn more about Kathryn and her work at: studio-cultivate.com
123
435 South Tryon Street, Suite 110 • Charlotte, NC 28202 (across from the Bechtler Museum)
www.newgallerymodernart.com
425 south tryon street suite 110 | charlotte nc 28202 704.373.1464 | newgalleryofmodernart.com
HOURS: TUES - FRI 10AM-6PM, SAT 11AM-5PM Every first Thursday of the month open until 8pm
Join us as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary.
The Gantt Center is Charlotte’s destination for African-American art, history and culture and is the home of the nationally acclaimed John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art.
At Levine Center for the Arts 551 South Tryon St. • Charlotte, NC 28202 (704) 547-3700 • www.ganttcenter.org