Jungle Magazine Edition 01 preview

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The Uncovered Edition / Anja Konstantinova / Lianne La Havas / Mariell AmĂŠlie / Tom Misch / Rejina Pyo / Shaun Downey / Lee Price / Samm Henshaw / Kojey Radical / Sophia Thakur / Cecilia Knapp

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The Uncovered Edition / Anja Konstantinova / Lianne La Havas / Mariell AmĂŠlie / Tom Misch / Rejina Pyo / Shaun Downey / Lee Price / Samm Henshaw / Kojey Radical / Sophia Thakur / Cecilia Knapp

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The Uncovered Edition / Anja Konstantinova / Lianne La Havas / Mariell AmĂŠlie / Tom Misch / Rejina Pyo / Shaun Downey / Lee Price / Samm Henshaw / Kojey Radical / Sophia Thakur / Cecilia Knapp

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Published twice a year by Jungle Inc. Ltd. Jungle Inc. Ltd. 14 Cornerways, 1 Daylesford Ave. London, UK SW15 5QP Distributed by: Comag Specialist Printed and bound by: Dedrax JSC.

ISSN 2397-6179 PR and Info: Email: pr@jungle-magazine.co.uk Advertising and Sales: Email: advertising@jungle-magazine.co.uk Phone: +447514905090 Cover Credits: Cover 1: Photographer: Darren Black.

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Makeup: Maria Asadi using love-makeup.co.uk Hair: Roger Cho. Set Designer: Phoebe Darling.

Fashion Editor: Daniela Suarez.

Music Editors: Joshua Wilkins & Nathan Fisher.

Cover 2: Photographer: Mark Cant.

Model: Anja Konstantinova @ Premier Model Management.

Makeup: Hugo Gamboa using NARS Cosmetics.

Hair: Sharmaine Cox @ The Book Agency.

Stylist: Nicole Freeman.

Fashion Editors: Daniela Suarez & April Edgar.

Cover 3: Photographer: Mariell Amelie Special Thanks:

Claud Williams, Todor Todorov, Megan Powell (The Studio, Loughborough University) Thank you:

Two Create, Humble Design, Sandra Ojuri (Rubix), Chris Lewis Jones (Delcam), Comag, Rachel Evans (Malmaison Hotels), Proper Corn, Rick Norsworthy, Sania Khatri, Sarah Brown, Claudia Rocha, Platform Creative, Fabric PR, Bacchus, Goodley Bullen PR, The Wolves PR, Agency 11, Dyelog PR, Frame Noir, The Communication Store, Lewis & Leigh PR, HPR, Spring London, Cube Company, Sissy Best (Premier Model Management), Zuzanna Stajer (Milk Model Management), Stacy Bell (Wilhelmina Models), Storm Model Management, Supa Model Management, Sara Mullholand (Stella Creatives), The Book Agency, Rejina Pyo, Wouter Baartmans, Amber Siegel, Anja Konstantinova, Nidia Lewis Jones, Reza Foroughi, Zohreh Foroughi and Amir Foroughi, Press office at The Photographer’s Gallery, Clare Grafik (The Photographers Gallery), Press office at Tate Modern, Simon Baker (Tate Modern), Andy Prevezer (Warner Music Group), Jez Couldwell, Duncan Murray, Kat Koumourou (JD Management), Taponeswa Mavunga (Columbia), Parris O’Loughlin-Hoste (Columbia), Precious consortium partners: Delcam Ltd, FutureFactories, Cookson Precious Metals Ltd, Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre, Birmingham City University, Finishing Techniques Ltd, Innovate UK, Rainbowave PR, Blow PR, Anisa Topan PR, Teatum Jones, Starworks ©2016 Jungle Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher.

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Editor’s Letter I was sat on my flight back to London, my eyes were out of focus and music was blasting in my ears. I completely blocked out the world outside in an attempt to somehow not hear the crying babies in the row in front of me (because there always has to be at least one crying baby on a plane). Deep in my thoughts, I began reminiscing on the very beginnings of the magazine; I had an image of myself two years ago, sitting in my cold kitchen with my friend and a cup of tea. We were trying to come up with a name for the magazine. My thoughts then drifted to the memory of my heart erratically thumping when I released the first issue of Jungle and the moments after when I passed out from working for over 48 hours with no sleep. I remembered waking up and seeing my phone covered with red little signs of re-tweets, facebook likes and congratulatory messages from my friends. You should have seen the smile on my face.

From that, my mind quickly went over all the good and happy emails; the thousands and thousands of closed doors in my face; the moment Vanessa, my deputy editor, joined my team; all the uncomfortable times of self doubt and vulnerability; when I officially registered my company; that special time when my business was backed by our first investors; and when I stood shaking whilst giving my acceptance speech when we received our first award. Yes, it started with a vision and a dream in my head and it ended up with ‘us’, a collective of incredibly ambitious, creative and inspiring individuals working together.

Lost in happy thoughts, I wondered how confused the non-English speaking old lady next to me must have been when she interrupted my out of place grin as she got up to use the loo. It was a strange feeling; we were two weeks away from sending the files for print and I knew how much work we had left. Though despite that, somehow the prospect of eventually purchasing a copy of the magazine in stores felt like a super power, which faded the worries away.

We are always told that to be successful, we need to go to school, get good grades and then get a job that pays well and provides our families and us with a strong sense of security. That plan may resonate well with a lot of people however, for me it lacks a lot of things that I value the most in my life. If you are reading this, you are holding the realisation of one of my biggest dreams in your hands. This magazine is the result of a group of likeminded people, who in one way or another refuse to conform to what society tells us we ought to do or be. We dedicate this edition of Jungle to the people who have used their abilities to hold their fate in their own hands; people who have created their own unique paths to success as we “Uncovered” their inspiring stories.

For our first-ever print run, three inspiring women grace our covers. We had the pleasure of spending a few hours with the Grammy nominated Lianne La Havas whose humility and warm personality is something I will tell everyone about. Anja Konstantinova was our muse for the fashion cover and gave us the pleasure of hearing her success story in a shoot with the very talented Mark Cant. Mariell Amelie, the ‘Norwegian conceptual photographer’ tells us about her creative workflow and gives us the honour of debuting her new artwork on our limited edition cover.

At the end, I would like to say the biggest thank you to my team who have consistently surprised me with their passion and hard work. By the time Edition 01 will be available in the stores internationally, over 100 people will have been involved in the production of it. It is something that I am sincerely proud of and would like to say thank you for.

Editor-In-Chief/ Creative Director Twitter: @aliforoughijr

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The Team

Creative Director & Editor In Chief

Ali Foroughi.

Deputy Editor

Vanessa Lewis Jones.

Fashion/Style Editors

Daniela Suarez April Edgar.

Art Editor

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Emma Bourne.

Music Editors

Joshua Wilkins Nathan Fisher.

Editorial/Graphic Designer

Edvinas Bruzas.

Branding and Design

Two Create.

www.jungle-magazine.co.uk www.facebook.com/junglemagazine @jungle_magazine

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Contributors

Mark Cant Darren Black David Sheldrick Clara Copley Adam Marc Williams Thang LV Rachell Smith Claudia Rocha Amy de Klerk Jenny Brownlees Rachel Nosco Gina Cusachs Rachel Nosco Art:

Carys Fieldson Carys Frankland Lara Ferri Jenna Opsahl Maria-EdmĂŠe di Sambuy Music:

Eric Brain Sean Fitzsimons Molly Tibbetts Guido Iafigliola

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Fashion:

Contents

4 – Editor's Letter

80 – Lianne La Havas CONVERSATION Inbound from her holiday in Mexico, Lianne La Havas gets back to work on her vibrant career.

12 – Blossoming Star CONVERSATION Springtime gives way to rejuvenation and new life, allowing the beauty of nature to break through the harsh frost of the winter months, this sets the scene for our editorial Blossoming Star.

94 – Shaun Downey: Pausing Time CONVERSATION Shaun Downey’s paintings beg for a second look, for a pause. His large, photorealistic portraits are all at once soft, dramatic, and intimate.

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24 – Raw Tranquility

104 – Lotti V Closs: A Performance of Forms

STORY

CONVERSATION

The rules of the game were the same but this time it felt different.

Lotti V Closs works in a sculptural language of assemblage, a medium through which she seeks to animate and characterise inanimate materials.

46 – Tom Misch

118 – Insurgent

ARTIST CONVERSATION The Southbank Centre has a brisk, icy wind zipping along its walls. At present and similarly to many eyes in the music industry – the wind’s attention is heading toward producer, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Tom Misch.

60 – Stumble Upon

CONVERSATION Insurgent encapsulates a driving force rising up and breaking through the constraints of societal norms, and at 5’4, our cover star Anja Konstantinova is constantly defying typical expectations of a model.

STORY She didn’t know whether the next step was spontaneous or impulsive; the next thing just had to be new.

68 – Coming Undone FASHION STORY The Oxford Dictionary defines beauty as “a combination of qualities, such as, shape, colour or form that pleases the aesthetic sense, especially the sight”.

But, the definition of beauty has altered over the years, with new interpretations forever being formed.

132 – Rejina Pyo CONVERSATION ‘The Pyo woman is not afraid of what others think of her; she is intelligent, quietly confident and at the top of her chosen field, she knows what she wants.’

138 – Music: The Medicine To Our Mood ARTICLE Music has a strange connection to our mood, as it has the ability to trigger a range of emotions within us.

Contents

144 – The Resurgence of Spoken Word: with Cecilia Knapp, Kojey Radical & Sophia Thakur

210 – Jocelyn Allen: Your Mind & Body Is All That You’ve Got II CONVERSATION

CONVERSATION For centuries, poetry has been at the forefront of creative literature, with its many genres and sub-genres transcending generations.

160 – Mariell Amélie: Lost and Found

222 – Lee Price: Toward Healing and Acceptance

CONVERSATION

CONVERSATION

Amélie spent hours exploring the natural landscape. Since then its rough waves, beautiful beaches and saw-toothed peaks have cast a heavy spell over both her art and life, as she confesses, ‘nature is my favourite location.’

30 years in the making, Lee Price’s investigation of the relationship between women and food appears as the result of a gradual assimilation of personal experience and accidental encounters.

174 – Breaking Performance

236 – Major Independence: Is It More Beneficial For Artists To Go Their Own Way?

STORY

CONVERSATION

184 – Shadow Play STORY Looking at the shadows she created, she knew that she existed and for the first time she realised that she could create anything.

In the thoughts of any emerging artist, earning a major record deal is usually their aim. The three kings of the major record label world - Sony, Warner and Universal - each have hundreds of millions of pounds behind them to propel new artists into the musical hemisphere, and artists will reap the rewards if they can deliver the goods.

244 – Spring Summer 16 ARTICLE From Paul Smith to Rodarte, sharp, masculine suits were all over the spring/ summer 2016 catwalks. For those that havenever ventured into androgyny dressing, then this season is your chance.

198 – Samm Henshaw CONVERSATION The stage is set for Samm Henshaw, who has come a long way in a short period of time.

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For Jocelyn Allen, feelings of anxiety have been a drive behind many of her selfportraiture photographs and have largely stemmed from worries surrounding the physical appearance of her body and its capabilities.

Conversation

Springtime gives way to rejuvenation and new life, allowing the beauty of nature to break through the harsh frost of the winter months, this sets the scene for our editorial Blossoming Star.

Valeriane Le Moi is our muse as we uncover more about who is behind the face of our fashion story.

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Blossoming Star Photographer Thang LV

Dress: Tata Naka. Necklace: Gemporia. Ring: Gemporia.

Conversation

Joshua Wilkins talks to

Tom Misch 18

T

he Southbank Centre has a brisk, icy wind zipping along its walls.

At present - and similarly to many eyes in the music industry – the wind’s attention is heading toward producer, singer/songwriter and multiinstrumentalist, Tom Misch. He positions himself in preparation for a barrage of shots from the camera lens, something that Misch is not yet accustomed to, however, he displays a relaxed approach to proceedings.

This approach is also very apparent in his musical style, on which Misch has built a large, cult-like following via online audio distribution platforms and social media.

Misch’s obsession with music started by having violin lessons when he was four years old, which guided his interest in classical music. At the age of nine, he started to play the guitar and this is where his admiration for Rock music was initiated, whilst Hip Hop and Jazz became influential genres during his mid-teens. His beat making began during his A-levels as he studied Music Technology, introducing him to the comfort of being able to produce from home. Misch practices the Suzuki method of learning, which he describes as, "A method where you learn by listening and then playing, as opposed to reading music and playing”. From an early age, he attained that skill and these various experiences have helped form the Tom Misch sound we hear today.

Practicing the Suzuki method is a strong ability to have as a producer and combining this with new technologies has made the process of production occur more naturally for Misch, but he explains how it takes time and dedication to reach this stage, "You have to want to do music, first of all. Find software that works for you - there are a vast amount of different software packages - just mess around on them. If you enjoy it, you will mess around more and it can help you establish your sound".

Misch has certainly established his sound, with his progressive tempos and soulful guitar riffs flowing beautifully as he combines elements from different genres. It can be mesmerising and the ideal music for escapism and productivity. One artist in particular that has manipulated Misch’s musical direction dramatically is the late, J. Dilla, “I was obsessed with J. Dilla for quite a while”, he expresses, and when listening to Misch’s first project, Beat Tape 1, you can see the direct influence from Dilla.

Not only does Misch produce his own music, but he also has the ability to take songs by artists and put his own spin on them, for example, when creating a remix of Lianne La Havas', 'What You Don't Do', showing that he has a multitude of talents.

“Nobody was really aware of Beat Tape 1. It is just beats that loop and people love a voice and that tape was just grooves”, the twenty year old

Blazer: Scotch and Soda. Turtleneck: Scotch and Soda. Trousers: Villain

Blazer: Scotch & Soda. Jumper: Aigle

This diverse taste in music has come through the digital revolution of the past ten years. Music is now widely accessible for free and on monthly subscription platforms through streaming services and it has changed the way we consume music and how musicians distribute it. Typically, buying music from a store and live shows were the foundation of discovering talent,

but in recent years this consumerism has shifted and it is now easier than ever to uncover new talent online. Misch describes how he accesses new music as part of the "new generation of music diggers, who look online rather than through a record store”. Building foundations on platforms such as Soundcloud, as Misch has, is a useful path for a musician to take as it shows dedication to their work, which they can make freely available, with Misch admitting, “I didn’t pick a music career. I just started making beats, set up a Soundcloud account and things just took off from there”.

Tom’s success so far is another indication as to how much of a powerful tool the Internet has become within the music industry.

For someone so young, Misch has a mature outlook towards his occupation.

It is an industry he describes “falling into by accident” through the persistent partaking of his hobbies surrounding music. Through a passion that began from the comfort of his own home, Misch is now part of a prolific amount of musicians who turn their sleeping space into a working space. The success of these aforementioned artists is becoming more common, as acquiring studio time can be expensive and/or inaccessible.

Purchasing studio equipment can be a better investment and also allows artists to instantly access their equipment, as well as giving them the ability to produce studio quality music in their own environment.

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producer says of his debut release, which consisted of just his instrumentals.

He took a different approach when creating the sequel, Beat Tape 2, on which he collaborated with other artists and applied his songwriting. An influential genre for Misch is Jazz and it has helped him form a few of his ideas musically, “I love nice chords and harmonies which come from Jazz”, he declares, and which he has clearly injected into his music. As well as this, an essence of Hip Hop can be found in Misch’s production, which has attracted a lot of attention from aspiring rappers hoping to work with him, "Being a producer who makes beats, you are going to get infiltrated by rappers wanting instrumentals. I want to work with rappers, but I’m very selective”. Hip Hop artists such as Slum Village, Mos Def, Common and more recently, Goldlink are admired by Misch as they all share a smooth and casual delivery. Despite his assertions, both singers and rappers appear on Beat Tape 2, displaying how musically diverse his production is.

Conversation

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Coming Undone

Makeup Artist Wendy Turner

Thoughts

“I can’t better the sentiments in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’. He covers it all. I am only sorry I didn’t read it 25 years ago (and thank you to the friend who sent it to me). To that I would only add, be focused on but not dictated by your interests – meaning comes from unexpected places. And get some rest!”.

Clare Grafik – Head of exhibitions at The Photographer's Gallery

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What would you tell your younger self?

Conversation

Joshua Wilkins talks to

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Lianne La Havas I

nbound from her holiday in Mexico, Lianne La Havas gets back to work on her vibrant career. A rare break away from the demands of the music industry has helped her to replenish her thoughts and reflect on her successful spell so far, with all eyes fixated on what she will do next. With her popular first album, Is Your Love Big Enough, obtaining the iTunes Album of the Year award in 2012, alongside a nomination for a Mercury Prize in the same year, as well as her critically acclaimed second album, Blood, charting in eleven countries – Lianne has a lot to exceed. After performing as a backup vocalist on tour for Paloma Faith, Lianne has transitioned to a solo artist with great success, something she was somewhat destined for.

At the age of seven Lianne La Havas sang for the first time. She had no idea what singing was, or why she wanted to sing, but she can recall the moment clearly, “I remember it just feeling really nice, it was a very nice sensation to sing”, she says, with an emotional attachment to the moment. Highlighting the significance this experience had on her life, she has made a career out of her childhood ambition, with this moment being a clear starting point for her. However, it took time for Lianne’s

talents to be recognised, as hints of embarrassment were embedded in the early stages of her musical exploration, “At an early age, in secret, I would play on my toy keyboard and sing and learn the melodies that were already programmed into it”, she reveals. Lianne would then start writing her own songs around eleven years of age, with this hidden hobby allowing her to express herself. Eventually, albeit reluctantly, Lianne built up the courage to audition for her school choir, admitting she was “afraid of auditioning”, but once she had, she “couldn’t be stopped”.

She could not, as almost fourteen years later her album, Blood, has been nominated for a Grammy Award. In those intervening years, Lianne has kept the same vocal coach, who has aided her development and helped her become more comfortable and confident in her own ability. Whilst receiving tuition for her singing, Lianne started to play the guitar in her late teens, which heavily influenced her music. Adding the guitar to her vocals allowed her to express new feelings through her music, with Lianne citing that learning to play the instrument as, “Probably the best thing I've ever done”.

Blouse: Yuzzo London. Trousers: Samsoe & Samsoe. Shoes: Atiana. Jewellery: Lianne’s own.

One artist in particular that has influenced Lianne profoundly is Ella Fitzgerald. Known for her soulful jazz vocals and powerful tone, Fitzgerald has helped Lianne in many ways, “When I started singing properly and [started] caring about it, that was when I looked to Ella - I wanted to learn from her”, she says with a sense of fascination. “She always did just enough”, Lianne states, before reiterating how Fitzgerald never over sang or under sang anything, consistently delivering the right amount of emotion, “she could make her voice really sweet and flutter like a bird or she could also make it really raspy and gravelly”. Another influence of Lianne’s was brought to her attention as a present - a vinyl called, Beleza Tropical, that had a selection of Brazilian music compiled together by Scottish-born, American singer, David Byrne from the band, Talking Heads. “It is the most amazing collection of songs and they sound so exciting and alive, I try to inject that into my own style”. When listening to Beleza Tropical you can sense and feel the influence that Lianne has drawn from it. The patterned Bossa Nova guitar riffs are a satisfying rhythm and ideal for a singer of her style to incorporate. Despite the songs being sung in Portuguese, it has assisted her musical direction and enhanced her guitar patterns in her own songs.

As well as this, Lianne enjoys music where the whole song is played on the guitar, including the melody, chords and the bass line. Guitarists Tommy Emmanuel and Martin Taylor, with their intricate and complex finger picking styles, have influenced Lianne’s guitar playing, in addition to Emily Remler, “My favourite guitarist of all time is Emily Remler, I found her instructional videos online, which really helped me”. Remler

Photographer Darren Black.

Makeup Maria Asadi using love-makeup.co.uk Hair Roger Cho. Set Designer Phoebe Darling.

Fashion Editor Daniela Suarez.

Music Editors Joshua Wilkins & Nathan Fisher.

Words by Joshua Wilkins.

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Song writing methodology occurs in a variety of ways. For some musicians, the process can be arduous, so, artists attempt to create new methods of writing that suit them. One method Lianne describes is to record a voice note, which she may then take to a producer to brainstorm ways to use the recording, “We can hear the idea back whilst together and they may suggest a certain type of beat, which might just change the whole way I thought about it”. Lianne explains this as being a common process whilst making her album, Blood. This is an example of how beneficial sharing ideas with one another can be, and how artists should be open to use other people’s suggestions to help initiate new thoughts. Lianne understands the limitations of having a singular process for song writing and believes there is an element of losing creativity if you rely only on a certain practice. For her next album, Lianne plans to go back to a more traditional method of sitting with her guitar and writing – which could bring a more organic and personal approach to her compositions in the future. Lianne describes her motivation to write songs are due to her feelings, explaining, “When I feel strongly about something, it’s really physical and it’s like that moment when you are about to cry and you can feel it in your chest - that is what makes me want to sing a note”.

Lianne uses her emotions to figure out what notes she needs to sing in order to match the particular feeling she has. After recording, Lianne will listen back to her work, ensuring that the audio gives her the feeling she wanted to communicate.

Conversation

Shaun Downey: Pausing Time 32

Shaun Downey’s paintings beg for a second look, for a pause. His large, photo-realistic portraits are all at once soft, dramatic, and intimate. His scenes are mysterious and unknowable — and yet they feel familiar, as if we ourselves, have been here before.

Words Jenna Opsahl.

Artwork Shaun Downey.

Image: New Day

Based in Toronto, Downey works from an East End studio that he shares with his wife and fellow painter Kelly Grace, painter Kyle Stewart, and sculptor Gosia. Downey emphasises the necessity of such a tight-knit studio environment, explaining that “…working alongside other artists keeps us going, and we have become like a family. Having a fresh set of eyes to bounce ideas off of has helped us all.” This encouragement and support from his creative “family” through his long working hours are much appreciated, as his work requires meticulous attention to detail and a painstaking patience.

Downey’s artistic process begins with digital photography. Downey carefully selects a model and scouts locations, such as hotels, studios or sometimes even his own home, often creating around 100 photographs in a single shoot. Through digital editing, Downey crops, composes and colour-corrects his chosen photographs. He quips “I often joke that my life would be easier if I sold my reference photos instead of going through the long painting process.” However, he maintains that there is an energy

34 Image (right): Round Mirror

surrounding his painting that cannot be duplicated by photography: “Seeing how [the painter] applied the paint, the unevenness of the surface, and the different thicknesses of paint brings you a whole different experience than looking a flat photograph.”

Downey upholds the tradition of painting and has mastered his technical skill. Describing his own approach to painting, he reveals, “I paint in layers, allowing the painting to fully dry before applying another. I usually do between three to five layers on each painting, depending on the complexity of the surfaces I am trying to create.” For Downey, this layering impressively conveys depth of field in a way that is uncanny to photography. Additionally, Downey’s treatment of light within his paintings helps to convey his photo-realistic skill. It has a delicate, diffused quality to it that falls on his subjects in a perfectly even manner. Downey often utilises a controlled colour range of cool, muted tones in his work to “inspire calm in the viewer”. He hopes that “the solitude of [his] time alone creating the work is somehow transmitted” through his use of colour.

Thoughts

“I would say, don’t think too much about what everyone else is telling you, [and] don’t feel like you have to rush in either.

Also, don’t worry about things, just worry about keeping yourself healthy. Don’t go to too many parties - it’s very tempting and alcohol does really flow, it seems, when you are doing this kind of job, but just keep a clear mind and focus and then celebrate after”.

Lianne La Havas – 26, Musician

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What would you tell your younger self?

Conversation

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Insurgent April talks to Anja.

Fashion Editor Daniela Suarez Photograper Mark Cant.

Jacket: Toga Pulla. Top: Love Stories.

Dress & Top: KTZ.

Conversation

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Mariell AmĂŠlie: Lost and Found Words Carys Frankland.

Photographs Mariell AmĂŠlie.

“Nature is my favourite location.”

A

The Nordic landscape is more than just her backdrop: for nearly a decade this island has acted as her open-air studio, where the very extremities of weather are felt throughout the year. As Amélie reminds me: ‘days are short in Andøya, especially during the winter months.’ During this time there is no sunlight, only two hours of blue dusk each day. Amélie optimises this window of opportunity by working swiftly on location, having envisaged every last detail from composition to costume.

I wondered how many attempts it typically takes to capture the final image; ‘Usually just one,’ she explains, demonstrating that a deep understanding of location and preparation before releasing the shutter is paramount.

With the help of the winter’s ethereal blue haze, her surreal concepts are further brought to life through creative styling and dress; the feel and colour of which, all act in response to the subject’s surroundings. For Amélie, fashion is a way of continually reinventing the ‘self.’ As a child she would delve into a wardrobe full of authentic 1940s and 50s clothes at her family home, dressing up was a way of being ‘someone different every day.’ And as her dramatic shoots suggest, a love of dressing up has not deserted her.

Since moving to London, Amelie has extended her creative repertoire to include interior design photography, which she admits has made her more aware of the technical aspects of composition: ‘I came to London to learn more about technique. Before that, everything I knew about photography I’d taught myself.’ She acknowledges that the technical experience she has gained from working for interior design clients has had a lasting influence on her own creative practice.

As our conversation continues, Amelie opens up about how the cathartic practice of photography in her homeland has helped her deal with insecurities about her career: ‘A little while after I moved to London I struggled a lot with finding back my way back to the inspiration that initially sparked my interest in photography. I was scared of being judged, not being liked and not having a strong enough concept of my work.’

More recently, the challenges Amélie has faced as a fledgling artist in London have been channelled through her latest series of self-portraits; Between Seasons becomes a personal meditation on those connotations, tales and traditions attached to the colour blue.

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mélie spent hours exploring the natural landscape. Since then its rough waves, beautiful beaches and saw-toothed peaks have cast a heavy spell over both her art and life, as she confesses, ‘nature is my favourite location.’ Through meeting the London-based artist I hoped to uncover how her personal relationship with the island continues to influence a photographic practice rich in narrative, imagery and emotion.

“I was playing with the feelings I had in a period in life where I struggled to find my way back to the path I had started.”

The Note of Breaking Waves (2015) is part of this series and throws Amélie’s deft use of colour into relief, both in an aesthetic and conceptual manner. An overriding feeling of serenity is echoed by the neutral tones that take over the majority of the frame. From bare flesh and floorboards, to soft bedding and clothing, Amelie appears to melt into her muted surroundings. Small hints of saturated colour from a blue feature wall act as a strong backdrop for the image’s central figure. My eye naturally picks up similar blues in the painting hung above Amélie’s body, giving the illusion that she is floating in the sea beside the sailing ships or has been washed upon the island’s safe shores. Although this is an interior shot, the singular painting on the wall stands in for a window looking out on to the Nordic seas; I can’t help but feel that Amélie is yet again making a connection between nature and man.

Throughout her work, Mariell Amélie places herself as the subject within vast landscapes or dollhouse interiors, inviting the viewer to ruminate

on the powerful sense of isolation in her work. In The Note of Breaking Waves, we observe Amélie lying peacefully on a bed in a small Bed and Breakfast room with her hair falling perfectly to the ground, leaving us to question how she came to be there and why her Rapunzel-like locks have been ceremonially cut. I discover that the shoot’s distinctly fairy tale quality owes much to the artist’s fascination with dream-reading, a hobby that has inspired the artist to traverse the line between fiction and reality. Discussing The Note of Breaking Waves, Amélie informs me; ‘I was playing with the feelings I had in a period in life where I struggled to find my way back to the path I had started.’ Therefore we could interpret the cutting of hair as symbolic of a loss of strength and a way of letting go of unwanted thoughts. The narrative in this image is not exclusive to Amelie’s personal experiences however. Mariell Amélie hints that, ‘as an artist, or any person for that matter, you will have ups and downs.’

The duplicitous nature of the colour blue allows us to recount our own feelings in response to Amélie’s work.

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Image: The Note of Breaking Waves (2015)

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Conversation

Nathan Fisher talks to

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Samm Henshaw The stage is set for Samm Henshaw, who has come a long way in a short period of time. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist arrives at the location of our shoot following another media obligation; such is the packed schedule he now abides by since signing a record deal with Columbia, and much like his music, Samm Henshaw’s presence emits a sense of warmth throughout the room, taking the chill off of the winter's day.

As is to be expected for someone so young, Samm is still adjusting to the rigours of what a career as a musician entails, though the man himself suggests, “It’s not really changed much because I’ve been signed, it’s just changed because I’m growing as a musician”. It was not too long ago that he was a student at Southampton Solent studying Popular Music Performance, at which point a music career had hardly been thought of, “I

didn’t realise that I wanted to be a musician until I was at university” he reveals. “When I started [university] I wasn’t doing many shows, because in my first year was the first time I’d done an actual gig. From the first gig that I did, I started doing more”. This demand for Samm’s services – though positive in hindsight – was deemed slightly unhelpful at the time by his parents, with regard to how it affected his studies, “It got to the point that I started going to more shows than I did to my lectures”, he confesses, his voice tainted with an intimation of guilt. This led to Samm being restricted to just one public performance in his third and final year as a student and it happened to be as part of his dissertation assessment.

Not only was the show a success in aiding his status as a graduate, but it was also the show that helped him secure his deal with Columbia.

Though it was not until his time at university that he truly acknowledged his ambition to cultivate a career in music, his musical foundations were being laid well before. Being the son of a reverend, Samm’s earliest musical memories are based in church, where he was first exposed to the use of musical instruments. He began playing drums at the tender age of four, influenced by witnessing other young people doing the same, before teaching himself to play keys at the start of his teenage years. His musical thirst could not be quenched as Samm learned how to play the guitar from sixteen, which coincided with his singing and songwriting exploits – something he subconsciously partook in beforehand, “I was naive to it all. I thought as a singer, you were supposed to write your own songs, I didn’t know that people didn’t do that. So, I came up with my own little ideas and never really considered it a separate role”.

This professed “subconscious” act was undoubtedly induced by Samm’s musical influences, most of which originated from Gospel. When speaking of the people that impacted on his style the most, he mentions the likes of Kirk Franklin, Helen Baylor, Fred Hammond and Alvin Slaughter. Among these names from the Gospel genre, Samm was also quick to profess the mark that Pop music made on his formative years, citing acts such as Michael Jackson and Maroon 5 as personal favourites. It is only in more recent times that Samm has adopted another group of influences to add to his already diverse palette, “In the last seven or eight years, I’ve started listening to people like Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo”, he states, “I guess I was a little later with [listening to] them, but I eventually picked them up and studied them to a tee”.

Conversation

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Jocelyn Allen: Your Mind & Body Is All That You’ve Got II

Words Emma Bourne.

Photographs Jocelyn Allen.

Image: 27th July 2013

Conversation

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Lee Price: Toward Healing and Acceptance

Words Maria-EdmĂŠe di Sambuy.

Artwork Lee Price.

Image: 27th July 2013

Image: Hot Chocolate (Oil on Linen, 40” x 64”)

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30 years in the making, Lee Price’s investigation of the relationship between women and food appears as the result of a gradual assimilation of personal experience and accidental encounters. What is most intriguing about Price’s artistic development is the poised confidence she reveals in pursuing her creative instincts: “often the image just pops in my head and I feel like if I just have to go with that image and not question it, later as I paint it I get an idea of what it really means.” Following this method Price rids herself of contrived models and ready-made opinions, offering her viewers a unique and intimate perspective on the experience of compulsive eating.

Price recollects painting as being an inherent part of her childhood.

Growing up with her mother – an high school art teacher – her family paid regular visits to museums and galleries. As a child she demonstrated an affinity for the medium that did not go by unnoticed: “I can remember being in kindergarten and during art class all the other students would want to sit around me so they could copy my work”.

Many years later she majored in painting at the Moore College of Art. Portraying the people that surrounded her, the choice of female subjects came as a natural development of her personal experience (Price had no male role models in her family, and attended an all-women’s college).

However, the emergence of food in her works remained for a time obscure.

Although her college years were marked by a struggle against compulsive eating disorder, the subject did not immediately manifest itself through her paintings. In these early works food appeared less as an encumbering presence, than as a discreet recurrence demanding to be further investigated: “I was painting about women and food, but the connection remained nebulous and somewhat arbitrary”.

It was only in 2004, when Price settled in New York, that food took a prominent role in her paintings. Depicting subjects engaged in the act of eating, or surrounded by compositions of food, these paintings rendered the topic of compulsive eating behaviours more apparent. Nonetheless, Price’s consolidation of her practice does not seem to confine her paintings to personal investigations. On the contrary, the artist feeds on personal experience to address a broader issue that she feels has been marginalised by public discourse: compulsive attitudes are very common symptoms of alienation, they result from an individual’s need to escape reality and withdraw from the present in which they live: “people distract themselves from being present in different ways…the internet, alcohol, or drugs, there are a thousand ways”. Her self-portraits gain strength from a straightforward and honest approach that attempts to resist the alluring danger of secrecy: “when I think of compulsive activity, I think of it as closing yourself off from communicating with other people; you are doing something hidden, you are isolated”.

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“When I think of compulsive activity, I think of it as closing yourself off from communicating with other people; you are doing something hidden, you are isolated.”

58 Image (left): Pink Cupcake II (Oil on Linen, 30” x 70”), Image (top): Empty Plates (Oil on Linen, 38” x 72”)

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