MIXT N°2 by Netra Nei

Nยบ2 Timorous Beasties

Little

Oddfellows An interview with original visionista Linda Derschang

+24 PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKING IN DOCUMENTARY, STREET, AND STUDIO

MIXT Nº2 Timorous Beasties PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW Opening Reception Saturday, February 13 February 13–March 5 studio e Gallery 609 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98108 studioegallery.org More photographer and show information at facebook.com/mixtmag

COVER PHOTO

GORSAD Kiev, Ukraine

Nº2 TIMOROUS BEASTIES

INTERVIEW Musing business & inspiration with Linda Derschang PHOTOGRAPHERS Alice Wheeler Anton Novoselov Arnoldas Kubilius Can Dagarslani Danielle Houghton Fabien Fourcaud

This second issue of MIXT showcases 24 photographers and 40 photos under the title of Timorous Beasties. This international photography exhibition pulls once again, from my contacts on social media — primarily Flickr, but includes two local (Seattle) names, Alice Wheeler and Jenny Riffle. Also, returning from last year’s show are, Sasa Stucin, Can Dagarslani, and Lukasz Wierzbowski. This collection is truly MIXT, with photographers who shoot street, documentary, studio, and fashion. The theme is loosely curated on the subject of fur, feathers, and foliage and its use as props in photography, whether happened-upon or staged. I chose this theme because over the past few years, I’ve been inspired by a return of embellishment including the use of lush foliage and elaborate patterns, ornate and pictorial wallpapers, and the ever-controversial taxidermy, its use transcending modern-day faux-pas and kitsch and elevated to a stylistic and stately presence. These photos incorporate some of these elements and collectively share a surrealist tone— emotional starkness, restrained rebellion—a kind of modern-day Victorianism.

Fyodor Telkov Gorsad Ilya Shtutsa James Mckinnon Jenny Riffle Linus Lohoff Lukasz Wierzbowski Mankichi Shinshi Mariam Sitchinava Mike Peters Missy Prince Oscar Levcovich Patrick Joust

Also, in this issue, I’m very excited to have an interview by a true Seattle original—Linda Derschang. She is a restauranteur and designer and has influenced so many creatives through her inspired ideas and vision. I fondly remember skipped days in high school, and the hour-long Metro 150 rides to Seattle with friends just to visit Linda’s first store, Basic. We’d ogle (and sometimes buy) NaNa platforms, hangout in coffee shops and soak in the energy of the city before heading back to the suburbs. I’m always excited to meet new photographers, from around the globe, who readily share their own cultural and day-to-day experience through the photographs they post on social media. New art movements abound, and are not only easily accessible, but are being incubated by more than the art-elite few. My exhibition is experimental in its own right, made possible in the spirit of collaboration and the thread of trust instilled by common interests. And on that note, I thank all the photographers who are sharing their work with MIXT. Netra Nei

Pau Buscato Pierre Wayser

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Sasa Stucin

MIXT warmly thanks Kalie Sandstrom, who wrote the interview for Linda Derschang and helped to promote the photographers on the MIXT Facebook page. She is a freelance writer and public relations consultant from Seattle, WA. She likes live music and enjoys working to foster relationships between artists and business establishments to increase community involvement and help build impactful and creative business models.

Sebastian Schramm Siri Thompson

Little Oddfellows Copenhagen coffee shops, vintage taxidermy, Maurizio Cattelan — Linda Derschang muses on business & inspirations Interview by Kalie Sandstrom

Kalie: Many of our international artists have used photography as a method for discussing their lives and the changing landscapes of the places they live and the people around them. Seattle has obviously undergone drastic changes the last 10+ years, what role (if any) have you seen photography play in the documentation of our changing culture? Linda: Photography has played such an important role in documenting Seattle’s changing landscape and culture. More importantly, photography can bring attention to those who are either most impacted by these changes and those who are most vulnerable and under represented. There is a rich history of it here. Mary Ellen Mark’s photographs of Seattle’s homeless youth were striking to me when they were first published in the eighties. Even now I find them powerful. Three contemporary photographers whose work I love are Alice Wheeler, Charlie Peterson, and Chase Jarvis. They have created work that captures parts of Seattle beautifully. As mentioned, all of the photos in our show have been sourced via various social media outlets. It’s definitely shown us the power of social media for bringing people together around common interests and art forms. In your opinion, has social media helped or hurt the legitimacy of the art world? Have you seen evidence to prove either way in Seattle?

Photo: BelathĂŠe Photography 3

I don’t know that social media has particularly helped or hurt the art world’s legitimacy. Social media has presented new challenges to the artist and complex questions that the art world may not have had to answer before. In my personal experience I’ve seen that social media can be a creative tool just as valid as any other. I’m very active on instagram and have found an interesting community of all sorts of creatives in Seattle through it. I enjoy that social media can make art more accessible. Social media has come to be a cornerstone of most business models in the United States. Have you had to augment any elements of your process for opening new establishments to accommodate the upturn in social media proliferation? It hasn’t changed my process for opening new businesses yet. We are however using social media more and more. Our businesses have always been about building community and being a part of the neighborhood. The social media platforms we choose to participate in help us do that faster than before by being able to connect in a new space and engage quickly with our guests as well as meet more people. Given that the Derschang Group is involved with so many important social advocacy groups and independent art organizations, what role (if any) has photography played in your decision to work with and support them? Depending on the cause or organization, photography can be a part in showing me the whole story and making a deeper connection beyond monetary support. However, the main thing we are looking for when supporting a group is their mission statement and it’s alignment with our own giving. Are there any forms of art in Seattle that interest you more than others and if so, has that had an impact on the aesthetics of your restaurant design? Seattle has amazing artists and designers. I do my best to get out and see shows as often as I can. We have work by local artists in many of our businesses. Painter Derek Erdman’s work is in both Little Oddfellows and Tallulah’s. There are a few of printmaker Jennifer Ament’s prints at Tallulah’s and a mural by tattoo artist Kyler Martz at Little Oddfellows. We’ve also worked with Kyler Martz, Derek Erdman, and Zack Bolotin on t-shirt and market bag designs for our company. For those of us that are from the NW, the Twin Peaks motif at Linda’s is impossible to miss. Did the photo of Laura Palmer’s portrait play a specific part in your decisions concerning the décor? Actually I didn’t consider Twin Peaks when designing Linda’s. The look and feeling of Linda’s is partly inspired by the Northwest and partly by mountain bars in Colorado where I grew up. The photo showed up sometime around 2000 I believe.

WHEN IN SEATTLE, visit these establishments by Linda: Linda’s Tavern, King’s Hardware, Smith, Oddfellows Cafe+Bar, Bait Shop, Tallulah’s, Little Oddfellows

Does your overall interior design direction come from a certain point of inspiration? The design process is different for each project. Sometimes I make up a story about the place I am designing, which is what I did for Bait Shop. For Little Oddfellows I imagined a coffee shop in Copenhagen or Amsterdam perhaps. I always think of key terms like turn of the century mercantile mixed with some farmhouse influences or mid century meets Morocco in the 1970’s. We’ve notice a resurgence of taxidermy in everything from bars and restaurants to fashion to art and culture. Taxidermy can be a controversial topic at times, especially with the passing of the new Paul Allen law concerning endangered species, etc. Have you ever had to deal with any backlash over your use of taxidermy? If so, how did you deal with it? We had some negative responses when Linda’s first opened in 1994. I completely understand that it’s not for everybody and I respect that. All the taxidermy we have is vintage; some pieces are from the 1930’s and we have one at Smith that was originally from a museum. It’s not like I’m out hunting! We read in a Stranger article that you have amassed a substantial, personal taxidermy collection over the years. What inspired you to start collecting? My interest in it is partly from my childhood. My grandmother lived in Upstate N.Y. and she had a bearskin that was slung over a balcony of the second floor of her big old house. It was a tiny bit spooky but also magical. No one in the suburbs had taxidermy so it seemed very exotic. When I was older I loved the look of ski lodges in the 70’s— lots of wood, old skis, black and white photos and sometimes taxidermy. Is taxidermy an art form, in and of itself, in your opinion? In my opinion, yes. There is a level of craft and artistic direction that is required. It’s also been interesting to see how contemporary artists like Maurizio Cattelan are using taxidermy in their work. The way his 2007 work ‘untitled’ departed from traditional taxidermy by presenting the back of the horse rather than the head created a completely different meaning. As a veteran female business leader in Seattle, many women look up to you. What are some pieces of advice you would like creatively inclined young women to take away from the legacy you’ve built around the intersection of art and business? In the past creatives weren’t always considered interested in business. Today, there are more ways than ever to approach a business model and be creative. I am seeing women creatives really take advantage of that and it’s so inspiring. My advice is to surround yourself with great people.Constantly evolve. Do something you’re passionate about and don’t open a business simply for money.

thederschanggroup.com

Linda Derschang is a restaurateur, designer, and staple of the Capitol Hill food and nightlife scene. She opened her first Seattle business (a clothing boutique called “Basic”) in 1987, and currently owns five restaurants and bars on Capitol Hill (Linda’s Tavern, Smith, Oddfellows Cafe+Bar, Bait Shop, and Tallulah’s) as well as King’s Hardware in Ballard. She strives to create community, both through the unique and welcoming environments of each of her restaurants and through work with local non-profit groups that promote causes including global literacy, reproductive rights, and independent art. Courtesy The Derschang Group

Page 6: Alice Wheeler Page 7: Lukasz Wierzbowski

PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW STUDIO E GALLERY, SEATTLE FEBRUARY 13 - MARCH 5

Page 8/9: Can Dagarslani

Page 10/11: Fyodor Telkov / Family, Taiga, Deer Series

Page 12/13: Fyodor Telkov / Family, Taiga, Deer Series

Page 14: Anton Novoselov Page 15: Jenny Riffle / Emily at 24

Page 16: Patrick Joust Page 17: Mike Peters / Meatpacking NYC, Wolf Shirt Couple

Page 18: Jenny Riffle / Heading Home Page 19: Gorsad

Page 20: Sasa Stucin Page 21: Alice Wheeler

Page 22: Danielle Houghton Page 23: Sasa Stucin

Page 24: Pierre Wayser Page 25: Danielle Houghton

Page 26: Fabien Fourcaud Page 27: Mariam Sitchinava

Page 28: Ilya Shtutsa Page 29: Lukasz Wierzbowski

Page 30: Ilya Shtutsa Page 31: Pau Buscat贸

Page 32: Danielle Houghton Page 33: Linus Lohoff

Page 34: Oscar Levcovich Page 35: Mariam Sitchinava

Page 36: Sebastian Schramm Page 37: Lukasz Wierzbowski 37

Page 38: James McKinnon Page 39: Jenny Riffle / Caught 39

Page 40: James McKinnon Page 41: Siri Thompson

Page 42: Missy Prince Page 43: Pau Buscat贸

Page 44: Arnoldas Kubilius Page 45: Mankichi Shinshi

Page 46/47: Missy Prince