YEN GUEST PHOTO
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YEN GUEST PHOTO
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chelsee ivan
Canada can freeze your heart and halt your blood, but this photographer wouldn't have it any other way. What’s one thing people should do in your hometown? I think the best thing to do in Alberta is travelling on highways late at night, music loud, preferably in the summertime. The ground is so flat you can imagine you’re in space and feel entirely alone. What’s the biggest challenge about photography? Right now it’s that I’m entirely self-driven. I sometimes struggle with sadness and when I do it’s tough to make myself step out of my everyday spaces to find a new place or situation that’ll inspire me. Is photography a full-time job? Not yet, no. I’ve worked a lot of different short-term jobs. I spent a summer landscaping a cemetery, weed whipping gravestones and listening to audio books. I’ve worked in an organic grocery store’s cafe, a senior’s home and my hometown’s tourist information centre. What’s on your bedside table? Right now: a clamp light, Kiehls hand lotion, a couple pairs of dried contact lenses, Foam Magazine, a blue water bottle and some minty rose lip balm. What’s happening for the rest of the year? Right now I’m trying to sort that out. A good friend and I recently put together an interdisciplinary art show in an unheated space called The Cold Show. I hope we’re able to do something similar again. I also recently printed my first zine and am already itching to make another. And take as many photographs as I can. See more of Chelsee’s work at chelseeivan.com.
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This page Zoo Emporium jacket, $175. C&M shirt, $159. Topshop turtleneck, $23. Acne pants, $480. Wittner boots, $159.95. 1. Topshop coat, $154. Kloke from Incu at The Galeries shirt, $239. G-Star turtleneck, $140. Zara cords, $59.95. Akubra from Strand Hatters hat, $170. 2. Fur Elise shirt, $490. The 2 Bandits necklace, $118 and bracelet (worn as choker), $110. 3. LP33.3 dress, $460. Benah satchel bag, $620. 8 Other Reasons bracelet, $59.95. 4. Bec & Bridge coat, $450. Antipodium shirt, $169. Rolla’s tank, $99.95. Faith & Lola from Princess Polly jumpsuit (worn as skirt), $80. Route 66 sunglasses, $29.
YEN UPFRONT FASHION
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no country for old men For long days out on the range. FASHION Nicki colbran PHOTOS frenchy
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YEN UPFRONT FASHION
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YEN mythology
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mythical monsters
YEN mythology
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We chat to beastmaster and author of The Science of Monsters, Matt Kaplan, about the origins of our nightmares. WORDS JANA ROOSE ART EMMA MOTION
DRAGONS There are three things you think you know about dragons. They’re big and scaly, they breathe fire, and they fly. But interestingly, in myth and lore, these qualities aren’t always a holy trinity. There are no fire-breathing dragons in Asian lore, and there are no fires coming from Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dragons either. The fire-breathing bastards are all in Europe, living underground. “I speculate a lot of it has to do with geology and the chemistry of the soil,” says Kaplan. “So gas comes from two locations. One: if you have natural gas seams and you go digging into them with a torch you’re going to get your head blown off. Two: if you go and break into an ancient tomb, and particularly mass graves where lots of people and their horses and dogs are buried, their flesh will rot and if the tomb is sealed well enough, when you break into it carrying a torch at night – because you’re a graverobber – gas will seep out and blow you up. It will look like fire is being spurted out of the grave and in some cases it killed people.” In the Middle East, the soil is too dry to trap gas, so the dragons there might maim you with their giant teeth and steal your babies, but at least they'll never set your village on fire. The notion that dragons fly originates in China. The Chinese were trying to explain horrendous storm systems that came over their land and thought the howling winds were dragons roaring in the clouds, controlling the skies. After very powerful storms farmers would find bones in their fields and to explain it they came to the conclusion that dragons had been fighting in the sky and one had fallen to the ground. “That's why the dragons are described in legend as having the head of a camel, horns of a stag, ears of a cow, claws of an eagle – they’re described as having pieces of all these different animals because you do find all those animals in China. But really the bones they found were fossils being excavated by rainstorms." When the Silk Road opened up, goods trade became common between China, Europe and the Middle East and so did a trade of stories. Over the next millennia the myths merged; dragons outside China began to be drawn with wings, and the ones in China started to breathe fire.
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YEN PHOTO ESSAY
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tough love
There's way more to Hawaii than just leis and getting laid. Photographer Melanie Tjoeng introduces us to another side of island life. photos melanie tjoeng
I have loved Hawaii since I was a child when I travelled there with my family when I was 13. I was also fortunate enough to do my undergraduate over there so I got to experience a Hawaii outside of the tourist boundaries. Hawaii is one of those magical places; there is a thickness to the air, it is incredibly spiritual and beautiful but also a land of much heartache and bloodshed. It is an extremely culturally diverse place with people from all over the world residing there; namely Polynesian, Micronesian and Asian communities. My friend worked at the school [Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy] and I had been interested in learning about alternative schooling. I also visited an agricultural school there, for disadvantaged youth, so when she told me about The Youth Challenge Academy I wanted to learn more about it and work on a photo story on what the school is all about and how it bridges the divide for the children. Access wasn't too hard because my friend got clearance for me to visit the school, meet the students and take photos. It would have otherwise been quite difficult to get in. The students are there for a variety of reasons but mostly behavioural problems. A lot of them had been expelled from schools and this was their last chance before juvenile detention. There were also a few students who were using it as a way to enter the military straight out of school. I have always been quite hesitant about the military and military programs just because I believe it breeds a culture of separation. Learning to defend borders and fighting for your country isn’t necessarily a good thing to me. I believe in problem solving in peaceful ways. I don’t like weaponry or warfare or any institution that encourages it. But I also understand that isn’t solely what the military is about and this program seemed to have helped many children that were deemed a nuisance. It gave them direction where before they had none. Their daily routine consists of having to wake up at dawn and train and then class and boot camp. If any of them misbehave they have to do push ups and drills. They have a very regimented and strict daily routine, which works well for some of the students because it’s something that they have never had before but it also proves hard for many of them. However, the goal of the institution is to instill a sense of order into their lives. The school is controversial for some Native Hawaiians, especially those who believe in Hawaiian sovereignty – the plight of Native Hawaiians to reclaim their land from the United States. Because the military bases and programs in Hawaii are obviously run by the United States Government they are extremely patriotic. A lot of the military bases reside on sacred land, which is extremely disheartening for the Native Hawaiians (the Kanaka Maoli) and a subject of much tension on both sides.
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See more of Melanie's work at meltjoengphoto.com.
YEN PHOTO ESSAY
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This was family day for the students at the Youth Academy. Most of them hadn't seen their parents or family members in a long time so it was an exciting day. The United States flag featured prominently throughout the day which was exemplary of the patriotism that resides at the school.
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This page: Levi's denim jacket, $149.95. Opposite: Acne jacket, $1,400. Karen Walker turtleneck jumper, $355. Juliette Hogan pants, $337. Vans from General Pants Co. backpack, $49.95. Stylist’s own beanie.
YEN FOOD
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Chocolate Tart
Rich and gooey, this tart looks and tastes impressive but is surprisingly simple to make. Words jacinta moore Photos Lauren Bamford
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YEN FOOD
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The warm scents of pastry, rich chocolate and pistachios will waft through your house calling all to the kitchen to agree on one thing: this tart is completely loco. It is the perfect balance of sweet chocolate, flaky pastry and crunchy nuts and the ideal treat for a delicious afternoon tea or a show stopper dessert. Either way it’s best served with a generous dollop of cream. Pastry 300g butter at room temperature 200g caster sugar 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten 4 cups plain flour ¼ tsp sea salt 50g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped Chocolate Filling 1 cup pouring cream ½ cup milk 150g milk chocolate 150g dark chocolate 2 eggs, lightly beaten Ganache ½ cup pouring cream 150g dark chocolate 50g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
To make pastry, mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, combine, then add flour, sea salt and pistachios and mix well. Empty mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and use hands to work into a ball. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour to rest. Kept in the fridge, pastry can be made up to three days in advance. Preheat oven to 180˚C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to roughly 3mm thick then use hands to press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of a loose-bottom tart pan (35cm x 13cm rectangle or 28cm round). Trim edges, then blind
bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges colour slightly. Remove weights and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine cream and milk in a small pan and bring to a low simmer. In a large bowl, pour hot mixture over milk and dark chocolate pieces. Wait a minute then stir until smooth. Leave mixture to cool for 10 minutes then add eggs and combine well. Pour mixture evenly into a pastry tin, stopping 5mm from the top. Bake at 180˚C for 25 to 30 minutes until just set but still slightly wobbly in the centre. Set aside to cool. For the ganache layer, bring cream to a low simmer in a small pan. In a bowl, pour hot cream over the dark chocolate pieces. Wait a minute then stir until smooth. Pour evenly over tart filling until full. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Garnish with finely chopped pistachios and serve.
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YEN MODE
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YEN MODE
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introducing pop & scott
Creative couple and founders of Pop & Scott Workshop take us on a tour of their lovely light-filled home. PHOTOS LISA SORGINI
COTTAGE LIFE We have lived in our little workers cottage in Collingwood for three years. We love living here, our house is just a few steps from Smith Street so we are surrounded by good food and great pubs, live music and good friends. INHABITANTS The house has four tenants: Hona the cat, Lulu the dog, Scotty and I. Scotty is a plumber by trade and I am a florist. We started the cooperative workshop Pop & Scott (popandscott.com) together. I do flowers for events and weddings and together we make swings and furniture. CAN I BUY YOU A DRINK? We met at a really bad bar on the other side of town. Scotty had been drinking all day on a big old tall ship with his friends – as you do. So he was his usual self, entertaining his friends with silly magic tricks and bad jokes. My girlfriend Michelle and I decided to sit with them and from then on Scotty and I have been together. We never had a first date, we just started hanging out with each other. Scotty was about to leave to work on a music festival in the States when we met, so we were not planning to really fall for each other. When he got back from his travels he moved straight in. PLANS AFOOT We need to make a coffee table and make something for a baby to sleep in! Soon it will be five in our little house. If we owned our house we would put in a new kitchen and build an extra room on top.
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