A DIGITAL LANDSCAPE OF VISUAL STORYTELLING
ISSUE 2, 2014
ISSUE 2, 2014
ABOUT:
The ARGUS is a student-run, non-profit, visual journalism magazine dedicated to showcasing students’ investigations and unique perspectives of local and international issues.
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Letter From The Editor Welcome to the second issue of the ARGUS for 2014, a digital realm that focuses on showcasing outstanding visual projects produced by the world’s finest emerging visual journalists. This installment features stories that explore the vast and convoluted facets of “identity”, focusing on concepts such as diversity, perception, loss, ambiguity, essentialism and fluidity.
James Darlington Managing Editor
This semester our editorial team has grown to encompass a large multicultural identity, sharing four native languages in Cantonese, English, Spanish and Swedish. The diverse background of the ARGUS team this semester has provided the perfect atmosphere in which to explore the theme of identity, cultivating the delightful exchange of cultural identity and understanding on a daily basis. The stories included in this issue consider both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect identity. It investigates concepts of fluid identity and gender performativity within Sarah Granholm’s article Mya and Me, explores the identity of differently-abled youth with Laura Edwards’ multimedia masterpiece Legless not Fearless, and examines the effects of technology on the identity of our future generations with Jessica Longworth in Gen Z Kid. We believe that the stories published throughout the pages of this issue will assist you in developing your understanding of identity, both as an individual and global community member. I would like to thank the editorial team for their creativity, initiative and enthusiasm regarding the publication of the ARGUS this semester. On behalf of the editorial staff I would also like to thank executive editor, Heather Faulkner, and our academic advisor, Kelly McIlvenny, for their continued encouragement and expertise as it allows our team to deliver an issue we are proud to have produced. Kind Regards, James Darlington Managing Editor, the ARGUS
Editorial Team
Heather Faulkner Executive Editor
Kelly McIlvenny Academic Advisor
Joshua White Web Manager
Jorge Rojas Director of Photography
Ebonie Chan Director of Marketing
Alexandria Gibb Marketing Manager
Rachel Vercoe Multimedia Editor
Sarah Granholm Multimedia Editor
Jessica Helou Assignment Editor
Rosie O’Brien Sub Editor
Laura Edwards Sub Editor
Jessica Longworth Listings Editor
Editorial Team
Louise Rosenberg Art Director
Xuemeng Li Digital Designer
Haozhe Zhang Digital Designer
Xi Wang Digital Designer
Mengyi Zhang Digital Designer
Chenxing Wang Contributing Editor
Seung Jae Yi Contributing Editor
Aurora Braid Contributing Editor
Contents Features Mya & Me When Silence Becomes Betrayal Not Just Another Homeless Face Creatures of Nimbin Meaning Through Music Mistaken Identity Between The Two The Families Behind The Mines Simple Living Gen Z Kid
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Multimedia Legless Not Fearless
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Mya & Me
It is Saturday night and Brandon is about to change his pants and sneakers to a dress and high heels. Brandon will soon be gone for a few hours and Mya will appear. It is her night, her performance, her moment. By Sarah Granholm
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We are in the changing room of the club where Mya Crafone is due to perform in a few hours. It is intimate and filled with colour. There is a leather couch against a brick wall. Opposite it is a table filled with make-up and props, in the middle of all the styling products there is a coffee mug and a phone on charge. A few head mannequins take up space in the room, with a disco ball sitting in the corner. Mirrors stand tall, waiting to be of assistance in the process of becoming a woman. A signature signed in lipstick with a kiss smudged below is left on one side of the mirror, a greeting from one drag queen to another.
Outside the changing room the stage is still empty, waiting in silence, no music is playing yet. Atop Brandon’s head is a black hat with sparkling gems that spell out the name ‘Mya,’ the only thing that indicates Mya’s existence. Brandon organises his belongings and the transformation begins. While gluing down his eyebrows, I notice a tattoo of a microphone on his right arm. When pronouncing the name Mya Crafone it sounds like “Microphone”, Brandon explains. Mya’s age is undetermined, “a lady never reveals her age”, Brandon dismisses 11
Feature Mya & Me
with a smile. “When I first came out at 18, people asked me if I was going to do drag. I said no because it was not something that appealed to me.” Brandon brushed the idea away but encouragement from weekly performers at the club where he worked, led him to eventually give it a try. “I never believed them but when I tried, I instantly fell in love with it. For one night I get to be someone else. I get to take Brandon out of the equation and Mya comes out”. Drag queen ‘Martini Ice’ became his drag mother, the person that guided him and helped him sculpt his queen. Joel Kennedy, known by night as Imogen Nation, was another drag queen that encouraged him to perform. “She actually came up with my name. She was one of the first ones to drag me up the stage, literally drag.” 12
Joel enters the room, filling it with even more colour and character. The make-up for tonight is impressive and artistic. The outline of a skull begins to appear on Joel’s face. “You do not really get to express yourself artistically as a boy, as much as a female. Going out as a male in a costume you made or some wacky makeup will get you stares, even within the gay community, but drag is slowly becoming mainstream so more people think it is normal. I love performing and it gets me on the stage and interacting with a lot of people”, Joel comments. It is evident that Joel and Brandon are good friends. They laugh, giving each other suggestions about styling as they discuss their performances for the night. Almost half way through the transformation now, a couple of friends enter the changing room. The atmosphere is light and joyous. Their friends are excited about the performances to take place. Brandon believes
that people are beginning to change their stereotypes on gender. In his opinion, to be a drag queen forces people think twice about it. When questioned why Brandon performs he replies, “I do it for the fun, but I also do it because it is an escape. I get to escape Brandon’s reality for one night and get Mya out and about. If I am having a bad day and it is time for me to perform, I can just switch all that off for one night and not let it worry me.” The transformation progresses, time passes and the sound of people entering the club draws my attention. The vibration of the music begins to shake the carpeted walls. I hear laughter, people singing along to the songs and feet stomping on the ground. Mya’s presence is not far off. I am curious about her personality, wondering if she is much different from Brandon. Brandon describes himself as being quite blunt, whereas Mya is nice and
sweet to anyone regardless of whether she likes the person or not. Even if it can be challenging at times to not let Brandon shine through, it is important for him to keep Mya’s personality different, so that Mya and Brandon remain separate. Mya is an act and Brandon is a performer. She is not permanent. She does not exist outside of her performance. However, Mya is also an extension of Brandon. “She is the reason I can let my creativity flow, she is the reason I can express myself on stage. I am a born performer. I am a singer”, Brandon explains. Amongst fake eye-lashes, multiple pairs of shoes, sun feathers, wigs and endless colours of eye shadow, Brandon tells me that Mya lets him express a more feminine side of himself. He gets to be creative with his look, something that as a male is not easily accepted. For 13
Feature Mya & Me
Brandon, being a drag queen is not only being referred to as “men in dresses”. He likes the charade, the reactions and the ability to make people question his gender. He explains that he has got some femininity to him, but not nearly as much as Mya. A common misunderstanding is that people think that because you are a drag queen you want to be a woman or that you are not manly enough. Brandon takes a few steps away from the mirror and studies his look from a distance. He turns his head sideways to examine his profile and then reapplies some eye shadow. I notice that although Brandon is wearing Mya’s make-up, Brandon’s personality is the only one evident. “Mya is not there even half way through getting ready. I am putting on Mya’s face but I am still very much Brandon. As soon as I do the full transformation, Mya is there and Brandon is gone. I can just let her take over.” I had entered the room with Brandon, but now he is gone and I am leaving with Mya. All the pieces are put together, the full make-up is applied, the hair is styled, the clothes are on and the high heels make Mya a few inches taller than Brandon. The air breathes of passion, individualism and originality. There is an appreciation and a pride for oneself. I smile as I watch Mya perform, because her performance is out of love and freedom to express herself. The audience is cheering and nobody is judging or looking the other way. Mya is still a new queen, some keep on performing for life, while others only do it for a few months. Which direction Mya will venture is yet to be figured out. “Ask me again in a year and we’ll see if I’m still doing it. I might have gotten it out of my system and Mya might be put away, or she will be there in full force, loving every minute of it.”
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“She asked where I was living and I said ‘nowhere’.”
“We just thought we were going on a Holiday.”
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WHEN SILENCE BECOMES BETRAYAL More than five hundred thousand children have experienced life in institutional care in the last century in Australia. Seven thousand were child migrants, fifty thousand Indigenous Australians, and over four hundred thousand Australian born, non-indigenous Australians (The Alliance of Forgotten Australians 2014). They are commonly referred to as the ‘Forgotten Australians’. Theresa, Mary and Margaret share their memories. By Sarah Osborn
Neerkol Orphanage was one of one hundred and twenty institutions that provided out of home care in Queensland (Care Leavers Australia Network). St Josephs home is more commonly known as Neerkol Orphanage. It was run by the Sisters Of Mercy and was located 22kms west of Rockhampton (Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions 1999). It was run from 1885–1985, making it one of the longest run homes in Queensland, with over 4,000 children passing through its gates (Neerkol Orphans Memorial 2010-2014). Reasons for being placed in the home varied but included; children being removed because the state deemed parents unfit, separation leading to a single parent family, and stolen children. Some parents also used the home as a form of childcare in a time of little government support (Community Affairs References Committee 2004). Although it’s an impossible task to prove which home was the worst, Neerkol Orphanage is notorious. In 2004, the Senate Committee Report found children who had been placed in institutions suffered separation issues, grief, isolation, and were confused about their identity. Many children were incorrectly told their parents were dead. They were neglected and exploited, often used as child slave labour and punished with hard physical tasks. There was a lack of education, of health care and of family support. Children were severely abused emotionally, physically and sexually (Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions 1999). From the fifty-four former Neerkol residents that gave evidence to the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions, only two had positive
accounts of the orphanage (Ibid,1). Some recorded effects of this institutionalisation include a lack of social skills, risk behaviors, inability to maintain relationships and to parent effectively, illiteracy, poor health and mental illness (Alliance for Forgotten Australians 2008). According to Adele Chynoweth researchers have argued Australia has the highest rate of institutionalised children of any country in the world (Chynoweth 2013). On the 16th of November 2009, then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd apologised for the experiences of Forgotten Australians, their harsh treatment and their ongoing trauma (The Australian 2009). Arguably, the apology and the issues it addressed were not fully comprehended by the Australian public. However, despite the apology the majority of Forgotten Australians still feel forgotten (ABC news “Care leavers still feel forgotten”). From the five hundred thousand people this abuse affected, many of those still alive are on the outskirts of society (Australians, 4). However, slowly, mistakes of the past are being brought to light. On the 11th of January 2013, the government declared there would be a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Australian Government 2013). On the 21st of March 2013, the government formally apologised for forced adoption practices (Australian Government 2013). With this information broadcast in parliament and through the media, issues are being brought to light. This project is timely and seeks to add an affective dimension to the existing work.
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“We were so isolated, many of us tried to run but there was no point.�
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“They asked you in court why you didn’t scream, and I said I couldn’t, nothing would come out of my mouth. I was ten years old the first time I was raped.”
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“I was kept up the top in maximum security for the mentally insane.�
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Feature When Silence Becomes Betrayal
I didn’t know my real birth date until I was twenty-one.
I can’t go to church and confess, knowing the people I confess to could have much greater sins.
I’ve kept everything I’ve ever bought.
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Theresa was born in England in 1943; she lived with her single mother who struggled for three months before placing her into a local orphanage as childcare. Theresa was taken when she was seven and placed on a ship to Neerkol, Australia. When her mother returned for her she was told a good British family had adopted her. It wasn’t until Theresa was twenty-one and got her Freedom of Information papers that she learnt of this, including that her mother was alive. At Neerkol Theresa reached a grade three education before she was made a worker. She then worked every day from 4am, without pay. She was often physically and verbally abused. One day, an
accidental scratch was punished by a nun with boiling water leading to an untreated, infected abscess. This eventually spread to both legs. It was seven years before Theresa’s leg was treated and still causes her great pain today. Theresa now has two daughters, is divorced and has lived in a caravan park for the last twenty-five years. There is a sense of desperation to Theresa. Her caravan is her pride and joy, filled with knick-knacks and figurines. She confesses she can’t throw anything away and her daughters tell her she is a hoarder. When I visit it is hard to get a word in, and hard to leave. Theresa wants to tell her story to anyone who will listen. 29
Feature When Silence Becomes Betrayal
The memory of watching her walk away that day still makes me weep.
I will carry this pain with me until I die.
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They were my one ray of sunshine.
I keep it as a souvenir, not because it has fond memories but because it’s all I’ve got from my childhood.
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I suffered depression a lot, and whenever anything happened I just packed and moved on. I moved around a lot. Moving on was like a renewal for me. I’ve never had a sense of belonging. All that was instilled in us was our collective worthlessness.
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Mary set up the Neerkol Action Support Group and has been instrumental in the fight for Forgotten Australians. Because of this she is filled with information, records and stories about former residents. Getting to know Mary personally has proved a bit more difficult. Mary was sent to Neerkol in 1951 at nine months old after her parents separated. Her brother and sister were also sent there but they seldom saw each other. Mary says all that was reinforced during her life at Neerkol was their collective worthlessness and this has made her very restless. Mary alleges that when she was twelve she was raped by a visiting priest. When she was sixteen and a half she was sent to a property as a maid. At eighteen she was free and left to travel overseas.
What’s become obvious is Mary’s desire to reinvent herself. She has had a very episodic life. She moved to India and led a ‘hippie’ lifestyle then found herself loosely associated with Charles Sobhraj (Julie Clarke Richard Neville 1979) resulting in three and a half years in prison (Andrew 1980). She was befriended by Indira Gandhi during this period (Encyclopædia Britannica Online 2013). After eight years she returned to Australia and became a nurse at the Gold Coast Hospital. While Mary never married, she had three children. She has been involved in many protests, hearings and causes dealing with the Forgotten Australians. Currently she is involved in the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse (Australian Government “Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse”) 33
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Margaret was reluctant to meet me and has never told her story publically before. She told me she trusts no one. Margaret’s grandmother was Stolen Generation and was herself raised in Neerkol. When Margaret’s father died, her mother was too grief stricken to raise the children. Her grandmother was not allowed custody due to being Indigenous. Margaret was ten years old when she was sent to Neerkol. She alleges she was raped three times within the first year of being there. This continued throughout Margaret’s entire adolescence. At fourteen she gave birth, although she did not know she was pregnant or understand why they kept moving her. Margaret’s 34
daughter was adopted out and she has never seen her. Fostered in eight different homes in five months, and despite her abuse, Margaret returned to Neerkol, desperate to look after her siblings. At sixteen, Margaret alleges an incredibly violent raping occurred involving three men, which resulted in Margaret threatening to tell about everything that had happened to her. The next day she was moved to Lowson House, Brisbane, maximum security for the mentally insane. Margaret is always talking of everything that was taken from her. She says her life is a blank; records of her childhood are scarce. Precious items were destroyed. She says all she has is absence.
I had one photo of my father. I can still see it now. Black and white, he was standing real tall with his arms crossed. I used to sleep with that photo, take it everywhere with me. And my nanna’s cross statue. It always sat beside my bed. But they took everything. They were cruel bastards. ‘Now your past is gone.’ they said. I have never seen a photo of my father since. I have nothing of my childhood. My life is just a blank. It’s like I never existed. I don’t hold onto anything now. I get rid of everything. I don’t keep things from my past beacause it’s too hard. 35
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“I’d bathe in the river and sleep under the beams at night.”
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“We weren’t a perfect family but I was happy.”
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NOT JUST ANOTHER HOMELESS FACE An inside look at 5 homeless tour guides as they show you the underbelly of the city Prague, in the Czech Republic. By Jessica Collins
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Robert is a very happy man who loves to talk about trains. During his tour we took a train ride up to a place called, Praha Cibulka. Once we were there we walked though a national park that was quite large and very beautiful. As we walked Robert told us stories of an old Duke who lived on these grounds and a little bit about the history of Prague. He also told us stories about his life too. Robert considers himself a railway enthusiast and knows by heart nearly all the train schedules. He finds his shelter in old trains and trams and loves collecting tickets of all kinds. When Robert is not following the train lines and doing the Pragulic tours, he likes to volunteer at the Salvation Army.
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Petr is a homeless ex-Police Man who has been homeless for 10 years now due to a gambling addiction. He use to find shelter in the old trams and trains until the police found him and made him move. He then created his own shelter on top of the train station air conditioning systems. Petr sells the New Area magazine in the lobby of the metro station Vltava, for income. The rest of his time is spent in theatre, which is his lifelong hobby, or with his young daughter. He also works for a news station with other homeless people presenting the weather. He is a joyful person to be around and is happy to talk and share his experience of living on the street. During the tour he took us to the homeless colony under the Hl谩vk没v Bridge, the Divus art space, and showed us the other bank of the Vltava, where the stories of many homeless people begin. 45
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Honza is a 56-year-old homeless man who spends his time saving books from bins and dumps in order to sell them to second hand stores and antique stores. This is his income. Honza was a victim of the Prague floods in 2002, which forced him into homelessness, however if you ask him why he is homeless he will answer with a grin, “A number of crazy women are to blame”. He spends his nights on different friend’s couches and sometimes inside an old building’s gallery space where he keeps all the books he has saved in old banana boxes. During the tour Honza took us around Prague showing us some important statues and churches and explained
their significance. He also talked a lot about Prague poets, as poetry is one of his passions and he can recite many poems by heart. Honza was the first person to write on the John Lennon Wall, which is now a major tourist attraction in Prague. He is a happy friendly man who smiled for most of the tour.
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Karim’s story is darker than some. Becoming homeless at a young age after leaving home, he turned to prostitution. Living on the streets for 25 years while not being accepted by his mother for being gay has made him a strong man. His eyes disappear sometimes into his Kiss-esque eye make-up, while he points out spots for “quick sex� and describes beatings from clients with intense detail (broken legs, noses). One of these cruel acts he tells us is how he was deliberately given HIV from a client. With his nails painted purple and his hands encrusted with rings, he explains his story and how he worked to get out of homelessness and how he is now involved in a lot of community projects to help
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Creatures of Nimbin
After hearing friends describe Nimbin, I wanted to know more, so many questions arose: What do they eat? What do they do in their free time? How do they look and perhaps the most intriguing one, what is the meaning behind their dreadlocks? I, myself, have been growing them for four years now making it easier for me to approach locals. It was my golden ticket in. By Jorge Rojas
Nimbin is a small town in the mountains, situated in the “Rainbow State” of NSW. Since 1970, Nimbin has been classed as the drug capital of Australia, with most of the locals actively promoting the legalisation of cannabis. This has lead to innumerable problems regarding authority. Just recently police conducted Operation Oleary, which resulted in the arrest of eight people who were seized with two kilograms of cannabis, LSD, MDMA, prescription medicine and a vast amount of mature cannabis plants. Not only is this town considered a drug capital, but also the mother of counter-culture within Australia. I was interested in finding out how dreadlocks inform individual identity. As soon as I arrived in Nimbin, I walked around the town asking locals about the best place to find dreadlocks. One of the locals laughed and said in a sarcastic tone, “Go to the Oasis Café, you will find what you are looking for there.” As I neared the mysterious Oasis Café, the smell of cannabis in the air got heavier and stronger. Once I arrived, my eyes were directed towards an old man playing a Bob Marley song with a joint in his hand. My mind
became immersed in the acoustic rhythm, but eventually I realised that I had to take the photo. This is how I meet Johnny, nicknamed “Ganjah”. In the time I have spent with him, he has allowed me to get to know who he is as a Rastafarian, an Ethiopian-Hebrew religion originating from Jamaica that gained recognition during Bob Marley’s rise to fame. The meaning behind Johnny’s choice to grow dreadlocks is very deep and spiritual. The words he used to describe his dreadlocks hold a sense of wisdom and an organic connection to nature and knowing oneself, “Imagine a tree. A tree needs its roots to survive; it is such a vital and essential part of it. Like roots, dreadlocks are to me. It is an extension of my body. It is where all my memories and experiences are. The longer the dreads are, the wiser the man is.” For Johnny, his dreadlocks hold a religious and spiritual significance, but for some of the other locals, the meaning was more focused on respect. I meet Simonetta in the Oasis Café, where she works. In the short time we spent together, I realised that she is a very empathic person. Somehow she would always sense whenever I was having a bad day, like she could feel it too. Simonetta has been growing her
Johnny Ganjah-17 Years 55
Feature Creatures of Nimbin
Left: Guyver- 5 Years Left Middle: Jack- 9 Years Right Middle: Bree- 7 Years Right: Josh- 6 Years 56
dreadlocks since 1991, when she was living in Italy, before moving to Nimbin. She cut her dreadlocks in 2001, on September Eleventh. “I cut them because it was my way of showing empathy towards all the people who died and suffered that day.” My mind was blown and no more questions were asked. When she moved to Nimbin, Simonetta decided to re-grow her dreadlocks. Like Simonetta, Jack is growing dreadlocks for the second time. His dreadlocks are seven years old now, but before that he had been growing them for almost his whole life. Before I took Jack’s portrait, he seemed very keen to show me something. I followed him and he took me to a massive DIY tent, made out of wood and tape. “This is where Johnny “Ganjah” got married last week”, he said. He was very proud of his creation; I thought it appropriate to take his portrait in there. After we spoke for a few more minutes, Jack was happy to tell me the meaning behind his dreads. When Jack’s dad passed away, it was a very tragic period in his life. It took him a while to realise that he needed to move on, however he said it was very hard since he shared so many memories with his father. He believed that he could detach himself from the memories of his dad
if he shaved his head, it would make it easier. He knew he had to cut off his dreadlocks and for him, this meant closing a chapter of his life to begin a new one. This was also the case with Raine, one of the oldest locals I met during my time in Nimbin. Raine started growing dreadlocks when she was 63. “I have always been different in so many ways. All my life I was ashamed of showing my true self to other people. I am old now and it is never too late for a change. Seven years ago I decided it was time to show the people who I really am.” Raine is now confident and comfortable in being herself. Despite turning 70 this year, her hair was impressively healthy. After taking Raine’s portrait, I felt it was time to finally sit down for a bit of a break. As I was about to sit, I saw two people walking down the street - one of them had perhaps the longest dreadlocks I will ever see. Chasing them down the street, I spent a few minutes of complementing Terry’s hair and admiring Guyver’s bearddreadlocks. Smiling, they told me they were married. The first thing that I noticed was the huge contrast between their dreadlocks. The difference in length was extreme. Guyver told me that he started 57
Feature Creatures of Nimbin
growing his hair when he married Terry, which has been a little over four years ago now. They introduced me to a man named Wally. He spoke very few words but was well known by everyone in town. I spoke with Wally for only a few minutes. He had been growing dreadlocks for 29 years and his were the longest I was able to find, an astonishing feat over Terry’s impressive length. Conservative by nature, Wally would remain a mystery. I realised that most of the people that I had met were older, so I decided to search for a younger crowd. This is how I found LeAnne, Bree and Josh, the youngest locals to sport dreadlocks. LeAnne is from France and Bree is from Canada, and they are both currently travelling the world, Nimbin being a small pit stop. Josh works in the Rainbow Power Company, and it was very difficult to talk to him catching him in a rush. It seemed to me that the younger people had yet to find a meaning behind their decision to grow dreadlocks. Soon it was dark, and I had to head back to the city, back to reality. After a long day of shooting, I not only reminisced over the images we created together, but the memories and stories we shared.
Left: LeAnne- 4 Years Right: Simmoneta- 17 Years 58
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Left Photo: Raine- 5 Years Middle Photo: Wally- 27 Years Right Photo: Terry- 21 Years 61
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MEANING THROUGH MUSIC Exploring complex identities in contemporary hardcore. By James Darlington
appearance and style of performance. Diversity is concealed beneath the misguided perception that all participants are hostile, negative, violent and anarchistic. A number of characteristics work towards disproving this essentialist stereotype. For example, contrasting motivations, such as In Hearts Wake’s eco-political stance and The Lane Cove’s cry for mental health awareness, promote diversity within the East Coast contemporary hardcore scene. Differing lifestyle choices, levels of body modification and secondary career options among hardcore musicians also advocate The atmosphere of a contemporary hardcore show on the East Coast individualism within the subculture. Lyrics are often misunderstood of Australia appears to reflect many characteristics of the early 80’s due to the intense way in which they are screamed on record or during live performance. Contemporary hardcore music, although hardcore punk movement. The venues are often small and dank with no airflow and terrible acoustics. Passionate audience members delivered aggressively in what appears to be a hostile environment, scale low stages without barriers and participate in traditional punk deals with an array of personal, social and political issues. behaviours such as moshing, crowd surfing, and stage diving. Slam Whether written or performed by an individual, lyrics project a representation of character; they are an extension of oneself. dancing, recently retitled ‘throwing down’ to describe the way in which participants aggressively thrash, punch, kick and throw their Each artist selected a set of lyrics in a self-proclaimed expression body around to the beat of the music, is a particularly common of their own identity. The lyrics explore themes of grief, the style of expression at local shows. The influence of hardcore development of positive attitudes, advocacy and the initiative punk on Australian contemporary hardcore artists is further required for social change. Placing the lyrics alongside identified in the composition of song material and vocal delivery. studio portraits of the artists, where the lyrical and physical In contemporary hardcore, song structure is often abrasive, fast and turbulent with an aggressive delivery of vocals in the form of representations of identity can be read simultaneously, forms a dialogue. In return, the audience is encouraged to adopt a new screaming or yelling; characteristics aligned with early hardcore awareness of what it is to be a contemporary East Coast hardcore punk. musician in Australia. The complex identities of musicians within the contemporary East Coast hardcore scene are often overlooked due to their alternative Hardcore punk emerged in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in response to the commodification of early punk genres and new wave music. Hardcore punk extended the politics established in early punk rock, promoting the anti-establishment, anarchy, radicalism and dissent through fast, tumultuous and abrasive music. In-turn, hardcore punk influenced many of today’s heavy music genres including grunge, metalcore, post-hardcore and contemporary hardcore music in Australia.
METHOD TO THE MADNESS – THE LANE COVE We’ll give our secret away, With an emotion you can put on public display. PMA everyday, PMA everyday. 63
Feature Meaning Through Music
DAYBREAKER – IN ASHES WE LIE I sit across from beauty, I can see the hope in her eyes, She is picture perfect, Now I can see hope in her eyes, If she only knew her smile could brighten the darkest of skies, She’s a dreamer of dreams.
NEW GROUND – PROMISES I am not yet all I want to be but waiting is not so hopeless, For every day I gain another piece, I’ve been this way for so long and I feel so cheated, Why isn’t anything working?
OVERCOMER – PREPARED LIKE A BRIDE I am an overcomer. It can’t rain all the time, it won’t hold us down, I am an overcomer. I will fight till the end, forever by your side, I am an overcomer. I will carry the flag, I will stand in the storm, It’s been a cold November, One I’ll always remember, one I’ll always remember.
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SACRED – IN HEARTS WAKE Hear me now: when the brightest city has fallen, And the last animal is diseased, Starving children will inherit a wasteland, What then has money achieved? Stone monsters tear away, Great rivers burn aflame, Children of the future renew the truth, Renew the truth. We cannot have infinite economic growth on a finite planet, Disengage everything that you were ever told, we must restore the balance, And believe. I believe we must reshape this world, With so much to lose we’re dying to prove our life on Earth, I believe we must reshape this world, Do my eyes deceive me, or is it us that need to change? Where do we go from here? When the purest rivers are poisoned, And the last forest destroyed, Dying children will be born from extortion, What is this evil contortion? Everything you know, everything you love, Sacred chaos unfolds, we’re losing control. Disengage everything that you were ever told, we must restore the balance, And believe. I believe we must reshape this world, With so much to lose we’re dying to prove our life on Earth, I believe we must reshape this world, Do my eyes deceive me, or is it us that need to change? Where do we go from here? When the brightest city has fallen, And the last animal is diseased, Starving children will inherit a wasteland, So what the fuck will money achieve?
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Mistaken Identity A typology of pairs. They may share the same DNA, but they couldn't be more different. By Aurora Braid
Daisy and I were born in the winter of 1993, twenty minutes apart. We are twins, that’s all I can say; we never got the test done. I never had much trouble identifying as an individual. It’s not hard to talk about yourself. But when you are constantly mistaken for someone else, you only really have your DNA to defend yourself. For the last 21 years, I have been living a life of mistaken identity. Short cut bobs and big blue eyes featured twice in the package of kindergarten photographs that went home to my parents. It almost looked like they had printed the same photo twice. This happened in pre-school too, and for years after. In our fourth year of school, teachers separated us from the same class. Maybe they thought it would help stop us relying one another. Or maybe they were under the impression that we were unable to do anything independent of each other. In the end, it was neither.
In high school, our classes were often combined. When teachers called the roll, they would call ‘The Twins’ rather than our own names. Like a unit of measurement, we came as a pair. This persistence to group us together pushed us to grow apart. We weren’t the same person. We cut our hair in different styles, started spending time with new friends. At this point, we looked completely different. However, as hard as we both tried, we found our differences were overshadowed by our similarities. When I look at Daisy, I don’t see myself. I see the same characteristics. But when outsiders mistake me for her, and vice versa, I wonder if they see something that I cannot. Being so accustomed to our differences, I never really took the time to focus on our similarities.
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Between The Two I was born in Sydney and am a first generation Serbian-Australian. My parents immigrated to Australia from Belgrade in 1990, establishing new lives and a family while they adapted to Australian culture. Although we do not actively celebrate Serbian events or traditional practices, my parents have retained their cultural heritage through their own means; language, music, traditional food. These rituals have been passed down to my sister and me. By Lynette Letic
As an adolescent, I rejected my Serbian background in an attempt to fit in. My surname and my heritage seemed unusual to others and so it began to seem strange to me too. My classmates had trouble pinpointing Serbia on a map. I refused to speak my parents’ native tongue. As I think about this now, I wonder what it means to be Australian, and still struggle to define it. Over time, my view of my background has changed significantly as I’ve become increasingly aware of Serbian culture. I thought about the various factors that inform a person’s cultural identity; ethnicity, homeland, religion, then considered them in my own instance. Although I identify as an Australian, I now strive to maintain a strong connection to my heritage. Meanwhile, my parents continue to identify as Serbian, despite having lived in Australia for more than half of their lives. Reflecting upon this, I began to consider the migrant experience, and my newfound curiosity led me to seek a better understanding of my origin, along with the experiences of others who’ve reconciled their origins with new surroundings. Through conversations with Serbian migrants, I discovered a spectrum of responses to the dualism of Serbian-Australian culture, from longing and displacement, to faithfulness, great pride, and joy. Melissa spoke of a developed appreciation of language and heritage, and strongly embraces the co-existence of cultures.
Mirna is nostalgic, and reminisces about her first impressions of the Australian landscape. She recited a Serbian poem that mirrors her feelings. Borko, having only come to Australia two years ago, is very passionate about his Serbian heritage. He looks forward to passing his traditions on to his children. Jovana reflects on her memories of swimming at Wynnum with her family, a beach they would frequently visit when she was a child. It reminded her parents of the Adriatic Sea. As I revisit the recordings of our conversations, I think about how the lives and identities of the individuals I met have been coloured by Australia in some way. From subtle expressions and daily rituals, to overt feelings of longing and displacement, the impacts of immigration on families and individuals are not only common and prevalent in our society, but stand as a significant issue. Drawing this work to a tentative close, I realise that I have gathered a diverse collection of experiences. I am grateful to each person pictured, as well as those not pictured; family, friends, and others from the community, for giving their time and words to this story. My hope is that Between the Two will translate issues that are relevant not only to those of Serbian descent, but anyone facing the struggles of reconciling their heritage and culture with identity.
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The Families Behind The Mines
The Australian mining industry equates to 55 percent of the total goods exported from Australia (in 2010-11) and is the fourth-largest contributor to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product. Aside from common discussions regarding wages, environment and living conditions, little research has been done in regards to the families of miners. Especially families of fly in fly out (FIFO) or drive in drive out (DIDO), and the impacts that this has on relationships. By Monique Montfroy
The Australian mining industry equates to 55 percent of the total goods exported from Australia (in 2010-11) and is the fourthlargest contributor to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product. Aside from common discussions regarding wages, environment and living conditions, little research has been done in regards to the families of miners. Especially families of fly in fly out (FIFO) or drive in drive out (DIDO), and the impacts that this has on relationships. After a long day at work, Judy pulls into the driveway, the garage door opens electronically and the silhouette of Rob’s Chevrolet concealed by a car cover is another reminder of his absence. Robyn Bridgeman has been flying in and out of the Pilbara mines in Western Australia for 18 years. His partner Judy manages a retail store five days a week to occupy herself while Rob is away working and the kids are at school or out with their friends. When Rob is not working in the mines instructing over 500 men, he is at home on the Gold Coast. Judy usually lets her kids prepare their own meals; Rob is the one who cooks big home-style meals for the family when he is home. This is usually a roast with potatoes, pumpkins, peas and greens. A stark alternative to the jam toast that is usually prepared and served by Judy. Cooking is one of her pet hates. Rob and Judy have three children, Trae (19), Jordan (18) and Robyn (14). Working three weeks on one week off, Rob misses many occasions in his children’s lives including birthdays, Fathers day and Christmas. While Rob is away, Judy is forced to control life at home, balancing her full time job and her children’s everyday schedules. Judy wakes up and vacuums the house every morning before getting ready for work and waking Robyn for school. She clocks on at work at 9:00am sharp and clocks off at 5:30pm. Often she arrives home to her daughter Robyn in her room watching TV and surfing the Internet whilst lying in bed. Judy then prepares a
basic packet meal for dinner and spends the rest of the evening watching TV and talking to family members on the phone. It is easy to see that the children have a closer bond with Judy than they do with Rob, but it’s hard to say whether this is a mothers bond or a direct result of their disconnected home life. The eldest son, Trae, has a disjointed relationship with Judy at times. He often relies on his mother for money, visiting her work most days to ask for money to fund his social lifestyle. He spends a lot of time away from home with friends skipping out on general household duties. Jordan however, has a close bond with Judy and is a lot more caring and giving. He doesn’t rely on her for money as he has a full time job as a tyre deliverer and is a lot more independent. Robyn, the only daughter and the youngest of the family spends a lot of time at home with Judy after school and on weekends. Robyn also spends a lot more of her time with Rob when he is home, embracing their limited time together. Rob and Judy’s relationship has experienced its highs and low with trying to support a mining lifestyle. At one point, Judy recalls being so sure that Rob was cheating on her because of their lack of communication, that she flew to Western Australia to see what he was doing but missed her connecting flight. It turned out to be false and since then, Rob calls her every night before bed when he is away. The dynamics of the Bridgeman family are what some might call different or unusual, however this routine is commonplace, and it’s all they have known. While Judy has more responsibilities with the children, Rob has equal input into the household, just from a different angle. When Rob returns home he is greeted with extra love and attention to make up for his time away. 85
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Simple Living
Wendy Oniper is an 80 year old woman who has suffered two strokes and is now cared for by one of her sons, 54 year old Urik. They have lived on the same property in the beautiful hills of west Tweed Heads for the last thirty years, in a house they built as a family overlooking a spectacular valley towards the coast. By Rachel Vercoe
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The property was once a beautiful place, private and well maintained. Wendy loved to play the piano and garden. Together with her husband, they built four green houses where they grew plants to sell at local markets. As the years passed, their marriage split and jobs that were once necessary for the maintenance of the house and cared for by her husband, now remain neglected. Due to health issues, Wendy no longer has the ability to tend to her plants or play music as she once did. The once well-played piano now sits in the corner with sticky keys and is out of tune.
that keep him active. Due to back issues, he is also restricted when it comes to maintaining the property. Instead he stays inside building model aircrafts, ships and motor vehicles. Urik has a soft spot for his chickens and shows photos of them to anyone who visits. These photos represent a current day in the life of Wendy and Urik, two people living simply and caring for themselves.
Today, with nobody working, the highlight of the day is watching TV shows including “Once Upon a Time” and “Elementary”, as well as music videos from RAGE that were recorded on VHS. There is a lot of sitting around all day watching TV, with the occasional glance at the spectacular view from their window. Urik has a range of hobbies 97
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Gen Z Kid
Generation Z, born between 1995-2012, is the first generation, one could argue, to have grown up in a technologically saturated world. Like many girls on the Gold Coast, 12-year-old Demi has many friends, a smorgasbord of toys, enjoys parties and socialising with her friends. However, Demi’s life is spent indoors. By Jessica Longworth
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Generation Z, born between 1995-2012, is the first generation, one could argue, to have grown up in a technologically saturated world. The developed world has a highly sophisticated media and computer environment, where most Gen Z kids are Internet savvy. They are the first generation to have never experienced the preinternet world; Internet, technology and social media have replaced privacy, social interaction and restrictions on mature and adult themes. As a result, bullying is on a rise. Cyberbullying among connected teens and tweens has risen 56 percent in 12 months according to McAfee, Intel Security. Although the consequences of being online can be harmful, online is where generation Z connect with each other. It’s where they explore their identity and where they play and learn.
Gen Z’s are constantly connected through a seamless cloud-based world of friends, data and entertainment. Like many girls on the Gold Coast, 12-year-old Demi has many friends, a smorgasbord of toys, enjoys parties and socialises with her friends. However, Demi’s life is spent indoors. Most of the time, Demi is stationed in front of a TV, there is one in nearly every room of the house. She watches her favourite series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer on repeat, episode after episode. Wherever she is in the house, some form of technology usually accompanies Demi, whether it is her iPad, smart phone, the TV, iPod or Laptop. When she is not watching TV, Demi is in her room listening to all the latest pop music, including Ariana Grande, Pink, Katy Perry and Iggy Azalea. She adopts many of the traits and interests of her two older sisters, mimicking their clothing 103
and makeup styles, as well as their taste in TV shows and music. As most 12 year olds are, Demi is still searching for her own identity. Nearly a third (29 percent) of Gen Z’s report spending more than 10 hours a week interacting with their phone. This is much higher than previous generations; 26 percent for Gen Y, 13 percent for Gen X and only 4 percent for Baby Boomers. There is little time spent outside for Demi, if any, it is a quick run to the shop with friends to buy take away slushies. The girls then retire to Demi’s room where they listen to music, play dress ups and take selfie’s to add to Demi’s collection of multimedia creations. Zeds are often referred to as the ‘up-ageing’ generation because they are growing up a lot faster. They are exposed to marketing 104
at a younger age, to the point where they are deemed the most marketed-to and largest consumers of any previous generation of children. Gen Z kids are beginning to loose their ambition and intuitiveness as a result of their dependence on technology. It seems that their digital acuity often makes them oblivious to their surroundings, with an increasing lack of situational awareness. Their communication is degrading; words are replaced with images and icons. Emotions and feelings are interpreted through the use of emoticons. Social media has connected them globally to their peers and the Internet has connected them globally to an onslaught of information that is both unregulated and unrestricted. This brings to the surface questions about our future as consumers of technology and how further generations will adopt socially integrated habits.
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Multimedia
Legless Not Fearless An insight into life without legs By Laura Edwards
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Parents sit alongside slabs of sculpted concrete watching and cheering as they witness their child’s first trick. Boys and girls of all ages on their bikes, skateboards and scooters, navigate the concrete like ants in frenzy. It’s a busy Saturday afternoon at the Ballina skate park. Winds are up, and the ocean is rough. Waves are littered with jagged white caps that extend from the park’s edge. A group of boys in the distance sit comfortably on a concrete bench with bikes scattered at their feet. They’re looking down, and through the mix of spokes and rubber, a figure appears. Perched comfortably on a skateboard below, sits a young man dressed in grey. The smoke from his lit cigarette turns opaque as it floats past his black beanie, held down by a pair of sunglasses. It’s hard to make out the rest of the figure. The young man rolls out from obstruction using his hands and turns casually from his friends to observe the activity in the park. Something is missing. He sits there, arms either side of the board, hands flat on the rubber stained concrete. His shirt sags down over the bottom of his torso and meets the grip tape. “Hi, I’m Luke.” The young man lends a warm smile, then looks away shyly. He grips his board tight with his left hand and shifts his body weight on to the right. As he prepares to enter the half pipe, he takes a quick scan of the park, giving time for other skaters to finish their lines. He leans back, putting all his weight on the two back wheels and pushes off with his right hand. As soon as the wheels collide with the concrete slope, he picks up speed, pushing off in intervals with his right arm, feeling the coarseness of the concrete on his callused hands. He skates towards the corner of the quarter pipe, and enters the air. For a split second he is free of contact, his board, wheels to the sky, shadows his figure, he plants his hand firmly on the concrete bank, right arm outstretched balancing his body weight. He slows down and comes to a stop, sweeps his hair across his forehead back into his beanie and gives a confident thumbs up. Luke Watt was born with Sacral Agenesis, a condition where the lower part of the spine (sacral) fails to form, and has learnt to adapt to life without legs. From a young age, much of Luke’s life
was spent in a wheelchair until he was given an old school cruiser deck from his parents for Christmas. “It was just a random present they thought up, I use to use it more than my actual wheelchair. Then later on in the years, I started going to the skate park with friends for something to do, everyone was so encouraging and it ended up becoming something that I loved to do.” Like a normal kid, Luke had to endure the pressures of attending school, bullying became commonplace and on occasions, Luke was beaten. Even when confronted with the question, Luke answers humbly, “It made me who I am.” There is something about Luke, a glow, a confidence, a sense of experience perhaps that renders your own life experiences obsolete. You see that he has no legs but you don’t believe it when he speaks. Luke doesn’t consider himself misfortunate or without, in fact he appreciates his life and is comfortable in his own skin, “you get the occasional stares at shopping centres and down the street, you know little kids. I don’t see it as different, I mean people are curious by nature and that’s how they are, they can’t stop themselves from doing it.” Having no legs does present its challenges though. Simple tasks like driving, cooking and cleaning become difficulties. One of the most difficult things about not having legs in Luke’s opinion is getting a job, “people just look at you differently and you don’t get that chance to prove you aren’t that different, people see what they want to see.” Regardless of this, Luke is not one to accept defeat and his incredible achievements as a Speedway driver definitely prove this. Having secured multiple racing titles including one in Grafton, an eight-lap record at Lismore Speedway and a fifth rank at the Queensland Speedway titles, Luke continues to push himself to his limits. To top it all off, much to his surprise, Luke was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2013. Luke’s story is not only one about an inspiring individual, but also about the human condition to strive and to overcome. To avoid letting conventional views and opinions dictate life or purpose. Luke chooses not to let negatives persuade his vision but instead uses them as a platform for triumph.
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Contributors Sarah Granholm Mya & Me www.sarahgranholm.com
James Darlington Meaning Through Music www.jamesdarlingtonphoto.com
Monique Montfroy The Families Behind The Mines www.moniquemontfroy.com
Sarah Osborn When Silence Becomes Betrayal sarah.osborn@live.com
Aurora Braid Mistaken Identity hello.auroraa@gmail.com
Jessica Longworth Gen Z Kid jess.longworth@hotmail.com
Jessica Collins Not Just Another Homeless Face www.jesscollinsphotography.com
Lynette Letic Between The Two lynette.letic@griffithuni.edu.au
Laura Edwards Legless Not Fearless lauraedwards.com.au
Jorge Rojas Creatures Of Nimbin jorgeluis.rojasguardela@griffithuni.edu.au
Rachel Vercoe Simple Living rachelvercoe.com
We want your stories! The ARGUS is seeking new submissions for our upcoming issues. You do not have to be a student of Griffith University or from the Photo Media Major to contribute. We are looking for images (stories and single images) with strong narrative content. The deadline for the first issue is Semester 1 April 2015. Please send your pitch or interest to: SUBMISSIONS@THEARGUS.NET.AU From here we can invite you to our dropbox where you can upload your content. theargus.net.au
Left photo by Sarah Granholm
Centre photo by Aurora Braid
Right photo by Rachel Vercoe