Marianne Faithfull
ISSUE #3
FOREWORD // Kanye and Yeezus Jesus
ISSUE THREE: FAITH
I’ll admit that it has been a challenge trying to think of a foreword that somehow avoids making reference to George Michael’s hit of the 80s. It’s inevitable, so I thought I’d just get it out of the way. George says you “gotta have faith” and although his chart-topping single does not directly cover the depth and intricacies of faith per se, it still shines a light on what it means to be “faithful”. What is this mysterious energy that everyone seems to believe in, want, need or lose? Maybe we don’t need to try to answer that question. Perhaps the mystery of it is what makes faith so personal. There is a certain intimacy in talking about what we have faith in and why that is, so I’ll let this issue speak for itself. - ANDIE PHILLIPS
MANY THANKS TO THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS (ALPHABETICAL): Claudia Mancini, Hannah Saxon, Maria Elige Aliaeva, Polly Godfrey, Taylor James and Zoe Delprat. Visit stylomagazine.tumblr.com for more updates and information
diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks issue
3
playlist everyday people // sly & the family stone
higher ground // stevie wonder
changes // 2pac
you can make it // otis clay
your love keeps lifting me // jackie wilson
move on up // curtis mayfield
respect // aretha franklin
waterfalls // TLC
i’ll be missing you // puff daddy & faith
Now playing at 8tracks.com/stylomag
ART //
CELESTIAL CONQUEST WORDS/DRAWINGS: Zoe Delprat | Sydney cargocollective.com/zoedelprat What is faith to you? Does it necessarily involve God, an After all, the essence of humanity is really just a series of omniscient presence or a spiritual guidance? Is it just a fulfilments. We are accustomed to exploring every facet of matter of belonging? A lack of faith does not have to mean this condition whether it be through literature, art, that you are neither less spiritually or emotionally philosophy or science. intelligent nor does it make you of a higher status. Having an affiliation with God is wonderful and empowering, yet it I personally find solace in the likes of music and art. The isn’t the only lifestyle of creed. Can being agnostic, atheist, musician Father John Misty, whom I have referenced in the Christian, Muslim, or Jewish allow you more fulfilment illustration, is a prime example of the gospel in pop music. than your counterparts – if not, why do we The series American Horror Story Coven is “As humans, we are also relevant in discussing the spirituality need it? prone to faith of within womanhood. Whether we choose to or In answer to that question, I cannot begin not, we are subliminally being exposed to the celestial to explain to you the essence of faith and likes of faith in the framework of our proportions” the spiritual draw one has to their God or contemporary culture. It is with this note that Gods without understanding the animosI will leave you with an illustration that ity of the human condition. In fact, as humans, we are loosely depicts a notion of my faith-complex. My unorthodox prone to faith of celestial proportions – the stars were the approach to faith and the arts is undoubtedly apparent but I first to encompass this man-made vision. From there on we am continuing to learn. have founded institutions based on portals to the afterlife. I don’t seek to trivialise religion to any extent, I’m an As lovely as the faith in the sky was, Shakespeare still got it advocate for freedom of speech and the belief in one’s right, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in personal relationship with devoutness. ourselves.”
POETRY //
IN BETWEEN These in between times. Warm days, freezing nights summer in the sunshine and winter in the shade. We sat in the grass, cut our hair on our own, breathing in each other’s smoke, cigarettes we barely touched only when the weather stayed so perfect we couldn’t pass them up. Everything in flux. There’s never enough certainty, enough clarity to plan out our year, our week. The only constant our togetherness and the knowing that I can rest with your hand in mine and the knowledge that we seek that great perhaps side by side, always even in these in between times. Frida Kahlo with husband Diego Rivera
Hannah Saxon | Tennessee, USA overmountainsblog.blogspot.com
Screengrab from Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point (1970)
NATURE IS RULER I've got heaven on the tip of my tongue but all I taste is lemon and the sour taste of living in a melancholy state seeing my own happiness right before me just inside of me my Soul is ripping free of the confines of this body made of flesh & bones my happiness runs through my mind and I feel it in my heart Feeling like I'm dealing with two puzzles at one time trying to piece the pieces of humanity together as we all fall apart to the floor we crumble like old stone reborn into dust free to wander and roam where we could never step foot before This is a message for all We are transcending this fall of corruption illusion dillusion humanities slavery is ready for calamity no more silence, insanity we'll now have transparency Love, and compassion Balance, restoration, creation Abundance So above is below as in Now our true nature is Goodness and Nature is Ruler
Maria Elige Aliaeva | Okanagan Valley, British Columbia elige.tumblr.com
PHOTOGRAPHY //
I AM FAITHFUL
If I’m being honest, faith is a really difficult concept for me to understand. So bear with me, dear reader, and I will try to be honest with you. Boil the kettle. Put your comfy socks on. Let’s have a heart to heart. I suppose faith is foreign to me for a few main reasons. Perhaps the strongest being that I am not religious. I am in no way against religion, but I’ve never been inclined to place trust in something I cannot see. I’ve never been inclined to place trust in something I can see. My immigrant-singlemother accidentally raised a fiercely independent, feminism-inclined daughter, which I will whole-heartedly admit to. In reality, I’m probably a lot less independent than my self-image projects, but it’s never been in my nature to seek safety in someone or something else. Undoubtedly this attitude dominates modern society. Individualism is key. Don’t trust anyone. Every man for himself. Life is what you make of it. I am in control, I make the calls, I will reap the benefits. This is my life. I think Beyonce would agree. If you are someone, like myself, that hasn’t come from a particularly religious background, would you agree that instead of your faith being directed outwards and perhaps, upwards, it is instead directed inwards? To yourself; to your own capabilities. You become self-determined, self-reliant, self-answering. I don’t mean this in terms of selfishness, but rather determination, ambition and reassurance. Do you place faith in yourself to fulfil your goals? I know I do. I am obnoxiously determined but detrimentally hard on myself. Maybe this is a bad thing, or maybe it will push me to work hard for everything I want. I trust myself; I have faith in my capabilities. I am familiar and I am in control. I don’t know anyone else like I know myself. I am predictable. I am responsible. I am faithful.
WORDS/PHOTOGRAPHY: Claudia Mancini | Perth
TO TRUST AGAIN WORDS/PHOTOGRAPHY: Polly Godfrey | Sydney | leftventricle.tumblr.com
To have faith is to trust. I have faith in my city, I have faith in myself, I have faith in others. But do I trust them? I took this series of photographs out of a taxi window in Kings Cross. It was the first time in quite a while that I had caught a taxi, since a friend of mine had been attacked in one. However, it was when I put my faith back into humanity and began trusting without inhibition that I saw the awe and wonder of my surroundings and felt a huge weight lifted from my chest. Try it. Take a risk, restore your faith, push your boundaries and h av e s o me f ai th .
WRITING //
THE BIRTH OF SHAMELESS NARCISSISM WORDS: Taylor James | Perth throughthekeyhol3.wordpress.com In the last 20 years, technology has developed which has made it much easier for people to take exponentially before our eyes. It has been a basis photos of themselves, and share with the world for many great things today, including being a how good they think they look. It’s sad and it platform abundant in information, might make you feel uncomfortable and cringe communication, and the ability to share on a admitting to it, but it’s true. Most of the time I global sphere – known as the Internet. believe that a selfie can be fairly innocent, but for Information on anything you desire can appear the re-offenders, it’s clear that they have an before your eyes almost instantly, at the click of a unconscious, psychological yearn for selfbutton. Technology has brought us search validation, seeking acceptance through ‘hits’ and engines, where we can explore any subject easily, ‘likes’. People have abused the original purpose quickly, and efficiently. Every rose has its thorn, of the camera: to take photos of things in front of and I’m slowing starting to lose faith in our you that you hold a valid interest in, to share society’s obsession with creating a ‘virtual’ beauty, to raise awareness, and to spark curiosity. presence. The internet Even if you’re taking a photo has given birth to social of your friends doing “I’M SLOWLY STARTING TO media giants such as LOSE FAITH IN OUR SOCIETY’S something, for e x a m p l e , Facebook, Twitter, and there’s an underlying OBSESSION WITH CREATING A Instagram, which have question of your motive. Do given people the opportyou want to take this photo ‘VIRTUAL’ PRESENCE.” unity to create a ‘virtual’ as a sentimental memento to self in front of a mass look back on one day, or have audience through what they decide to ‘like’, ‘share’ you purely taken this photo to post on social and ‘follow’ at the same time. With this virtual media? This opens up another can of worms presence comes people trying to conform to about trying to prove how fun our lives are to our certain ‘sub-cultures’ that they want to be friends - perhaps trying to ignite jealously associated with. This has created a sort of amongst our friends - when ironically we’re addiction regarding individuals who feel so supposed to be having so much fun that we would obliged to convince people of ‘who’ they want to never be on our smart phones to begin with. It’s be seen as. 30 years ago, no one was documenting the same when you go to gigs or music festivals. every thought that aimlessly popped into their You’re in the front row, a mere few meters away head because there was no platform for it, and from the performers, you can smell the sweat and people made their own opinion of you with no the atmosphere is eclectic - but the guy next you external influences. ‘Selfie’ is now a word is watching it through his smart phone instead. recognised in the Oxford Dictionary. SelfMadness. Don’t get me wrong, the development photography was once harmless and fun, but at of technology for our world has had brilliant, the rate of today, the light-heartedness flair that momentous effects on how we live today, but I’m came with selfies has been completely flipped just worried about where it stops being ‘help’ and around and reversed. Shameless narcissism has starts becoming a ‘hindrance’. When your virtual been ignited through the smart phone’s option of self starts becoming more important to you than your real self, then you need to check yo’ self. choosing to take a photo from its front camera,
SELFIE: Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait in Drag (1981)
MORE
COMING SOON
Behind the scenes of Larry Clark’s Kids (1995)
Do you want to be a part of the next issue? The theme for issue #4 will be EXPERIENCE. Contributions are always welcome. We are constantly searching for creative, passionate individuals who interpret each theme in their own original way. If you want to get involved, please contact via Tumblr //
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