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D/zine
ISSUE 9
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D/zine issue 9 EDITOR & GRAPHIC COORDINATOR Lexi Illuk EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Naushin Rahman Miranda Rielly Tom Emmett Anthony Weate Shannon Toth Hunter Eccleston Jordan Atkinson Steve Szell Markos Hughes Damien Woods Harry Pullar Ololade Adeniyi Kelsey Homer Lexi Illuk Zac Brown Isobel Morris
COVER PHOTOGRAPH Giselle Penny giselle.penny@tumblr.com.
Contents
08
46 54
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Made in Bangladesh
Metamorphosis
Kombucha
The use of experimental imagery in advancing architectural
18 24
66 72 78
The space in between
Deep blue
Let’s take a walk
Flora
28 32
Comedy in 24/7 age
38 Race for space
Future energy
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Flashback to first year
Back to the future What is the future? Perhaps we have already arrived in the future, but are yet to realise it. Many of the things we have dreamed of and imagined have already become a reality, and are no longer confined only to the realm of science fiction. As our technology and society has progressed new wonders and discoveries have been made in all fields, making some of our lives better, but most disturbingly, making many other lives worse. The decisions made by designers affect not only the end product, but the whole chain of production, and most often those at the very beginning are the victims of progress. To make this progress more balanced it requires all of us to consider the past, analyse it and apply the lessons learned from it. We need to be aware of the influential forces which have shaped our past and of the ones that will shape the future, so take some time and reflect with us.
Lexi Illuk Editor
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Words & Photography by Naushin Rahman
Made in Bangladesh A short story about the people who make the clothes we buy, told by Naushin Rahman
/9 A drop of rain seeps through a crack onto her face and she is awake. Her name is Jomila and it is the first day of the rainy season. Light starts to creep over the top of buildings, through the holes in the other shelters and onto her toes. The sweet smell of rain fills her lungs. It is dawn and time for Fajr1 prayer. Little rocks dig into her shins as she kneels during Salat2. Jomila is distracted, Surahs3 become intertwined with her own worries. She thinks about her mother, who has been missing for months and she prays for her return. Her neck aches, a permanent exhaustion lives in her spine and her eyes. Anxiety floods her thoughts. Her brother Raja is only five; the dry dust from the summer just passed irritates his asthma and keeps him up at night. She prays that if she can save enough money, this time next week, she will be able to afford the medicine. As she breathes in, she tastes moisture in the air. Good for Raja, she thought. But the rain is like a blanket of hopelessness, five months of crippling tribulations. Jomila thinks back to her sister who she lost last year during the wet to a bout of pneumonia that plagued the streets. It also took six of her neighbours, including Rumi Mama’s4 youngest son, who was just a baby. She can still hear the cries of pain that echoed the streets. They haunt her. She wipes a tear just before it drops from her eye. She hears shuffling behind her. It’s Manik. Manik is her seven-year-old cousin, but tomorrow he will be eight. He is very smart and very cheeky, in Bengali the perfect word to describe him is chalak5. If Jomila did not keep an eye on him, he would be on the streets stealing or scamming someone; anyone will believe a little boy with a beautiful smile. But
he has a kind heart; he got that from his mum. Every night before bed, Manik recites a little prayer and kisses Jomila on her forehead to bless her dreams. She smiles at this memory. For a month now, Jomila has been making him a blanket using the wool from old sweaters she finds in the local dump, but someone stole it last week. Maybe today if she worked as hard as she could she might earn some extra taka to buy him a chocolate. She shakes away those thoughts; she’s supposed to be concentrating. She opens her eyes after her Salat; they are a golden brown, lighter than her skin. They exude a wisdom far beyond her years and a pain which she would never have an opportunity to share. She hears the sound of little Raja giggling as the rain drips onto his face. Jomila beams at her brother and tickles him and his cousin awake. She built their home with her own two hands using string made from the plastic of toast biscuit6 packets which she found behind a shiny new apartment building. She often mused at her handiwork, she was proud of her shelter. Jomila is good at these things; they make sense to her. She might have used these skills for better in a different life, she thought. Their home is made of corrugated metal that she found on the street a few months ago. She remembers everything about that day: the smells of the spices from the local chaiwala7, the sounds of the traffic, bosti8 children giggling to themselves, the colours of the intricately painted rickshaws. The joy she felt when she found the sheet of metal that would shelter her family for years, or as long as they were around. She remembers the giggles and celebrations when she ran down her little lane with the sheet that
/11 was bigger than her whole body! That night as she slept, her jaw ached with happiness; her mind was still, a moment of peace, a sigh of relief. Today Jomila’s smile disappears. Today is the first day of the rains. The steel was one thing in winter; it would be useless in the wet. The type of rain that engulfs her home could not be shielded by a piece of sheet metal. What she needs is a tarp, and the medicine for Raja. Which does she need more? A little crease forms in her brow, she presses her lips together. No time for that now, she thought, we need plastic. Today, Raja and Manik would spend the day rummaging through the rubbisheverything can be made into something. The local street vendor, Rasoul, is a friend of Jomila’s. He buys their recycled plastic baskets and he is expecting six by tomorrow. He won’t be annoyed if she does not deliver six, but to disappoint him would be to disappoint a customer, and she won’t have that. Rasoul pays ten taka9 for each basket or about a cup of rice. Six cups would keep their bellies full for a week. She needs this. Jomila looks up at the sun, it’s almost 7am and she needs to be at the factory in about ten minutes. She kisses Raja and Manik on the head and looks into their smiling eyes. The crease in her brow returns, she is only fifteen and there is no guarantee her little family will be there when she returns from work. But she casts that out of her mind, right now she’s late. ***
Sarah rummages through the pile of clothes on the floor of her bedroom. She lives in a cute townhouse in Newtown in Sydney and she is in desperate need of a dress for the races on Saturday. She gets paid tomorrow, after her rent and phone bill, she should be able to afford the dress she’s been eyeing online. Even better, it can be delivered straight to her doorstep in 24 hours. She ponders for a moment and frowns. She’s worried. She’s seen a pair of shoes she likes too, but she has a chest cold she needs to shake before Saturday, so she has to see a doctor. Which does she need more? That’s money down the drain, she thought. Ridiculous how healthcare isn’t free in this country, where do her taxes go? *** For over a year, Jomila has been collecting scraps to make a bicycle she could take to work. Her shoes are often stolen, and it hurts to walk over the rough roads of Dhaka city. In a few months her bike will be finished, but today, Jomila travels to work by foot. She skips over big puddles of mud on her way down the little alleys of Nilkhet. She feels something in the air, a happy feeling, a good omen, she thinks. She stops as she arrives at work and looks up the factory. She swallows a feeling of worry. Jomila works at one of the biggest garments factories in Bangladesh, located on Elephant Road, between the Medical College and the National Museum. The factory used to be a little corner shop, with a tin roof. A few years back developers built eight storeys on these shops. Four people died
during construction. Sharp bars stick out from the walls and the roof, windows are broken and the concrete is riddled with cracks. Electrical wires hang in a frenzy just in front of the factory, looking ominously over onlookers. Every day Jomila looks at the building and thinks about the Rana Plaza collapse a few years ago, an accident that took the lives of over a thousand people, including two friends. She takes a deep breath, enters and signs her name at the door. Today her target is to sew a hundred #40076 type dresses. That’s a little bit above average, but the dress must be in high demand, and not too difficult to make. Jomila has made this many dresses before, but she needs to exceed her target if she wants a bonus to buy a tarp. So, she
gets to her station, sees the pile of baby blue material and gets to work. *** Sarah gets home from university and jumps on her iPad. She opens up the website where the baby blue dress she wants is sitting in her virtual shopping bag. It’s listed as a ‘popular item’. Better hurry before it sells out, she thought. She quickly takes a screen shot and sends it to her friends. Texts of approval flood her screen in a group chat. She hurries to the check out and sees that her card has already been saved, she can use touch ID to authorise the payment. Cool, she thought, that’s new. In total she pays $70 AUD for the dress and express 24 hour shipping. Pretty good bargain for a pretty races dress, she thinks to herself. She won’t see a doctor, she decides. Instead she takes some cold and flu she
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finds in her mum’s medicine cabinet. She might even be able to buy the shoes tomorrow. She lies back in bed and smiles. It’s going to be a good weekend. *** By the time Jomila finishes work, it has been dark for several hours, it must be well after 11. She wonders how her family is travelling, whether or not they’ve eaten. The owner of the factory approaches to count her product for the day. Jomila made 120 dresses and she receives a 20 taka bonus, a total of 180 taka or just over 1 taka per dress. This is fantastic! She thought to herself as she skipped down the road, excellent for a day’s earnings. As she passes Rasoul’s corner shop, Jomila picks up a chocolate for Manik’s birthday. She is so excited to wish him a happy birthday that she beams the whole way home, seeing her family happy brings her so much joy. Jomila smiles at the smallest things, a scenario of Manik’s reaction unfolds in her mind. He’s so happy, a beaming smile from ear to ear; he hugs Jomila so tightly. With each step she feels more anticipation and excitement to see her family, she’s had such a good day at work. If she works this hard for the rest of the week she will be able to afford a tarp and the medicine for Raja. She starts to run, she’s tired, she hasn’t eaten, but her heart is so full of love, so she runs faster. As she turns the corner, she notices something odd, a smell. Smoke. She runs down the end of the road to her home, her neighbours standing outside
wailing in tears, horrified. Her whole bosti is engulfed in flames. Every last thing she owned has disappeared into ashes. The deep oranges and yellows of the fire, dance in the reflection of her eyes as they widen. She frantically searches the faces of the children around her. Her heart drops to the pit of her stomach. Panic. *
This story is set in the slum district of Nilkhet in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dhaka has a population density of 28,410 people per square kilometre (the third most dense in the world). In contrast, Brisbane’s population density is 140 people per square kilometre. The readymade garment industry accounts for 77% of Bangladesh’s exports and is a $19 billion asset. The garments made in these factories are often for online stores, which sell the clothes, often at a mark up of over 5000% the manufacturing costs. Like Jomila, 28% of Bangladeshis live below the poverty line. That is approximately 44 million people, almost double the entire population of Australia.
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1. Fajr: The first prayer of the day 2. Salat: Arabic word for prayer 3. Surah: During Salat, Muslims recite a combination of Surahs, which are verses from the Qur’an. 4. Mama: Bengali word for Mother’s brother, it can be used in a way to describe someone who is not blood related as a term of endearment. 5. Chalak: cheeky or naughty, but in a playful way 6. Toast Biscuit: Toast Biscuits are a very common treat to eat with tea in Bangladesh. But only the middle class can afford it. 7. Chaiwala: Person who makes chai. Chai is made in a small tin of about 2-3 litres and is sold on the street. It is a cheap business for poorer people, as they only need a few ingredients, also: it’s delicious. 8. Bosti: Bengali word for slum 9. Taka: Bangladeshi currency. 1 BDT (Bangladesh Taka) is equivalent to 0.017 AUD.
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Words by Tom Emmett Photography by Andrew Weate
Kombucha Tom Emmett sits down with Dean Brough to discuss kombucha and the future of fashion.
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Tom: In your interview with ABC you said that you were surprised that kombucha hasn’t been taken up commercially. Dean: Correct! Well it will never be taken up on a mass scale, because of the nature of its uniqueness I guess, but from a perspective of vegan leather I would think it has enormous potential because it has, potentially, similar characteristics to leather from an aesthetic point of view. It’s a different medium obviously but it’s completely zero waste, it’s a byproduct of the scoby, the broth that grows kombucha. It’s malleable, you can grow it in different mediums like wine, tea, coffee, so it changes its colour. Its uniquely individual, each individual growth textures differently. What is beautiful about it is you can grow it according to the shapes already, so you can have buckets or pattern shapes that are premade and grow it already to the shape and on the edge of the kombucha it grows a hard rind, so it’s incredibly strong. If you think of leather, how crazy it is that you have a hide with regular pattern shapes and when you cut those, you have so much waste, it’s really crazy. The cool thing is you can grow it to shapes already and just connect it together. It’s always
really good because it doesn’t require sewing; you can glue it, mould it, shape I, so traditional garments like I’m wearing is all two dimensional flat shapes, whereas with this you can mould it and shape it to form three dimensional shapes. There’s no reason why people couldn’t do it at home, it’s so low scale, you could do it in a third world country. It doesn’t require any, apart from a bit of cleanliness, like ginger beer brewing, to ensure the scoby is alive and well. Yeah, it’s a really interesting medium to work with, it’s really cool. Back to your original question, are there commercial possibilities, I would say yes but on the nature of it being a low scale production and arguably it why couldn’t it be more democratised, on a home based approach where people make their own fabrics using this. Tom: Do you think it might be more suitable to other areas, perhaps product design or packaging? Dean: I hadn’t thought much about that, because my background is fashion, but it would certainly work well for interior use and spaces. It’s a relatively strong material, whether it be upholstery, screens, you could even use it for… Tom: Windows?
Dean: Windows! If you wanted to have a tint. You can get it reasonably clear and reasonably dark. It would have multiple applications if you think, yes. Tom: The fashion industry is one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters and also the sheer waste generated from it, how do you think that could be changed? Or do you think it can be changed? Or what would lead to it changing? Dean: In reference to kombucha? Tom: No, just alone. Can it be improved? (The environmental impact of the fashion industry). Dean: It’s got to be a consumer led, up. At the moment, there’s a percentage of people doing that. If you look at stores, high street stores, they have an approach to sustainability, but their clothes are so cheap! Go to K-Mart, clothes are so cheap.
So at the end of the day, consumers still want cheap clothing and cheap clothing tends to come with quite a disposable mindset. So I’d like to think we adopt more a menswear approach to fashion, because of a lot of men tend to only own a few pairs of trousers, Tom you probably only own three pairs of shoes don’t you? Tom: I’m not sure, I probably only wear about two, or one! Dean: A lot of menswear, the garments are constructed a lot stronger, the fashion doesn’t date as much, and it’s a slower fashion cycle. Obviously there’s still fast fashion in menswear, but the general l menswear realm, and so for me that would be the approach that the whole of fashion should take, it should adopt a more traditional menswear approach where its less clothes, better quality, better constructed, better fibres, its fit has more variance to it, to allow garments to
/21 let in and out at the waist easier etc. How the hell do you change a whole cycle of an industry like fashion? Tom: It’s a societal change, really. Dean: It’s got to be some major catalyst, because at the moment we’re just gnawing at the edges. So unfortunately it’s got to be something that is really significant. What that is, probably hard to predict, but what it probably will be is something that’s not good for the human species of the planet, arguably. Because it’s got to be something that fundamentally shifts the norms, and it wouldn’t just be fashion, it would be other stuff as well. It’s hard to know isn’t it? Tom: Fashion’s role and its relationship to society has changed it the past few decades because of the introduction of mass manufacturing and there’s a lot of hype with the media now, people can see catwalks online, they can purchase directly from the catwalk (like Burberry, Christopher Kane), what’s fashions relationship to us now and what might it be in the future? Do you think buying straight from the catwalk is a good thing? Dean: Oh yeah, no problems with that. I think disruptive models are happening in every industry now. I can order my own cycling tops with my own print, design my own print and get them delivered, it’s really cool. I think that’s a great thing actually. But, if you look at the large shopping centres and conglomerates, they’re investing millions, billions of dollars into their retail, because they understand people still like shopping. Shopping is about experience, it’s about people coming together, it’s more than just the purchase of an item. The prediction of the death of retail was quite wrong, because the big department stores are still growing. So that says something
about the two extremes doesn’t it, that people are quite happy to buy online, people are happy to shop online and buy retail, people are happy to bypass the retail and go straight to wholesale, people are quite happy to bypass the designer and become the designer themselves and design the garments. So the whole system is being thrown up, which is kind of good I reckon. And that’s not just fashion, it’s everything. Tom: Sure. Personally I like to go to a shop and buy something, as opposed to online, I want to see how it feels, what it looks like, the weight, if I’m trying clothes on to fit them. Dean: But then the good thing about menswear is you can trust it too, I can buy a shirt online and know it will fit well. The difference in womens-wear, with the diversity styles and sizing issues, menswear is far more straight forward. Tom: Back to kombucha, it’s quite a, for lack of a better word, ‘extreme’ material. Dean: Niche material. Tom: Niche material. But extreme in terms of sustainability and those attributes, do you know of research that is happening with more traditional materials to make their manufacturing process and their distribution process more ‘clean’? Dean: Very much so. Tom: Because with Nike, they knitted some shoes, meaning so patterns and therefore waste associated with the upper. Dean: Knitting makes more sense because it’s zero waste, in principle. Tom: Is that a direction you think?
Dean: Yeah. But at the end of the day, when you’re in a consumption model, making new products, there’s got to be a negative impact. It can’t just not happen, how could it not, almost. Whether it be the electricity that makes it, the threads…People in shoes, there’s laces, there’s plastic bits, there are all those things. Any consumption model has to have some sort of impact. And that’s the whole problem, so unless you change the whole notion of consumption, how do you do that? Tom: As a young fashion designer studying or a recent graduate of fashion design and you know of the issues in the industry at the moment and you want to try to do something , if you were 21, 22 what would you do now?
really have an answer, but maybe it’s part of the answer too is that, people always think of fashion as clothing, as making things, fashion is just about changes in the time, people looking forward from past and future. Tom: Do you think the very notion of studying a course called fashion, and fashion meaning the changing of styles and changing of tastes every year or twice a year or four times a year, depending on the season. Dean: Or all the time now. Tom: Or all the time now because of the internet, do you think the course should be renamed clothing design or menswear or womens-wear?
Dean: Good question. The power of hindsight.
Dean: That’s an interesting question because we’re debating course names at the moment.
Tom: It’s the power of hindsight but also you’re looking forwards.
Tom: If it wasn’t called fashion it wouldn’t imply…
Dean: Forwards looking backwards. It would be lovely to think we can step back in time, be in 120, 150 years where clothing was treasured. Where threads were treasured. You had rag collectors, thread collectors, because thread and cloth was expensive. Clothes were treasured. People hand down clothes from generation to generation. There wasn’t the assumption of consumption. So that would be my advice, it still has to be affordable, but the notion of value pieces that have a longevity. As I said, menswear works better in that space often. But then, as soon as you put something in that space people say it should be more expensive, and as soon as it’s more expensive people can’t afford it and if they can’t afford it then they buy cheaper clothing. So I actually don’t
Dean: Well it could be called Product Design and it could sit in Industrial Design arguably. Strong similarities. Tom: There’s also strong differences, such as the conceptual and art focus. Dean: It doesn’t have to be. The problem with clothing, I tend to like the word apparel, because apparel I tend to put with words like performance wear. I don’t know if the name is going to make any difference. I’ve got to run. Tom: Nice talking to you! Dean: Thanks Tom, very enjoyable!
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Words & Images by Shannon Toth
The space in between Shannon Toth writes a poem about being comfortable in one’s own company.
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When you are all alone you’ll be happy to find You are in the company of your own mind It’s not frightful or weird, it’s solitude my dear There is really nothing to fear And if you are afraid of this state Perhaps you should cultivate A garden inside It’s not so hard to find things A red bottlebrush, a eucalyptus vine It’s all fine, in the garden of your mind Don’t be ashamed if it takes some time Linger in the chaos and the calm The time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted at all Although in this world slowness seems like an illness to be fixed Be assured that without contemplation There are certain unpleasant implications And this world will surely reach its expiration
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Words by Hunter Eccleston Photography by Hunter Eccleston & Jordan Atkinson
Let’s take a walk Hunter Eccleston ponders the decisions made by designers and the effects they have on everyday people.
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One step back, two steps forward… One step back, two steps forward. A phrase which could be a euphoric metaphor for life. I question whether the action of moving to the future can be properly completed, without first stepping back and examining the past, then taking a step to the present, before the final step forward to the future. When it’s put like that, the process that it forms seems pretty straightforward. It’s a process I tend to question; is whether modern day ‘designers’ – or people claiming to be designers – still take time to understand and follow. Engaging with the past of the design world before continuing into the future of their own practice? A lot of the time it feels like ‘designers’ are taking a hundred steps forward, to reach the end and realise… shit… I missed something. Such a narrow minded view of design
practice seems to miss out on the big picture, and by picture, I’m talking about one the size of the Earth. For the Earth is not just a blank canvas awaiting our next ‘modern’ building, but rather a completed masterpiece of deep blue’s and greens; a masterpiece that has been in existence for millennia, but what do we do to preserve it? We like to have our way with the replacing of the green with grey squares and black formatted grid patterns. Heck, going back a few years now, we started adding more blue as we began removing the white patches at the top and bottom. Artistic preference or scientific fact? We live on this land and amongst a vast natural environment, so why don’t we respect it? Care for it? Grow with it? This question arose as I sat in the Botanic Gardens looking up the amphitheatre of lush grass, native plants and past the
gentle swaying of the palm leaves, to spot an unearthly steel erection protruding into the clouds… Have we evolved to need nature less? Or is the rate at which we are evolving much faster than the land we live on and the other species we live with? At some point in time the allure of industrial and commercial prowess has been slowly dividing humans from the land and in turn a division from the true essence of being human. For the true nature of humans and all we have ever done (holistically speaking) is to evolve. By evolving, humans have been able to find their own purpose and potential within society, just like any animal, if you don’t evolve, you die. Don’t get me wrong, we are certainly moving in a forward direction, the question is… is it for the right reason? If anything, the evolutionary cycle partnered with a great triumph of technology, seems to be further disconnecting humans from not only nature, but also our own nature. It is a disconnect I am confronted with each time I return back to the place I grew up on the pristine landscape of the Sunshine Coast, where more trees are being cleared for housing, and ever more signs point to ‘amazing’ land sales. Not only this, but the ‘houses’ that are being built add more fuel to this nature destroying fire, contributing to the phenomena cookie-cutting a once lush landscape, replacing the vertical beauty of trees with conglomerations of steel. It’s probably a bit hypocritical with my family home most likely being a contributor to early stages of the development onslaught, but really the counter-argument is we need to live somewhere don’t we? Deep in our evolutionary cycle and design processes, the removing of the green must find a harmonic balance with the essential needs of humans and the preservation
of the environment. Take the evolution of the house as an example, with its basic function being to shelter from the earth’s elements, the rest… added extras. If we strip away the extras and modern form to the bare minimum, we’re left with the same essential function, like a mud dwelling, or branches forming a roof below the canopy of a tree. Yes, but we have evolved, we are now superior, we have become civilized, we got smarter! Did we? On the Sunshine Coast it’s not only the landscape that is changing, but the elusive feeling of community that once existed, seems all but dead. For decades the local golf club, has been a place of learning, meeting lifelong friends and a uniting place for community. That special place faded as financial troubles set in, large corporations stepped in, and just like that, the backbone of a community was left to be a barren waste land of overgrown weeds. So is it not forward we should move, but rather backward? Must there be a greater understanding of how our ancestors lived? Living off the land, knowing the seasons by the flowering patterns of trees? Simply, working with nature and the green of its portrait instead of fighting against it? If we continue on this rampant “green removing” trend, the whole picture will be nothing but a grey, barren wasteland, or possibly turn back into a blank canvas. This ecstasy of development and “oh shit” moment is painted quite truthfully by the Disney Pixar film “Wall-E”. The movie describes how humankind wrecked the Earth with lavish living, then fled it on a space ship and let technology overwhelm it to a point where even walking became too much – due to obesity and laziness. Nostalgia set in from looking back at the Earth from a wider perspective only to
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then realise… shit we missed something. We missed the true essence of nature and realise that we cannot physically live on the planet unless we are at one with our natural surroundings. The way the motion picture puts the disengaging nature of today’s society into illustrated perspective is both confronting and thought-provoking. For the trends we are seeing, the land being cleared, the obsession with technology, the separation of communities and the disregard to our predecessor’s actions all add up. Although the film is a children’s movie, the message it sends goes far deeper than what a child or even some mature members of society could comprehend. I do believe it is the work of the up and coming designers to take control. As Professor and Convenor Master of Design Futures Programme at Griffith University,
Tony Fry articulates; “Problems cannot be solved unless they are confronted and if they are to be solved it will not be by chance, but as said, by design.” Now I’m not saying we all need to jump out and get designing great stuff that’ll revolutionize the world, because, everyone designs (designer or not), it’s a matter of the intent of the design. And before anything can even take place, the actual process of design needs a re-evaluation and an allround wake up call. For the partnering of a well-thought design process and a revisiting of historical teachings, together, is what will carve the way for the future. Things can change, people can change, portraits can be repainted. So let’s take a step back to previous generations’ way of life, a step forward to a reassessment of our current ways, before finally continuing into the future.
Words & Illustrations by Steve Szell
Comedy in the 24/7 age Insert small little introductory paragraph/ synopsis of what we are about to read. Lah Lah Lah Lah
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Traditionally, one of the biggest drivers for all creative work has been the understanding and sharing of our experience in the human condition. Finding commonality and celebrating the good, the bad and the weirdness we all share, is what art is made for after all. Art as an outlet enables us to communicate to one another our ineffable experiences, about feelings and moments which affect us all, but are difficult to discuss. It’s one of the ways we have related to one another at a basic human level throughout the entirety of human existence. The understanding we share in the little bits of life that are experienced on a daily basis build up what we might call our ‘humanity’, our shared experience. It’s a little ironic that while being the most truly human and accessible art forms around, comedy has largely been viewed as sitting outside of the “creative spectrum”. It’s a case of the entertainer verses artist, where typically comedians are viewed purely as entertainers because they make us laugh and capture our attention, but their creative ability is disregarded because of it. Not everyone can paint so painters are immediately regarded as artists in their chosen expression, no matter how dated their portrait of the grassy country side may be. But everyone can tell a joke and get at least a hearty, sensible chuckle from themselves. Surely. It’s only natural that with the growth of new media platforms that have developed in the last few decades,
that our communicative outlets would give the possibility of bridging the gap of daily life with artistic expression. With new technology always comes new forms of art. The development of electricity for example, brought amplification of music with electronic instruments and the industrial revolution changed the methods of production, making artists’ products more accessible to more people. Not much later, computers brought with them the realm of the digital world, and the internet a degree of accessibility and sharing which has never been known before. There once used to be a classic saying in stand up comedy, that if you had an hour of jokes then you had a career. You could take that hour and strengthen it, work on your timing, refine your delivery, test and adjust the rhythm of your build up, work the clubs and produce a highly refined performance ready for larger audiences ahead. The advent of a freely accessible media has meant that the one hour act has largely gone, and in its place has come a continually changing act. It changes in the sense that the next performance seen is expected to be an extension of the previous one, or a new exploration by the comedian with completely new acts and ideas to share. This isn’t something expected of musicians or performance artists, but it is the case with comedy. It’s an art form built out of fresh ideas, a new take on a situation and a constant process of reflection.
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To a large extent, the art of comedy relates to the way the industry is marketed and made accessible in the 21st century, following the same pattern as the music industry by placing the performances online and spreading the content around. However what is different between comedy and music is that the art forms have fundamental differences in how they engage with audiences. By exposing larger audiences to a body of work a wider range of reactions can be obtained, and can also change the expectations for the show. This is mostly because of the situation surrounding the performance. Musicians for example generally create a set of work which is recorded in some way, developed both privately and publicly that is constantly referred back to. It is rare to see a musical performance that is built entirely around raw creation in a live setting, as there is a significant amount of time and practice that has gone into making sure the musician is hitting each note correctly through the set. In comedy however, live performance is almost always the only direct outlet the comedian gets. Other artists have end products that come from their creative process but comedians create situations unique to the performance environment every time. That’s not to say that comedians don’t define or develop their act prior to a show, but the situation of creation is different based on the environment and audience the performer is engaging with. In its truest form, comedy is
taking a topic or an idea and poking at it until you find the humour in it in a way which makes it easy to discuss. It’s one of the most humanising art forms because of how disarming it is to our individual conceptions and personal agenda, and because it always requires an audience. What that allows the performer to do is create a dialogue with the audience, something which is unique to that point in time in that particular show, (depending on the specific comedic approach of course). So what happens when the performance is broadcast past the room? What happens when a collection of performances are streamed one after another on Youtube, day after day and the already exposed audience goes to see the live performance? A musician may be expected to play the same songs from their own repertoire but the comedian is definitely expected to tell new jokes and be funny in a new way because of the nature of the medium. A joke can only be told so many times before it loses its impact. If an audience is already familiar with the set then it creates a huge challenge for the performers to overcome to build their reputation and find their audience. Traditionally, the extent of a comedian’s exposure outside of the live stage, if they are lucky, is limited to special five minute televised performances, or in some cases cutting a comedy record to vinyl. The issue is further heightened by the dexterity of the medium, meaning the same set can be performed in
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different ways depended on the outlet and medium the performer has engaged with. Before social media, the audience may have had minimal exposure to the performer’s live set, just enough to know if they enjoy the comedic style. The common reaction since cameras have become a staple of daily life is for the promoters to film the performance, throw it online and spread it as far and wide as possible in an attempt to gain a following. This has positive outcomes in regards to finding an audience, but what has fallen short is the evolution of the live set. The ability for the performer to develop and refine their repertoire to a live audience is altered, and instead a surrogate filmic record could be the initial exposure the artist has on their audience, changing the relationship between performer and viewer. It can to some degree remove the initial tension required for a good performance, or it can create more tension depending on the comedian. It’s a constant battle of give and take, the freedom of creation vs the recognition of a large audience required for success.
This new way of sharing through online media and expressing ourselves to the world has been incredibly beneficial for all artistic disciplines in accessing their audience and to truly connect with them, however the effect has caused many industry’s to flip and redefine how they function. In the instance of comedy it has been one of the most affected by the access to free media, and it’s been a huge change to the functionality of industry, in most ways a positive one.
Words by Markos Hughes Photography by Damien Woods and Markos Hughes
Race for space Markos Hughes goes back in time to an era that championed ‘the future’ and addresses the mark it left.
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May 25, 1961... A seemingly insignificant day to the current generation, but only a few decades ago, was a day that ushered in a new era of space travel. It was on this day that US President John F. Kennedy gave his speech of the US’s ambitions to put a man on the moon. The “Space Race” that ensued between the powers of the United States and Russia created an explosion of innovative technologies in mass communication, shaping a public enthusiasm that was unheard of in its time. Influenced by these changes, along with the post war enthusiasm of the Atomic Age, a clear design aesthetic and ethos was developed reflecting an atmosphere of unbridled ambitions; turning what was once science fiction into science fact.
The ‘Space Race’, in all its romanticised ideals, was essentially borne from antagonism between the US and the USSR and used as a tool for propaganda during the Cold War. Advances in rocket engineering and a renewed post-war vigour in the West helped push the war between socialist and capitalist ideals to the forefront of conflict between the two superpowers. By November of 1957 the USSR had achieved two successful satellite launches in the Sputnik missions, the second with the now famous doomed dog Laika. The US, the only other large nation investing in a space exploration policy, had failed to launch a single satellite mission, much to the chagrin of Congress. Spurred on by public embarrassment, a come-frombehind race arose that would be pushed ahead in 1958 with the formation of a dedicated space program, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA for short.
With an increase in government spending on satellites improving television broadcasting, the public’s collective conscious became firmly united around the issues of politics’ and space travel. The potential of space travel promised an optimistic future, one far removed in time and distance from the underlying fear of communism that was ever present. Through satellite technology the media became even more powerful in swaying public opinion and was given unprecedented access by the government to interview astronauts from the first Gemini missions. This gave an intimate insight and a human face to what had always been public fantasy. Much of the public interest in the space race also drove the commercialism of space and its motifs through advertising a future full of potential and wonder, proving most effective when targeted at children who grew up idolising the astronauts during this decade. By the time of the Mercury test missions in late 1959, the TV medium had given an insight into the lives of the astronauts and kept the space race curiosity in the social discourse. Encouraging more government spending and promoting national pride, a win-win for the US government. As political tempers brewed and TV viewership in the US began rising, the stage was set for the space race to begin. Unfortunately for the US, they were twice more embarrassed by the Soviets who went on to crash a rocket into the moon with the Luna 2 mission in 1959. It bore a Russian emblem on it, a not so subtle reminder to the rest of the world. They followed with the Luna 3 mission, beaming the first ever photographs of the far side of the moon- a huge achievement for USSR, and the world at large. By January of 1961, recently elected President John F. Kennedy, aimed to continue the public’s interest in space
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“During the flight I saw for the first time with my own eyes the earth’s spherical shape…You can see its curvature when looking to the horizon. I must say that the view of the horizon is unique and very beautiful.” Gagarin would go on to give an account of the essence of human’s desires of exploration into the unknown.
"The point was not the distance, but the principle…Man [Humanity] had overcome the force of Earth's gravity and gone out into space." This phenomenon experienced by astronauts upon return to soil is known as the Overview Effect. A visceral and intangible world view that is exemplified in many astronaut’s experiences of the true grandeur of our planet. While a true achievement for mankind, Gagarin’s exploits were a calculated political move. Gagarin’s achievement was used as a signal of socialist superiority and the Soviet’s technological achievement albeit through the iron grip the Russian government had on its people. Back in the US, public unrest was rising as a decade of space promises were failing to be met. NASA, backed by Congress, pushed ahead with its Mercury 3 mission of a manned non-orbital mission that was broadcast successfully on live television. Following this accomplishment, Kennedy would issue a live address to Congress on
the 3rd of May 1961.
“I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning safely to earth.” Once a goal and a deadline were set, NASA and the US government went into overdrive to achieve the target with a series of Apollo missions. Sadly Kennedy was assassinated two years later, unable to witness the success of the 11th Apollo mission in 1969 becoming the defining moment of humankind’s achievements. As onlookers turned their heads upward to the sky, both fearful of the impending nuclear doom and inspired by the men who would travel into outer space, civilisation entered a new age. This new age, increasingly removed from the past, shot itself into the future and brought with it a new awoken consciousness. Secrecy, espionage and the threat of nuclear war were ever present. Yet so too was the childlike wonder in the dreams of so many carried in the hands of the few that travelled into space and witnessed our planet as the delicate oasis that it is. The Space Race and the success of the moon landing would come to influence a generation of people who explored these accomplishments in many avenues of technology, pop culture and design. These artists and designers would use the advent of the space race as a pinnacle reference for our futuristic philosophy.
As the space race died down in funding post Cold War and public disinterest reduced the viability of space travel, it left behind a generation that was stimulated; designing to the renewed discussions of our built environment and our role in it. While the dark underlying threats of nuclear war shadowed the
reason for space exploration, it cannot be doubted the repercussions on design and technology are still felt today. The space race was an example of the postwar reaction of public consciousness described through technological achievements. All the optimism for a shiny new future, devoid of the horror’s of the past gave a blank slate both physically and psychologically, manifested itself in the cultural markers of design and technology. This duality between design and technology established itself as a direct response to how our collective consciousness had evolved. The huge impact of televising the space explorations was crucial in our transition into the second industrial revolution of the Information Age. Newly launched satellites enabled instant communication across the globe. While initially intended for military use, the introduction of satellites saw commercial success in creating the first ever network of communication systems that could broadcast globally. Satellite television and radio now had a worldwide audience from across Europe and Oceania. Alongside the excitement of space travel, the sixties and seventies was also a time of racial segregation in America, and political upheaval against a government adamant to enter the Vietnam War. All of this was echoed in a renewed pop cultural identity. A resurgent public voice was able to express itself through mainstream media. Pop music in particular flourished as it laid an inspired soundtrack that reflected public opinion against a failing political system. Technology and pop culture would also fuse together to create a unified design aesthetic. Designers of all industries were able to voice a response to the events happening around them. Preconceived ideas of housing, computers, transportation, fashion and individual identity were all interrogated
once under the microscope of futuristic thinking. The optimism of the space race was most evident in the design aesthetic dubbed the Atomic Age. Starting in post-war 1940’s, the atomic age expanded on futurism and modernism aesthetics’ to imagine a life beyond the year 2000. By the 1960’s these ideals were being realised. As the future was always perceived to be inherently better, the Atomic Age idealised a futuristic aesthetic that was clean and smooth surfaced, impossibly curved and free of any visual clutter. Responding to the nuclear hysteria that began after the use of nuclear weapons in WWII, the Atomic Age began as a direct reflection of the realisation that we had entered a new era, where global annihilation was constantly present. The streamlined and fluid aesthetic of the Atomic Age was visible in aeroplanes, automobiles and everyday object alike. Such consistency is a testament to the lengths that were undertaken to bring the idealised future to the present. Designers saw the future as a smooth canvas, giving objects an aerodynamic quality devoid of functional form. They would often take inspiration from the space travel design styles, but strip the functionality and clutter to create a smooth surfaced idealised version. This ethos was consistent across all forms of mediums and materials, but most notably represented in fashion and furniture design. These industries capitalised on increased industrial manufacturing techniques such as injection moulded plastics and nylon to create unique and limitless designs that were bright coloured and abstracted forms. In fashion, designers like Paco Rabanne used plastic moulding alongside cosmic motifs to create unique garments that were a statement piece. Designs like his
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Disco-o-rama dress were typical of 60’s and 70’s fashion styles that represented an aesthetic of bright colours and bold patterns achieving, reflecting the mentality of uncertainty, and desire for optimism in the future. In many ways, they did, because they could. This would permeate into the greater cultural identity as people began to identify with a new and futuristic world view-away from the more mundane and conservative styles of Middle America. Architecturally, the influence of the space age allowed designers to explore the needs and wants of the ultra-modern society. New building technologies pushed for a post-war architectural aesthetic built on the ideals of space habitability. Preconceived ideals of housing and habitability were questioned, as cockpit and capsule living became the rage as people perceived the fluidity of their homely spaces to meld into one. Finnish architect Matti Suuronen’s Futuro envisioned futuristic cabin that housed a family in a single unified “floating” saucer. A minimal aesthetic was achieved throughout the entire home through the unified use of newly invented glass reinforced polymers. While not becoming successful on any large scale, these housing concepts raised questions of how we define our own physical spaces when compared to the larger context of Space. What is consistent across these forms of pop culture and design ideas is the amount of forward thinking design exploration that was pushed through this era. Across all forms of technology and design there can be seen a lingering path of futuristic ideology. An intangible quality of self-definition and searching; two qualities that we as a species constantly question. I truly believe this is an ideology that still lingers today in our currently chaotic world. Present day, 2016...
We have not returned to the moon in four decades, as we have more urgent problems to face here on Earth. We could not be further removed from the events that took place in the latter half of the 20th century. Public opinion has moved away from the next great journey- to Mars- as the viability and costs are immense. Globalisation, climate change and terrorism have dominated much of the public discourse of this century, and removed the innocence we had during the race to the moon. In a post 9/11 world, climate change and terrorism are a sobering reality of the world we live in today. Technologically, we are light years ahead. The development of satellite technology during the space age enabled the internet to inundate us with instant information, easily digested and constantly updated. We are either too engaged with volatile political issues of immigration and authoritarianism or distracted with pop-culture reality/social media to be romanticised with travel stories of the stars above. But there is hope, a faint glimmer of salvation that we will both save our planet and explore the cosmos. Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are designing rocket ships that will one day take us to Mars; a tangible, if not outlandish plan to colonise our nearest neighbour. While there is the criticism that maybe we should save our own planet before occupying another, there is an underlying excitement when with new opportunities comes new ideals of design and technology. While the context is alien to us, it is this that I welcome with open arms.
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Words & Collages by Harry Pullar @twin.scissors
Metamorphosis Harry Pullar explores the endless possibilities of surrealist collage.
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Harry is an architecture student who creates futuristic landscapes through collage. He enjoys creating these surrealist images and worlds as it allows him to explore and discover experiences never felt before. He describes his design process. It is like going on a journey into a different time and space but within the realm of my own mind. Every creation is a movement into a new dimension, and as the collages grow, so do I. It changes my perception of the world, knowing that beautiful new experiences can be created from disregarded, recycled, vintage images. I draw from old, recycled magazines that I find in op-shops, looking for special pictures that I know can transform into something magical. I never know how the collage will end up, but I’m drawn to a special picture once I see it. The contrast between the old school analogue technique, vintage material, and the futuristic, surrealist result makes me feel like I’m going back in time to create something in the future.
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Words & Images Ololade Adeniyi Photo by Kelsey Homer
The use of imagery in architectural Ololade Adeniyi examines how James Turrell’s house of lights is an exemplar for the possibilities of conceptual design in architecture.
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experimental advancing experiences
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I am envious. Envious of the way art portrays life. The way installations depict fictional states of mystery and madness, and colours that always seem to glow and dim in a perfect symphony to create conceived atmospheres. If we ask ourselves where the global fascination with contemporary light installations began or even consider the similar use of visual effects in sci-fi blockbusters, it's most likely not because we all dream of living in intergalactic space, but rather that we crave atmospheres that reflect the intensive reality of our lives. Atmospheres that are reflected in the way rooms are lit, how our body interacts with ambience to cast shadows, and the unfolding dialogue that takes place within. Simply put, we crave dynamic experiences, not repeated scenes of habitation. Sixteen years ago, James Turrell’s ‘House of Light’ was built in Japan and to date nothing has come close to rival its explorations of contemporary interior lighting. A direct reflection of Turrell’s artwork, the building is an embodied experience that allows visitors to be suspended in a balance of meditation and play. Beyond just the lighting, the design presents an example of how the definition of ‘architecture’ can shift from a structured ideology towards a complete and fully functioning experiential image. To the inhabitant, the design of the space and its visual language creates a playful atmosphere of surprise, as he or she progresses from room to room, yet simultaneously to the art appreciator, it is a concept of grandiose accomplishment in its proposed dialogue on human sensory experiences. It is no doubt that the 21st century, has brought us not only advanced technology, but also a plethora of promising software that can support a design vision of abstract spatial communication. Therefore, if
Turrell’s simple, yet sophisticated design has the potential to expand and advance the interactions we have within a space, then architects as often coined ‘master builders’ should be at the forefront of pushing for the experimentation of visual techniques and philosophies both in conceptual and finished designsideologies that are already proven to be successful in similar design industries such as art and film. However, if we only look at the most recent developments within in our cities, it’s easy to see that we (architects now and of the future) are far from accomplishing this. We neither experiment with lighting and abstract spaces in our conceptual designs, nor do we provide opportunities for spatial transformation, or flexibility in interpreting whatever it is we propose to be built. Perhaps this lack of innovation can be attributed to the lack of trust in the architect’s creative skillset, or the constantly limited and reduced role of the architect in creative projects. This ever present fear of allowing projects to develop organically; the fear of the unknown and the fear of taking risks in design are the very qualities that artists and filmmakers embrace wholeheartedly, using them to consistently create successful environmentswhile architecture on the other hand runs shy from it, and thus away from the opportunity to immerse our inhabitants in a multi-sensory design experience. If we say that clients and budgets are what restrict us from fully exploring these ideas, let’s at least consider an ever present opportunity to communicate spatial experience that is also missed time and time again. The rendered image. Typically, the way we approach out 3D BIM software and rendering tools are for pragmatism and efficiency as opposed to exploration and testing.
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Again, here the attempt to rigidly define a building for what it will be before it is even built, means we distance ourselves from exploring other spatial possibilities using lighting, sound, texture all which can be can be used in the development of a concept to explore new spatial typologies instead of the same tried and true “safety net� designs. To expand a little further, since the emergence of digital software, the original goal was for artists and designers to explore the replication of reality through the screen. While this may have been the desired outcome before the advancement of the digital age, when we were still limited
by software capabilities slow processors and limited geometric fluidity. After more than 10 years of matured technology, I often wonder why is our first instinct still to resort to an attempt to generate the perfect digital double. It is so easy to look outside and see what is real so why are we not at the very least trying to creating new images? If all we are using our tools for is simply to replicate reality, where do we find room for expanding thoughts about the future of architectural space or the opportunity for storytelling to take place within our buildings?
In the House of Lights, Turrell demonstrates a deep understanding of the human-environment relationship, however he also takes this concept by the reigns and elevates it to a whole new corporeal level. As architecture, it is important to consider that before we reach the final built design, the early steps in visualization are extremely important in implying the interaction with space and the experience in motion. It would be wiser to use this stage to explore more immersive and proprioceptive outputs. For example, even considering tools such as virtual reality applications or flight simulations, to be implemented as new tools that will allow us to go beyond the limitations of photorealistic spatial depictions to tap into the experiential qualities of the designed spaces. If we do this well, we can start to create layers of storytelling that can’t be consumed by the public in just a single viewing of a poster billboard or on the banner of a proposed development. Instead there is opportunity for the building to express a foreshadowing of future events or events on the margins that could be just as thrilling. This is typically defined as the art of creating a user story/journey or otherwise an ‘experience design’ that an user will navigate across, and connect emotions with the end product. If the smallest app or start-up company can invest thousands into a user experience to consider how a person feels when interacting with a digital product, as well as the experience, emotion, intuition and connection a user feels when using a site or product. Architects should similarly look beyond just the ‘usability’ aspect, or the effectiveness of a site orientation to consider how people will interact with the design in 10 or 20 years and whether or not, they will still enjoy that interaction. Approaching design in this manner, creates co-relations that guarantees that the experience of the space will
either meet or exceed the needs and objectives of the inhabitants. Therefore, let us continue to look back to art and film and experimental designs and take our cues from them. For the purpose of experimental imagery, inclusion and personal interpretations in the context of experiential architecture is to continue to use technology to create buildings that are accessible for wider audiences, inclusive of a full range of human diversity with respect to ability, gender, age and other forms of human difference and a move away from standard elements in applications that are mass-produced for consumers, government and in other public domains.
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Words & Photographs by Marilena Hewitt
Deep blue
Marilena Hewitt considers our relationship with water and its inherent mystery.
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~~~ Water is one our most precious and mysterious
resources, and remains a glaring blind spot in the Western imagination.
Catastrophic
events
remind us of its influence - a lost aeroplane,
a shark attack, an oil spill, a tsunami, but we tend to marginalise and misunderstand the scales of the oceanic and what lies below.
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Inspired by the mystery of the other 71% of the world, this series of photographs
seeks to understand our deep patch of blue enable humans to see its beauty beyond the surface.
~~~
Photograph by Nick White
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Words & Drawings by Lexi Illuk
Flora
Lexi Illuk delves into the world of Australian Native horticulture and explores the ways some plants, which are otherwise unnoticed by most people, can be used in a variety of ways.
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Unbeknownst to the untrained eye, the Australian landscape contains a variety of flora which has been sustaining life for thousands of years. The variety of our food has been limited to those crops which are commercially viable on a global market. There is, however, an abundance of wonderful and useful native flora in our own backyard, mostly unknown to non-indigenous Australians. Indeed, it is only recently that I have come to appreciate the beauty and diversity of Australian plant life, as for so many years, I have viewed it through a European lens, just as those early settlers did. What I perceived was barren and grey, and my mind defining a forest with images of eastern European coniferous and deciduous flora. Thanks to European influences, much of the native flora, especially those plants which are edible or useful have been forgotten or rejected. In recent times however, native Australian foods have come into the spotlight, thanks to their use by chefs in the fine dining scene. Most people are well acquainted with some native plants due to the commercial production of their by-products, mostly essential oils like tea tree and eucalyptus oil. These trees are used for the extraction of their oils, however the scope of use extends far beyond. As diets grow poorer and less diverse, and large-scale farming becomes environmentally unsustainable, the place of native plants will become more significant as an alternative food source. Six plants in particular caught my eye, all hailing from areas of sunny Queensland‌
NATIVE PARSNIP Trachymene incisa Description: This small perennial herb grows thick edible rootstock, similar in appearance to parsnip. It grows mostly in sandy soils, poor coastal heaths or rocky outcrops in Queensland and New South Wales. The leaves are bright green, similar to that of parsley although much finer. Native parsnip blooms in summer months with tiny white clumps of star-shaped flowers. The root of the plant can be eaten as a vegetable and has a carrot-like texture, but the flavour reportedly less sharp than common parsnip. The roots of native parsnip can be eaten raw or cooked. It is said to be have been part of the staple diet for some groups of indigenous Australians, where it was commonly baked over coals.
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DAVIDSON’S PLUM Davidsonia johnsonii Description: The Davidson’s Plum is tropical tree from the rainforests of Queensland. Currently listed as endangered in the wild, it has lush green foliage, with its stems and leaves sometimes being finely haired. During flowering seasons, blooms range from deep reds to soft pinks. The tree produces rich plum coloured fruit after three years. The fruit has been widely cultivated for eating and used in cooking to make jams and preserves.
LEMON MYRTLE Backhousia citriondora Description: The Lemon Myrtle is a tropical plant native to Queensland, which has become well known for its distinct lemon perfume, a result of high concentrations of citral and citronellal essential oil chemotypes. Oil extracted from the Lemon Myrtle has also been found to contain very high anti-bacterial properties. It has rich evergreen foliage, and blooms wonderful cream coloured clusters from summer until autumn. Use: These native plants are highly useful and beautiful plants to have in the garden. Planting Lemon Myrtles near and around outdoor entertaining spaces can help to reduce the number of mosquitoes during your summer barbeques. The citrus scent, the same as in citronella candles and sticks, naturally repels mosquitoes and some other insects. The leaves of the plant can also be dried and crushed to be used as an aromatic to add to cakes, desserts teas and even ice-cream.
FINGER LIME Citrus australasica Description: The Finger Lime is a tropical understory plant originating from the rainforests of north Queensland. It grows to about 10 metres tall, bearing fruit with a thin outer skin of various colours. The flesh inside also varies in colour from red to pink to green, and is distinguished by its caviar-like appearance. The intense fresh and tangy taste has been prized by chef’s working in the top restaurants around the world. The fruit has also been described as having an intense citrus aroma, the smell of the Australian bush, with added zing. The Finger Lime can be used in a similar way to other citrus, or to make jams and marmalades, refreshing cocktails, as well as a garnish to create beautiful dishes.
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STRAWBERRY GUM Eucalyptus olida Description: The Strawberry Gum is a medium sized tree which is mostly restricted to dry sclerophyll forests in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales and Queensland close to the border. The leaves are highly aromatic and have a deep green colour, with delightfully purple-pink coloured young foliage. The Strawberry Gum is considered a threatened species, however it is commercially cultivated where its oil is extracted for flavourings and perfume making. The perfume of the leaves has been described as being similar to strawberries, passionfruit and cinnamon. Methyl cinnamate which is extracted through the distillation process gives the foliage its distinctive perfume. Dried, crushed leaves can also be used similarly as the oil extract to enhance the berry flavour in jams, desserts and sweets.
Words by Zac Brown Image by Miranda Rielly
Future energy Zac Brown examines the case for renewable energy from a economics perspective.
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For decades now, the prospect of green energy has widely been opposed due to the huge amount of required investment with little return. In recent years however, the landscape of the green energy economy is starting to finally shift in its favour. With tighter regulation and wider public endorsement, coupled with revolutionary technological advances, it’s finally time to start fully integrating renewable energy. This topic is something that I am very passionate about. When it boils down to it the topic largely involves our welfare as a human race as we sacrifice our planet’s well being to our economy and it’s influencers. The most dominant outcome of our current resource use is undeniably global warming. The evidence to support this occurrence is overwhelming, and to oppose it frankly makes you an ignorant person to say the least. There’s little to no evidence to oppose its presence, especially when opposition supports its damaging progress. To combat global warming there has been increased scrutiny of our consumption of fossil fuels and a push towards renewable energy resources. Until now renewable energy sources haven’t been financially or economically viable. To be fair I fully understand that, it isn’t reasonable or rational to expect
businesses to shut down or completely restructure their foundations to adjust to a train of thought that had no solid ground until recent years. In the past, compliance with such regulation and production methods would incur huge capital losses, and in turn be economically detrimental. As such this makes it a completely irrational decision. However, returning to the present and it excites me to see that through stringent government regulation and agreements, targets are being set. Policy, in turn is coming to support private investments and innovation, genuine innovation, in a sector that needs our support to keep ourselves progressing as a human race. Solar energy in California has been subsidised over several years now, and research to help the implementation and minimise the impact of green taxes has been promising to adjust societies views to the negative economic impacts of these tools. My frustration is hard to define, when assessing the progress of my own country, Australia, in regards to these reforms. Not only does our government subsidise and support the mining industry - the biggest environmental killer globally - but the way the people have been
manipulated into believing that any hindrance to this industry will ultimately cause negative externalities on their own way of life. Both parties have used rising fuel prices and general costs of living as fear mongering tactics for years. Now that carbon reforms are ‘flavour of the month’ we might see some action, as just about every other OECD nation promises to reduce it’s impact and play it’s part, our primary parties have both made us embarrassments on a global scale. Cuts to research and opening of the tax floodgates to non renewable resources and full endorsements of the commodity of coal - a resource of which is becoming taboo to harvest- are but a few examples. In order to gain support, the global condition and well being was instead turned into a platform of political persuasion at the cost of positive global conformity. Polar ice caps melting, rising sea levels and climatic phenomena were
drowned out and made irrelevant under the white noise of; ‘you’ll pay more for your fuel under a carbon tax!’ God forbid you give up your 1996 Land cruiser used only to drive little Timmy and Susie around suburbia. I’m digressing however, a lot. We’re coming into an economic phase where thankfully governments are seeing it necessary to adopt of solar, wind, tidal and natural gas as our main sources of energy. Technology now allows much more economically effective harvesting of these sources and the private sector is following in kind. Out of all the sectors expected to experience huge amounts of financial growth, companies involved in the green energy sector is almost undeniably number one. If I could give anyone advice that wanted to put some money into stocks as a form of investment, it’d be to put your money into companies involved with green energy.
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If a company hasn’t invested in to these new age energy, you want nothing to do with them, financially or ethically. Mining companies worldwide are collapsing as the prices of oil and coal decline. The negative correlation is starting to show, as green energy companies are starting to rise in share prices, and venture capital companies start to pay more attention to the promising early candidates of the sector. While the process is still in the relatively early stages, it’s still an amazing thing to witness as we watch our world economies shift through a revolution of fundamental restructuring; from the black to the green. Here’s hoping it’s not too late.
Words & Photos by Isobel Morris
Flashback to first year Isobel Morris reflects on the years, and whether there is any advice she may have given to herself as a first year landscape student.
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Deciding to study and become a designer officially is as scary as a doctor completing his first surgery. You already know how to be creative, solve problems and have the eagerness to wanting to fix all the world’s problems you’re just missing that fancy pants piece of paper. By the time you do reach fourth year, you look back and don’t even recognise that scared eighteen-year-old. In the last four years, you will have learnt so much that you wish you knew your first few days, weeks and months of university life. But do you wish you had told yourself these things? Or is there a part of you that knows deep down you are who you are now, because of all of those tough times? All of those times you thought you wouldn’t make it through or even pass that assignment. A design students experience is something that no business, science or medical student can compare too. The hours spent learning Auto Cad and sleepless nights tossing and turning over whether or not you really should have designed a path through the middle of a river, all seem to become worthwhile when you’re presenting your final submission and kicking ass.
Kicking ass is a concept that many don’t reach until their third or fourth years, as by this time you start to get the hang of things. You know how to do perspectives, sections, master plans. Build things to scale (and not to scale). Where the design section in the library is and how to use J Block. If I could go back in time there is nothing I would have done differently, would you?
Dear all first year design students, Welcome to the world of design. I am sure none of you are prepared for what I am about to tell you, but in a nutshell studying design at University is going to be to best and worst time of your life. Nothing anyone has said to you and no board on Pinterest will relate to how it actually is. You should be prepared to feel the full spectrum of emotions (all at once) and do the occasion overdose on Mother when that all-nighter comes around. But in my short life of 21 years there is nothing that I can say with confidence that has made me a better person, than studying Landscape Architecture. On your first day you will probably know no-one, and that’s okay because they don’t know anyone either. The person sitting next to you will probably become a friend for life so you should treat them well. And in an environment which is so fast paced, these new friends come to play a massive role in your life. They will be your critical tutors at 1am and your shoulder to cry on at 5pm. The person to teach you the shortcuts of Photoshop, or someone who will know how to work the Laser cutter when the J-Block Supervisors are busy. All in all, these people will be the best people you will ever meet and you count your lucky stars you ever met them. The hardest thing about studying design is dealing with presentation after presentation after presentation. In a course like this, confidence is key – even if you fake it. One of my tutors once said to me, “No-one knows your project except you. So why be nervous when the people in the audience don’t even know if that tree is a mistake or is supposed to be bright pink.” Confidence. Of course this doesn’t come easy when tutors often cross the line between constructive criticism and just plain harsh. You will very quickly realise that some people are just naturally amazing at design and will therefore draw the attention from most of the teaching staff. This isn’t the best situation but you tend to learn a lot from watching and listening to the intense comments made on every little detail of that amazing person’s presentation. Studios are a place where you have the chance to learn 24/7 from just being alert to what everyone else is doing and surrounding yourself with the same pressures as they are. It is all about pushing and challenging yourself to be the best person you can be. Travelling on this roller coaster to find out who you really are is a lifelong one, but for this pit-stop called University you learn so much about what you like and dislike, where you see yourself in the future and what you want to achieve in life- even if it is just going backpacking for a year, or two. Many
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of the people you walk through the QUT doors with won’t be there with you in a couple months or years as they discover design just isn’t for them; and that’s okay. Choosing to do design and sticking with it for four and a half years started off as being one of the hardest things I had done to something that I can’t imagine my life without. So if I could go back to my first year self, I would maybe whisper and say, “Learn Auto Cad early” And, “Don’t compare yourself to others” But ultimately I would try and keep my mouth shut. For I am who I am today because I didn’t get any special treatment, I didn’t know what Adobe Creative Cloud was until after everyone else did and I definitely didn’t know how to scale a picture until long after I was supposed to know. Just remember, there is more to living a designer’s life than studying relentlessly every day for four years. You are embarking on a career path that lets you play with life and immerse yourself with colour. Be brave, have confidence and have fun.
With love, Isobel Morris Fourth Year Landscape Architecture student
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The final year landscape architecture students, now wiser after four years of intensive study.
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