Taboo
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November 2012
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grae magazine. Publisher Grae
Editor in Chief Natalie Zigdon
Content Editor
Find us online at GraeMagazine.com Please note all submissions to Grae Magazine are protected by copyright laws which belongs solely to the artist. If you would like to get in touch with any of the artists, please email us and we’ll gladly pass it along. Grae is always looking to expand our team. Whether you’re a photographer, writer, illustrator or designer, we want YOU to be apart of Grae. Email us at inspire@graemagazine.com
Sophie Lavac
Contributors Dina Goldstein Sarah Nieman Bethany Struble Rachel Haden
The Treehouse Bradley Yencer
Cover Aaron Nace
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EDITOR’S NOTE I’m Natalie and I am the creator & editor of Grae Magazine. Grae Magazine was created to uncover underground artists who have a passion for creating. If you’re new to Grae, make sure to check out our talented artists and their take on this world. Read each word with an open mind, and lose yourself in our Treehouse. If you aren’t new to Grae, welcome back. We wanted to celebrate Women and remind them that they don’t have to be an image of society’s definition of beauty in order to be beautiful. We have three very inspiring womanly artists in this month’s issue who all have made their mark in the art world. Enjoy work from Photographer Dina Goldstein, Sarah Nieman from Quiescent Magazine and fashion blogger Bethany Struble from A Snakes Nest.
November 2012
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PAGE 14 PAGE 28 PAGE 38 PAGE 46
taboo. [tuh-boo] adj. improper or u society doesn’t know w
proscribed by society as unacceptable.
hat it’s talking about.
ADVISORY: THIS ISSUE IN NO WAY PROMOTES FEMINISM, ‘GIRL POWER’, OR THE STATEMENT THAT WOMEN ARE BETTER THAN MEN AND THAT ANYTHING MEN CAN DO, WOMEN CAN DO BETTER [CUE THEME SONG]... NO, BUT REALLY. A LOT OF TOPICS IN TODAY’S SOCIETY ARE STILL SPOKEN IN SOFT VOICES AND CONSIDERED TABOO. WHAT A LOT OF WOMEN DON’T REALIZE IS THEY DO HAVE A VOICE AND THE POWER TO CHANGE WHAT SOCIETY’S STANDARD OF BEAUTY IS. PROBLEM IS, SOME WOMEN FEEL THEY WON’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SOME WOMEN FEEL THEIR KANKLES AND LOVE HANDLES WILL ONLY BE SEEN WHILE THEIR VOICE WON’T BE HEARD. SOME WOMEN FEEL THAT HAVING PRIDE IN BEING A WOMEN IS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. SOME WOMEN ARE PLAIN CRAZY... 10 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
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BUT REMEMBER, IT’S THE CRAZY ONES THAT HAVE BROUGHT WOMEN TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY. SO GO NUTS. THIS ISSUE WAS CREATED TO CELEBRATE WOMEN AND REMIND THEM THAT STRENGTH IS MORE THAN JUST THE ABILITY TO SAY NO. IT IS THE ABILITY TO SAY YES. YES TO CURVES AND HUGE FAT AMBITIONS. YES TO KNOWING HOW TO CHANGE A TIRE AND A DIAPER. YES TO PUTTING ON BOXING GLOVES AND YOUR SIX INCH HEELS. YES TO BEING A WOMAN AND DAMN PROUD OF IT. THIS WORLD IS SO BRAINWASHED, WE JUST WANTED TO WASH YOUR BRAIN FOR YOU. - THE GRAE TEAM.
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DINA GOLDSTEIN. When we were looking for artists to feature in this month’s issue to represent that women don’t need to be dolled up and in heels in order to look beautiful, Dina Goldstein’s artwork was a gift sent to Grae from the skies above. Everything we were looking for in a photo to go against society’s standard definition of beauty. We’ve all seen them, lived through them and hoped to magically become them. Walt Disney’s Princesses has given young girls everywhere an image as to what a Princess should be. Although we’ve grown to love each and every one of them, we’ve grown to love Goldstein’s interpretation of them even more. We were able to chat with the brilliant artist herself who has inspired young women across the board. You’ll come to see that her mind is just as brilliant as her work. Wonderland | Grae Magazine |15
G: How long have you been doing photography? D: I always loved creating art as a child. I started photographing at 20yrs after traveling to the Sinai desert. I had my aunts crappy point and shoot camera that produced very mediocre pictures…this upset me because I felt that I didn’t truly capture the beauty that surrounded me. When I came home I decided to study photography so I could take better pictures! It was a good time to do so because all of my friends at the time were
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artists; musicians, actors, painters..I had a world of material to photograph. I set up a studio in my apartment and went for it. G: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten? D: When I was shooting Trackrecord at the local horse-racing track I met some amazing characters. I learned about the sport and all of its complexities. Once I asked why the horses wear blinders when they race. The simple answer was that it allowed them to focus on
their own race without being too distracted by the other racers. That message always stayed with me. Run my own race, stay focused and don’t let the others distract you. G: What are your thoughts on women in today’s society and what advice do you have for them as far as making it out there and pursuing their dreams? D: If you live in the West: Go for it! The glass ceiling is no longer your biggest challenge. Now you have to figure how you’re going to do it all. Are you
good at juggling and balancing? If you live in the East: Even now in 2012 you may still be considered a second class citizen. You might not have the right to choose your husband, get educated and follow your bliss in a career that interests you. You are limited by your cultural norms and if you want to rebel you will be punished and ridiculed. Unfortunately, there are still woman in this world that have to endure the latter of my descriptions. It makes me sad.
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G: In the Doll House is brilliant. Can you tell us more about the project? D: In the Dollhouse was a natural continuation of a similar concept to Fallen Princesses, both projects inspired by my daughters. ‘B’, is the idealized woman. More than any other childhood construct, Barbie encapsulates the concept that Beauty is Power and thus is key to a happy life. 18 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
However, when ‘K’ ‘B’s handsome but emasculated boyfriend, pursues happiness by expressing his own individuality, the value of beauty as a trait unto itself is exposed as the cheap, plastic facsimile that it is. My character ‘K’ finally exposes his true authentic self. He has been enslaved by social expectations and has not found the courage to ‘come out’ and reveal himself to the world. ‘B’ actually discovers him with another male doll and that is how it all begins to unravel.
It’s difficult to take ‘marriage’ as a concept and discuss it because everyone experiences it differently. There are so many expectations of marriage and so much fantasy that is built around it …this is why it often does not work. For two people to stay together they must accept each other completely. I think that this doesn’t happen very often and that most married couples keep secrets from each other.
‘It’s difficult to take ‘marriage’ as a concept and discuss it because everyone experiences it differently.’ We get married , buy a house, fill it with beautiful things and expect life to run smoothly forever after…often not the case. Life is full of complexities that we have to maneuver through constantly. Taboo | Grae Magazine |19
G: What advice do you have for an aspiring photographer who is looking to do the same as you? D: I find that a lot of young aspiring artists today are passionate but lack work ethic. When I started out I worked a lot and didn’t make much or any money. That went on for years. Now there are a lot of artists coming out of school and expecting to make the big bucks right away. I say pay your dues and don’t charge too much right off the top. Get as much experience as possible and make your mistakes at the beginning without too much consequence. Work up to getting the prestigious jobs. G: We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Very well said. D: you very 20 | Thank Grae Magazine | Taboomuch.
G: Who/what inspires you? D: I find inspiration in the ‘corners’ and ‘edges’ of life… In the stuff that us humans have managed to create, in the individuality that we all possess, in the beauty of this world that we live in, and in the frailty of life. I’m in awe of how easily all can be lost. I understand the darkness that shares the light. I am nostalgic and sentimental. G: Any upcoming projects we should be expecting? D: I just got back from India, where I won a residency to create new work. I’ll be using the material that I shot in Mumbai and combining it with images that I will shoot here in my Vancouver studio.
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the treehouSe.
where imagination is created. 22 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
Her eyes create something of a solar eclipse, a celestial rarity you may only look upon when the universe permits. Rare and yet I’ve been told not to stare directly into the seductive light which makes it all the more tempting to take a peek and become hypnotized. Once I look away from them, they become burned into my mind so even with eyes shut I can’t help but feel her warmth much like the moon dreams of her long lost lover she catches briefly at dusk and dawn, living from the shadows of the very thing that makes her shine. To me this is not mere coincidence, and like the Fates I do not play with dice. When a jigsaw is tossed in the air and all of its pieces land into their rightful place, I do not see chance. I see providence I see the impossible I see you staring back into me Taboo | Grae Magazine |23
Gazing Sun by Bradley Yencer
I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it. Marilyn Monroe
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Oh Yeah Studio
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What if you were told exactly when you were going to die. Would you use it to your advantage and conquer your fears because you knew nothing else could kill you? Would you make every single dream a reality because nothing should be stopping you now? Would you actually
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appreciate life and ‘seize the moment’ because you knew how much time you had left? Or would you constantly feel the complete opposite because every single day you’re a day closer to the day you die. I guess you’ll never know. grae.
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Josh - Gelato from Italy SarahLiba Nieman
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SARAH NIEMAN. We got the chance to speak to Editor in Chief of Quiescent Magazine and watercolor magician Sarah Nieman and came to meet such a humble and down to earth artist. Not only are Nieman’s watercolor creations mesmerizing, she is a woman of many talents. From swiping a blank canvas with a paintbrush to shining spotlight on others who share the same passion, Sarah is what we like to call an all around artist. Those who create art and have a passion for reliving the art around them.
G: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? S: My name is Sarah Nieman and I am 19 years old from New Hampshire. I attend a small art school and am sort of double majoring in Photography and Painting, though I might switch out Painting and do art education instead. I know how to make paper cranes, I hate silence, and I love reading when I have the time to. G: What are your aspirations in the near future? Where are you looking to take your art or the magazine to? S: I definitely want to do something more with both my artwork and the magazine, although what, I havent figured out quite yet. Im still in college and will be for a few more years, so I figure I have time to figure that out!
G: You’re an Editor and Chief over at Quiescent Magazine, can you tell us a bit about the magazine and your role in it? S: Its an arts magazine I started over the summer and released the first issue September of this year. I do all of the design work and correspondence with the artists, although I have a few people that will help with interviews. I actually have quite a few people that help: Zach Schwaller, Caiti Borruso, Eduardo Acierno, and Kay Rodriguez are my main editors. Maria Kaffa and Amber Thompson are both editors and writers. Maria as well as Lauren Hux conduct interviews and are so helpful and I cant even articulate how much they mean to me. They all are such wonderful people. G: Wonderful. Sounds like our team here at Grae.
G: What was the reason for ending Racing Minds and starting Quiescent? S: I just felt it was the right time for Racing Minds to end. By the end of its two year life, I wasnt as motivated to get it done as I had been for the first year, and I felt that it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be anymore. After a while though I realized I couldn’t not create and design a magazine, so Quiescent was born. Quiescent gave me a fresh start and I am so happy it came into being. G: Sounds like rebirth and always understood and respected in the art world. Sometimes you just need to find yourself again. 34 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
G: Who inspires you? S: On a famous level, photographers like Ryan McGinley and artists like Katharina Grosse inspire me so much. On a non-famous level, the whole world of Flickr is a true inspiration - no matter how much attention they get from the outside world. I started taking photography seriously because of Flickr, and have found some truly talented and inspiring artists and friends along the way. G: As a woman, what is your favorite thing about yourself? S: My purple hair and my constant laughter.
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‘Women who see with men lac 36 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
ek to be equal ck ambition.’ Timothy Leary Taboo | Grae Magazine |37
Bethany
fashion blogger. young
y Struble
g mother. A snakes nest.
G: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? B: My name is Bethany Struble and I live in Los Angeles, CA. I was born in Nashville, so I’m very much a country girl too! I have a three year old daughter named Kylie, and she is my world. G: So your blog, ‘Snakes Nest’, when and how did you start that blog? B: I started blogging a little over 2 years ago. It was originally just a photography blog. I decided to do some personal style posts as well, and then it sort of morphed into a fashion blog! G: Where do you find most of your gems? B: I love going to thrift stores like Goodwill and finding the best stuff for so cheap! I really never buy anything new that isn’t on sale. G: Who takes most of the photos of you and your outfits on the blog? 40 | Grae Magazine | Taboo
B: My boyfriend, Peter Adrian, takes most of my photos now! G: You have a daughter. A very adorable one. Can you tell us a little bit about her? B: Her name is Kylie, and she has her own blog now! She loves taking pictures and dressing up and her favorite color is pink. G: Is she like you at all? B: I think she is a lot like me. She loves going on adventures and climbing up on things. I was the same way when I was little! Though, I think I was a bit more shy than she is! G: What else do you fancy besides fashion and photography? B: Horse back riding has always been a favorite hobby of mine! I used to compete! I also love interior design. I just found out that I love it because I’m moving into my first house soon and I’ve been planning everything out. Taboo | Grae Magazine |41
G: What is your favorite thing about yourself as a woman? B: I love being a mother! Women have a special bond with their children. G: Who inspires you? B: I am inspired by my mother all the time. She’s just an amazing woman who isn’t afraid to do things herself. G: Does being a mother affect your creative lifestyle? And if so how? B: Time is always an issue. I have to schedule working hours in the time that she is asleep or watching a movie! There is never enough time in the day. I’m also not very organized haha.
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I eat men for breakfast. Photography by Nataly Zigdon
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We blame society, but we are society.
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dukeofmercator.deviantart.com/
Contribute to Grae. Rorschach.
The Rorschach Galllery is where we showcase Want to have your art work featured in Grae? Send your art work to inspire [at] graemagazine.com. How do you know you’re qualified? Grae is searching for underground artists and people who simply have a passion to create. Whether it is a picture, a song, a canvas or a story. If your art strives to open minds… you’re exactly what we’re looking for!
The TreehouSe.
Consider yourself a writer? Send us a sample of your writing or a piece you wrote specifically for Grae’s theme of the month and your work could be featured in our treehouse section. We only take fiction and creative writing. We’re not trying to sell anything or promote anyone in this section. The treehouse is all about writing with a twist.
The Grae Team.
Want to join the Grae Team? Shoot us an email and let us know that you want to be apart of our rockin’ team. We welcome monthly writers, photographers and graphic designers. If you know the perfect artist to interview, do your thing and send us the artwork and interview you’ve set up for them. We’ll be more than happy to feature you as the brilliant writer who found such an inspiring artist. Maybe you’re not a brilliant writer, just really good at asking questions. Hey, we’ll take it. Taboo | Grae Magazine |57
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Elisa Thomas
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