BOOK TITLE: The Australia Times - TAT Girl magazine. Volume 1, issue 2
COMPANY NAME: THE AUSTRALIA TIMES
COMPANY URL: HTTP://WWW.THEAUSTRALIATIMES.COM
EMAIL: INFO@THEAUSTRALIATIMES.COM
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
Vol.1 No. 2
November 6 2013
TATGiRL
Photography Culture Poetry Art Food Music Fashion Life
THE
AUSTRALIA
TIMES
®
TAT GiRL
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
3
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
TAT GIRL
We oer both veteran and undiscovered writers the opportunity to get published.
Have something to communicate, or an opinion to state, wer are your voice!
Want to join a like minded community in a great project
WHAT’S INSIDE?
Rachel Plank
Creative Editor
Amy Freund
Editor
Ahh, there is nothing like the thrill of reading
freshly pressed artices, all done up in their
Sunday bests for contribution, each a brain child
of its creator!
Once again—a ginormous thank you to all the
contributors that made this issue happen and for
sticking with the TATGiRL dream!
And of course we love new views and welcome
anyone from all walks of life—so feel free to send
us a message and join our TATGiRL family! :)
A brief description of yourself and all submissions can
be emailed to amy.freund@theaustraliatimes.com.au
From London to Melbourne 4
License to Smile 7
Mascara over Meaning 11
H&M—Melbourne’s Newest Retail Address 14
All Things: Minus the Effort 16
The Wonderful World of Corn 20
Religion and Art 22
Young—Paper Kites 25
Going Nowhere Fast 26
Still Sane 29
Contributors:
Britany Stewart
Eilish Gilligan
Ying Wang
Bridget Gilmartin
Zoe Kimpton
Lana Thymianidis
Alexandra Saltis
Louise Elizabeth
Celeste Juliano
Tina Afshar
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Image by Rachel Plank
Images by Britany Stewart
F r o m
London
t o
M e l
bourne
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It’s not every day your world is literally
turned upside down by an email.
But on a drizzly July day, this was
the case for me, a glance over my
Mum’s shoulder as she typed an email
revealed a planned move to Australia.
At the time, we were simply British
tourists visiting Melbourne for a
holiday. Or so I had thought. After
bursting into a sea of tears that
rivaled the torrential rain outside,
Mum explained that the “holiday”
had actually been a chance for them
to look at houses, jobs and schools.
I had a little under six months to get
over the shock of leaving London and
prepare for the new and better life
promised to us in Australia. Having
had very little experience of what life
was like in the country down under
save for a few episodes of Neighbors,
I was clueless as to what to expect.
In England, Australia is often spoken
about like a distant cousin – after all,
English is the main language, and it’s
part of the same happy commonwealth
family. But nothing could have quite
prepared me for just what a culture
shock I would get when I arrived.
It’s no secret that the English long
for the sun and beaches that we are
so deprived of at home, constantly
lumbered with grey skies and
constant drizzle. The only problem is
that we’re so unused to it, our bodies
just can’t handle it. Stepping o the
plane at Melbourne Airport, the first
thing that hit me was the heat. Thick,
humid and ugly - it was the hottest
heat wave in the last few years, and
it had arrived the same day I did.
How convenient. I found it so hot
that I physically couldn’t be outside
for more than five minutes at a time,
unless I wanted my pale English skin
to turn a nice lobster red. Even now,
mum still tries to make us wear sun-
cream in any weather over 15 degrees.
And then we discovered just how
true the saying “Melbourne gets
four seasons in one day” actually is.
Dressing for low temperatures and
rain in the morning only to have it
almost 30 degrees by lunch, certainly
took some adjusting to.
Even doing something simple as the
food shop reminded us just how far
we were from home. The supermarket
was filled with products totally foreign
to us – Tim Tams and Milo, what the
hell are they!? When all we longed
for was our familiar home comforts.
Dad was perhaps the most horrified
– instead of his beloved Marmite jars
lining the shelves he was confronted
by its Australian sibling -Vegemite. He
still refuses to have it in the house.
Starting school in Australia was
perhaps the hardest step to
overcome. Used to a strict all-girls
private school, I found myself in a
mixed school, set in what looked like
acres of bush, with vibrantly coloured
parrots flying out from the trees.
It was not long until my first up-close
encounter with Australian wildlife. On
my second day at school, a possum
fell through the roof of the classroom
I was in. Everyone else seemed
entirely nonchalant about the whole
event, either remaining seated or
trying to prevent the animal from
leaving the classroom. I, meanwhile,
was screaming and out the classroom
door before anyone could stop me.
I had assumed I had nothing to worry
about when it came to speaking,
feeling lucky that at least my parents
had picked a country that spoke the
same language. One conversation
in and I was lost. English slang that
I used every day was met by blank,
confused faces, while alien Australian
phrases went completely over my
head, not to mention the intense
concentration it took to decode the
lilting Australian accent. At least
I fared better than my mum, who
quickly learnt that the saying “I was
just rooting through my drawers”
(as in looking for something in a
clothes drawer,) has very dierent
implications in Australia.
Growing up in two dierent countries
has often left me feeling torn and
confused about which to call home
and where I belong. I’ve lived the
majority of my life in England, but
most of my growing up has been
in Australia – forming friendships,
relationships and passing some
of the most important milestones
like finishing school and starting
university. Australia has given my
family and I so many opportunities
and experiences we never could have
had otherwise.
It’s now over five years since the
move, (and I’ve still got my accent!)
but those first few months adapting
to a new life in a new country were
some of the hardest of my life.
Initially, I resented my parents for
“ruining” the life I knew in England,
and taking me away from everything
I had ever known.
Now, with retrospect, I can’t thank
them enough.
It’s certainly an entirely dierent
culture – one that revolves around
sport, the outdoors, being easy
going, carefree and enjoying life. Yes,
‘G’Day mate’ really is an acceptable
and common greeting, but contrary
(and quite disappointingly!) to what
I originally believed, kangaroos don’t
roam the streets nor is everyone
blonde and a surfer.
On Australia Day this year, we
received our Australian citizenship.
It didn’t hit me until the morning of
the ceremony just how emotional
I felt about the process, especially
when thinking back to those early
days. Becoming an Australian citizen
signified a huge step in accepting
just how much I loved both Australia
and England, and that I didn’t have
to choose between the two. As a
dual citizen, I can feel at home in two
dierent but incredible places, both
which have shaped me into who I
am today. So while I now know that
Australians put more “snags” than
shrimps on the Barbie, I still prefer
them served up in a good old Full
English breakfast with “ketchup”.
Well, We’re getting there.
By Britany Stewart
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TAT GiRL
License to
smile
Image by Louise Elizabeth
“Lets dance in the sun, wearing
owers in our hair!”
-Louise
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THE
AUSTRALIA
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Ever wanted to turn your hobby into
your job? Louise has done just that!
Image by Louise Elizabeth
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Engineer student and Lifeguard
Louise has taken crafternoons to
a whole new level, her beautiful
creations becoming a lucrative
business of their own, her flower
crowns and one-of a kind tie–dyes
taking the market stalls by storm.
“Basically, I was addicted to
making crafts. I used to make
flower crowns and people would
come up to me and ask where did
u get it? And I would always be
excited to say that I made them!
Years ago, this lady at a party
said ‘I’ll pay you 20 bucks to make
my daughter one’, and after that,
I thought that I may as well start
selling them to people!”
“I came up with the name ‘License
to smile’ for my new adventure in
craft making as I believe everyone
should smile. I like the word smile
because everyone likes to be
happy, and I feel like I’m giving
people a “License to smile” with
my stuff.” Says Louise.
Over the past year, Louise has
continued to build her brand
and her image, experimenting
with different types of materials
and techniques, her newest
plight being with that of Fimo;
a make-and–bake modelling
clay that when forms, creates
amazing earrings and necklaces.
“Throughout the year I’ve built
up the brand and made lots more
of the jewellery and tie dye as
well, collecting my materials
from op-shops so their all one
of a kind and also from local
businesses.”
Louise hopes to make her
jewellery as “feel good” as she
Look out for Louise’s pop up
“License to Smile” stalls in local
markets this summer!
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/licensetosmile
can, creating a community image
by utilising materials from local
family owned businesses and
charity owned op-shops. “I have
big dreams, but they have to
start small. Soon, I hope to put
some money back into both
small businesses and the local
community charities that will help
others smile, and also help the
lives of people living in poverty
overseas, so everyone can get a
license to smile.”
But like any business, it takes a lot
of time and effort to get results.
“You can’t really say oh I’m going
to work three hours tonight and
make this much – it really is a
labour of love.” Says Louise.
One thing’s for sure, Louise is
giving a lot more people a License
to Smile.
License to Smile
xoxo
Image by Louise Elizabeth
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Image by Zoe Kimpton
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TAT GiRL
Morning Schedule- wake up, stare
at the bags under my eyes, wash my
hair with expensive shampoo, get out
of the shower, put on my makeup.
Put on more make up. Choose an
outfit. Another coat of mascara; and
out the door. And you know what?
Not once, during all that time I stared
at myself in the mirror, did I ask
the question: ‘Am I a good person?’
Instead, thoughts like ‘my eyeliner
isn’t straight,’ and ‘god, my curls look
like pubic hair,’ floated through my
mind. So maybe, I’m ashamedly vain.
But, perhaps there is also something
larger at work here. It seems that as
a culture and a society, we pay more
attention to the colour of our lipstick
than the international state of aairs,
or spend more money on shoes than
charities. So what kind of people are
we modelling ourselves to be?
Social media in particular has taught
us to be self-involved and vain. Through
the screens of our computers and
smart phones, we scream ‘THIS IS ME’
through our statuses and our photos.
This is a photo of ME. This is a photo of
MY food. This is how MY day is faring. It
is; we all must admit, narcissism of the
highest degree. Through social media,
not only do we become more obsessed
about ourselves, but also how we seem
to other people. And contemplating
whether it’s a pink or red lipstick
day is becoming a bigger and more
important question than ‘what can I
do today for another person?’ We are
beginning to care less and less about
other people and their struggles and
more about curling our eyelashes. The
eyes are the windows to the soul, but
soon enough, we won’t have any souls
at all.
Instead of taking photos of
ourselves and perfecting our bronzer
application techniques whilst our
teeth loom eerily whiter, we need to
begin to be compassionate again and
restore the place of others in our lives.
This is not to say that we no longer
have relationships, and of course
many of us would be very kind and
generous to our loved ones. However,
it is a return to biblical mandate that
we really need; “love your neighbour
as you love yourself”. Ah, here we go,
right? I’m another preacher knocking
incessantly at the metaphorical
door, perhaps stirring up discomfort?
Regardless of how uncomfortable
you are, people now are apparently
more likely to film an incident of
violence on their phones and post it
to Facebook than they are to actually
intervene and help the victim. What
part of this shows love for another
person? It doesn’t. It shows love and
a desire to protect only oneself. We
are becoming observers in our own
lives because we prioritise our own
reputations, possessions and bodies
over those of others. What it really
means to just be an observer is to
forfeit an active life that boasts of
achievements and knowledge and
morality and intelligence. We are
no longer the creators of our own
fortune but merely the exercisers of
eyes and silent gazes. Selflessness is
now a word with a lost meaning.
What do we really gain from this self-
prioritisation and self-endorsement?
Sure, getting 47 likes on a photo of
yourself sweaty and in gym gear
is wonderful for the good ol’ self-
esteem. And it might make you feel
radiant and thriving for about...
ten seconds. But then a day after?
Instead, model yourself to be a person
with heart and not just a face. After
all, beauty is only skin deep, and
once that skin becomes wizened
with wrinkles, it is only the pursuit of
kindness and moral behaviour that
will really assure us that we have
lived, and not the photos of our
egoistic youth. Get your kicks from
kindness, and abandon your mascara
for meaning.
By Alexandra Saltis
Mascara over Meaning
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You only have to look around
the street to see that Australia is
home to some seriously stylish
people, but it’s taken interna-
tional high street fashion stores
a long time to reach our shores.
Following in the footsteps of
Gap, Topshop and Zara, Swed-
ish retail chain H&M has final-
ly announced it will arrive in
Australia.
Woohoo!
As one of my favourite shops
due to its on-trend styles at
very affordable prices, I was
rather excited when I heard the
news (If by ‘rather excited’ you
mean shrieking hysterically,
jumping up and down and up-
dating my Facebook status!)
And it gets even better – with
the brand choosing to open its
will have to move out to make
space for H&M. Their leases
have not been renewed, and
many will lose a premium retail
space on one of Melbourne’s
busiest shopping streets.
So what do we do? While I’m
excited to finally be able to
shop regularly in H&M, it’s a
shame that the luxury comes
at the expense of our own local
fashion industry.
It’s also interesting to consid-
er the totally different target
market H&M has compared to
the brands that are moving out.
Most are predominantly luxury
brands, whereas H&M will share
its market with chains like Su-
pre, Dotti, Bardot and Valleygirl.
It seems a strange choice for an
up-market retail precinct, but
I suppose owners want some-
—Melbournes fashion high street is buzzing with the
opening of H&M in the iconic GPO building.
H&M
- melbourne's
nEwest
retail
address
first store in Melbourne’s icon-
ic GPO building next year, the
Melbourne H&M store will be
the Australian flagship, span-
ning three levels and taking up
5000m2.
For many fashionistas, shop-
ping in H&M, along with other
international brands, was a
luxury previously restricted
to overseas travel. The sheer
chaos that occurred when both
Topshop and Zara first opened
here shows that Australians are
clearly excited by their arrival.
But unfortunately it does come
at a cost. A boutique luxury
retail precinct since 2005, GPO
houses Australian designers
including Veronika Maine, Lisa
Ho, Sass and Bide, Life with
Bird and Manning Cartell. Most
have actually been told they
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thing that they know will definitely
encourage visitors – and the novelty
of H&M when it first opens will cer-
tainly generate that.
The arrival of international fashion
retailers also poses challenges to ex-
isting retailers, because it often pro-
vides us shoppers with fast fashion
at cheaper prices than local shops
currently offer. The sheer number of
us turning to online stores like ASOS
(Australians make a purchase every
six seconds,) make it clear that local
fashion retailers are not always offer-
ing fashion of the best variety, price
or value.
While it’s always important to sup-
port our local industry, I wonder how
many of us would – or could afford to
– shop solely in Australian retailers if
it meant paying more for essentially
the same product. Would you? And
for those whose only concern is being
fashionable and on-trend, why would
you pay more for less, when you can
pay less and get more elsewhere?
That’s not to say we don’t have
some great Australian fashion stores,
though. There are some fantas-
tic finds and bargains to be found,
whether you’re on a budget or not
– it’s just a matter of training your
eye to spot them. Researching what
you’re looking for to find the best
price ensures you’ll avoid purchase
regret when you see it cheaper in a
different shop, and physically trying
things on in store changing rooms will
always trump online shopping for me.
More retail competition from overseas
should mean local retailers would
become more competitive, offering
great products at reasonable pric-
es – resulting in major benefits for
consumers.
While it’s great to finally join the
rest of the world by having access to
stores like H&M, Topshop and Zara, it
doesn’t spell the end for the fantastic
fashion chains that are unique to us
here in Australia. We’re a fashionable
country, and in my opinion, you can
never too many clothes. Here’s to a
shopping spree!
Image from Flickr Free Photo sharing
TAT GiRL
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Is it? Apple Inc. seems to think so, but I’m not so sure.
What you’ve just read was their ashy ad-campaign they
released in 1993 for their now ancient Macintosh Quadra
605 computer.
Of course, if you say the word ‘Macintosh’ to any 10 year
old today, they’ll no doubt cock their head to one side
and look at you as if you’re speaking a foreign language.
ey’ll probably go back to popping virtual bubble wrap
on their iPhone 5, the same iPhone 5 that will nd its
way into the rubbish in a year or so, perhaps even half a
year, to make way for a fresher and better model.
In this modern era, it appears frighteningly easy for us
to be swept up in the whirlwind of the new and the more
ecient. It is easy because the nature of evolution teaches
us so; to create something better than what we created
before.
But perhaps there’s something more to it. e term
‘planned obsolescence’ refers to an industrial design
policy of manufacturing a product to become obsolete,
which is out-dated or no longer functional aer a certain
period of time. American industrial designer Brooks
Stevens popularised the phrase in 1954 and dened it
as ‘Instilling in the buyer the desire to own something
a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is
necessary.’ If this is the case, the device certainly does not
end up costing less, as Apple would have you believe.
ALL THINGS:
MINUS THE EFFORT
What price do we pay for new technology?
- asks Bridget Gilmartin.
So whilst this company has us wrapped around their
little nger as we power through iPhone models, almost
as if we will die if our current phone isn’t thinner or
lighter than the one we had before; we are constantly
dumping and buying and dumping and buying… and
what are we really creating?
Excessive waste. ‘E-waste’ as it is sometimes referred to,
describes discarded electronic equipment, which in the
United States alone makes up an estimated 70% of heavy
metals in landll. E-waste is an especially dangerous
form of rubbish as it gives o high concentrations
of toxins such as lead and phosphors. ese toxins
contaminate our water supply, our air and our soil, and
pose serious health risks to both humans and wildlife.
In addition to these threatening environmental concerns,
what is the rush for the new and the best taking away
from us, the individuals?
Apple’s 2011 slogan for the iCloud proposes that ‘this is
the cloud the way it should be: automatic and eortless.’
at’s the basic foundation of modern technology, right?
Don’t worry about the eort; we’ve got it covered. No
need to exercise your spelling skills, we’ll do it for you!
at pen is far too much work, how about some buttons?
You know what, even that’s too tough, just touch the
screen – think you can handlethat?
-‘It does more, it costs less. It’s that simple.’
Image by Rachel Plank
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TAT GiRL
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand and respect the
ways in which modern technology is enhancing our
lives. But at the same time, I want the effort.
I want the grip of a pen between my ngers, and I want
to spend 15 minutes nding my way across Melbourne
City using a map, because maybe then at least I’ll achieve
something. When I have kids, I want them to feel the
burst of real bubble wrap, not just see and hear it pop on
a screen. I want them to get their hands dirty and paint
a picture with wet, sticky paint instead of on an app on
their iPhone. I want them to buy a second-hand book
and grip the worn and tattered pages and imagine where
it’s been and how many hands it’s fallen into before them.
e horrible question that grips me is: how long until
such things are impossible?
It would be hard not to notice the rapid decline of
printed literature today. Back in 2011, I was disheartened
to nd my local ‘Angus & Robertson’ bookstore had gone
out of business, and even more devastated to nd that
a total of 38 stores had been shutdown in Australia the
same year. All the while eBook sales are skyrocketing,
with an increase of 117% from 2010 to 2011, and
according to the global research rm Forrester, the sales
are expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2016.
I am in a constant struggle of wanting to keep up with
the times, yet resenting technology for continuing to give
us the easy way out. More simple. Less real.
e emoticons we send through our text messages
are not real emotions; ‘LOL’ is rarely a gesture of
real laughter. Your facebook prole is not a real
representation of you, and don’t let yourself believe that
it is. We live our lives in virtual worlds, glued to our little
rectangular screens and sometimes we forget that life is
happening. We forget to appreciate what isn’t made of
pixels.
We all have the ability to choose what aspects of our lives
are aected by technology, and we need to take control.
As thrilling as I’m sure the new iPhone is, it is vital to
maintain perspective. Live your life enhanced by the
wonders of modern technology, yet always full of the
charm and beauty of the real and natural world.
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TAT GiRL
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AUSTRALIA
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Like most people, I’m sure,
when I think about great
tasting food, corn is the
last thing on my mind. But
over the past few weeks
I have been surprisingly
mistaken, that small ugly
yellow vegetable tantalising
my taste buds. Corn, lime,
spices and cheese, all grilled
together in one amazing
little bundle is my newest
obsession, so much so I’m
considering moving to the
country to I can grow crops
of corn and have this dish for
breakfast, lunch and tea!
It all started when I was on
my first solo road trip down
to Eildon early this year.
Needless to say, my terrible
driving skills and excitement
of driving alone meant that
inevitably I got a little lost.
And if you’ve ever been to
Eildon before, you’ll find that
getting lost is like trying to
find your way to the furthest
canal in Venice- its inevitable,
annoying, and sometimes a
bit smelly. So my GPS took
me along many unknown
pathways in the pitch black
darkness along the edge
of the steepest cli I’d ever
seen; and ended on the
point of left arm road when
I was meant to go to right
arm road. So, after 2 hours
of driving around in circles,
and my friends thinking I
was dead, I finally got to the
house, and all I wanted was
some chocolate, a hug, and
maybe even a bit of a cry.
But, instead of this warm
embrace, my friend passed
me a corn. I stared at her
perplexed- why on earth
would I now; out of all the
times in my life, want corn?
Intrigued by her strange
gesture, I took it from her,
and had a bite. Suddenly,
it didn’t matter I’d almost
fallen o a cli, gone round
in circles for hours, and had a
bit of a cry that my first solo
road trip had failed; it was
just me, the chair, and that
amazing, most delicious corn
on the cob I’d ever tasted!
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TAT GiRL
Image by Amy Freund
Ever since then, I haven’t
been able to get corn out
of my mind. I put corn on
everything now. I have it on
toasted sandwiches with tuna
and mayonnaise, I put it in
savoury muns, quiches,
pastries, and sometimes
I have a warm buttery
corn on the cob with some
warm buttery popcorn; just
because, well, I can.
So next time someone asks if
you want corn, or your notice
it in its green cocoon in the
supermarket; don’t sco and
leave it behind, take it home
and have a try. You may just
be surprised.
EAR-FOOD
The best accompaniments to
any meal- dare I say it- even
better than Wine:
Mumford and Sons:I will wait
- Their sweet hillbilly vibe will
have you up slapping your legs
in no time, corn kernels burst-
ing out of your mouth!
The Proclaimers:I would walk
500 miles (a thousand miles)
- and I’m not saying the one
that’s all sappy and beautiful;
I mean albino Scottish twins,
with glasses bigger than their
heads, screaming at the top
of their lungs about how they
walked a THEAUsand miles to
“fall down at your door,” much
like what I did when I reached
that house in Eildon.
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In this modern era of freedom of speech and
thought, religion has become a highly controversial
subject; the idea of forcing one’s beliefs upon others
is looked down upon regardless of their opinion.
This authoritative figure ‘God’, who is embodied
by a supreme, powerful being is hard for many to
conceptualize during this time after people have
become so liberated and empowered. In today’s
world of racial equality; women’s equal opportunity,
civil rights, and gay marriage legalization are all
commonplace. Not only are people capable of doing
more than ever, they are also achieving things, which
are condemned by the bible. This separation makes it
so much harder for people to relate to the biblical and
sacred concepts, which seem outdated in this modern
society. Religion has almost become this taboo; it
is often seen as a means of social control, and has
become a personal subject that provokes strife. The
renaissance saw an intellectual metamorphosis of
science, literature and when looking at the production
of art during the Renaissance, it epitomized secular
and detailed depictions of religious or historical
subjects. The existence of art during this era was
almost entirely reserved for biblical depictions, the
church using art during the Renaissance era to create
a holy place worthy of tribute to Christ, God and the
Saints, which in a way doubled as a form of a warning
to the public with the depictions of hell and suering,
evoking fear within people.
Graham expresses among many other art critics
and theorists that “the rise of Art was perceived to
coincide with a decline in Religion.” It was evident
that individuals involved with this and preceding
movements both denied religion to be the primary
focus of art, and deliberately set out to mock and
degrade sacred ideals. Graham concludes that art has
overcome religion; “Art is a natural contender to fill the
vacuum left by religion.” It appears the two (art and
religion) are often seen as competitors and it seems
the twentieth and twenty-first century have a new
direction and a new focus for the arts, transforming
how we compose and interpret art today.
Ultimately religion has become seen broadly as a
byproduct of humanity, a need for hope and faith
in something guiding or planning our future to give
Religion and Art
—Two Unlikely Parallels
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us a sense of control. Or perhaps even the hunger
humanity has to know if we are doing the right
thing; a defined contrast between what’s right
and wrong, and religion provides people with these
guidelines. A fundamental dierence between the
sacred in the present in contrast to the Renaissance
era is that ‘God’, and the Christian religion he
represents, were common knowledge and now many
people share their own beliefs. Many people are on
a pursuit of mysticism now that we are exposed to
so many forms of spiritualism along with scientific
information. Religion is viewed so broadly over the
world and many structure their lives and values by
the concepts. An assumption is frequently applied
to this dedication that the force of religion or ‘God’
is a form of social control; a forceful figure to fear,
to think of constantly through all your life decisions.
This is sometimes the belief people possess, but
religion doesn’t need to embody this form of a
controlling social order as it was embodied through
Renaissance art. This key point of summoning
concern from within the public was a form of social
control which the church had upon the population.
It seems that although this era “greatly stimulated
visual culture” and oered a crucial transformation
for the arts, most artists were limited by the subject
they were to depict as the rich or the church were
their only means of support.
Although religion can be seen as this byproduct of
humanity that we separate the real world from,
so can art. We do not need nor require art to live
or survive so when we look at the emergence and
development of early artworks the question becomes
“why are humans so compelled to create it and why
are people so inspired by it?” Perhaps the individual
beliefs people possess in regards to this controversial
topic of religion and the sacred will one day become
irrelevant. We have intellectually progressed as a
population and people have developed subjective
beliefs in regards to religion and are spiritual to
their own degree. Maybe one day we will be able to
recognize the beauty and brilliance behind how we
have and can conceptualize something beyond our
own existence, it is, essentially, what separates us
from every other organism on the planet.
Lana Thymianidis
Image by Google Images
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TAT GiRL
Paper Kites
Oh Yeah Wow studios
Melbourne Indie-folk band Paper Kites is taking over the music scene, their new and upcoming
album top on my list of must buys!
Their new and experimental film clip created by “Oh yeah wow” studios for their song “Young”
features a photomontage of faces, with a new face for every letter of the clip.
Here are a couple of tasters!
check out the new video clip here: http://ohyeahwow.com/the-paper-kites/
THE
AUSTRALIA
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Independent Media Inspiring Minds
26
Going Nowhere Fast
By Celeste Iuliano
As children most of us
are told the story of the
tortoise who miraculously
won the race against the
hare. I remember being
amazed—if the hare
hadn’t been so arrogant
and taken a nap, he would
have beaten that tortoise
by a mile! Suddenly, “slow
and steady wins the race”
became a catchphrase
yelled out in class and
across the playground.
Adults constantly reminded
us to be like the tortoise; to
take care with our work and
not to be disheartened if we
weren’t the fastest runners.
And everybody agreed that
nobody wanted to be like
the hare that made a stupid
mistake and lost the easiest
race of his life.
So what made us change
our minds?
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Everywhere I look I see hares.
Hares darting through traffic,
taking on shifts they don’t
have time for, cramming five
subjects into a semester, and
going nowhere fast. Somewhere
between ending primary school
and entering “the real world,”
we have abandoned this simple
lesson of taking it easy. And why
not? It’s expected! As we grow
older, we begin to accept more
and more responsibility. It seems
as though those parents and
teachers who once told us to slow
down, are now pressuring us to
achieve our goals faster and on
top of this, countless self-help
articles constantly encourage
us to multi-task. They assure us
that we can graduate early, get
that promotion within the month,
finally find ‘the one’, learn a new
instrument, take up yoga, and
cure cancer simply by using an
organisational chart. It doesn’t
help that everybody around us
appears to manage to do all this
and more without breaking a
sweat, and so we feel the need to
keep up.
But let me ask you this: Have
you ever been next to a driver
on the road who aggressively
accelerated to overtake every car
in his or her path? Who changed
lanes like a madman just to get
in front of the traffic? If you have,
just think of how many times you
ended up parallel to this car at
the next set of traffic lights. I’m
willing to bet this is the usual
outcome. Isn’t it ironic that this
person, who does everything to
get ahead, always ends up in the
same position that you are in?
In fact, usually they are worse
off. This manic driver has run
the risk of speeding tickets and
accidents along the way, and I
can guarantee that his or her
stress levels are astronomical. And
that’s the thing about rushing to
your destination; often you make
mistakes along the way.
Unfortunately, however, many
of us suffer from what I like to
call “relaxation guilt”. It’s that
gut-wrenching feeling you get
every time you take time out
to lie around, read a book, or
simply say no to taking on a
new commitment. The idea that
we must constantly be active,
constantly achieving, eliminates
any possibility of enjoying
some well deserved time out.
Worst of all, it can lead us to
create messy problems which
are hard to rectify. I can’t call
myself an exception – I know the
consequences of refusing to slow
down all too well. For as long as
I can remember I’ve had a plan:
Finish high school at 17. Graduate
from university by 22. Score an
amazing job within the year. Get
married somewhere between
25 and 30, and start a family
by 33. In my haste to tick every
box on this list, I’ve found myself
overloading units at university
and study during the summer
semester. This has left me with
an ever present headache and an
uncontrollable tick in my left eye...
but hey! I’m working to time! Or
at least I was until I decided to
re-enrol for the semester without
reading the instructions – “Who
needs those”, I thought, “I know
what I’m doing. I want to submit
this form straight away and
have it off my mind!” You know
what happened next. Of course,
I enrolled in the wrong unit and
had to stare down the possibility
of returning for an extra semester
to complete the right one. All
the time, effort, stress, tears, and
summer days spent indoors for
nothing! And it was all because I
refused to slow down.
So, I have a challenge for all of
you hardworking multi-taskers.
Be the tortoise! Stop. Say no.
Refuse to work on Saturday when
you’d rather watch TV in your
pyjamas. Don’t check your work
emails while you’re going for a
walk. Give yourself a break, and
consider under loading for one
semester. And importantly, don’t
feel guilty about it. You deserve
it! Unfortunately there will always
be people out there who will try
to convince you that this is the
“slackers’ route”, but nothing
could be further from the truth.
The idea is not to completely
give up on goals and never
complete tasks. Instead, it is to
pace yourself, manage fewer
tasks at a time, complete them
slowly and complete them well.
As the famous Lao Tzu saying
goes “Nature does not hurry,
yet everything is accomplished”.
You’ll find that by taking the time
to slow down and cut back on
commitments, you will produce
better results and, importantly,
improve your general wellbeing.
If that’s not enough to convince
you, let me leave you with an
Italian proverb about the dangers
of rushing: “La gatta frettolosa
fa i gattini ciechi” or “The hasty
cat makes blind kittens”. Clearly,
whoever coined that phrase, was
also in a bit of a hurry.
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—Lorde
STILL SANE
By Eilish Gilligan
I’m little, but I’m coming for the crown.
I’m little, but I’m coming for you.
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It’s 7.30-something. We landed a couple of hours ago, and
we made it to the hotel, somehow. On the way there, I sat
in the back of the van with my nose pressed up against
the window, trying to remember everything and feel it
all in present tense. My boys are laughing and making
gags and I’m laughing too, mainly because I can’t think
of anything else to do, mainly because I’m in a state of
shock and a state of dreaming all at once, and to be
honest; everything just seems so funny. I’m here, further
away from my home than I’ve ever been, wiping sweat
from my forehead, little hyper heart pounding, looking up
into the concrete sky and the alien haze. This is hilarious.
I’m sitting by the pool. I called my mum earlier and
she sounded far, far away, and I think about the ocean
between us as I dangle my feet in the water. The boys
are trying to stand on each other’s shoulders and I sketch
them in my diary, turning them into frantic strokes of pen
against paper. Somehow, the mess seems right; it seems
silly to try and capture them still because they never are,
and it seems redundant trying to cage their beauty and
their youth, because these things are so ephemeral, I
guess. I give up, slide into the pool, and float on my back,
staring into the dusk, and wondering when we’ll dry o
and explore dinner options. I suppose we’ll just go back
to the rooms and eat the creepy stu we found at the
convenience store earlier, and get drunk on duty-free
liquor from the airport. That’s fine by me.
I was right. We push all the beds together in one of our
rooms to make one super-bed, and we all collapse onto it,
drinking vodka, and watching a Korean soap opera. Each
of the boys tries to outdo the other, and its joke after joke
after joke with them. I like to sit quietly and listen and
giggle and go along with mostly everything, taking notes
in my head and trying to remember the moments that
could, one day, be nurtured into songs.
I don’t know where I’m going, literally and figuratively. I
check my luggage in, and mostly people stare because I’m
wearing a big crown of flowers on my head and I’m just
getting on a plane. I don’t care. I wear flowers because
they are beautiful and I want to be beautiful, and I will
never stop wanting that, not on planes, not in bathrooms,
not anywhere, and not ever. I guess I’m hungry for
everything; I sit at subway in the Singapore airport, eating
a tuna wrap and my stomach’s full, but there’s something
under my stomach or deep in my heart or in my brain or
in my lungs, that’s still hungry.
I guess i’m looking for everything to fill it up. I want to be