Masthead \

Editor's Letter

Welcome to Issue One of IRIS Magazine.

IRIS began as a conversation. A conversation that came from a desire to dig a little deeper started between a Photographer and Stylist, with a history of working and collaborating together. While the conversations were originally personal in nature and extended out and reached a much further place than ourselves. The wider conversation took a path of its own and found a common, shared ground, with so many.

All roads in this ever winding dialouge, and in shaping the first pilot issue of IRIS Magazine, inevitably and always led us back towards our roots. To the place of our origins, the culture that coloured our vision, and to the landscapes that shaped us, and connected us: Australia.

If we are in the end all but a collection of stories and experiences, we found the most potent of these to stem from the landscape of our youth. A time when we were most free to be ourselves, most absorbent to culture, and to the life unfolding around us. All life, experience, and history, have a way of chiseling our perception, but this time and place - at our own very origination, for all of us, seems to have the firmest hand of all in shaping who we are, and defining our own, very unique, way of seeing.

Digging our roots deep in the landscape that shaped us, we continuously found ourselves referencing: artists, musicians, photographers, philosophers, filmmakers, performers, and those whose stories or contribution to culture, moves and inspires us in a way that imprints itself on us and becomes a part of the definintion of who we are - individually, culturally, and collectively. Through the work artists and individuals invest themselves in and the stories that they openly share through creativity and storytelling, we get to see in, for a moment, through their iris and own perspective on the world.

Shared story through art is deeply human and storytelling in many forms can be traced throughout the entire extent of human history. Storytelling can connects us in a way that helps us to understand ourselves, and the greater world around us, in ways we could never comprehend on our own.

With all of this in mind, we extended our conversation to artists whose stories had coloured our vision and connected us through shared ideas, and inspired the creation of IRIS. What came back was more than we bargained for and gave us so much colour, depth, and greater understanding through the myriad of original perspectives that reflected on the one central conversation: "How do you feel the landscape of your youth shaped you and actively contributes to your creative vision today."

Nick Cave tells how his work - "should be seen through the distorted prism of the Australia of his youth"; Stephen Page highlights the importance of storytelling within contemporary culture; Laith McGregor shows us the bravery of creating with unfiltered spontaneity; Jamie Huckbody talks to Lucy Pinter about the power of the Superfine woman; Anthony Lister discusses his fight for the freedom and visual expression, Daniel Askill shares the how his Grandmother Rose's pool infiltrates all of his filmmaking, and the inimitable Marc Newson takes us back to the days of building billy-carts in the backyard. Plus so many others who share their reflection and celebrate their own origins with us.

We thank each and every person who contributed to the intricate web of conversation that gave life to IRIS Magazine, Issue One \ Origins - this one was personal.

We are very happy to see you.



Amanda and Emily

Image Credit: Photography \ Amanda Austin, Stylist \ Emily Sue Yee, Hair & Makeup \ Fern Madden, Model \ Sasha Valarino @ Priscillas Model Management

Amanda Austin
Founder \ Creative Director \ Editor

Emily Sue Yee
Founder \  Fashion Director  \ Editor

Damian Garbenis
Art Director

Rebecca Gross
Copy Editor

Marameo Design
Web Design

Special Thanks

Ruby Brown @ Roslyn - Oxley 9 Gallery, Carolyn Hammer @ Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bethan Donnelly @ Stills Gallery, Jack Willet @ Station Gallery, Rachel Perkins, Sophie Noble, Dylan Statham, Gavin Darling, Jan Welters, Sean Conway, Richard Mayer, Nick Pursehouse @ Boomerang Audio, Pepina Belfort, Huey Wong, Craig Elliott, Adrian O’Doherty, Luke Thomas, Tiffany Farrington, Marty Baptist, Dylan Statham, Priscilla’s Model Management, Chic Management, IMG Models, Pride Models.

Assistants

Photography Assistant \ Charles Dennington, Jack McDonald, Levon Baird, Sean Conway. Fashion Assistant \ Alice Currie, Bianca Castellan, Olivia Rahme, Bobby Vila. Production Assistant \ Marguerite Lorraine.


Contributors

 

Bill Henson, Stephen Dupont, Michael Corridore, Tracey Moffatt, Paul Blackmore, Laith Mc Gregor, Robert Ashton, Trent Parke, Jochen Spencer, Wayne Quilliam, William Yang, Rennie Ellis, Jeff Malpas, Margaret Pomeranz, Laura Brown, Nick Cave, Warwick Thornton, Christopher Doyle, Marc Newson, David Williamson, Charlie Keilty, Claire Thomson, Kristyan Low, Kimberley Forbes, Clive Allwright, Diana Georgevski, Gavin Anesbury, Fern Madden, Deborah Brider, Chisato Arai, Corinna Wilmshurst, Sam Overton, Pete Lennon, Tony Buck, Lloyd Swanton, Chris Abrahams, Glenn Wright, Stephen Page, Lucy Pinter, Jamie Huckbody, Gabby Dover, Jordan Barrett, Claes Nordstrom, Margo Busheva, Shanna Jackway, Kaila Hart,  Tanja Gacic, Madison Stubbington, Lauren Feenstra, Olivia Henderson, Samantha Harris, Rose Smith, Zippora Seven, Dave Ross, Kyle Montgomery, Sasha Valarino, Elliott Nimmo, Ruby Jean Wilson, Sophie Hirschfelder, Jay Dea Lopez, Veren Grigorov, Damon Young, Daniel Askill, Gabreal Hayman, PC Music, Catherine Baba, Omar Musa, Kelvin Ho, Emma Summerton, Ryan Lobo, Ramon Martin, Anthony Lister.

Jay Dea Lopez
Sound Artist
Jay Dea Lopez's spare time is embedded in the intangible world of sound waves. Using field recordings and experimental soundscapes, JD listens to the ongoing chitter-chatter between the urban and natural environment.
 
You can hear some of his compiled and produced nature recordings in our opening video - The Awakening and fashion \ 08 The Proposition, featuring Australian beauty, Rose Smith.
Jamie Huckbody
Fashion Writer
Having studied at Central St. Martins College, Jamie went on to cut his teeth at Vogue, i-D magazine, and The Independent newspaper, before Australia called where he was Fashion Features Director and then Editor-in-Chief of Australia Harper's BAZAAR.  Jamie now lives between London and Paris where he writes for numerous publications.
 

In profile \ 03, The Revolution Of Ms. Pinter, Huckbody chat’s with Superfine’s founder, Lucy Pinter, about the Nineties,  Supermodels and some mighty fine jeans.

Lizzi Leighton Clark
Model Agent
A nurturer by nature, Lizzi's early life was all about women.
 
Having spent the first decade of her life being raised by a group of mothers on a separatist commune in Northern N.S.W., Lizzi went on to an all girl’s high school in Sydney and continued on nurturing women as a model agent for Priscilla's Model Mangement.
 
As a booker for Priscilla's Women's department, Lizzi contributed to helping IRIS along its way with cover girl Ruby Jean Wilson and model Lauren Feenstra for fashion \ 06, She Grows From Within Desert Cracks.
Kyle Montgomery
Artist

Worlds collide when Artist, Kyle Mongomery AKA: Killdie, works with IRIS to send our model Dave Ross, out on a cosmic pilgrimage for fashion \ 05,  Stars Like Dust.

Here he makes intricate collages using solar systems, religious and Egyptian iconography and a crystallised sculpture of Mary, to help Dave embark on a nomadic journey through a time-space continuum.

David Taylor
Nawashi Rope Artist
David Taylor, AKA: Hebari, began his love affair with rope-tying and the art of Kinbaku from the small culture present in Australia at the time. This led him to Japan where he studied with some of the best Nawashi in the world, including Arisue Go, Osada Steve, Yukimura Haruki, Hajime Kinoko and Satomi Zpira. 
 
For fashion \ 04 , Metamorphosis, Hebari works his craft on model Margo Busheva, to reveal a style of rope-tying that displays a precise architecture paired with sensual beauty.
Veren Grigorov
Violinist
Hailing from Eastern Europe, Sydney-based violinst, Veren Grigorov makes your hair stand on end, every time you hear him play.
 
With a career spanning over 3 decades, this award-winning classical violinst and composer can be heard playing around town; whether it be in the catacombs of Sydney's subway tunnels or playing in Australia's most famous art performance centre the Sydney Opera House.
 
Grigorov's classical touch with a gypsy heart fuels the fire for Editorial \ 04,  Metamorphosis and in collaboration for our video, The Awakening.