CREATIVE AND BUSY

The Shoes

julijamarija — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:11:00 +0100

Put on your dancing shoes! Interview with an epic band The Shoes.

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/04/the-shoes-interview/

Matthew Daniel Siskin

julijamarija — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:08:49 +0100

Here is a fact: a few weeks ago Matthew Daniel Siskin launched Beyonce’s website.

Here is another fact: I interviewed Matt for Bloginity.

Milda Cergelyte

julijamarija — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:05:58 +0100

Interview with very talented Lithuanian designer Milda Cergelyte.

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/03/fashion-desires-milda-cergelyte/

Lexo The Great

julijamarija — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:18:43 +0000

An interview with California based rapper Alejandro Medina aka Lexo The Great. Cool performer, nice person!

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/03/lexo-the-great/

Anna Higgie

julijamarija — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:16:32 +0000

I talked to illustrator Anna Higgie. Here is our beautiful conversation.

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/03/conversation-illustrator-anna-higgie/

Yuksek

julijamarija — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:11:43 +0000

My interview with French electronic music master YUKSEK for Bloginity.

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/02/listening-loud-yuksek/

Bradley Soileau

julijamarija — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:08:32 +0000

A few weeks ago I interviewed Bradley Soileau for Bloginity. I’m sure you’ve seen him starring in Lana Del Rey’s video “Born to die”.

http://www.bloginity.com/2012/01/bradley-soileau-rising-star/

My interview with Nick Miller for Bloginity....

julijamarija — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:54:25 +0000

My interview with Nick Miller for Bloginity. http://www.bloginity.com/2012/01/nick-miller-journey-catholic-school-boy-rising-literary-star/

danielhaim: The enthusiasm of this young and ambitious New...

julijamarija — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:05:48 +0000

danielhaim:

The enthusiasm of this young and ambitious New Yorker is undeniable. Hard work, focus and determination are the traits responsible for Celia Rowlson-Hall‘s accomplishments, but she can also ascribe her success to her diverse set of abilities: as a trained dancer, she does choreography for a handful of music bands while finding time to pursue her passion for making films. We used this great opportunity to speak with Celia about a few important milestones in her life.

Read the full interview here: http://www.bloginity.com/ 2012/01/ celia-rowlsonhall-lives-dance/

Marius Troy

julijamarija — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:06:00 +0000

In times when the world is full of craziness, only the unique ideas and original projects can help you to stand out from the crowd.
Marius Troy, the Editor-in-Chief of The Ben Trovato Blog, says that people have been writing about famous fashion photographers for a very long time not paying attention to emerging talents. That’s why he stays focused on his original idea to discover and promote the arising photographers.

Julija: You are running one of the most inspirational online magazines. Who/what inspires you, in general?

Marius: That’s one of the hardest and easiest questions I know of, and one that I ask photographers daily. It’s (a) hard because I find it almost impossible to list up specific things or emotions that inspires me, and (b) easy because I can get inspired by anything at any given moment.
Either it’s a great photograph, an inspiring movie, or even sad times, it all has the possibility to inspire me.

J: Can you distinguish a few Ben Trovato’s features that, in your opinion, helped it to become well known?

M: It think Ben Trovato is an online stage that was much needed in fashion photography. For years people have been so fixated on writing about the photographers shooting for Vouge every month, that no one really stopped to look down at all the amazing talent that is emerging. We have discovered and promoted the arising professionals, and presented exclusive content created by the stars of tomorrow. That has been, and will always be our position in the business, and I believe that’s also one of the reasons we’ve got our strong following.

Another thing that’s also important to mention is our constant hard work to ensure that the work we publish is presented in the best possible way. All of our stories are accompanied with in-depth interviews with artists discussing the process and concepts of each project, and each story or fashion film is presented in large high resolution format, making the experience even better.

J: Have you ever worked for any other magazines?

M: I have never been employed by a magazine, no, but I’ve contributed to multiple publications worldwide.

J: What are your favorite digital publications?

M: Well, Ben Trovato caps the #1 spot. Second must be my friends over at Bloginity. Other than that I don’t really have any favorite publications I visit every day, rather a big list of blogs and sites I visit sporadically.

J: What else do you do, besides Ben Trovato?

M: I travel a lot, eat a lot (you wouldn’t think), love a lot, and take a lot of pictures. As Ben Trovato takes up most of my time the list is pretty short.

J: Where are you at this moment, answering these questions?

M: Right now I’m in Palm Springs. I arrived last night from San Francisco after a stop over in LA. Tomorrow I’m off to Santa Barbara, and thereafter SF again to celebrate a cold and windy New Years.

Thank you very much for the interview, Marius!

Steve Forrest

julijamarija — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:57:00 +0000

While Placebo - one of the biggest bands in the entire world - is in between tourings, their amazing drummer Steve Forrest initiated a new project. He never thought it would be interesting to someone, but talented people always intrigue. Touring the UK with Planes, promoting a new EP, Steve stops by and offers a few insights.

Julija: Who’s idea was to start Planes? How did it come about?

Steve: Planes started really years ago with just me writing and performing acoustic songs in various pubs and parties for fun mostly. I never thought my songs would be something that people actually wanted to hear. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I decided to take it up a notch and find band members and get this thing off of the ground, and here we are!

J: What’s the story behind the title of the band?

S: It‘s just a name Ted (other member of a band) came up with. He wanted „Plains“, but I thought „Planes“ looked better spelled out.

J: Do you do gigs these days? How much?

S: With Planes, we are currently gigging all around the UK promoting our new EP with hopes of getting to Europe sometime next year.

J: What would you be doing now if you didn’t become a musician and didn’t make into a music industry?

S: I can’t imagine what I would be doing, I suppose I‘d be a tattoo artist in my home town. I‘d like to think I would have still moved away from my home town though on search for better opportunity.

J: What’s your favorite pastime?

S: My favorite past time I‘d have to say would be spending unforgettable evenings with my closest friends.

J: What do you dislike about being well known?

S: I don’t dislike anything about being well known. It‘s a blessing that I’m grateful to have, and wish it only to grow.

I thank Steve for the nice interview!

Photo credits: Richard Perry.

Daniel Carberry

julijamarija — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Many different stories are reflected in shots taken by promising photographer and filmmaker Daniel Carrbery. He is busy now touring with 30 Seconds to Mars, capturing the cool and the interesting. Nevertheless he agreed to answer a few questions. Photo sharing included!

Julija: What do you like to photograph?

Daniel: Unique places and people.

J: What cameras do you use? What is your favorite piece of photo gear?

D: Usually the Canon 5D/1D and my iPhone cam. My favorite piece of photo gear would be Photoshop.

J: Do you use image processing a lot?

D: Photoshop to enhance colors mainly.

J: What are you currently working on?

D: I’m currently shooting for Thirty Seconds to Mars band. I shoot mainly video for them but occasionally shoot pictures. I have a short film in the works as directing is my dream job. On the photography side I would love to get into more stylized, fashion, surrealistic, more narrative type photography.

J: And what places did you like the most and would like to come back to shoot again?

D: Haiti was one of the most impactful and memorable places I’ve ever been and shot and I would love to go back.

Thank you for the interview!

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60301239@N03

Follow: http://danielcarberry.tumblr.com/

Like: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Carberry/147622925316908

Judy Rushin

julijamarija — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:28:00 +0000

If you are interested in contemporary art, this interview is for you. Judy Rushin is a fortunate artist who lives a creative life on the other side of Atlantic. Her artworks are incredible and different: from painting to installations. It’s worth checking them out.

Julija: How long you’ve been creating already?

Judy: I began making drawings when I was in high school with pen and ink. These were mostly very bad, but once in a while I must have done things that showed promise because I was accepted into an accelerated program at the local college of art. This was when I began to think of myself as an artist. I’ve been making artwork ever since, which is almost 30 years!

J: How would you describe your art?

J: My work moves between painting, sculpture and installation. I am fascinated with marginal spaces and the ways people and communities use them. Two main themes have recurred in my work over the past few years – the role of marginal space as a vehicle for creative play and as a utilitarian resource in response to disaster and social disruption. Ultimately I want to explore alternatives that might be imagined to architectural spaces that already exist.

My current project, a series of 85 abstract paintings, employs the concept of modularity in creating a flexible system that allows panels to be assembled easily and exhibited on walls or as installation (_Any Noun Can Be Verbed; Entering the Carapace; Rest and Respite_ – all 2011). They are painted with a variety of coatings including cast plastic, automotive paint, and traditional oils, avoiding representational imagery in order to give transparency to their potential as materials for building.

J: What are the distinguishing features of your other works?

J: Well, like I said, along with traditional art materials, I also use non-traditional materials like cast plastic as well as furniture lacquer and powder coating. I use these materials because I am attracted to them aesthetically and also because they bring up questions about industry and class. I am also interested in putting my work outdoors and so a material like powder coating is durable and weatherproof.

A few years ago I decided to develop a modular system for my paintings similar to assemble-yourself furniture. This came out of a practical desire to work more efficiently which has a lot to do with the conceptual nature of my work. Most of my work is now no bigger than 16” in any direction when it is broken down. When the panels are bolted together I can work with a broad range of sizes, from very small to extremely large to create free-standing “walls,” “floors,” or simply paintings that hang on or lean against a wall. This makes shipping and storing much easier but it also creates some interesting conceptual layers for the work.

J: What’s the best thing about being an artist?

J: I get to conduct my own investigations around things that interest me. What could be better!

J: What else do you do outside creating?

J: I have two teenage kids who are very active so basically I go to a lot of swim meets and orchestra rehearsals. I live in a very beautiful part of the world and enjoy being outside.

J: Future plans and upcoming exhibitions?

J: I currently have two solo shows; one in Gainesville, Florida and one in Lubbock, Texas. My next scheduled exhibition will be in September, 2012 in Sewanee, Tennessee. Between now and then I will be working on new work and filling in with group exhibitions as they come up. How about something in Lithuania?

In collaboration with Contemporary Art Centre nothing is impossible!

Thanks for taking your time answering interview questions.

Judy’s website: http://www.swallowawindchime.com/

Gabrielle Motola

julijamarija — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:15:00 +0100

If you pause to explore the world we are living in, you would notice that it has no shortage of photographers. There is a name that stands out in a sea of photographers: Gabrielle Motola. I don’t know if I’ve seen more romantic and vital portraits, created using imagination and sensitivity. This is Gabrielle’s story. Have a pleasant reading.

Julija: When did you start taking photographs?

Gabrielle: My parents bought me a camera for my 13th birthday. I started snapping here and there but really didn’t really get into it until my second year of University. I took a trip to Paris with my girlfriend. It was my first time outside the USA except for the two years I lived in Montreal. I was overwhelmed by the physical beauty of the city. I photographed the churches, the parks, the cafes, the canal and everything I could. When we headed south to spend a month on the coast near Aix En Provence I turned the camera on my girlfriend and photographed her more than our surroundings. I was more drawn to photographing people even in the beginning.

J: Do you feel you can fully express yourself through photography?

G: I don’t feel like I can fully express myself through photography. I’m open to that changing over time, but now for me photography is just one of the ways I have to express myself. Words help a great deal, though I prefer spoken to written. Often photographs I take surprise me and reveal something I wasn’t consciously aware of to begin with, but over time the meaning emerges. Photography in it’s nature has a mechanical physical barrier between one’s self and expression. I have to express myself through a tool and as such the tactile visceral connection to expression is limited. Photography is unlike drawing or playing music which although tools are also involved, there is more of visceral bodily connection to them. As a friend said recently, photography isn’t so much about expression as it is about discovery.

J: Who are the people in your images?

G: They are lovers, friends, musicians, actors, strangers, many of them are people I meet while ambling through life and asked to make a portrait of. All of them are people I’ve had some kind of connection to be it moments or years.

J: Do you remember the most memorable photo shoot?

G: I remember this shoot like it was yesterday. I was in the south of France, in Saintes Maries de la Mer for the gypsy pilgrimage made each year by thousands of gypsies from all over the world. My girlfriend and I had travelled down in her parent’s motorhome and we were camping about a half a mile from the centre of town. One morning we lugged a backdrop, poles, sandbags and camera equipment to the courtyard of the church where the main ceremony was to take place the following day. No sooner had we finished adjusting the backdrop than a little boy came over to us and asked what we were doing. I explained that we were taking photographs of anyone who wanted one and that we were giving away the polaroids. “For free?” Yes. He smiled and asked if I could take his picture. I said that he needed to make sure his parents approved first. He was back moments later dragging mom and dad by the hand and with their blessing, we were off. My girlfriend Georgie kindly acting as my assistant had to think fast. We were using type 55 polaroids which produced both a positive and a negative. We needed somewhere to keep the negatives and fast. We hadn’t considered that. Georgie came up with an ingenious solution. She bought two large bottles of water and carved off the tops and emptied half the water out. As I shot she took the negatives and curled them into the water bottles. We’d wash them properly when we got back to camp. The rest is a blur of shooting and chatting. I am not sure how many people I photographed that afternoon but I photographed for three hours and it created something of a spectacle. We had people lined up waiting for their turn “here’s my cousin, photograph my mom, here’s my baby”. At one point I turned around and there had amassed a bank of eleven photographers behind me shooting away. I looked up and a boom microphone was over my head and a film crew was filming us. It was chaotic and thrilling, exhausting and fun. We stopped when we ran out of polaroid. As we packed up the set, a couple of older gentleman motioned for me to come over and speak with them. They said it was marvellous that we were giving something away for free because he explained, no one gives the gypsies much of anything. But next time we should at least charge 5 euros. Polaroid doesn’t grow on trees, it’s true. Satisfied with the day, my girlfriend and I lugged the equipment back to our camper van where we had the polaroid washing solution and buckets. We washed all the polaroids and I then constructed a ‘clothesline’ of gaffer tape to which we stuck the polaroids to dry. We then transferred the lines of tape to inside the camper van, sticking them to the sides. With the film safely left to dry, we walked back into town for a celebratory dinner.

J: What camera(s) do you use?

G: I use a few different ones depending on what I’m doing. Cameras are like shoes. I mostly use a Hasselblad 500CM, a Leica M6, a panasonic GF1 and if it’s a job where quick turnaround is required I use a Nikon D700.

J: Where we could see your works now?

G: You can see my work ‘virtually’ on my website http://www.gabriellemotola.com If it’s a physical experience you require you can see my work in the basement of Off Broadway, a cocktail bar in East London, and at some point in the near future in the Hackney Museum.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and wonderful photographs.

Portrait of Gabrielle by Benjamin Till and the rest are by Gabrielle herself.

Nathalie Chikhi

julijamarija — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:20:00 +0100

Florida based French contemporary artist Nathalie Chikhi says that creative ideas come easily just by doing usual things in the kitchen or in the bathroom. The most exciting thing recently - she just had the first solo exhibition in States. And the thing what I love most about her works of art is a feeling that I could look at them forever. Pleasant to the eye. Colorful. Captivating.

Julija: Could you describe your art shortly?

Nathalie: My art practice is mainly experimental. So the final work evolves various parameters like a preference for abstraction, the use of basic shapes, a presence or absence of color and different kind of materials.

J: What motivates you to create?

N: Escaping a feeling of being bored and discover-rediscover a new function to a basic material are the main motors to keep creating. I just do what I want to do without any compromises. I mean if someone would love it, would buy it.

J: How does your workplace look like?

N: Right now, it it is quite messy, but not too much! I can still work/switch between 3 different works. X over y is hanging on the wall; a series of drawing for a textile sculpture is stacked in a pile and nearby is standing Homage to Donald Judd’s sculpture. Well, this last one was only a digital work until few days ago, now it is a real object.

J: Describe your creating process.

N: Sometimes ideas/images pop up in my mind when I am washing dishes, taking a shower. So right after, I draft the stuff on paper/post-it using point pen, graphite or anything else I can find. The next step is to create the work also requires some trips to the supermarket or construction shop. After that it is all fun, just do it and watch it. Is it right? Do I feel something about it? If yes, I complete the work.

J: What materials do you use?

N: I use various materials, the ones I can afford today.

J: And where we could see your works now?

N: Recently, I had a group show focusing on installation done by women artists. It was fabulous! The exhibition was at the Florida for Women Artists in Deland, FL. My first solo in the States at Twelve 21 Gallery in Orlando is still running & only few days left! Very much colorful popsicles, gold pieces and installation (foil objects on a pink felt rug)!

Thanks for the interview, Nathalie!

2 and 3 photos - Installation made of hand-painted bamboo sticks which are inserted into polysterne balls.

Tim Holloway

julijamarija — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:14:00 +0100

England definitely has many young rising talents today. The very unique designer Tim Holloway has a pretty crazy life, however, he is very passionate about what he is doing. Studying at legendary Saint Martins and working for many brands takes a lots of time, but this guy is not going to stop at anything in his strive for excellence.

Julija: Hey, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

Tim: I’m a 20 year old freelance designer living in East London. I’m studying Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins, and currently working for some really fantastic people all over London—from Sloane Square to Soho to Shoreditch. I’m designing for Madd, a boutique restaurant in Soho, my good friend Ricky Wesley who is launching his first clothing line this September, but most of my time is being taken up working in Sloane Square for Annoushka as their graphic designer, in January I’m going to be working for Robin Derrick at Vogue, at some point I also need to get writing my dissertation and move house too, its pretty hectic!

J: What influenced you to choose Graphic Design studies?

T: I started the same way as many designers—like Peter Saville and Neville Brody—designing gig posters and album covers for my friends when I was about 14. I’ve always known I would be in the creative industry. I studied Physics, Maths, Fine Art and Graphics at college to keep my options open as originally I always wanted to design cars, but the automotive design courses are based in Coventry and that definitely put me off, but it was mostly the freedom of Graphic Design that attracted me to it. It gives me the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of techniques and media—I work in film, print, installation and interactive—and unlike fine artists, doing it professionally you have other peoples money to spend which is great.

J: Central Saint Martins is like a world of creativity. Could you elaborate?

T: CSM is an amazing place to be, its a really inspiring environment—knowing that the people you’re studying with are going to be next generation of leading Art Directors and Designers—everyone is always working on so many projects, it makes the competition pretty intense which really pushes you. Its a very rewarding place to work.

J: What was the most unexpected thing you came accross at the begining of your studies?

T: How little they actually teach you is quite a shock when you first start. After my first term my mum asked me to list 5 things I had been explicitly taught since I’d been there, I got to about 3. I only realised when I started working in different studios across London that they are actually teaching you how to think and how to act; the course runs very much like a professional design studio and when you go into that real world environment for the first time you find that you know exactly what to do. Its not something that you can exactly pinpoint as a ‘thing’ you’ve been taught. Anyone can watch a youtube tutorial and learn photoshop in a couple of days, but having ideas is whats important, and that’s what they teach. You’re very much left on your own, to work things out for yourself, you need a lot of motivation and discipline to make the course work for you. If you only did what you were told to do your portfolio would be very bare. The course is perfect for me because it opens up so many opportunities if you know where to look, but it doesn’t work for everyone and I know a lot of people have left the course with nothing but a sense of disillusionment.

J: Your portfolio shows how much you are producing. Could you mention the most exciting project?

T: What I’m doing now for Annoushka is really exciting, its my first really really big commission, with big budgets to match. I’ve been designing everything for their new season—adverts, store graphics, brochures, displays, everything—they have some really amazing spaces in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges so its great to see my work in these prestigious locations, I can’t wait for next month when everything starts getting installed and I see my ad’s in the pages of Vogue. Other than that, the most exciting project I have worked on was last summer. I was one of leading curators of the Anti Design Festival, held by Neville Brody. I was working really closely with him at Research Studios in Islington and curating the work of legends like Jonathan Barnbrook and Stefan Sagmeister. After one year at CSM I was working with the people I’d read about and studied, it was quite bizarre.

J: Where do you see yourself in the future?

T: I’d love to be the director of my own studio like Brody or Masoud Golsorkhi (my boss from when I worked at TANK) with a team of talented designers working for me so I can take on all the projects and commissions I want but am running out of hours to do. I’ve always wanted my own art history ‘ism’ as well…I’m still thinking about that one.

I thank Tim for the conversation and don’t forget to visit his site, it’s amazing!

http://www.timoholloway.wordpress.com/

Photo 1: Tim Holloway by Jesus Madrinan (http://www.jesusmadrinan.com/)

Photo 2: The interior of MADD in Soho.

Photo 3: The cover of Tim’s book.

Photo 4: Tim’s illustrations in TANK magazine.

Kat Day

julijamarija — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 08:12:00 +0100

Kat Day is such an iconic London girl. Vintage in style, artistic in nature. Studies at prestigious university, Goldsmiths’, consumes a lot of time, although is a big part of her life: full of creativity, talented people and art, bien sûr. This girl agrees to answer some questions just before her birthday trip to Berlin where she goes from time to time to get inspiration.

Julija: Which epocha interests you most?
Kat: I can never prioritise on an exact era, they all have such important influential powers… Although if I was to not be of this generation I would have loved the 60s best… Although New York late 70s would have been wonderful too. Although I guess this is not just because of my interest in Art but Music too.

J: How do you like studying at Goldsmiths’? What’s the best thing about this university?
K: It’s tough. No one is going to pat you on the back and say ‘oh that’s interesting, well done’ because what would you ever learn from that? I like that. It’s a pretty competitive intellectual realm too, which doesn’t suit everyone.
Also, we get a wide selection of amazing artists (in addition to our tutors) coming in, teaching us and giving lectures. For example, last term I had a masterclass with the No Wave filmmaker Vivienne Dick.

J: Which London art galleries are your favourite? Why?
K: There are just so many, which makes London truly fantastic. The Barbican huge summer shows are always worth seeing, although they do take many hours to see properly. Both Whitecubes have interesting constantly changing temporary exhibitions - Christian Marclay’s masterpiece 24 hour ‘The Clock’ was shown in the Mason’s Yard site last winter. I would also say the Serpentine Gallery, where I did my internship last summer has a great public programmes (especially their Park Nights series in the Summer).

However, I would definitely recommend ‘First Thursdays’ or the South East London equivalent ‘Last Fridays’. The galleries open late for temporary exhibition private views etc. There is usually free alcohol, too.

J: Who inspires you?
K: I hate to be cliche, but my friends . They are all so super talented - especially my boyfriend Nicholas.

Also, I would have to say collectives like No.W.Here who are helping keep the production and spirit of super 8 and 16mm film alive with the assortment of projects they do in East London.

J: What are your plans after graduating?
K: Oh gosh well, I’m trying to just concentrate on the now, as I have my dissertation and final show coming up in the next year. At the moment, I want to just stay a student forever so the prospect of having to earn money scares me. I definitely want to continue making work and do a masters one day, but realistically I know I will have to get a job to pay for bills etc first…. However, I have been toying with the idea to move to Berlin; but only for a little while, as I think i would miss London.

Image 2,3 are stills from films.

Thank you, Kat. It’s always nice talking to you!

Yin&Yang

julijamarija — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:25:00 +0100

It’s obvious that blogging has become more fun than standard web pages with stale information about music, style, photography, travel, life and everything else. Yin&Yang is a top blog that discuss all kind of issues that you may encounter or not. It’s like a lifestyle guide. That’s why it was exiting to talk to Yin&Yang co-founders, charismatic Londoners, Niran and Ernest.

J: Introduce yourself shortly. Who are you and what you do?

E: Hello, I’m Ernest Aka Yang from Yin&Yang a proud Ghanaian born and bread in London. At the moment I intern at Channel 5 as a Digital Editorial Assistant and I also work for the National Health Service and Arcadia Stores part time. I also recently graduated from a degree in Creative Advertising.

N: My name is Niran, Niran Vinod. I’m just a human being who’s trying to make living by doing what he loves. I’m a blogger, budding photographer, purveyor of style and a recent graduate who has just embarked on a career in social media.

J: Are you in London at the moment? How inspiring is it to you?

N: Yes I live in London, born and raised. It’ll always be my home! do I find the city inspiring? of course, there is just so much here - history, traditions, architecture, the multicultural society and it’s oozing in creativity.

E: I find it inspiring because it’s a city with such a diverse population. Everyone is from different backgrounds which means it’s easy to discover different cultures etc. There are also alot of young people working really hard to achieve their goals and that is something that also inspires me.

J: What fashion means to you?

N: Fashion means nothing to me. I don’t care for the pretentious industry but I love style. Style is a language, it’s my way of expressing myself without even opening my mouth.

E: Fashion is individual and it is the first element people will judge you on. To me its about being comfortable and confident in what you wear.. just expect to be judged. I usually dress to suit an occassion or my mood as apposed to dressing to challenge a stereotype or sway peoples opinions of me.

J: What creators you collaborate with?

E: If you mean brands/external companies… we have worked with the likes of: Palladium, All Saints, Reiss, Pele Sports, Vitamin Water..hopefully loads more in the future.

J: Have you ever thought that Yinnyang will become one of the most influential blogs? How do you feel about it?

E: Not really, it was supposed to be a small project to voice our opinions… it’s now alot more than that. At first it was ovewhelming (in a good way) and its alot of hard work but it feels good to know that people read and respect our writing enough to value our opinions. Im really pleased with the progress of the blog but there is always room for improvement and we’re working on that!

N: I don’t think we’re that influential to be honest haha. I know we could do a lot more! quite surprised by how well we’ve been received by our readers. It’s been a journey - the site has given me direction in life.

J: And which blogs are your favorite?

E: God there are tooo many! But the ones I look at almost daily include: William Yan, Metro Velvet, esquire blogs (cheating i know), Soul Culture, That Grape Juice, We Are Sme, Pinboard, Highsnobiety.

N: My favourite blogs? Hmm tough question. Hypebeast - just to keep in touch with what’s new. My NYC friends - http://abstractelements.tumblr.com/ & avederoutfit.com - they’re slowly changing the way we look at streetstyle through lifestyle blogposts.

Thank you for the interview!

Audelin Chappuis

julijamarija — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:44:00 +0100

French culture has always been associated with aristocracy, grace, beauty and the world’s greatest artists. There is no country like France as far as art is concerned.

It‘s an honour to introduce you the representative of this fabulous country - a person who knows a lot about an art - French cultural attaché Audelin Chappuis.

Julija: Where are you originally from?

Audelin: I was born in Versailles and moved to Paris when I was 15.

J: Why Lithuania? Did you get to choose? How much time have you spent in this country already?

A: It was a choice. Lithuania integrated EU and I was interested in this country that moved from one union to another so quickly : less than 15 years!

In August it will be 3 years that I am here. After that one more year remains.

J: How different are Lithuanians from French people? What major differences did you notice?

A: The more you live in the country, the more you understand that there is no typical French or typical Lithuanian. But I would say that French and Lithuanian people should know each other better. It’s a challenge!

In Lithuania people are very respectful everywhere: in shops, restaurants, public transport. They also express themselves freely.

J: I heard during the meeting at French Embassy that you collaborate with artists.

A: The essence of my job is promoting French culture. So collaboration with artists is a must. At the beginning I used to work more with French artists, but now more and more I work on collaboration between French and Lithuanian artists: caring out projects together. Like I said, French and Lithuanian people have to know each other better. Achieving this objective through various artistic projects is my job and I am very excited about it.

J: What about your creative side? Any hidden talents that you are proud of?

A: I‘m not sure. I can play piano, but I‘m not an artist. Nevertheless I need art. I enjoy it. I like visual art, literature.

J: What do you like to read?

A: I can not single out any genre or country. I like literature from all over the world.

Usually I don‘t have much time to read, but if I want a good book, I ask my friends for advice. Some of them are avid readers. They read a lot of books. I prefer to get recommendations from them before I pick a book.

J: What are your favourite cultural places, subjects, topics in Lithuania?

A: There are so many amazing places! The National Gallery, The Centre of Contemporary Art, Philharmonic, Opera House, cinemas Pasaka and Skalvija. Also the Academy of Arts. It‘s so nice - you feel excitement and creativity in the air no matter when you come there. In Kaunas I like Zilinskas Gallery, in Klaipėda I enjoy The Art Exhibition Hall. It doesn’t matter whether it is a little gallery or a big establishment, the most important thing is that you feel good there.

J: What is your favorite pastime?

A: Hunting with hounds or the big-game hunting experience without shooting animal. Its a great outdoor sport. You get to use dogs and horses to follow an animal and cornet it, but no shooting!

J: How often you go back to France?

A: Not very often. Four times a year maximum. I go twice between September and March because of the hunting. Also once during summer.

Many thanks for the interview.

Jens Siverstedt

julijamarija — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:23:00 +0100

Mofeta & Jerre. Who is this Sweden based duo? It was the name that captured the interest. I introduce you Jens Siverstedt, a member of a band, which every fan of good music should know. Enjoy.

Julija: I don’t understand Swedish language, but I like the sound of your songs, Mofeta & Jerre seems to be a positive band. What do you sing about?

Jens: Haha, Swedish must sound really weird when you don’t understand it! We try to sing about different topics, lately we’ve try to write more serious lyrics, more about love, politics and deeper stories. But when people think about us, they often think that we just write about party and easy-going things. I think that they should listen to our albums!

J: I know your band collaborates with a Swedish rapper Promoe. Could you elaborate?

J: Sure, we went on a big tour during 2009-2010 with Promoe, we were his backing liveband. It was a really good time, he’s a good friend of mine. I’m working with Promoe in the studio with some tracks that I’ve produced.

J: Do you play with other musicians?

J: Yeah sure! With my liveband “Spiderdogs” we’ve made a lot gigs with other artist, mainly hip hop artists. We’ve played with Adam Tensta, Chords, Timbuktu, Looptroop Rockers and many more.

J: Do you need special occasions or inspirations to create? If yes, what inspires you?

J: Hm, that’s hard to answer. I often get the best results when I don’t expect anything. When my mind is clean and don’t have to bother of anyting else. But during the nightime I always get into a better mood for making good music.

J: What is the feeling when you hear your songs on the radio or see videos on MTV?

J: That’s great! That’s a big part of being a musician, to get the audience to hear your music, that’s like the final stage of making music.

Band’s latest videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkcEeS4ORuE&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IoFJKRiHLw&feature=player_embedded

J: What are you listening to at the moment?

J: I’m listening to a lot of different music, At the moment I discovered “Frank Ocean” he’s really great. And if you like good hip hop music you should listen to “Fashawn - Boy Meets World.

I thank Jens for the interview!