Happenstance is delighted to announce that we’ll be having a stall at the third annual MCA Zine Fair this Sunday 23rd May 2010! The Museum of Contemporary Art in collaboration with the Sydney Writers’ Festival presents guest speakers, bands and a zine fair in the MCA’s Foundation Hall. The event has seen astounding growth in recent years, attracting Sydney’s finest zine makers to showcase their work.

You will all be able to sell, buy or trade zines, listen to live bands and enjoy free guided tours of the exhibitions. Remember to come by the Happenstance stall, say hello, have a yarn and of course, pick up a copy of the magazine! You will also be able to pick up a copy of Happenstance from the MCA gift store.

When: Sunday 23rd May 2010
Time: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art
140 George Street, The Rocks
Cost: FREE

Hope to see you there!
The Happenstance team x

Photograph by Rozie Wong, courtesy of Flickr

Get excited kids! The bi-annual Finders Keepers Sydney Markets start tonight!!

The indie market favourite will be showcasing the work of over 70 emerging and contemporary Australian artists and designers.

Finders Keepers opens Friday 7 May from 6pm to 10pm and runs Saturday 8 May from 10am to 6pm at the CarriageWorks in Sydney’s inner west.

Grab your friends and support our friends at the Finders Keepers by checking out all that the market has to offer, including fashion and accessories, books and zines, textiles and homewares and arts and crafts.  Bag yourself a one-off find while supporting our local talented and independent craftspeople.

What makes this event even more awesome (is that possible?) is that the market has FREE entry for all and features live music, with the CarriageWorks cafe and bar open all day.

When?
Friday 7th May from 6pm – 10pm
Saturday 8th May from 10am – 6pm

Where?
CarriageWorks – 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015
Pedestrian entrance is at the corner of Codrington Street and Wilson Street

For more info, click HERE.

Anne Nicholson is a celebration of originality. Creative from a young age, her artistic endeavours have spawned an impressive body of work. The willowy, ashen beauty from Wollongong belies her 24 years as she speaks of her fervour for graphic design.

By day, Anne works as a graphic designer and stylist at a small design studio in Wollongong. She escapes the daily grind by immersing herself in eccentric DIY projects such as zine making and, what she dubs, “functional art”; think canvas totes, bookmarks, greeting cards and envelopes, key rings and stationary. Most recently, she has added photography to her repertoire.

Similar to her personality, her creative aesthetic is colourful and light, with a hint of sarcasm. She explores her penchant for art via illustrator, photoshop, cheap acrylics, felt-tip pens, lino stamps, off-cuts of paper and fabric, watercolours and stencils. “My love for each is varied but just as strong as the next.”

After graduating with a diploma in graphic design, she collaborated on her first zine which was brilliantly entitled ‘My Feet Were Dirty but Now They Are Clean’. Experimenting with a montage of colours, it was jam-packed with clever thoughts and delightful drawings.

‘Mr. Over Achiever’ was her first independent zine, so it comes as no surprise that it is one dear to her heart. She goes on to reveal that the inspiration for the comic zine was a fellow zinester who was always trying to trump her. Well, she sure showed him!

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for her numerous fresh zines in the works including a brief comic about an unnamed, peculiar delivery driver and an innovative sketch-fest of her closest friends.

As a proudly independent publisher, she appreciates the importance of local zine fairs in getting to know who and what is out there. Describing zine-ing as rewarding, she revels in its creatively diverse nature; “whatever you are into, you can find a niche for it”.

Anne is hard at work building herself a career in the graphic design Industry. But what is her advice to fellow up-and-coming artists? “Use social networking to its complete advantage” by means of blogging, networking or becoming a contributor.

Check out all her great work on http://www.wemakezines.ning.com/profile/AnneNicholson

Contact her on  annemakesthings@hotmail.com

If you haven’t made plans for next Humpday (10th of March) head down to ma. gallery! If you do have plans, cancel them and we will see you there anyway for Blind Spot, a group show featuring the works of Angela Jones, Laura McClintock, Isobel Philip and Irit Pollak.

“… something slips, passes, is transmitted, from stage to stage, and is always to some degree eluded in it- that is what we call the gaze”
- Jacques Lacan

Here, attention is directed to the images – tangible or other – that silently slip out of the eye’s reach. Images that lie unobserved are placed under the microscope, as each artist uncovers and explores ways of seeing the invisible.

Blind Spot
10th March 2010
ma. gallery from 7pm
27 Dick St Chippendale

Laura McClintock

Irit Pollak

Angela Jones
Isobel Philip

You may know of Nic Warnock if you’ve happened to catch Onani, Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Circle Pit, or Family Jewels over the last few years. We’ve also wrote him up a bit in our last issue (”Little Labels, Big Sounds”). On top of being in 9345987234 bands Nic runs R.I.P SOCIETY, a record label which specialises in “Australian music of the NON Fitzroy cafe, late 20’s dinner party, chin-scratchin’-thick-rimmed-glasses-gimme-arts-funding and Nick Cave/Lou Reed worship variety.”

Keep an eye out for the following new releases from R.I.P SOCIETY coming out February 25th:

RIP006: Royal Headache 7″
Four tracks a heap of you are probably already familiar with: Splash, Surprise, Eloise & Girls. Embraced by young punks sceptical of all things garage, as well as those annoying old dudes that spend all their money on rare Easybeats records. Royal Headache’s music will warm the heart of even the crustiest old scrooge.

RIP007: Kitchen’s Floor – Regrets 7″
Three new tracks: Orbit, Regrets & Still Night. The third track Still Night is a real winner and one of the most down of their downer hits. This EP won’t disappoint those into Kitchen’s Floor’s album “Loneliness Is A Dirty Mattress” from last year. A bit of a different sound, more raw and tattered which suits the hopeless atmosphere of these songs.

RIP008: Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys – Worst Band In Sydney / Best Band In Sydney 7″
Think indie rock before indie rock meant you were a sweater wearing nerd (aka Replacements, Meat Puppets) with a heavy dose of suburban punk, overdriven guitars and a rowdy Australian quality about it. Not the most hip or liked band around probably because they get way too drunk and talk too much shit in between songs. Anyway this 7″ delivers and it shows that they can actually write good tunes.

Nothing signals the start of summer more than a bustling market on a balmy night.  And what’s a better way to ring in the glorious weather and celebrate the extended hours of daylight than by supporting local creatives, bagging a bargain, and seeing some neat artwork?  Nothing, that’s what!

Happenstance magazine is proud & excited about joining forces with the Finders Keepers to present some of Sydney’s most exciting emerging artists in a fun, market-style atmosphere. We call it the Art Mill.

The Finders Keepers is an independent art & design initiative supporting new & emerging creatives (just like Happenstance!), and their second annual markets hit Sydney this Friday 2 December.  With items on sale ranging from fashion & accessories, books & zines, textiles & homewares to arts & crafts (amongst a whole host more), it’ll be a great opportunity to bag a one-off find while supporting talented creative folk from your own ‘hood.

Pop by the two gallery areas of the Art Mill and say hello to us, while ogling some great artwork from artists like Ben Ali Ong, Lang Leav, Matt Huynh, Rebecca Murphy, Renee Anne and a whole heap more.  (See the full list of lovely featured artists here!)

The Finders Keepers Sydney markets open Friday 2 December from 6pm to 8pm, and will run from 10am to 8pm on Saturday 3 December at The Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh.  Click here for more details and a nifty map, & come along with your friends!

hap·pen·stance

(hāp’ən-stāns’)
n. A chance circumstance.

Opening this week at Saatchi & Saatchi is Hip Pop, a group exhibition from the good folks at United Galleries. Now in its third year, Hip Pop features artwork that explores one of two themes: “the ongoing legacy of the ‘pop’ art movement and its continuing influence on contemporary art, and the nature of ‘hip’ cutting edge artistic practices which continually push not just the boundaries, but also our perception of what constitutes art…”

Hip Pop features a really strong contingent of work, and blends a variety of media to create a really interesting cohesive collection with nice points of difference.

Here at Happenstance, we were lucky enough to talk to some of the featured artists. Ben Ali Ong, Lee Grant, Patricia Mado and Ben Rak were kind enough to take time out to talk us through the ins and outs of the trade.

BEN ALI ONG // PHOTO MEDIA
“Although my own work doesn’t fall under the label of pop art, I do enjoy it and have always looked at that kind of work for inspiration… [My] work revolves around themes of mortality and consciousness… I think it’s important to follow your instincts and do what you love, from there you’ll find your own voice…”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW & SEE MORE.

PATRICIA MADO // PRINTMAKING

“This is what I try to show with my works: the ‘accidental beauty’ that we are constantly surrounded by and exposed to in our everyday lives… The actual technique of carving is something that has taken me many years to develop; every printmaker has his or her own signature in the lines they choose and don’t choose, it’s like a fingerprint really… I like the process, dedication and to determine what it is going to be from start to finish.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW & SEE MORE.

BEN RAK // PRINTMAKING

“[Pop art] breaks down the barriers between high and low brow culture… My aim is to raise questions about the relationship between conformity and distinction. All the images in the series portray members of subcultures that have been marketed to the masses… Screenprinting seemed to be the ideal medium for combining printmaking and my previous photographic experiences.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW & SEE MORE.

LEE GRANT // PHOTOGRAPHER

“We’re a much more visually literate generation than even our parents were and you only have to open your eyes to see how image saturated we’ve become as a culture… The uncanny – and perhaps slightly freaky – thing about brothers and sisters are the codified behaviours, the funny habits and the more obvious physical likenesses… Generally I’ll know that I want to photograph someone when I see them – it’s a funny thing really…. a little like falling in love, a moment of recognition I suppose.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW & SEE MORE.

Hip Pop opens this Thursday 12 November at Saatchi & Saatchi, 70 George Street, The Rocks, and runs Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm, until 27 November.  As well as the artists featured here, it will also showcase more work from Kareena Zerefos, Stephen Dupont, David Disher, William Holt and Jane Fontane.

LEE GRANT // PHOTOGRAPHER

Happenstance: What does pop art mean to you, and would you consider yourself a pop artist?
Lee: I’m a child of the 70s and 80s so have learned to look at the world from numerous visual perspectives. I love pop art and the way it appropriates and reuses images from everything from comics to advertising to magazines. My work isn’t really pop in this regard, however I don’t doubt that the influence is there… How can it not be? We’re a much more visually literate generation than even our parents were and you only have to open your eyes to see how image saturated we’ve become as a culture. I think pop also defines a general attitude to and interest in the world, so in this way, then I consider myself ‘pop’. Also when I think of pop’s heydey I always think of the music revolution of the 60s and I usually always have a tune in my head when making photographs. My most recent series “Belco Pride” is definitely an Aussie hip hop soundtrack…

H: Tell us a little about what you’re showing in Hip Pop, and where you drew your inspiration for it.
L: I’m showing two works, one called “The Day Meg wore a Dress” from a series that explores siblinghood and the bond between brothers and sisters. Siblings are strange things. Most of us have them or are one to someone. The uncanny – and perhaps slightly freaky – thing about brothers and sisters are the codified behaviours, the funny habits and the more obvious physical likenesses, all of which by my observation aren’t necessarily confined to those who are biologically related. I guess I’m interested in those intense emotions that always seem to be present amongst siblings. It’s incredibly universal yet always unique.

The other is part of a more recent body of work called “Belco Pride” which is about where I grew up and still live in fact. I wanted to look at how belonging, connection and identity can be deeply rooted in the specifics of one’s inhabited landscape. So “Ginninderra Underpass” is just one image from a larger series of portraits and landscapes. I guess you could say that the work is an ode to my origins, part documentary and part visual poem.

H: You take some really great, interesting portraits.  How do you choose your subjects and strike up the nerve to approach them?  Do you have any favourite stories about this process?
L: Well thanks! Generally I’ll know that I want to photograph someone when I see them – it’s a funny thing really… a little like falling in love, a moment of recognition I suppose. I’m getting much better at asking complete strangers, but it’s still hard. I hate to say it but I think it helps that I’m a woman (especially when approaching parents of children). I’ve had very few knock-backs, mostly because I’m pretty persistent and am genuinely interested in the people I approach. This is terribly important actually, to really interact with that person, even if just for a short while… it makes for a fair and interesting exchange. I always give away prints in return too, so in a way you extend the relationship when you return with photos. It’s so interesting to see how people respond to their own image. I can honestly say that the process of photographing people over the years has had a massive impact on how I view and interact with the world. There’s so much going on in the world – especially in your own backyard – I find it hard to believe that you can’t be inspired by it all!

H: Do you have any tips, tricks or advice for young artists trying to get their work out there?
L: It sounds corny but I wish I’d received this advice when I was younger! Just trust your own instinct… it is very rarely wrong. Persist with your endeavours, work really hard and believe that you can achieve your goals, no matter what obstacles lie before you. And most importantly take all criticism with a pinch of salt but also with dignity. You never know what you might learn about yourself or your practice by listening.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT LEE’S WEBSITE.