Posts By hipflask
The man behind Tame Impala’s Artwork
By now you should have all heard and fallen head over heels for Tame Impala’s new album ‘Currents,’ which was released mid-July.
What you might have also noticed is that these unique tunes come packaged with some pretty unique artwork – done by one of the most sought after figures in underground album art, Robert Beatty.
Hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, this visual/audio/multimedia artist, longtime member of noise innovators Hair Police and the man behind Three Legged Race put together the eye candy which is the Current’s cover as well as single covers for ‘Eventually,’ ‘Cause I’m a Man’ and ‘Disciples.’
Check out this rad interview by Ingrid Kesa here.
Review: Rodney’s bait ‘n tackle
My good friend Nathan has teamed up with his mate Scott and they have opened what I’m going on the record as saying is the coolest bar that I have ever been to. Rodney’s bait and tackle is a light hearted and sincerely original small bar, in Mosman Park. Jump on the Fremantle line train and get off at Mosman park. Rodney’s is directly across the road from the train station.
Draught Sierra Nevada Pale Ale had me at hello and kept me til bubye. Friends I was with opted for a very reasonably priced, delicious Cab Merlot, but the real winner is Scotty’s home made olive tapenade. There’s a lot of good food behind the bar, and though I’m not a vego, I ordered the vego options because they looked so good.
There’s a little stage in the front of the pub. Nathan’s taste in music is exquisite. He really influenced my taste in music when I first met him, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the guys program the acts. There’s a piano in the pub too, it’s really something else.
There’s a very comfortable outdoor area out the back but the thing that is going to get everyone talking, is the bar itself. The guys bought an old boat, chopped it up, and turned it into a bar. The day that Nath went around to pick the boat up, it sank. Not only is this a relaxed and original place to hang out, it is run by some of the biggest hearts you’ll find in this city.
What are you waiting for? Skive off work, get your good self onto a train and get on out to Rodney’s Bait and Tackle.
Methods of Movement
Tame Impala – Australian Tour Dates
Catching Tame Impala live at Coachella this year was almost too much to handle. We hung around side of stage for a couple of minutes, then ran to join the crowd. These guys are the realest. Like every good thing, they’re intense, psychedelic, tantric and cosmic. We’re as excited as everyone else to hear that there’s an Australian tour coming up with Koi Child opening each gig – yeah!
Saturday 7 November – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Wednesday 11 November – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
Saturday 14 November – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
Wednesday 18 November – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Saturday 21 November – Riverstage, Brisbane
Interview: Sammy Bats
What is your name and how old are you?
Samantha Bats, 19.
Where were you born and where do you live now?
Here.
How does where you live affect your art?
This question requires a PHD length answer – because Perth is changing at the moment. The abridged version is that I’m ignoring everything around me when making decisions about my own image and art. I don’t say that in a spiteful way at all, but there is a lot of bullshit that, to me, makes little sense.
Are there any downsides to this medium?
Uncommissioned public art is the enemy for this city.
What makes your work unique and truly your own?
I don’t have a Facebook fan page.
Has your style changed over time?
I have creative ADHD. My style changes every ten seconds at the moment. I assume it will calm down over time. I don’t think hard about it. I use the same themes, concepts, tongue in cheek humour and hatred of stencils to bring it together.
What kinds of ideas and things are you working on at the moment?
HAHA, oh boy. Okay, ready? Naked fire-extinguisher bombing, 3D boogle eye canvases, custom N64 covers, releasing films on VHS, arcade machine exhibitions, faking publicity, comic book murals etc – don’t copy me; I will sue.
Tell us a little about your creative process.
Contemplate suicide at the thought of working fulltime.
How would you describe your style
ART ANTIART, POPULAR ANTISTYLE 90’S PS1 TOY TRAINS
Favourite venue to exhibit?
The street sans permission.
When can we see you next (upcoming exhibitions/mural work/whatever)
Murals in the city for FORM, A Sydney show with art genius JOE42, A group show launch for LOSERUNIT4 and I’m working towards my solo “KAWAII KORE 64”. Loser Unit is also making a documentary about me due out next year, apparently.
Interview: KIM KIM KIM
Who are you?
Hi I’m Kim Kim Kim
Is that your real name or artist name?
I changed my name when I came here, as Australian people couldn’t pronounce my Korean name. I needed to find something easy to say but I didn’t want to use a typical English name, so I choose to keep my last name. Despite Kim being the most common last name for Koreans, I decided to use it as it could help me to remember I’m just one amongst many other Kims – the others. This allows for a decentered notion of the self and is one of the basis’ of my work; how I relate to other people in an ongoing effort to emphasize with others.
Where were you born and where do you live now?
I was born in Washington D.C., U.S.A. and grew up in Seoul, South Korea.
Currently living and working in Perth, Western Australia.
How does where you live affect your art?
In terms of the location (including different cultures or relationships with different people) it doesn’t affect me, I’m just doing my work. But as I use local friends as models, I’d like to say that it affects my subject.
What materials do you use and how did you get started with them?
I’m a visual artist, mainly working with oil paint and pencil/conte/charcoal on paper.
My mom and her whole side of the family are artists; this family background influenced me a lot I guess.
Is there a running theme to the work you create, or do you just make what comes to your mind?
I wish to create works that speak with sincerity while focusing on the problems that effect each individual within my generation and at times even myself such as social anxiety, vanity and various other psychological problems that stem from the contemporary age. I work on different projects whenever I find an interesting subject that inspires me, but the main idea is based on the possible anxieties faced by individuals within the contemporary generation of youth.
What makes your work unique and truly your own?
My mark-making / colour palette / and the subject matter.
I don’t think my works are unique in this era though. I’m still in the process of developing my style.
What other budding artists do you love?
Nuestra is cool. And Ryan Boserio, joe42, Kuan Jia, Jaycy, ALEX, Owvbics, Abdul Abdullah, Ben Aitken, Tristan Pigott, Dario Puggioni,
Kwangho Shin, Eunsae Lee, Joel Kennedy, Sarah Endersby.
KIM KIM KIM in the hipflask office:
What kinds of ideas are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I’m experimenting materiality in (traditional) portrait area by mixing various mediums, photography and painting, and some new medias such as projector as the visual languages. I find that this mix of different mediums reflect the contemporary scene, also attempting to convey the image of contemporary youth; my generation, through this portrait project.
Tell us a little about your creative process.
Get ideas -> research/ collect the image resources -> refine the concept -> test the images through sketch or collage -> paint/draw -> refine heaps until I feel ok-> done! or leave it for a while.
How would you describe your style?
Don’t want to define it. ~_~
When can we see you next?
My solo show – “So Hollow, So Pure” opens on August 14 at Merenda Contemporary.
I also have 2 murals in the Little Wing Corner Gallery in Subiaco,
one in Double Double Small Bar (also in Subiaco), and one in the hipflask office.
You can check my works on Instagram or Facebook page as well ☺
Book Launch: Riley (Moments in the Life of)
hipflask was stoked to attend the prestigious Rok Riley book launch. Riley, of RTR FM/ Ghostface DJing fame, has released her first book titled “Riley (Moments in the Life of)”. 18 years in the making, it’s release was made possible with crowdfunding via Pozible. It was produced as a limited edition run of 300 copies. The night ended with Riley too shy to discuss her very personal book, which is a collection of deep & thought provoking quotes, alongside black & white art of a fictional cow named “Riley”. Instead, she presented a light-hearted slideshow of animal facts, perfectly matching the authors vibe of being genuinely down to earth. This included gems such as “To give you scale of a Blue Whale – There tongues alone weigh as much as an elephant”. The show was presented by the nice folks over at Good Company Records and Apropos.Provisional in Subiaco, Western Australia.
Music: The Hood Internet – Some Poppas (Flume x Biggie Mashup)
Last week Flume set the electronic world alight again with his latest single ‘Some Minds’ ft. the captivating voice of Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt. A more soulful soundscape of synth and beats, As expected there have already been a handful of mashups dropped but this one has got to be one of our favourites in the office, Done by the Chicago crew “The Hood Internet”
Music: Young Fathers
Young Fathers (named so because all three of the members have their fathers’ names), is a group from Edinburgh that have been moving people with their music for the last couple of years. One track in particular being, “Sister”, which starts with some chilling chants and then heads straight into a verse, setting the scene for the rest of the song. Intelligent rapping with some really abstract lyrics, and a chanted mixture of pidgin English and Yoruba over some great bass sounds unite to create a raw and intriguing track which will be sure to move you in unexpected ways.
Young Fathers – “Sister” from anticon. on Vimeo.
Paradise Circus
‘Paradise Circus,’ an exhibition by Matt Wright, is a dizzyingly beautiful arrangement capturing the female figure within an accurate portrayal of life – enigmatic and passionate.
Using different blends of acrylic, charcoal and graphite, urban landscapes lurk in the background of a poolside daydream as we are invited to wistfully surrender ourselves to this world of utopia of chaos.
Created with strong lines but defined with wistful expression of powerful colour these somewhat personal representations entice us into a voyeuristic lull and wake us up with harsh, obscure text – purposely open-ended to invite the viewer to draw their own conclusions of the narrative.
Matt exudes the skill of a weathered artist after only painting for a year and a half. This exhibition forms the first public display of his work as a visual artist.
At The Bird. Now showing until the 3rd of May. Check it.