There Is No Hope, Except For Us. On 'Antarctica: All to Lose' by Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger

At Nauti Studios we love all things creative and all things sustainability. We especially love creative projects addressing environmental and sustainability issues.

Nauti Sailor Sabrina spoke to artist Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger about their exhibition Antarctica: All to Lose now showing at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery. For the past decade Kannar-Lichtenberger has completed research residencies in remote places including the Galapagos Islands, Faroe Islands and Deception Island in Antarctica. Antarctica: All to Lose presents works developed during a 2017 residency at Deception Island. Read all about it here.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Elemental Obsolescence, 2018, pigment print on archival photo paper, 80 x 120cm

There Is No Hope, Except For Us

Antarctica: All to Lose by Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger

For the past decade artist Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger has completed research residencies in remote places including the Galapagos Islands, Faroe Islands and Deception Island in Antarctica. Now showing at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery Antarctica: All to Lose presents works developed during a 2017 residency at Deception Island. It examines the bleak impact of tourism on fragile environments and its link to the legacy of colonial exploration. For many, Anatartica will remain remote, seen only through the lens of a camera, and as Kannar-Lichtenberger told me Antarctica: All to Lose proposes that perhaps it should remain that way.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Livingston I Presume II, 2017, deep etched pigment print on archival photographic paper, 110 x 200cm 

““We want to go see that leopard or lion, and we will damage what we can to get there, to get that photograph. I think that the photograph is becoming the double-edged sword. It’s one way to archive but it’s also becoming the problem. [...] These works are about the archiving of an item, of an object, of a space, of a place. Is that the answer? Do we just archive it? We’re archiving seeds, we’re archiving species, does that mean those things have a future? Or are we only preserving for our own gratification?” ”

— Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Livingston I presume IV-XII, 2017, 9 x deep etched pigment print on archival photographic paper, 36 x 26cm

Antarctica: All to Lose evokes the now canonic words from Roland Barthes’ 1980 text Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Here he says “what the Photograph reproduces to infinity has occurred only once: the Photograph mechanically repeats what could never be repeated existentially.” The exhibition opens with Livingston I Presume II (2023) an arctic landscape seen through the lens of a telescope. As Kannar-Lichtenberger told me: “if you were an explorer, this is how you’d first come across a new land”. Here we see a reimagined Antarctica, seemingly unscathed by Western culture, before the effects of industrialisation. What Livingston I Presume II reproduces to infinity is an untouched Antarctica, an Antarctica that has already been lost.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Prozaic, 2023, archival pigment print on Ilford galerie smooth pearl, 35 x 45cm

This is followed by a series of photographs that document Deception Island today. We see whale bones scattered upon volcanic black sand, an abandoned 20th century boat and relics of industrialisation litter the landscape. These are the first of many ‘memento moris’ to be found here. In Unhappy Feet I & II (2018) we see remnants of the corpse of a penguin imprinted in plastic. Upon ingesting a net that held fish, this penguin was mummified from the inside out. This work documents the grim fossil etched into plastic, the fatal moment frozen in time. Easily mistaken for a precious stone or ancient artefact, this memento mori speaks in the language of museology and its inception in colonial exploration. Its green and blue hues are reminiscent of faience, a ground quartz used by the ancient Egyptians. Unhappy Feet I & II asks, are these our future relics? Will these become rare objects held in museums, or so commonplace they litter our beaches? One thing is certain, plastic is an inevitable part of the legacy of the Anthropocene.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Unhappy Feet I & II, 2018, deep etched pigment print on archival photographic paper, 200 x 110cm

In Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography Bathes says:

““For me the noise of Time is not sad: I love bells, clocks, watches — and I recall that at first photographic implements were related to techniques of cabinetmaking and the machinery of precision: cameras, in short, were clocks for seeing, and perhaps in me someone very old still hears in the photographic mechanism the living sound of the wood. ””

For me, the noise of Time is an alarm. In Dissipation_II (2023) a ghostly image of Antarctica is shown on voile, a sheer fabric fraying at the edges. This work asks, has the unravelling just begun? Or is this the moment of no return, as it all becomes undone? It conjures the ancient Fates of Greek mythology, who were personified as three women spinning the threads of human destiny. Yet there is an inherent materiality to Kannar-Lichtenberger work, here the medium is the message. Like a memento mori these traces are material, shockingly tangible and painfully real.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Dissipation_VI, 2018, 5 x Livingston Island Glacier dye-sublimate on Voile, 450 x 200cm

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Dissipation_II (Pentaptych), 2023, installation view 5 x Livingston Island Glacier dye-sublimate on Voile, 450 x 200cm

I asked Kannar-Lichtenberger whether we still have all to lose, or whether it is already lost. In response, she shared a quote from Jonathan Franzen’s 2019 essay What If We Stopped Pretending? In it he says:

“There is infinite hope,” Franzen tells us, “only not for us.” This is a fittingly mystical epigram from a writer whose characters strive for ostensibly reachable goals and, tragically or amusingly, never manage to get any closer to them. But it seems to me, in our rapidly darkening world, that the converse of Kafka’s quip is equally true: “There is no hope, except for us.””

Here I recall that the memento mori acts as a reminder. That this present moment of crisis may only happen once, but perhaps more significantly, the moment for action may only happen once. This threshold, or new frontier, this fleeting opportunity for a correction to shift our legacy, may only occur once. There really is no hope, except for us.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Legacy II - Living in Carnage, 2023, archival pigment print on Ilford galerie smooth pearl, 35 x 45cm

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, Legacy, 2023, archival pigment print on Ilford galerie smooth pearl, 35 x 45cm

Antarctica: All to Lose is showing at Chrissie Cotter Gallery until 8th October 2023
Artist talk: Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th of October from 12pm – 3pm

Artist with Dissipation

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger during her 2017 expedition to Antarctica for her research on small islands and isolated places, the inspiration behind her exhibition ‘Antarctica: All to Lose’.

For more information on Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger
Instagram: @leakannarlichtenberger
Website: leakannar.com

This article was written by Nauti Sailor Sabrina Sokalik, at Nauti Studios Sydney.
If you would like to bask in Sabrina’s glory and come work at Nauti Studios,
get in contact by clicking here.

Behind the Scenes: RoseyRavelston Books at Nauti Studios

RoseyRavelston Books are a small social enterprise based in Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Zac & Cath have combined their love of reading with their passion for supporting refugees and asylum seekers. These legends, with the vital support of a small group of supporters, donate 50% of their profits to the Amiculus: The Humble Friend Project charity.

We asked them some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at
the world and inspiration behind Rosey Ravelston.

Zac, Cath and Echo, of RoseyRavelston Books, in their bookshop at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Tea or coffee?
Cath (C): LOTS OF Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and after dinner. We met working in coffee, and my mum is British so the best of both worlds here.
Zac (Z): Coffee to wake up, tea to keep going.

Sunrise or sunset?
C: Realistically, Sunset. There’s a reason we need lots of coffee in the mornings!
Z: Dusk. Sunset is nice but there’s something magical about that moment when the sun has gone but darkness is not yet final.

What inspired you to start RoseyRavelston Books?
C + Z: A love of books, a need to share that love and passion for doing something positive for our community. That means providing affordable, quality books to people, using our bookshop and Nauti Studios as a place for people to meet other like-minded people and as a way to raise money for the charity Amiculus: The Humble Friend Project, whom we give 50% of our profit every month so that they can support refugees and asylum seekers within Greater Sydney.

Echo, Zac and Cath’s 10-year-old adorable labrador. She is their Quality Control supervisor, and you might be lucky enough to meet her if you visit RoseyRavelston Books at Nauti.

Do you work well as a team?
C + Z: Cath generally reads more fiction and Zac more non-fiction, so we can both rant for ages about lots of books in various genres. Except horror. Cath is a wuss.

What are your top five fav books of all time?
C: Too hard! There would be an Orwell in there, for sure, I think “Homage to Catalonia”? Definitely “My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises” by Frederik Backman, perhaps “Bone people” by Keri Hulme? I loved “Burial Rites” by Hannah Kent…. Nah. Can’t do it. I’m already changing my mind. Also Zac wrote a book so I should probably include that too....Sanlundia by Z T Quinn.
Z: Too hard! The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón), Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari), SPQR (Mary Beard), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (George Orwell), The Testament of Mary (Colm Tóibín). But that list would probably change if you asked me again tomorrow.
C: Oh yes! Colm Tóibín!

What scares you?
C + Z: Inhumane Government policies.

Zac, Cath and Echo, of RoseyRavelston Books, in their bookshop in Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Is Echo best described as creative director or site manager?
C: Quality Control. She paws-es to look over each book and selects the book that our readers will Labr-adore.
Z: Neither – unless you’re talking about creative director of finding ways to get a pat, or site manager of the Nauti Studios kitchen…

What’s your fav thing about Nauti?
C: The community and the love of puns.
Z: Awesome people with amazing talent. And that the name makes people think you work in an adult store.

If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be?
C: I would probably have dinner with George Orwell, alive.
Z: Yeah I’d prefer to have dinner with an alive person as well, although if my guest was dead at least they couldn’t complain about my cooking.

Quality Control of RoseyRavelston Books, Echo, bludging on the job at Nauti Studios.

Have any authors work changed the way you see the world?
C: There’s a theme here. Reading “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell helped me to realise just how much Neoliberalism has negatively impacted society, but in a way that makes it seem like the poor are poor because of their own volition. It relates so much to Australia and the way we treat the “other”.
Z: Totally agree with Cath. I also love tracking Orwell’s evolution and views throughout his books, his willingness to criticise both the right and left side of politics and his understanding of the dangers of political extremism. He had plenty of flaws but had made quite a transformational journey by the time he died.

Are you secretly writing something at the moment?
Z: If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret any longer…
C: Come visit our shop

Good books, chats, helping others

Haikus are awesome.

To keep up to date with the incredible RoseyRavelston Books team, buy some incredible books, find out when to come in to the bookstore, attend their awesome poetry and book club nights at Nauti Studios, and see pictures of Echo on a regular basis… You can find RoseyRavelston Books at their website here, and on instagram, and Facebook.

If you’d like to join RoseyRavelston Books working at Nauti Studios, get in touch here.

Let's Spoon! Nauti Studios' Spoon Carving Club on Trees, Tools and Techniques

Once a month on a Monday night you will find a small band of tool-wielding folk sat in a circle
in the common room of Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.
Some are chatting, some are concentrating, some wear aprons, some don’t, but all of them are holding a small piece of wood that they are painstakingly carving and shaping, ever so slowly,
until the wood begins to look like something
we can all recognise…a spoon!

Yes, the spoon carving club in Hazelbrook is in da house and upholding an age-old tradition and
craft. And, the first rule of spoon club is, wait for it…you only make spoons! Nope, no forks or
knives or tissue holders or other such handy items, because alas, as the name says, it’s all in the spoon.

They are seated in a circle, a Spoonie pow pow and talk soon turns to trees and tools and techniques.

How did Spoon Club start?
It began as a small group of people meeting at Georgina Donovan’s workshop in Woodford in 2017,
before it grew and needed to be moved to Nauti. Sometimes there are up to ten people who come
to the studio. Georgina jokingly refers to their weekly gatherings as ‘Monday Spoontaneity’
because ‘when you say you are in Spoon Club at Nauti Studios, it raises eyebrows.’

How long have you been spoon carving?
The answers vary from years to months. There are newbies and those who seem to have been born with a wooden spoon in their mouths. ’I have been spoon carving for 18 months,’ says Ingrid Errington. ‘This is a very slow and meditative hobby, a very nice combination. I don’t think I’ve ever met a spoon carver that I didn’t like.’

Georgina jokingly refers to their weekly gatherings as ‘Monday Spoontaneity’
because ‘when you say you are in Spoon Club at Nauti Studios, it raises eyebrows.’

What is the best kind of wood to use and how do you source it?
There are as many types of wood as there are ways to find them. It often comes down to personal preference and happenstance. Georgina is using a piece of Mulberry and explains how she is always on the lookout for wood on the side of the road. Lots of Spoonie heads nod in agreement with various people talking about the excitement of a downed tree.

Georgina explains that the wood needs to be wet, soaked in water, so it is easier to carve. When a
fallen branch is found, she chops spoon sized blocks out of it and then soaks them in water to
soften, which she then has to put in the freezer to preserve for later use. ‘It’s a constant negotiation
with one’s partner - the space for wood in the freezer!’ There are currently pieces of a Cherry Tree in hers.

‘Dry wood is hard work,’ Paul Crowe adds. ‘I am a biologist and a pretty keen gardener,’ says Ingrid, ‘I am
always looking around at trees. I like Birch but I find the willow is very soft, too soft for a spoon. If you tap on the side it makes marks.’

Georgina carving away!

So, how is it done?
A spoon shape is sketched on to a prepared piece of wood and then a whole range of carving and
chopping objects are used to carefully coax the utensil out of the wood. The Spoonies all seem to follow the mantra ‘Carve, Look, Examine’. But, there is always the risk that the wood will split and derail the whole thing.

After an hour of carving, Erik Sipiczki laments to the room ‘Oh no, it’s going to crack off, I just realised that his piece of wood has a small crack down it, but that’s the beauty of the whole thing,’ he adds, ‘it changes all of the time.’

Jill’s collection of wood carving tools.

‘ …but that’s the beauty of the whole thing, it changes all of the time.’

Do you use the word ‘whittle’?
A few laughs and then Paul pipes up, ’whittling is carving without a purpose!’. ‘That’s what I do,’ laughs Lindsey Pacchini.

How long does it take?
‘It could take me a day if I wanted to finesse it,’ says Jill Day, ‘or it could take an hour, and it also
depends on the wood’.

What are the tools?
Erik goes outside to split wood in the traditional way, on a block using a froe, which is an L shaped shake axe looking tool, that has a wooden handle, which is about the same length as the metal blade. There are tools of every shape and size and sharpness used for very specific jobs like hatchets for chopping larger chunks, or long thin bladed knives for fine tuning sharp turns. Then there are these awesome Hook Knives, think very sharp ice cream scooper, which are used to scrape and bore out the spoon bowl.

Erik looking like a lumber jack.

John Steel, a carver and a blacksmith, is visiting the group tonight and has an impressive collection of tools all laid out on the table. It looks like an operating room set up for spoon surgery. Another very important ‘tool’ of the trade is an apron. Jill has a beautiful kangaroo hide apron, which protects her from injury. A popular way to carve is by holding the wood against your sternum, elbows tucked in and pulling the knife toward you and accidents can happen. ‘You have to be very mindful really and you have to be quiet in yourself,’ she warns, ‘it requires a calm presence.’

We must know the nautical interests of all the Spoonies! What sea animal would you be?
Ingrid – King Penguin, Georgina – Squid, Paul – Octopus (‘so I can hold more tools’), Lindsey - Turtle, Jill – Sea Horse, John – Sea Horse, Erik – Worms that lunge up from the bottom of the sea

Raise your hand if you can’t get that image out of your head of
Spoon Bob Carve Pants and his merry band of Spoonies at the bottom of the sea?
For more info on joining the Spoon Club – get in contact with Nauti Studios here.

Assorted craving tools on the table at Nauti Studios.

DAN BARANOWSKI ON ICELAND, ART AND ZEN

Nauti Sailor Daniel Baranowski recently opened a show in the Blue Mountains, filled with works inspired by landscape. We caught up with him to get the down low on his inspiration, process and passions.

Daniel Baranovski, painter and photographer, working on his works for ‘Snap Frozen & Still’ in his studio at Nauti Studios, Blue Mountains.

What’s it like to live in the Blue Mountains where there are a lot of artists and creative people? 

I was born here, went to school here, in Springwood. The mountains attract a lot of people which is really cool. If you’re born and bred here stuff just filters in. But, it’s a bit of a challenge to not do a bit of a pastiche – it doesn’t float my boat.

How long have you been an artist?

That’s a really good question. Since my exhibition! Hahaha. 

“I want to be successful, not famous.”

Okay, what about this? How long have you been ‘artistic’? 

Well, that’s been an always thing for me. I’ve always been creative in that sense. Always. Always.

Tell me about your first exhibition, ‘Snap Frozen & Still’ that’s coming up.

This is the first time I’ve painted since high school. There will be paintings, ink drawings and pastel drawings. I have what I call my ‘Socratic sense of humour’ which is why I called the exhibition what I did. It’s largely inspired by a two week trip to Iceland where I took photos because essentially you can fall over there and still take a good photo. I also brought a tiny sketch book and did some 15 minute rapid fire drawings outside in the freezing cold trying to hold a pencil with a big glove on. I do and I teach Tai Chi, and am in to the whole Zen side of things in terms of immediate response to an experience, that is, the Zen idea of capturing a fleeting moment. Also, when I was there the colours were very minimal and that is reflected in my work.

I tried to stalk you on social media but you are hard to find. Why’s that?

Oh good. My plan is working. Haha. I agree with the singer Sia who famously said something like “I want to be successful, not famous.” And, I think that fame is the byproduct of talent.

“Yes, there is a lot of movement…
but it’s still a still!”

How did you find out about Nauti Studios?

I think I saw a post randomly pop up at around the same time a friend also mentioned it. I’ve been here around 18 months or so sharing a studio with another artist who is a friend of mine. I like it here because I can do certain stuff at home but it is still limited by space.

I actually heard you paint before I saw your work. I am in the studio under yours and your brush strokes sounded as if there was a lot of movement in your paintings. It’s amazing to finally see your work and realise that what I heard is true!

Yes, there is a lot of movement. That’s my thing I guess, but it’s still a still!

Who inspires your work?

So many artists to choose from, but always Brett Whiteley and Katsushika Hokusai. Whiteley’s lines and his drawings are phenomenal. The freedom that he paints and draws with – his work is extraordinary from my point of view. And then Hokusai has the whole Japanese woodcut thing. He has different ways of doing a similar kind of thing.

Up close with Daniel Baranowski and his palette in his studio.

And finally, which nautical creature do you resonate with the most?

Scylla and Charybdis.

(Editor’s note: These are monsters in Greek mythology, mentioned in, among other texts, The Odyssey. Scylla is a six headed beast and Charybdis is a whirlpool. The grim pair were said to wreak havoc for ships sailing through the Strait of Messina, which is located between Italy and Sicily, where they flanked either side. When the ships moved to one side to avoid one, they would inevitably be too close to the other one. A no-win situation which is where phrases like ‘between a rock and hard place’ and ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ derive from.)

They are the flip sides where one or the other will always get you. No matter what, you’re going to get tagged by something, but that’s not always bad.

‘Snap Frozen & Still: An attempt to capture the fragile eternity of the Void’
Dan’s first exhibition and is on now, until the 14th April at Braemar Gallery
104 Macquarie Road in Springwood, Blue Mountains
(Ppen Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm)

Kicking Off 2019 By Giving Back: Nauti's Twelve Month Residency Program

To start off 2019 we are having a chat with Nauti Studios’ Founder and Captain, Nat Cheney. Having opened applications for a brand new twelve month Residency Program at our Blue Mountains location, we ask Nat about the inspiration and drive behind this initiative.

Nauti Studios Founder and Captain Nat Cheney. Picture: Ann Niddrie.

A twelve month Residency Program?! What? Where did this come from?
I have started 2019 by having an amazing festive season. It has been filled with amazing chats and idea sessions with fantastic people around me at Nauti. I have kept at work over the past few months at Nauti, but it has felt like a holiday in that the amazing people around me have helped me be more invigorated, inspired, and grateful for their incredible influence. I decided, feeling very grateful for the incredible people I am surrounded by, that I wanted to give back. The Arts, Culture & Small Business Residency Program is designed to give massive opportunities to an individual, team or group who would benefit from having their own private work space, mentorship, and being around creative, inspiring and productive people. Giving this opportunity also has the potential to greatly impact locals, the local economy, and the international industry of the Resident/s’ profession. Through someone developing and furthering their practice, it will have a great impact on the people around them, the businesses they interact with, and the international community of the industry in which their work is produced. Seems like a win-win situation to me. I love that saying “a rising tide lifts all boats”.

Who is able to apply for the Residency Program?
As the people working at Nauti Studios are very diverse, as are their professions, I have written the program to be applicable for most industries. We are welcoming all applications from artists, designers, media innovators, educators, creative arts researchers, scholars, and anyone working on a project or in a field in arts, cultural development or small business.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Is the opportunity open to people of all skill and experience levels?
You betcha! All disciplines, and all skill levels are welcome.

What does the Residency Program provide?
Participants receive full-time access to our work space for twelve months, with access to our communal areas, social events, utilities, amenities, mentor opportunities, professional knowledge and networks. Also, our Hazelbrook studio is easily accessible from Blue Mountains areas by car or public transport.

What is expected of the Recipient/s of the Residency Program?
Nauti expects that they will be dedicated, productive, and grateful for the opportunities they are given. We also welcome and encourage the recipient/s to give back to their local, national and international community. This giving back can come from simply furthering and developing their practice and profession throughout their residency. Also, Nauti Studios can provide working space and open areas for meetings, rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions, or other, for participants to give back to the community during the Residency Program. For example, recipient/s may like to hold an event, presentation, exhibition, or such, inviting industry professionals and the general public to share the work they have been able to achieve during their time at Nauti Studios.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

When and how can someone apply for the Residency Program?
Right now, baby! Applications are now open, and finish up 15th March 2019. If people want to learn more, they can check out the info here, and if anyone has any specific questions they can ask me here.

And to wrap up, would you like to say to anyone reading this?
Happy 2019 Sailors! May this year be productive, inspiring, and may you rise to all challenges. Remember, ”a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

Aye Aye Captain!

One of the great, and sustainably made, work spaces at Nauti Studios.

Iain McKelvey on Family, Intimate Shows and Inspiration

This Friday night we will be hosting an intimate acoustic folk night at Nauti. This is being organised by musician Iain McKelvey, with proceeds going to Parkinson's research. I chatted to Iain to get some insight into him, his practice and his passions. 

Musician and event organiser Iain McKelvey.

Hi Iain! Welcome to Nauti! How long have you been making music? 
I've been making music on and off since I was 15. With incredibly varying levels of seriousness. I had an incredible knack for writing songs I would never complete when I was younger. I guess that was my 'instrumental' phase. I think it really related back to my confidence surrounding my voice. I didn't think I could sing. Once I started to focus on that it got easier tie the whole thing together and actually complete a song. It's only been in the last few years that I've begun to engage in it with a little bit more seriousness, thanks to the encouragement of friends and family.

How did you get into it? 
My parents aren't musical but they love music and have always been really encouraging with all the weird little paths I try to walk down. I took piano lessons when I was 9 (or thereabouts) and it's still my biggest musical regret, giving up the piano. I started Guitar lessons later on and that's when something started to resonate for me. What little kid doesn't want to rock out to Oasis's Wonderwall in their bedroom. It wasn't until I studied at JMC that I really began to explore possibilities within music. To be honest though, I struggle at a desk and music makes me feel good.

What inspires you to make music? 
The Blues and anyone and anything. Music, to me has been a consistent in my life at bringing people together and creating amazing experiences. I am really in to taking a notebook out with me, sitting in the park and just seeing what happens. It's really experiential for me, which probably explains why I go long periods without making anything (a good excuse eh?). I've been on a real introspective bent lately, diving in to music as catharsis. A medium in which to work through, explore and reveal some aspects of yourself that you might not otherwise want to face. That can be pretty depressing to listen to haha. For a long time it's been me, a guitar and a bedroom, so I think that's natural. Cabin fever has definitely set so I'm trying to right some more upbeat tunes, so people don't have to listen to me whinge all the time, more so I can dance. 

Some of the proceeds of the night at Nauti will be going to the 'Shake It Up Foundation'. What inspired you to donate, and why did you choose this organisation? 
Shake It Up is a really special foundation for me. Their focus is on Parkinson's Research and they are the largest NGO geared towards this. My Dad has Parkinson's and suggested them due to their donation structure being very well skewed towards research rather than admin and bloated salaries. My Dad really is a massive inspiration. Approaching everything with poise and a wickedly in tact sense of humour. He's helped open my eyes to what it really means to have and to be affected by Parkinson's. It's my way of combining what I know in a way that I can raise awareness and do my part for Dad and the millions of families out there.

You are setting up this night to be quite different to a lot of other live gigs in Sydney. How is it going to be different? 
I want these experiences to be special. Often there can feel like there's this wall between artists and punters. I don't want that. It's a small (50 person capacity), intimate show in a space that most people might not think of as a live music venue. The aim is to introduce and showcase the incredible talent that we have here in Sydney. There's a focus on singer-songwriters, as that's my background, but that doesn't always mean acoustic. It could be spoken word, a duo or electric. The artists get to sit in with the crowd and share stories behind their work and hopefully engage with each other in a lasting fashion and a way that wouldn't normally happen at a purpose built music venue like The Hordern.

Which musicians most influence your music? 
That's a near impossible question to answer! There's the standards like The Beatles. Delta Blues artists like Robert Johnson and Lead Belly. I think Sarah Blasko and Missy Higgins are incredible, I've recently enjoyed a tour through their back catalogue. Nick Cave is a huge one for me, especially on the words and stories front. He's incredible at painting a picture. Tom Waits, Jackson Browne. I love pop music too, I'm not ashamed to say it. Toxic by Britney Spears? One of the best ever written. Pretty much anyone that plays these experiences I put on is an inspires me in some way. That's why I want them to play, so I can share that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's hard to pin down any one main influence but there's an anchor in the classics due to Dad not letting me change the radio from WSFM. Which I am now hugely thankful for. 

What's the best live gig you've ever been to? 
Again so hard! What are you doing?! (HAHA!) I remember seeing the Pixies at Splendour one year and that was pretty epic. The Lumineers at The Enmore Theatre was incredible. Their support act D.D. Dumbo had to cancel so their pianist Stelth Ulvang came out and from that point it was just a big ol' party. They commanded that room. One of the most raucous gigs I've been to was Swedish punk band The Refused, easily the wildest gig I've attended. Locally though I just recently saw a band called ARSE at Petersham Bowling Club. They were SO good.

And finally, if you had to choose one nautical creature to best describe yourself in metaphor, what would it be? Why? 
Oh man....I don't know. I'd like to say Sea Turtle. I resonated on such a deep level with Crush from Finding Nemo. He was just the ultimate dude, cruising round the ocean having a blast. He seems like he would never get mad and I can have a grouchy side. Maybe a sea lion? They seem pretty chill but then like to make an incesseant amount of noise occasionally. Yeah that works...For now.

Catch Iain this Friday night at Nauti Studios. Click here for more info and tickets.

Iain McKelvey probably deep in musical thought. 

Naugh-tea or Nice: Q&A with Monique of The Loose Leaf Tea House

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Tea-lover Monique Lucas started The Loose Leaf Tea House in 2010, and has been cooking up delicious blends ever since. Monique handblends each and every one of our teas to make every cup memorable - from your regular morning 'pick you up' - through to those special tea moments that take you out of the everyday. She's an ever-present fixture at Nauti Studios, always ready for a chat over lunch or sharing some of her new concoctions.

Why tea?

I love the ritual of tea. I like that it’s a excuse to stop for a moment from our crazy lives. I find it really comforting if anyone is sick or down it’s always “I’ll make you a cup of tea”.

Tell us about how you make your teas! Do you blend them yourself, and how do you come up with the flavour combinations?

I have some traditional blends, such as English breakfast, but I try to blend most myself. I seem to go through phases of flavours, for example cinnamon was quite dominant in a few blends then it was orange, now rose. I am thinking lavender next…

What is your ultimate creative dream?

I would love to open a little tea store that’s floor to ceiling full of tea! 

What do you use the space at Nauti Studios for?

I use the space as my office and where all our tea orders are processed.

What’s your favourite part about the space at Nauti?

The social aspect. There is a nice community here where we have lunch and afternoon tea together which makes for great breaks through out the day.

We have a ping pong table here at Nauti – are you any good?

I am ok, until we start scoring ;)

If you were a sea creature, which would you be?

Does a hippo count? 

Finally, are you nauti or nice? ;)

I think I am nauti but in a nice way.

Sustainably Awesome: Nat Cheney on her Sustainable Coworking Dreams

In 2014, Natalie Cheney decided--let's open Nauti Studios.

After transforming the old warehouse space into the fantastically nautical themed space it is today, Nat opened the doors to the creatives of Sydney. One of the most interesting things about Nauti Studios is its emphasis on sustainability, upcycling, and caring for the environment. We spoke to Nat about why it is just so important to her.

Sustainability is always very important to you. When you decided to start working on a co-working space, did you know you wanted to use upcycled and sustainable materials?

100%. I have always liked using found materials in my practices. They really appeal to me on multiple levels; environmentally, financially, aesthetically, and emotionally. 

Before starting Nauti I was living in Melbourne for four years doing illustration. I had paid work but I wasn’t by any means loaded. I would use found materials for a lot of my work because, MONEY. Money is a thing. But also I found that pre-loved and pre-used objects have their own charming history and character. 

Whether it’s paper, wood, a lamp shade, a room. They have character from where they’ve been, who used them, what they were made of, why they were made. I love that. I love those stories. Those rich histories. 

This methodology may possibly have grown in me from descending from a long line of farmers and green-thumbs. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from running around on my Grandparents’ farm. Mum once sent me to the farm for eight months straight because I kept breaking my arms. So I spent the good part of a year sleeping with cows in fields, swimming in the stream, adventuring with the cattle dogs, getting down the well with Grandpa, spotting foxes, making beer with my Grandpa (lol he was cheeky - he trained me to be his little brew hand), gardening. I loved it there. Farm life, unless you run a massive produce farm, tends to come hand in hand with a DIY attitude. I have definitely inherited that. My folks, too, have been renovating their house themselves for similar reasons for FAR TOO LONG. Lol. My dad’s out there in the summer lifting each 35kg retaining brick himself. Part of me hates that he’s spending his retirement working, but he enjoys it, and he sure appreciates it. There is a lot of joy in his eyes when he looks at something he’s built, and I can relate to that. There is nothing quite like seeing something you’ve made and transformed, be enjoyed. 

I get a lot of joy from seeing people learn, grow, connect and thrive at Nauti, and my re-use of used/reject materials gives me a similar joy. I get to watch something I’ve made being enjoyed, but also I get to see the disused and unloved materials I source get a new life. A new purpose. 

I also LOVE nature. I feel so at home when I’m out in the forest, or the sea. The desert. The sky (another story). On top of a mountain with the breeze in my face. The natural landscape is so varied, so vast; it is incredible. A lot of people are super wasteful when making their products, crafts, buildings, whatever. I just can’t do it. Whenever I can I recycle and reuse things I do, because nature is so magic. 

Nauti Studios is an eclectic and vibrant space. How did you go about finding the materials you used?

A magician never reveals their secrets ;)

Lots of the items in the space have a story! What’s your favourite story?

Hmmm… That’s a hard question. Dang. Um… Definitely the top story. That’s where the studio is. ;)

You’re a self taught builder, and built Nauti Studios from scratch in both Stanmore and Hazelbrook. How did you go about teaching yourself these skills?

Very slowly and painfully. Very. Painfully. Learning by making mistakes and doing things the wrong way first.  LOL!

A lot of people seem to think that sustainability can be a hard practice to live life by. Do you agree?

It’s as hard as changing any habit. Which can be very hard, but once it’s ingrained, it becomes easy. I think the difficulty is in getting in the habit of asking where things come from, and by saying “no” to sources and things that aren’t sustainable. Companies make it so easy, and so convenient for you to not give a shit about the environment. If someone is wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle I would recommend seeing what you buy and where you buy it from. If you don’t agree with where something comes from, or how it was made, don’t buy it. Don’t give them your money. Don’t fuel their business further unless they start producing things sustainably. 

Personal agency. Yumbo. 

It’s like if you buy cookies from Scouts when they come to your door, but every time you buy from them they take a poop on your front lawn. Your neighbours buy from them too, because they go to their door and it’s easy, convenient. Then they shit on your neighbours lawn. Everyone just keeps on buying the cookies and complaining about the smell in the street. Why would you keep buying from them if they keep doing more and more poops on your lawn, your neighbours lawn, every body’s lawns? You wouldn’t. Unless your lawn needs fertilising. Then, fair play to you.

One of the favourite features of the space are the boats we have! Why boats, and why nautical?

When I fist got the studio I was chatting with my mate Steve, who is an architect. We were talking about the best ways to lay out the studios, and he asked me if I was going to have a theme. I think in hindsight he, as a professional architect, meant “tasteful interior design colour palette theme”. But I straight away thought “YEAH! SOMETHING FUN! NAUTICAL WOOOOHOOOOO!” 

What’s one tip you’d give to someone about living a sustainable life?

Every time you go to buy something think “Who is my money going to at the end of the line?”, and “Do they care about the environment?”. If the answer is no, then walk away and give your money to someone who gives a shit (but not on your front lawn (unless you want them to)).