I spy with my fresh eye

A wealth of delightful, some might say, beautiful objects never cease to be found in local ‘op’ shops. 
From teacups to furniture it only takes a fresh eye to discover that special ‘piece’ for your home or work space.

Take for example the 1950s & 60s cocktail and entertaining glassware which was regularly pushed to the back of the cupboard or 
palmed off to the ‘kids’ when they moved out of the family home (finally). 
These wonderful glasses often find themselves lingering on ‘op’ shops sleeves or at local fetes and markets hoping to find a new home. 
They cost so little but are so delightful.

The 1950s furniture, that now fills the corners of ‘op’ shops, spoke of the space age and brave new world materials like heavy duty vinyl, formica and 
plastic surfaces constantly delighted its then end users. (Easy to clean. Saves you time.) 

These fine, sleek mid century designs filled young families’ newly built bungalows in new built suburbs. 
But the furniture lost its shine and was eventually pushed out to local ‘op’ shops. 
Its only crime was it was old fashioned.

My friend Harold David has an eye that spies all of these objects’ original reasons for being and happily invites them to join him in his home.  
The images on these pages were taken in rooms that Harry built out of ‘op’ shop finds.

Shiftazine Issue No.4

Open publication - Free publishing - More chalk drawings

A Mid Century Colour Palette

The colour ways of the 1940s and 1950s possessed a subtlety and depth that has been lacking in the popular culture design colour palette for a while.  
The colours of that time had a softness that wraps around the user like a comfort blanket.

The colour plays in this article are based on a series of 1940s wartime magazine covers. Some of these colour plays utilise the same colour palette, seen at base of page. 
They are exercises in engaging a different combination or placement of the same colours to create different atmospheres or ambiance. 

Whether the palette is based on primary colours (red, yellow and blue) or a more subtle palette of soft grey greens and sand hues, the results and dialogue can be truly exciting and not dated.

These palettes could be the source of endless possibilities.  Play with colour.  
Be brave and don’t be a slave to what is considered the “NOW” palette.  
Invent your own “NOW”.

Kookas on the street

I found this amazing caravan one day walking down Redfern Street. I LOVE  IT! 
This caravan is a part of an initiative called KOOLPURPLEKOOKAS and it is all about indigenous people teaching other indigenous people and 
communities the health benefits of eating bush tucker. 
Go to koolpurplekookas.com for the full story, they tell it a lot better than shiftazine can. 
We think that it is a true example of shiftazine thinking. 
Well done to Corey Grech and his family.

Sometimes things are just beautiful...

Is anybody listening?

Human beings are pretty much the same wherever you go, regardless of culture they grow up in.  
They all feel the same basic emotions, and fear the same basic things.  
They need and want the same authentic things, like love and respect and encouragement.  
This truth does not need to be written with 4 syllable words, it just demands to be articulated. 
People want and need to be heard.  So listen, sometimes you will hear something new. Shift a little.

The Plastic Arts

I love plastic beaded curtains and have ever since I first saw them in Italy awhile ago. I have always suspected that a plastic beaded curtain could do more than just keep the bugs out on a hot summer’s day. 
An installation by Dani Marti entitled 'LOOKING FOR FELIX 2000’ exhibited at the Newcastle Art Gallery in 2011 proved  that  my heartfelt suspicion was correct. 
The installation was made from many, many long rows of glowing red plastic beads. 
You could walk through them, around them, loose yourself in them.  
Intoxicating! 'LOOKING FOR  FELIX  2000’ was gifted to the Newcastle Art Gallery in 2005 by the artist. 
It is a great piece of SHIFTAZINE thinking in action.