keepitlite - Native Shoes

ISSUE 1.5
FALL WINTER 2015
FREE—FOR FREE MINDS
#KEEPITLITE
NATIVE TONGUE
3
NATIVE TONGUE
CONTENTS
PAGE 4
PAGE 24
PAGE 28
SOLE JOURNEY
LYNNIE ZULU
A BRILLIANT SPECTRUM
PAGE 36
PAGE 44
PAGE 46
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
THE MADBURY CLUB
SHHHHH BOOOOO
BY IAN SVENONIUS
BEN MEDANSKY
TALKS WITH KYLE NG
LETTER
FROM
THE
ED.
Planetary supervisor Ed here, for yet another edition of the infamous mountaintop shoutings bureau known as this here Native Tongue. Been quite the adventure so far, but I highly doubt
we’re done there. In the time since last issue, I’ve managed to
galaxy hop a good amount but duties persist, and one place I
realize I’ve yet to wholly wander through, is this here planet.
Sure, there was the Mississippi Mudslide of 1974, the Sotograndian horseback riding of ’64, damn near lost a pinky toe in the
Earth’s mantle near Zanzibar, and who can forget that brief
decade when I sat cross legged at a Orthodox Monestary in
Scranton. Hmm.
But, musings elsewhere…
ABOUT
THE NATIVE TONGUE IS PART OF THE CONTINUING STUDY OF LITE ON EARTH.
THE GALAXY SPEAKS AND WE JUST JOT IT ALL DOWN.
Like I’ve always said, this soil you stand on is a grand ecosystem, bearing many fruits. Myself and fellow keep-it-lite-ers here
at the Tongue have stayed the course, and, by course, I mean
wandering down the Yangtze in search of twelve different species of wild roosterlings. They’re considered a delicacy to some,
though not quite the best way to spend an afternoon, but we
fought and fought and—am I name dropping too much? Ah,
anyway, Earth. What a wonderful, erm, “destination”. It vividly
reminds me of my stint in Cawalago—oh, right, sorry again.
For this special edition of the Tongue, we’re mounting a spotlight on those whom pay homage to the planetary wonderment
that surrounds us. I mean, face it. You guys have birds. Birds.
What great creatures, unlike any in the cosmos.
THANK YOU’S
THE MADBURY CLUB, REIGNING CHAMP, WINGS + HORNS, AXS FOLK TECHNOLOGY, ARC’TERYX VEILANCE,
ZANEROBE, KENZO, TIMEBOMB, DSTRT, THE NTWRK, INPLAY, SHIROM, BLUE DISTRIBUTION, SNIZAMO, EURO PACIFIC,
NEXOLVE, HEGOS, KIXBOX, PRIMER, JETSUNNY. SOURCE RITE, PROTAP, DUNE, SOLAN BRAZIL SL, HURRAY, PARKER BIRD,
JUSTINA, #CANADIANFRASER, KYLE NG, BENJAMIN B. TROLLINS, MARGHERITA PORRA, JENNILEE MARIGOMEN,
COREY LUCAS, JEFFRO, AND THE ZULU NATION.
ALL THE EXPLORERS, ALL THE FOLK AND ALL THE FEET OF THE WORLD.
THANK YOU AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP IT LITE.
Which, no less, reminds me of you, our readers. Though embryonic in your tongueship, you give our editorials purpose and
endless zeal. You are truly, unlike anything in the cosmos.
Except this race of Zligonites I once ran into—
Oh, never mind. Best,
Ed
EDWARD VON NEWTONHAMMER,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NATIVESHOES.COM
#KEEPITLITE
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Sole Journey
Sole Journey
AN ORGANIC
SOLE JOURNEY
INTO THE
SUPERNATURAL
O U R H A N DS F R E E E X P E D I T I O N
I N TO FA L L / W I N TE R 2 01 5
THE EARTH IS OUR HOME. The global precession is here. From sea level to mountain top, from core to surface,
from longitude to latitude. Hanging ten on the seven seas, clad stomping around these noble continents. That’s
what it comes down to. This time around we meld many cultures, many nations and even many weathers under
one beautiful, flowing flag. Japanese embroidery, african kente, scottish pride, american patina. These all have a
place under the roof of our rain-filled clouds. Clouds which have little effect now that rain-enforced silhouettes
have been added to the fray. Welcome to (y)our world, wayward traveler. Rest thy weary feet.
Spaceman P and 2 cubes.
Fitzroy — Everyday neighbourhood stuntman
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Sole Journey
Sole Journey
Apollo Moc — Fundamentally natural yet futuristically innovative
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Sole Journey
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Sole Journey
Apollo Moc — Instinctive adaptations
Apollo Rain — Stare into the lite
Fitzsimmons — Terrain conquerors unite
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Sole Journey
10
Jericho — Easing into pure leisure
Sole Journey
Fitzroy — Future foundations
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Sole Journey
Sole Journey
Jericho — New kid on the block
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14
Fitzsimmons — Reaching for universality globally
Sole Journey
Sole Journey
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Sole Journey
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Embroidered Apollo Moc — One stop attention magnet
Sole Journey
Jefferson — Naturally induced meditative state
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Sole Journey
Sole Journey
Jimmy Winter — Professional ice breaker
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Sole Journey
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Jericho — Spectacular destinations await
Sole Journey
Apollo Rain — Fair weather friend forever
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22
Fitzsimmons — The qualities of natural desire
Sole Journey
Sole Journey
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Lynnie Zulu
Lynnie Zulu
TALKING
ZULU
EDWARD VON NEWTON HAMMER
SITS DOWN WITH OUR COVER
ARITIST LYNNIE ZULU
W E T R A N S C R I B E D T H E I R CO N V E R SAT I O N
A N D H AV E R E P R I N T E D I T H E R E FO R
YOUR EN J OY MEN T
Girl Boss
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Lynnie Zulu
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Lynnie Zulu
WE WELCOME A PARTICULAR SOUL to the hallowed halls of the
Native Tongue. London-based shape manipulator and colorsmith
Lynnie Zulu stops by to share her moments of wisdom and all-around
good charm. Though our chat with her was borderline probing,
it was just our way of saying “you’re family” to this graphic magician
of African-descent.
ED: Where did you doodle and dabble your way into a life path?
LZ: I studied Illustration at Kingston University
ED: Ahhh, the diversity of life. Our melting pot of planetary skin
tones blend to form a—eh, uh, I’m rambling. From where do your
ancestors originate?
LZ: A big influence is my mother who is also an artist and grew up in
Tanzania. She’s encouraged me to reach out and make ideas reality,
and to create the things that I want to see! Even if you’re based in
the cold wet Scottish countryside you can transform your world.
She did this by whacking raw pigment on the walls and decking our
living room out with Maasai spears and hippo teeth. We all have the
ability to be so adventurous with our minds and it’s always refreshing
to apply your creativity and inspire others.
ED: The preferred arsenal that you like to carry into battle?
LZ: I love using Poscas (paint pens), I’ve found them to be a great
medium to loosen up with as they’re halfway between paint and
pen. They allow for a lovely matte effect and layer well. I also love
to define my illustrations with Japanese ink.
ED: These females in your work seem to ooze with panache. Was
that intentional? What did you hope they’d be like?
LZ: Strong, charismatic, mysterious and sometimes seductive personalities. It’s very important to me that they carry strong traits that
reflect the female presence. I love surrounding them in metaphorical
environments, whether it be a jungle or a chaotic atmosphere. I
want the woman to be the influence that conducts the surroundings that she’s in.
ED: This vast cataclysmic picture of a distant reality. Describe this
world you aim to convey.
LZ: I like to think the world I create in my work is a good escape
that can ignite all your senses at once. Within the busy patterns
there’s rhythm, within the colour there’s taste, all together I want it
to transport you for a moment to an inspiring place.
ED: I see you, dude. No literally, I see you right there. You’re sitting
right in front of me. Let’s speak on the eye for a moment.
LZ: I’ve always been very interested in eyes and they’ve always had a
prominent place in my illustrations. I’ve also loved using them as an
isolated motif in my work, I think they’re something that can stand
alone and still be powerful because of the symbolism attached to
them. The idea of adorning a pair of shoes with illustrated eyes
seemed to carry a folklore aesthetic—whilst still contemporary and
visually exciting.
ED: Sonic vibrations are nice. So are organized sonic vibrations.
What vibrations sound most organized to you?
LZ: A huge variety of music can send my head into the right mindset. It’s interesting how I’m beginning to find patterns within my
listening choices... lately I’ve realised I’ve been referring to different
genres for different parts of my creative process. Artists like Nick
Cave are amazing if I want to beat the beginning of the project with
a burst of energy and create some more impulsive work that’s raw
and uncontrived. I love listening to Afrobeat and Calypso whilst
mid progress... 1970’s Disco if I’m in need of a quick pace to reach
a speedy deadline. All these genres have the ability to get me in a
trance-like state, which I crave, as that’s when great things happen.
ED: The hooligans with which you align your creative admiration
meter?
LZ: Jordy Van Den Nieuwendijk, Saskia Pomeroy, Hattie Stewart,
Sara Andreasson.. the list could go on and on...
Bubble Head
FIN.
TOP: Crazy Love
RIGHT: Verona — Megamarine Blue / Shell White / Lynnie Face Print
Fitzsimmons — Jiffy Black / Shell White / Lynnie Eye Print
LEFT: Circus Babe
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A Brilliant Spectrum
A Brilliant Spectrum
FUTURE PERFECT:
A BRILLIANT
SPECTRUM
A CONTEMPLATION ON LIGHT, COLOR
AND WEIGHTLESSNESS
BY J E N N I L E E M A R I G O M E N /
MA R G H E R I TA P O R R A
NEW PLANES, SHIFTING HORIZONS and cold snaps mix.
Inspired adventurers who seek new ranges of colored
fields drift away and dismiss current notions of weight
to discover what movement desires and what the mood
craves—lightness, in the weightless sense.
At the intersection of weight like a feather and color
discussed as light, we canvas cultures to explore the
movement and lightness of shifting hues and mixing tones
to create shape and form.
Weight of volume, space and light adopt a child-like-innocence in their play, disregarding the rules and inventing
as they go, creating as they wish and forming inspired
notions of their combined influence. Light swirls into pots
of color and translucency, projecting its perception onto
surfaces to create marvel and surprise.
As shape and light meet, cohorting to paint their own
interpretation of objects, they diffuse at their own whim
and create forms as they wish. Big, bigger, small or smallest, they team up to exaggerate volume and silhouette.
When meeting a material of desire, light brings a certain
sense of je ne sais quoi, charming with its many ways.
Interacting with its object of muse by some combination
of romantic reflection, self-absorption or projection. Even
bending to please.
Often mused, rarely understood, a true reflection jests
and deludes as its instigator. Light, greets shape and
forms what we think to be true. Ideas and notions buffer
and interpret our reflection. Light strikes the surface of
a desirable, solid form, bouncing in all directions of life
due to the multiple reflections of our own tiny irregularities inside of what we see. Most of the objects visible
are all just a scattering of light. Gifting us with a myriad
of colors, light scatters from the surfaces of objects
enabling us to see.
Inspiration comes in many forms. This time the form is
shape and weight shifting. It moves across land with the
faintest of touches, it captures color through light and
sheds a quality of emotion. It takes the form of what it
touches and together something new is cultivated - any
certain combination leading up to a brilliant spectrum
of every color.
Color is light. It’s a weightless idea.
Embroidered Apollo Chukka — Mementos of Time
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Jericho and Fitzsimmons — All in the Family
A Brilliant Spectrum
A Brilliant Spectrum
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A Brilliant Spectrum
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A Brilliant Spectrum
Fitzsimmons — The Perception of Lite
Kids Jefferson — Sea of Reflections
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A Brilliant Spectrum
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A Brilliant Spectrum
Kids Jefferson — Piller of Lite
Miller — Caught on Tape
Verona — Additive Mixing
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Behind the Scenes
BEYOND
THE FOURTH
DIMENSION
BEHIND THE RED
CURTAIN
INTERNATIONAL INTERGALACTICA
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TH E M A D B U RY C LU B
O N E B E N JA M I N T R O L L P U P P E T, T H E M A D B U RY C LU B
A N D 1 . 35 B I L L I O N O F O U R C LOS E ST F R I E N DS .
B E H I N D TH E S C E N E S I N C H I N A .
Behind the Scenes
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Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
HONG KONG 10.2–10.4
ED NOTE: UNDERBRIDGE TACTICS / BAG RETRIEVAL TASK FORCE OF 1894 /
NEW YORK NUMBER TWO / MIRA MOON / MANSION TALES FROM THE CRYPT /
CO PY PASTE H O U S I N G / H Y PE BE AST S O CC E R RI VA L RI E S
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Behind the Scenes
Along with a particular blue-skinned personality, this neatly organized visual collage chronicles the
Far East movements of a band of misfits eternally tasked with “letting the good vibes roll”.
Behind the Scenes
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Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
10.5 –10.7
ED NOTE: HENRY TSAO / THE NATIVE FACTORY /
COSMIC WANDER / INT E RG A L AC T I C CO M M I T T E E O F BU C K E T PRO C U RE M E N T /
DORM ROOM SENSIBILTIES SINCE 2010 / BLACK AND VERDE
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Shhhhh Booooo
Shhhhh Booooo
fig. 2
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fig. 3
ORIGINS OF THE BOOT
SHHHH
BOOOO
VERSUS
BY IAN SVENONIUS
SHHHHH
BOOOOO
Subject is seen Shhhhing at shoe.
Subject is Booooing at boot.
(Note bombastic gestures and tone.)
HUMANS ARE FLAWED.
They are vulnerable in ways that make them seem fundamentally incompatible with basic conditions on the earth.
A prime example: their feet are not tough enough to carry
them through their environment. While a human can go unclothed if they wish, with little to fear. Besides offending the
religious and social mores of their society—their feet must
be clad and covered. Otherwise, they will be hurt by roots,
broken glass, loose gravel, brambles, syringes, discarded
cigarettes, canine waste, dead vermin, chewing gum, and
a host of other sidewalk miscellany. (Paradoxically, while it
is against the law to bare one’s body out of doors, it is not
illegal to have bare feet). Therefore every person must put
something on their feet. They have no choice.
For the human, who clings to the conceit of free will and
personal control over their environment and destiny, this is a
galling and humiliating admission. They have therefore contrived an elective to sweeten the pill of bitter powerlessness.
“THIS CHOICE IS COMPULSORY; EVERY PERSON
MUST MAKE IT—NOT ONLY ONCE, BUT EVERY
SINGLE DAY OF THEIR LIVES.”
fig. 1
It is this: Boot or Shoe?
Obviously, the shoe is most people’s preference. Shoes
blend in well with the surroundings, shoes are typically
innocuous, and shoes are easy to put on and take off,
which is convenient in case one goes, for example, into a
Japanese restaurant or a Swedish person’s home. “Shoe”,
therefore, is most people’s choice. This makes sense when
one considers the shoe’s origin story.
The shoe is based on the sound: “SHHH.”
IAN F. SVENONIUS—KNOWN ROCK N ROLL PERFORMER
Nation of Ulysses - 13-Point Program to Destroy America in (1991), Plays Pretty for Baby (1992)
The Make Up - Destination: Love - Live! At Cold Rice (1996), Sound Verite (1997), In Mass Mind (1998), Save Yourself (1999)
Weird War aka Scene Creamers - Weird War (2002), I Suck on that Emotion (2003), If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Bite ‘Em (2004), Illuminated by the Light (2005)
Chain and the Gang - Down With Liberty . . . Up With Chains! (2009), I’ve Got Privilege (2010), Cry Cry Cry (2011), Music’s Not For Everyone (2011), In Cool Blood (2014)
Known Propagandist - The Psychic Soviet (2006), Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group (2013)
Partial list - many known aliases. Do not approach, unsavory political views and practices.
“Shh” is the sound, pretty much culturally universal, of a
person “shush”-ing someone else, i.e. telling them to be
quiet. It’s the war cry of those who love decency, decorum
and bourgeois propriety. It’s the national anthem of all those
souls who don’t want to make problems, cause a scene, or
create a stir. You hear it in the library, in the movie house,
during the lecture, and even at the family dinner table.
It’s often directed towards those who too young or too
drunk to know how to comport themselves in respectable
society. “Shh” is necessary sound of course; without “shh”
we would always wake the baby. Shhhoes – or “Shoes” for
short – are good for creeping by and not being noticed.
They are perfect for not creating a stir or making a scene.
Boots are different. Boots are also based on a sound – “Boo”;
as in a loud vocalization of a complaint. This sound is also
fairly universal; a cross-cultural, international gurgle of
refusal. “Boo” could be a complaint about a performance,
a speech, an opinion, food, art, one’s surroundings, an
occurrence, an action, the weather, or even society itself.
Regardless, it is the sound of opposition to someone or
something, and in no uncertain terms. “Boo” pierces the
polite applause and insists on truth. Boo’s bass tones comes
from the depths of the chest cavity, and is a visceral, whole
body sound, as opposed to “shh” which emanates from the
mouth/throat. While “shh” is cerebral, “boo” is corporeal,
physical. Boots’ structural origins are from this sound effect.
Boots challenge the feet, the street, and the outfit they are
paired with. They want attention and demand compliance
with their demands. They forage through brook and pathway,
and devour their prey as they are confronted. The boot is
hungry, voracious, uncompromising. People “put the boot
in” and they “die with their boots on” when they go down
fighting. Therefore there are many boots which are associated with violence and conquest (Wellington boots, Beatles
boots, cowboy boots, bovver boots, et al).
Our feet are a reconnaissance unit, the “avant-garde,” which
transport the cautious body forward, and they risk much to
do so. If there is a tar pit, the foot is first to suffer. If there is
quicksand, the foot drowns first. If there is a snake or crevice or molten lava, the foot experiences its treachery and
then sends a warning to the body. It is important therefore
to clothe one’s feet with something that addresses their
vital and often overlooked role. The boot wearer, therefore,
drapes their feet in things which have a tougher profile
than, what they feel, is a flimsy old shoe. Anything less,
they seem to think, would send a signal to the foot that it
isn’t appreciated; and the foot’s self-esteem is essential to
the body’s survival.
It should be noted that there is more to the boot than just an
aggressive contrarian. “Boo” is also the root of “Boo-hoo”,
that primal cry of lament expressed by the small child. So
the boot is soulful. Unreconstructed. Honest. And “boo”
is also “Boo!” i.e. a fun and friendly surprise, executed with
a touch of mischief and whimsy. Because the boot must
fill all these roles, there are many types of boot available
to the prospective wearer; desert boots, Chelsea boots,
thigh highs, and fishing boots. Duck boots, riding boots,
rain boots, and monkey boots. Banana boots, Motorcycle
boots, hiking boots, Fog boots and moon boots.
In fact, modern conditions have created hybrids and mutants
that sometimes don’t appear to be boots at all. Philosophers, coeds, professors, and pundits sometimes ruminate
on what the Platonic ideal of a boot is – “what constitutes
a boot?”– for example, and “where does a shoe stop and
a boot begin?”
These squabbles, which have occupied scholars for centuries, are best left to be wrestled over in the ivory tower.
The way to know whether its a boot or not is just to pull
it on. If you suddenly feel a little more boss, a little more
bold, more boo-rish, and more boo-tiful, you know you’re
wearing a boot.
FIN.
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Ben Medansky
ALOHA MR.
MEDANSKY
OUR ASSOCIATE THE RENOWNED FOLK TECHNOLOGIST
KYLE NG SPENT SOME TIME WITH BEN
MEDANSKY IN HIS L.A. STUDIO
W E T R A N S C R I B E D T H E I R CO N V E R SAT I O N
A N D H AV E R E P R I N T E D I T H E R E FO R
YOUR EN J OY MEN T
Ben Medansky
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Ben Medansky
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SINCE FORMING HIS OWN LOS ANGELES CERAMICS STUDIO IN 2012, artist Ben Medansky has been creating
some of the most innovative ceramics of his generation. Having grown up in the Arizona desert and attended
art school in Chicago, Ben found his way to the birthplace of modern craft, California. Here, he worked under
prominent ceramicists such as Peter Shire, Kelly Lamb, and the Haas Brothers, while continuing to hone his craft
and develop his own style. In mixing his love of the colors and textures of the Arizona desert landscape with the
postmodern architectural sensibilities of southern California, he finds a unique way of defining structural forms.
We are excited to sit down with Ben and discuss his future folk style.
KYLE NG: What’s your process of making your style of ceramics?
BEN MEDANSKY: There is a performance in making ceramics. Craft and skill are important and you end up with a
final, robust object. I’m really interested in ceramics as a Postmodern craft. The idea of modern craft is interesting
because it connects product design, fashion, pop-culture; all design is considered. Simply working in traditional
ceramics doesn’t interest me. Some of the most inspiring things to me as of late is the architecture of Los Angeles. i love the mix of post modern and mid century buildings that you can find all around the city. The buildings
themselves really inspire my work.
KN: You work is very original. Are you ever afraid that people will try to copy your work?
BM: I’m not afraid of being copied because I am always pushing my ideas to the next level and making things in
my image. I’m working in one of the oldest mediums, so the idea of originality is different.
KN: In some of your work you can almost see natural forms. Some look like geodes and others look like organic
body parts. Does nature influence you?
BM: Nature is really important to me, like desert textures and the shapes that geodes take. At the same time, I like
to make bulbous, round objects as a way to contrast and revolt against the stark forms I always use. My Arizona
“I’M INTERESTED IN TAKING OLD MATERIALS AND TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING FUTURISTIC-FEELING OR SOMETHING THAT CAN SEEM OTHER-PLANETARY, LIKE OUT-OFTHIS-WORLD SHAPES OR SPACE GOO. THINK OF A JURASSIC FUTURE, A PRIMORDIAL
PROGRESSION WHERE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE MEET.”
upbringing inspires the shapes and materials I prefer. Porcelain doesn’t interest me. It’s too delicate. I’m inspired
by well-made structures that have lasted for thousands of years. Form is the most important aspect to me.
KN: We have talked about the idea of future folk. What exactly is this concept to you?
BM: I try to add elements from my past into my work to expand the life of peoples’ ideas into the future. I’m
interested in taking old materials and trying to make someting futuristic-feeling or something that can seem
other-planetary, like out-of-this-world shapes or space goo. Think of a Jurassic future, a primordial progression
where past, present and future meet. I don’t want people to pinpoint the era in which the ceramics were made.
The space race is still alive and inspiring.
KN: There is an essence to your work… playfulness/humor?
BM: Humor and fun are important in my work and I want the objects I make to convey that. There is reason to be
fun. The objects should seem playful yet functional. I will make a perfectly formed cylinder and then add a nub
and call it a morning wood mug.
FIN.
Ben Medansky
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NICE SHOES. TOY WITH STYLE.
NATIVESHOES.COM
#KEEPITLITE
D.O.N.T
DEPARTMENT OF NEW THOUGHTS
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT OF NEW THOUGHTS