frankie Magazine

As kids, we’re asked to define ourselves as if our identities are set in stone: what our favourite colour is, who our best friend is, what job we aspire to. Of course, we grow older and find that our goals, the things we like and want – even our fundamental beliefs – can change completely. There’s nothing wrong with changing your mind (you don’t have to be a unicornologist whose favourite colour is yellow forever) – in fact, after chatting to the folks in this issue, we think it’s pretty healthy. Sometimes it’s hard to leave the desires of your past self behind (page 20), but embracing new possibilities is what makes life exciting. You might wake up one day and decide to start a flower farm (page 37) or completely ditch…

LETTERS@FRANKIE.COM.AU Dear frankie, I was thrilled to read “Page not found” in issue 111. I work at a library in a small town in Canada and have been unplugged for over 10 months now. One day it occurred to me: I am surrounded by the best type of content (books, of course). I went cold turkey on the apps and have never looked back since. Many friends ask if everything is all right, “What happened?” etc. when I say I am not on the platforms anymore. But I also notice that when friends call or text me these days, we have more meaningful conversations. It is wonderful to hear more people are choosing to be unplugged and living for the here and now. Thank you for all the wonderful stuff you…

gone troppo Through eye-catching graphics on hemp tees and jumpsuits, the new collaboration from AFENDS x House of Darwin invites us to “return to Earth”. What exactly are they trying to tell us? Well, basically, not to go bananas and lose sight of the important stuff, like how to care for Country. Both brands aim to use their creative powers to highlight the wealth of Indigenous knowledge in environmental conservation, and they’re backing it up by donating a portion of profits to the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, which works with First Nations rangers to preserve parts of Arnhem Land. See more at afends.com pasta pleasures While we don’t believe in a ‘correct’ serving size for pasta (as with garlic, you measure that with your heart), we do concede that estimating spaghetti portions for guests…

Every cat owner remembers their first time – the first time your cat voluntarily crawls onto your lap and settles down like a furry hot water bottle. It’s a sign that you’re a fundamentally good and trustworthy person, rather than the selfish and cynical arsehole you suspect yourself to be. A small mammal who’s sort of your prisoner loves you, and that’s all that matters in the world. So, the big question: how do you trick a cat into loving you earn a cat’s affection? PLAY HARD TO GET Cats aren’t just smaller, cuter dogs. They’re more like Tinder dates. Treat them with reciprocal indifference, and you’ll probably make them curious. Eventually they’ll text you back (metaphorically speaking). On the other hand, if you come on all clingy and demonstrative, at…

I recently turned 34, which means I’ve been mostly single for almost a decade. If I had read that sentence 10 years ago and known it was my future, I would have been horrified. At the time I was in the thick of a long-term relationship with someone I thought I’d be with forever. We had it all figured out: we’d eventually get engaged, then married. We’d have kids that looked half like him and half like me. We’d take them to Disneyland every year. We loved each other’s families, and we loved one another the most. I was totally set. But then things changed, as they do. We changed. Nothing happened; no one was cruel. But the relationship that I entered when I was 20 was no longer the relationship that…

Hi Monica, we last had you on the cover of frankie in 2016. What have you been up to since then? Heaps of painting! I’ve had six solo exhibitions and participated in numerous other shows. The biggest change over that time has been a shift in my focus towards painting the landscape. I’ve also recently started making much larger works on canvas. Would you still describe your paintings as self-portraits? Not so much anymore. I’ve been gradually disappearing from my paintings, or maybe detaching or disentangling myself. There are still figures in the work, but they’re more of the ‘figure in the landscape’ genre rather than self-portraiture. How has your depiction of landscapes changed? In earlier works, I exaggerated the patterns in foliage to create surreal spaces, like removing tree trunks or…