The hardest part of being an artist isn’t seeking inspiration, managing ambition or even getting your work done — it’s having somewhere to show it. Pictures pile up, paintings crowd doorways and installations gather dust and piss off housemates. It’s a reality familiar to Rahkela Nardella, the young artist behind zine Lola Ziggy.
While living the eternally stressful freelancer life in Sydney, the photographer noticed the city’s vast community of young creatives weren’t being reflected in the editorial spreads of her favourite magazines. It came to her that not only would a publication dedicated to fresh talent probably interest people other than her, but it would also offer a valuable midpoint for artists struggling to make the jump from virtual world to physical gallery space.
Lola Ziggy’s first two issues have already housed the work of several future stars, including i-D favourites Kitty Callaghan, Noni Cragg and Zak Tilley. But with the third edition almost here, it’s also proved a valuable incubator for emerging talent.
Being a photographer, did Lola Ziggy begin as a creative outlet for you?
Yes, and no. I was freelancing a lot at the time and I getting a bit frustrated, submitting work to magazines and waiting for them to get back to me… it was a lot of waiting and back and forth. I felt I was constantly sending work off but wasn’t really involved in the final creative process of putting it together. I thought, why not make something myself? In that way, I guess it began as a creative outlet. But I also realised a lot of artists I was following on social media shared the same frustrations. It felt like the right time to make something we could all be published in.
What was your initial vision for the zine?
It started with me wanting to make something I felt I wasn’t seeing anywhere else. I read a lot of magazines and I kept seeing these really nice photos, or really nice art editorials, but they looked quite lonely on the pages. I’m a photographer but I’ve always been interested in the interrelationships between different art forms, how different works speak to each other. I wanted to make something that meant you weren’t just looking at a photo, or a painting, but you were encountering different mediums at the same time.
This was also a response to all the young artists struggling to secure gallery space. What’s it like being a young artist in Sydney right now?
There have been a lot of independent galleries closing in Sydney recently, and then there have been things like the proposal to merge arts programs at universities. It’s making it hard for young artists to stay inspired and put themselves out there. You want to love Sydney, it’s such a great city, but the climate has been a little bit grim lately. I hope it will change.
Why do you feel artists are looking to zines as platforms to showcase their work?
Those of us making art in our twenties, we’re a generation that grew up with print. It’s nostalgic for us. It’s so easy to put work online these days, I think that seeing it in print feels a bit more real, and young artists are holding onto that. Also zines are really stepping up in terms of quality, they’re not just paper and glue anymore. They’re almost like these elevated books. There’s this intersection between zines and magazines – zines are more accessible but they look just as good. I think that’s why young artists love them.
In terms of your own creative endeavours, how has making Lola Ziggy been an asset?
It’s been like a portfolio for me. I didn’t realise it until I went for my first gallery job, I took Lola Ziggy in and was hired right away. It’s not just a website, it’s like a tangible piece of art. I think that as we’re living more and more of our lives online, people enjoy seeing something you can actually touch and hold. I mean, we are human. We like to touch things.
You’re about to release the third edition, what can we expect to see in this issue?
I’ve had 18 of my favourite artists jump on board, so that’s really exciting. They’re mostly young, Sydney-based people. It’s kind of selfish really, it’s like a collection of my best friends and favourite artists. There’s such a scope of artwork in there though, but I kind of love the way it doesn’t flow entirely, not everything looks the same. This issue was inspired by a poem by my favourite poet Anis Mojgani called “Shake the Dust,” bits of the poem are scattered throughout the issue. It’s all about art that comes from the heart.
Issue Three is launching 14 October at The Rizzeria in Sydney.
Credits
Text Amy Campbell
Photography Rahkela Nardella
Make up Beck Carroll
Stylist Gemma Harben
Model Sparrow Holmes