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love Pitzy Folk’s chutzpah. “I don’t worry about whether it will fit in
a room, only whether it hits me in the solar plexus,” says the Melbourne
entrepreneur of his art collection (page 148). Art is one of the most
deeply personal elements of any home — and while we might not all
crave the corporeal intensity of Folk’s response, art should surely
trigger a gamut of subjective emotions, whether it be pleasure, distaste,
curiosity, melancholy or escape. Even simple like or dislike.
Any over-considered matching of art to furnishings is not for the artists
featured in this issue. From the overscaled fibreglass ants that swarm across the
façade of Wanås Castle in southern Sweden (page 156) to a Noah’s Ark of
taxidermy confronting visitors to Dale Frank’s Hunter Valley lair (page 122) or
the ‘tattooed’ walls of Jean Cocteau’s Villa Santo Sospir (page 140), these are
homes that share a narrative of magnificent, confident self-expression.
The Art Issue is perhaps a fitting place to say farewell to a true artist, as our
creative director Jack Milenkovic leaves Vogue Living to pursue new horizons. I’ve
had the good fortune to work alongside Jack for several years (and share a few
Americanos in Milan), and his vision and passion have been an inspiration. We’ll
miss him but we wish him all success with his next creative chapter.
“A home is a place of accumulated memories,” says American artist Robert
Kelly of his Manhattan apartment (page 132), “where both solitude and shared
intimacy are deeply rooted.” Those words resonate with me as I have recently
been through the process of selling my own home. While the anticipation of
pastures new is exciting — embracing fresh landscapes and new vistas — there is
a small part of me that mourns the loss of a home that has hosted my
memories for more than a decade. There’s been a lot of life, love and
laughter in our house. Maybe one day, technology will allow walls to
talk and ours will have quite a story to tell. Probably a bestseller.clockwise from top left: artist
Dale Frank’s Hunter Valley escape (page 122).
Melbourne retailer Franque intrigues with
pieces such as Bruce Armstrong’s tiny figurine
(page 105). Wanås Castle in Sweden (page 156).
Neale Whitaker and Jack Milenkovic. A new
book celebrates 30 years of Dinosaur Designs
(page 77); painting and sculpture (far right)
by co-founder Stephen Ormandy.30 VOGUELIVING.COM.AU
PHOTOGRAPHERS: PAUL BARBERA (WHITAKER/MILENKOVIC), SEAN FENNESSY (FRANQUE), MAGNUS MÅRDING (WANÅS HOUSE), HUGH STEWART (FRANK HOUSE), ANSON SMART (DINOSAUR DESIGNS)EDITOR’S LETTER