The humble wood pallet is taking centre stage at a new exhibition kicking off next week at Nishi Gallery.
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Evatt couple Anita Jones and Carlo Malaca were having brunch in Sydney when the decor and philosophy of the venue inspired them to change their lives.
"We had this realisation we'd been filling our lives with 'stuff' and not things that we could make ourselves or through recycling," said Anita.
"We always liked going to the Salvos and Vinnies and picking up eclectic items for the house, but we had no desire to build anything."
Together, they started building themselves furniture out of pallets, starting off with an eight-seater table with a glass top.
"Our friends and family really loved it and they said we were on to something and we should promote living a sustainable life," she said.
"Our friends started asking us for things like planter boxes and shelves but we never really went into it with the idea that we'd be making a company out of it."
But make a company they did, and boyandgirlco was born, selling custom orders plus their initial range pallet furniture at the Old Bus Depot Markets.
The talented duo had practically no experience with building or carpentry before their boyandgirlco endeavour, and used the internet to teach themselves the skills they needed.
"We learnt by doing. There were a lot of bruised thumbs from mis-hitting nails, and a lot of chipped nails," she said.
"But thank goodness for YouTube. Whenever we had to look up a certain type of skill, we'd just YouTube it."
Both Anita and Carlo worked full-time in jobs they said were really fulfilling, but as more orders came through they knew they had to make a decision.
"It got to the point where we were working 8-5 in our day jobs. We'd get home and have prepared meals from 5.30-6 and go and build until 2:30 or 3 the next morning," Anita said.
They both left their jobs in April this year, and while they still visit the markets twice a month, they're currently working on an online store, plus a showroom.
After outgrowing their previous building space in their home garage, boyandgirlco moved to a massive 485-square-metre space in Mitchell, and brought on new team members Graham Rose and Victor Tawagi.
Their standard range, "plus a few surprises", will be on display at their exhibition Anew, which opens at Nishi Gallery on October 10.
In between their busy venture, Anita and Carlo also continue to live the sustainable life that they envisioned back having brunch in Sydney.
"We have eight chooks, so we don't buy eggs anymore. We have a vegetable garden, we have a massive herb garden, and all the scraps we have cooking go directly to chickens," said Anita.
"We stopped consuming for the sake of it. Living a more sustainable life for us is about reusing what we can and about really analysing what we need and reusing bits and pieces from what's around."
Anew is on at Nishi Gallery, New Acton from October 10-26. Free entry. Open 11am-3pm weekdays, and 11am-4pm weekends.
The circus rides in to town
Last time Nitro Circus came to town, international motorsports competitor and stunt performer Travis Postrana was all set to ride before a haematoma in his leg forced him out of the show.
"I was extremely disappointed to miss out on performing in Canberra back in 2011 but fans can rest assured I'll be out to make up for lost time come February next year," said Travis.
"The accident was one of those freaky things where I came off my bike, landed awkwardly and the next thing I knew I had tubes draining out all sorts of nasty looking fluid from my thigh. I know how much the people of the ACT love their action sports and I'm pumped to be able to get back and give our fans a show they will never forget."
After a three-year hiatus, Nitro Circus comes back to Canberra on February 21 next year, and the show is first up in their live regional tour, so the performers should be fresh, and raring to go.
As well as Travis, the show will feature recently crowned X-Fighters champion and world number one freestyle motocross rider Josh Sheehan – who will attempt his signature double backflip, the most dangerous trick in action sports – plus more than 40 of the world's best FMX and BMX riders.
And they're sparing no expense, bringing their multi-million dollar set to GIO Stadium. The show will also feature a retro theme, and is choreographed and styled as a 1920s Barnum & Bailey- style circus.
Tickets go on sale next Tuesday, October 7 at 9am, and promoters expect them to go quickly.
Nitro Circus is on February 21 next year at GIO Stadium. Tickets on sale 9am on October 7 from nitrocircus.com.
Horsing around
When nine-year-old Megan Jones watched the horses and their riders at the Eventing World Championships in South Australia in 1986, she knew it was exactly what she wanted to do.
"Australia won a team bronze medal. I was taking photos with my Barbie camera with no film in it, as you do, and I said then and there I wanted to ride for Australia at the Olympic Games and win a gold medal. That was me – one-eyed the whole way too," she said.
While she's yet to bring home gold Megan won silver at the Beijing Olympics, which she has loaned to the National Museum of Australia as part of their Spirited exhibition – although she admits it was, "a little bit hard" to part with.
"My medal is quite special because I won it on a horse that we bred – it was born when I was doing my year 12 exams," she said.
"I broke him in myself, I trained him myself, I got all the way to the world championships with him and won a bronze medal there and then a silver in Beijing. He's still with me – he turns 21 this Christmas – so he's just so special he just means a lot to me."
In town for the 2014 Canberra International Horse Trials this weekend, Megan visited her beloved medal when she popped into the museum on Friday afternoon.
Megan started riding at five-years-old as part of a pony club, and she recalls those years fondly.
"The pony club years were just so much fun, and they just bring so many different walks of life together. And because it's all about the kids, not about the ponies, everyone just gets along and has a great time and chips in," she said.
"Pony clubs only work if the mums and dads get in there and help – it's all volunteer. No one's paid to do it, so everyone just gets in there, so it's really good."
There's a dedicated section in the Spirited exhibition about pony clubs, and Megan wrote some of the stories about her own experiences.
"Until I was about 19 I was with the pony club, doing jumping and dressage and hunting and teams and the novelties. I was doing everything until I was about 16 or 17 and then really started to focus on eventing."
In between her time teaching riding and breeding horses, Megan continues to train and compete and has her sights set on the Rio 2016 Olympics. You can check out her medal as part of Spirited, which is on until March 9 next year at the National Museum of Australia.
Keeping a straight face
Good friends, local artist Luke Chiswell and owner of Local Press Jonathan Draper, have teamed up for an evening of fashion, art, and juice at Kingston Foreshore next Thursday.
Kicking off at 6pm, Jonathan is expected to show off a new menu of juices, while Luke, who has just returned from a stint in the New York, will be showcasing his new art and fashion collection of women's crops.
Luke, whose work is recognisable by his iconic "straight face", is gaining a cult following both locally and internationally. He works from his shipping container studio located on his family's property at Collector.
The event is on Thursday October 9, from 6pm - 10pm. Free entry.
What's On
- On Sunday, learn and develop your drawing skills with Nicholas Harding, one of the artists from the Arcadia Sound of the Sea exhibition. Workshop held at the National Portrait Gallery. 1.30-4.30pm. $115 or $100 for members and concessions. Bookings essential on 6102 7070 or bookings@npg.gov.au.
- Next week at the Museum of Democracy at Old Parliament House, kids can become mini museum curators at the new exhibition space Play Up, plus flex their creative muscles to help create a room installation with a graffiti artist. October 7-10, from 10-11.30am. Recommended for 5 years and over, with an accompanying adult. Sessions are free after entry. Booking is essential, through events@moadoph.gov.au or call (02) 6270 8282.