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Vice Blog

MELBOURNE - HOPELESS ROMANTICS

Whatever part of the brain it is that makes me draw retarded chickens with four legs and cats that look like rudimentary snowmen is also responsible for Rik Lee's signature masterpieces of indie kids and divine girls.

He illustrates compelling worlds where everything he loves coexists peacefully and anything is possible. Jo Laboo is an artist from Brisbane who paints gigantic, shiny pictures of her friends. Since Jo came to Melbourne a year ago, she and Rik have been inseparable and they're about to reveal what they've been up to in their joint exhibition later this week. Vice: What's going on people? Rik: I just spent the last half hour trying to get my Internet connection to work. Other than that, the usual: drawing, dreaming, making plans. Jo: I'm trying to be more productive, make more art, drink less beer and spend less money. Strengths? Rik: I'm not too sure. Jo: I really don't know what my strengths are? If you could find them can you let me know? Weaknesses? Rik: Describing what kind of art I make and listing my strengths. Jo: Over analysing everything about life and looking for love in all the wrong places. Favourite colour? Rik: Currently it would have to be cadmium yellow. In the past I've never really been a big fan of yellow, but at the moment I just can't seem to go past it. An old favourite would have to be bubble gum pink. Jo: Black and White. I know they are not colours but I love them! What, if any, tattoos do you have? Rik: I have a bunch — mainly old school Sailor Jerry tattoos. Your new exhibition is called Hopeless Romantics. What's it all about? Rik: Us and our friends. It's about being a kid and being in and out of love. Jo: I guess we both wanted to do a show, so we came up with the idea of Hopeless Romantics, and wanted to do the show about our friends and our influences. What's the most stupid thing you ever saw that people tried to pass off as art? Rik: Well, there's a lot of pretty shit stencils out there that people like to call 'street art'. Jo: There are definitely things that I really hate as art, but I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not a big fan of sound art? Who are some other artists you like? Rik: So many of my friends are creative people, working in a variety of different artistic mediums. Stephen Giblett, Kat Macleod, The Andcollective kids, Amy Alexander. I'm going to stop now but I could go on for ages. Jo: There are sooo many artists that I love. Those I can think of now are mostly photographers, Jurgen Teller, Vanessa Beecroft, Terry Richardson and Merry Alpern. Favourite piece of art that you own? Rik: Currently it's the big old sailing ship on my arm. Thanks to Tim at Tattoo Magic for that. Jo: I guess it would have to be the piece that I did for a series called "Search for a Supermodel". I went to the auditions and took photos of young hopefuls and recreated them as large scale paintings. RIELLY GRAY The Hopeless Romantics exhibition is running from 21st - 31st March at Viewing Space, 37 Swanston St, Melbourne.