Is.1.4,2025
Welcome. Year of the Snake; moved house, moved suburbs, broke up with a long-term partner, photographed some festivals, started a Substack.
Welcome!
I have desperately wanted to remove myself from the clutches of evil oligarchs such as ZUKK and take my work and my life away from their monopoly internet such as Facebook and Instagram for a while now, and in thinking about this I also want to give value to the work that I have so often given away for free at my own expense.
Therefore, thank you for reading and welcome to my first substack issue.
Each issue will get you some more Matto Lucas "diary entry" level access, thoughts, cool things I am into and exhibitions, artwork, movies, music, culture that you should have across your desk. I hope it brings you value.
Earlier this year I broke up with a long-term partner of 8 years. It was challenging for all the reasons you would expect, but the hardest part was learning to wake up without my dog. Not seeing or hugging my dog. Not walkign my dog. Not having my little shadow follow me around the house. I miss that little whippet more than anything I can explain. The logistics of moving house and uncoupling was a nightmare and dragged out for a few months.
On the silver linings of things, a cute boy took me down to Mount Martha for a weekend away and it recharged and renewed everything in me that had died off. It felt nice to be treated the way I deserve to be treated - kindly, and romanced. The water was healing and the time doing nothing but eating good food, drinking wine and feeling the caress of a new lover felt very bohemian and inspiring.
I took some photos of the beach and this cute boy in the ocean. It felt like a new muse.
I have spent a lot of this Summer at the beach, just as I did when I broke up with the guy before my ex. The water seems to help.
Best photography gig for February:
”Transenergy” by Heaps Gay at The Third Day North Melbourne, featuring Romy (from The XX)
This was a crazy fun night and Romy was SO SO good - played absolute bangers. The DJ before Romy went on, TAAHlIAH was also really incredible and certainly worth checking out. A bit more heavy electro and grimier but so much fun.
The crowd was lovely and loved getting their photos taken, which is always a plus and makes it an easier night but at one point while shooting behind Romy on the stage, an unstable large speaker, which hadn’t been secured, fell off a plinth and crushed my foot. The pain was crazy and my foot was swollen and black for days. I think it still might be fractured.
What I’m listening to:
Tanzer’s 2025 Pride Mix
I know “Pride Month” for Australia is over, but I have had Tanzer’s classic disco house mix on repeat since January. Love Tanzer so much and this is such a great, uplifting mix.
What I’m playing:
Vampire Survivors
Having just moved into a house with more gamers, I have returned to the chaos and seizure-inducing screen chaos of Vampire Survivors 4 player mode. So easy to get into but surprisingly deep with tonnes of mechanics and hidden things and so fun to play - it rots my brain in the best possible way.
I see it behind my eyes when I sleep.
What I’m watching:
Queer As Folk (2000’s American version.)
I scored the complete series on DVD and am currently re-watching from the beginning with my straight housemate who has never seen it before. I havn’t watched it since I was 11 and used to stay up late and sneak into the lounge room to watch it secretly on 1% volume, looking over my shoulder in case my parents caught me.
It has both held up incredibly and has dated pretty badly. Strangely, I’m hating Brian but relating to his manifestos of existing as a queer person in a straight world WAY too deeply…
What I’m drinking:
Always Pinot Grigio. Forever.
I did just discover this “Three’s A Crowd” 1.5 litre bag of pinot grigio at Blackheart & Sparrows for $18 which is pretty incredible.
They call it a bagnum.
I won’t be doing that.
What I’m reading:
”PERFORMANCE, PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMATIVITY: WHAT PERFORMANCE ‘DOES’ IN THE STILL IMAGE” by Allan S. Taylor.
What’s coming up?
I’m running a number of FREE photography walking tours of Footscray during April supported byt the amazing Footscray Traders and the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund. The walks will be chill and calm and give us a chance to meet other photographers, creatives and locals, network and spend some time together achieving little creative photo tasks and exploring my favourite vibrant and interesting suburb.
We will most likely end up at a local bar at the end of the walk for a vino and a debrief.
Bring whatever camera you are comfortable with - that includes a mobile phone camera.
Is.1.4 photo of the month.
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