< PreviousRegarding the leading lady, however, Marx attests we’ll be completely blown away by Riseborough’s ability to transform and become Blow. “She was always my fi rst choice and the best person for the job,” he says proudly. “[Andrea’s] not necessarily a household name, which is frankly the way she likes it. She’s never really been interested in being a celebrity, she’s just about the craft. Th ere’s a kinship with Isabella in that way.” Clarke will also off er some surprises, especially as this is the fi rst time she’s ever played a real-life person. “Th is is something that is new territory, so when we fi rst spoke with [Emilia] she had a little bit of trepidation,” Marx reveals. Th e story also picks up after Blow returns to London from New York, but Marx promises eagle-eyed viewers that there will be nods to her famous relationships with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. “Th ey’re specifi cally relevant to her story. You’ll have to wait and fi nd out.” CINEMATOGRAPHY Marx will employ similar cinematic techniques to ensure Blow’s perspectives, passions, eccentricities and, ultimately, her anxieties, get lead billing. “Because it’s Isabella’s story, the editing will favour her view,” he assures. Innate to the fi lm will also be a sense of duality. “With bipolar disorder, which she was eventually diagnosed with, polarity is inherent to the name. Th at’s a visual idea we’re bringing in,” he says. Th is juxtaposition is apparent in the setting, particularly the interplay between town and country. London will play a major part but so will the bucolic domains Blow would escape to. Code-switching between her private and public-facing life will be on display during these moments. Integral to the story, of course, is fashion. To depict Blow’s experience of witnessing the clothes fi rsthand, Th e Queen Of Fashion will utilise a genre style called ‘magical realism’. Surreal and dreamlike, runways especially will have elements of fantasy. “Th ose shows came to life for her in a way that others might not see,” Marx says. He’s dubious if real-life material will be woven in, arguing that seeing the actual fi gures in tandem with the actors could be jarring. “Th ere are videos available, but we don’t get Isabella’s subjective experience of those things. Particularly with the FW94 show, which she walked in and we feature,” he says. Th ere is a case for including never-before-seen ‘rough and ready’ Super 8 footage shot by photographer Gary Wallis and chronicled in his book Archive: McQueen: Backstage – Th e Early Shows. “Th e tapes were lost for a very long time,” Marx says. “Th ey weren’t found until after 2018’s McQueen documentary was fi nished.” Th e race to the theatres begins! IM A G E R Y : ‘I S A B E L L A B L O W : F A S H IO N G A LO R E !’ E X H IB IT IO N , A R C H IV E R U N W A Y & Z A C P O S E N I M A G E R Y / G E T T Y Archive: McQueen: Backstage – The Early Shows by Gary Wallis can be purchased online. For more of his work, visit @wallispictures on Instagram. 38GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_34to39_EDBlow_13374738.indd 3801/10/2024 21:13top left, top right, centre, bottom right Photography courtesy Gary Wallis GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM39 GME_011_34to39_EDBlow_13374738.indd 3901/10/2024 21:13GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4001/10/2024 21:14Friendships wax and wane. Some fracture. A lucky few fall back together. GRAZIA explores the consequential friendship of two literary luminaries who wrote letters to one another from opposite sides of the world for 40 years before falling out. In their story, we take a closer look at how to get through the pain of losing a long-time friend WORDS JESSICA BAILEY WORDS WITH FRIENDS “Elizabeth, I am hoping to go to Italy on the 8th. [My husband] Francis remains until late September then joins me all of October on Capri. Please begin to think about plans for coming to see us,” – Shirley Hazzard, 22 July, 1981. Shirley Hazzard’s years-long persistence in convincing her friend, Elizabeth Harrower, to visit her in Italy was remarkable. Hazzard, an accomplished Australian writer who had moved to New York City and married well, wanted to thank Harrower – also an Australian writer who was based in London, then Sydney and had a terrible case of writer’s block – for the years of care she had given her ageing mother. At Hazzard and her husband’s expense, the plan was to start in Rome, and then visit Naples and Capri before ending the trip with a visit to New York City. Across the 40 years they were friends, the pair surprisingly only met six times. In lieu of frequent face-to-face meetings, the writers would exchange letters between continents, correspondence which is now published in Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham’s revelatory new book Hazzard and Harrower: Th e Letters. Th e subjects’ collective wit, wisdom and willingness to share their lives with one another (in linguistic turns of phrases that are exclusive to seasoned writers of the time), this series of letters is a vibrant and engaging capture of two Australian women’s experiences in the world in the mid ’60s through to the turn of the century. At its heart, however, it illuminates the complexities of a unique friendship and what happens when it fractures and falls apart. “Anticipation was part of the enjoyment as Hazzard and Harrower waited for letters to travel from Sydney to New York and Italy, often taking weeks to arrive,” Wyndham tells GRAZIA. “Distance played a role in keeping their friendship alive for 40 years. Having time to read each other’s letters, consider their responses, write at length – or avoid questions – created mutual admiration and intimacy on equal terms, and perhaps an idealised image of the person at the other end.” After years of excuses, Harrower – a reluctant traveller – did eventually fl y to Italy in 1984 to meet Hazzard and her husband, Francis. Upon her arrival, however, it was evident Harrower’s pent- up resentment for her friend was ready to rear its head. “In person, Hazzard and Harrower felt their diff erences and irritations that built up over time,” says Wyndham. “Hazzard had come to depend on Harrower to support her ageing mother, Kit… Harrower visited Kit, helped her though mental and physical health crises, organised her pension, hearing aids and glasses, and fi nally moved her into a nursing home, packed up her home and attended her funeral. But her resentment quietly grew as her more famous friend became critical of Australia, grand in manner, and more demanding.” “Puzzled and hurt, Hazzard wrote in her diary that Harrower had complained about her room in the luxurious Hassler Hotel having no view, seemed uninterested in their Italian life, and refused to ‘take orders’ when they organised a day’s outings,” continues Wyndham. “Hazzard tended to talk in monologues, and Harrower was a good listener, but she lost patience and stamina. “She left Italy abruptly, and instead of going on to New York as her friends expected, she went to stay in Paris, and with relatives in Scotland, before fl ying home.” Hazzard and Harrower had been writing to one another for 18 years at this point but post-Italy, the friendship sadly never recovered. GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM41 GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4101/10/2024 21:14“I’ve cared about you both a great deal for years and refuse to be not cared for back because all of a sudden I got worn down and ran out of energy.” – Elizabeth Harrower in a letter to Shirley Hazzard and her husband Francis Steegmuller, 10/11 December 1984. WHEN IT ALL FALLS APART Hazzard and Harrower’s relationship is an example of a long- time friendship going awry. At times, these can feel as painful as a romantic breakup, and while some fi nd new footing at arm’s length, others succumb to keeping grudges over past slurs. For the writers, their words – of lack of – bared the fall out. “Th eir letters immediately after the trip were polite but curt,” says Wyndham. “Th ey didn’t seem to discuss the problems between them but resumed their correspondence in a cooler tone.” While lack of proximity was clearly of benefi t to this specifi c friendship – letter writing as a mode of communication is far removed from today’s instantaneous messaging – the feelings of loss and sadness were surely felt by both women in the same way as that of a modern-day friendship. “Female friendships can fracture for a number of reasons, including a perceived lack of support or reciprocity, broken trust, jealousy, and communication breakdowns,” says Mary Bonich, principal clinical psychologist at Th e Feel Good Clinic in Sydney, Australia. “After the breakdown of a friendship, people may experience grief, sadness, and even feelings of betrayal or rejection,” she continues. “Th ese emotions often stem from the loss of emotional support and intimacy that the friendship provided. As a result, the breakdown of the friendship can leave a signifi cant void.” MOURNING A FRIENDSHIP A famous 2016 study from Utrecht University in the Netherlands supported the notion that humans replace half of their friends every seven years. Th is pruning is normal, healthy and necessary, albeit a turnover that is generally associated with drifting apart – a seven-year-itch, if you will. Th is is diff erent to the emotional lumber of breaking up with a pal. And when such a fall out has been established, how does one mourn the loss of a great friend? Bonich says the key is time and not rushing to get over how you’re feeling. “Grieving the loss of a close friend is a deeply personal process,” says Bonich. “Allow yourself to feel the emotions, whether it’s sadness, anger, or even relief, and don’t rush the healing process. It can be helpful to refl ect on the positive memories and seek support from other friends or a therapist, until, eventually, you fi nd ways to honour the friendship while also moving forward with your life.” 4 2GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4201/10/2024 21:14GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4301/10/2024 21:14GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4401/10/2024 21:14A REUNION OF OLD PALS As time passes, some of us feel a friendship is, after everything, worth saving. Chalk it up to being lost in the nostalgia of it all or that niggling feeling of how nice it would be to experience life’s pleasures with your friend by your side, new perspectives can arise when something is taken away. Bonich says if you are considering reaching out to an old friend, you need to be certain you can remain calm and not become defensive during the olive-branch meeting. “When repairing a damaged friendship, approach the situation with openness and vulnerability,” advises Bonich. “It often helps to start by acknowledging any mistakes or misunderstandings on your part and express a genuine desire to rebuild the relationship. It’s also important to listen to the other person’s perspective without getting defensive, as this can then start to create a space for mutual understanding and healing.” Wyndham knew of the wonderful times Harrower had missed out on during that ill-fated trip to Italy when she joined Hazzard some decades later in Rome, Naples and Capri. Describing Hazzard as a “practised, generous and attentive host,” she recalls the writer’s “encyclopaedic knowledge of history and art” and her knack for leaving notes with Wyndham’s hotel concierge with recommendations for museums, churches and restaurants to visit. Wyndham also met Harrower many times for afternoon tea at her apartment overlooking Sydney Harbour. By this point, Harrower was in her late eighties and was forever busy on her iPad, sending emails rather than letters, Wyndham recalls. “Harrower reminisced about her writer friends Patrick White, Christina Stead and others, but rarely mentioned Shirley Hazzard,” she says. Knowing both women, Wyndham suspects a chance at reconciliation was largely off the cards. To her, the relationship between them had run its course. “Both Hazzard and Harrower were sensitive to slights and diff erences, and perhaps overreacted,” she continues. “Th ey should have seen that their friction also refl ected other disappointments in their lives – Harrower’s long writer’s block, Hazzard’s confl ict with her mother and her love-hate relationship with Australia. Th ey did well to stay in touch for 40 years, even if the vigour of their aff ection faded.” Th e last letter between the pair was in 2008. Hazzard died in 2016, aged 85; Harrower in 2020, aged 92. “Friendships have their own shape and timeline, some of them reaching a natural end,” muses Wyndham. “Sometimes you don’t care and sometimes you just have to let go, no matter how painful.” Hazzard and Harrower: The Letters, edited by Brigitta Olubas and Susan Wyndham, is out now via NewSouth. GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM45 GME_011_40to45_EDFriendship_13374741.indd 4501/10/2024 21:14A condition that impacts four per cent of the population, synaesthesia reveals the hidden beauty in everyday life, where sounds, letters, and tastes create a symphony of colours and sensations WORDS BENJAMEN JUDD ART SARAH KRANING THE SENSORY PALETTE this page EXPERIENCE, LUDOVICO EINAUDI “This song has so much colour, with the multicoloured petals representing the visual of the piano notes for me. Piano notes often look almost like fl ower petals, or guitar picks. The violin that comes in is represented by the fl owing black ribbons. I tried to make the black ribbons almost look as if there were vibrating in the painting, which is how they appear to me in the song.” following spread, left to right THE PROPHECY, TAYLOR SWIFT “Taylor Swift’s voice has so many peach tones to me, which I represented in the painting. There’s an explosive movement during the bridge of the song, which I tried to show in the piece.” IMMINENT REDEMPTION, JANE’S ADDICTION “This piece has so much energy to it, with sprays of paint representing the sprays of black and reds that I see with the percussion. The guitar looks like fl owing torrents of red ribbon.” BIG TIME NOTHING, ST. VINCENT “St. Vincent’s music is full of so many bizarre textures, which is one reason why I love Anne Clark’s music so much. You can see many diff erent textures and shapes in this piece, contributing to an almost chaotic look. The varying textures come from the wide range of instruments and electronic sounds in the song.” – SARAH KRANING, SYNAESTHETE ARTIST 46 GME_011_046to049_Synesthesia_13374733.indd 4601/10/2024 21:15Ludovico Einaudi Experience 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] Freely [ = 72] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. Ludovico Einaudi Experience 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] Freely [ = 72] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. Ludovico Einaudi Experience 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] Freely [ = 72] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. Ludovico Einaudi Experience 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] Freely [ = 72] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. Ludovico Einaudi Experience 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] Freely [ = 72] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. 13 11 8 6 più mosso [ = 92] con Ped. 2.1. 2.1. Ludovico Einaudi Experience Freely [ = 72] Coff ee is a shade of forest green but carrot is a pale lilac. Limes are yellow, as are oranges, and aniseed is a shade of sickening chartreuse that makes my stomach turn. For someone else, the number six is orange and the letter ‘T’ is pink. For a lucky few, music can appear in fl ashing, dramatic displays of light and pattern. For those with synaesthesia, this kaleidoscopic perception is not a colourful fantasy but an intrinsic part of their reality. Th e phenomenon of synaesthesia transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, creating a vibrant tapestry where senses blend and intertwine in fascinating ways. To the uninitiated, synaesthesia might sound like a curious anomaly or a whimsical trait, but for those who live with it, it is as real and integral to their perception as sight and sound are to anyone else. Professor Joel Pearson, a neuroscientist who has spent years studying this phenomenon, off ers a fascinating glimpse into this sensory intersection. “Generally speaking, synaesthesia is the involuntary experience of sensory information that is diff erent from the thing it’s linked to,” Pearson explains. “For instance, someone might see the letter ‘R’ as red, even if it’s printed in black ink. Th is isn’t voluntary or an act of imagination; it’s an automatic and consistent experience.” ONE END OF THE COLOUR SPECTRUM Th e roots of synaesthesia lie deep within the brain’s neural architecture. Pearson likens it to a kind of neurological wiring anomaly – though not in a negative sense. “People with synaesthesia have more connections between brain areas that wouldn’t normally be so linked,” he says. “During early childhood development, the brain typically prunes unnecessary neural connections. However, in people with synaesthesia, some of these connections remain, causing one sensory experience to trigger another.” Science currently estimates that approximately four per cent of the population experience some form of synaesthesia, a genetic condition that causes a kind of cross-wiring of the senses so that when one is stimulated, another is activated. How this activates is as individual as the kind of synaesthesia they might be experiencing. For example, I personally see colours when I encounter intense aromas. Not like some kind of fog or hazy coloured smoke, but a colour blooms within my brain. Th e most common variety – or perhaps it would be more accurate to say most readily tested – is grapheme-colour synaesthesia involving the number/letter colour associations that Pearson mentioned. Other forms include chromaesthesia (sounds evoking colours), lexical-gustatory synaesthesia (words triggering specifi c tastes), and spatial sequence synaesthesia (perceiving numerical sequences as spatially arranged). GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM47 GME_011_046to049_Synesthesia_13374733.indd 4701/10/2024 21:15Next >