June - Contributors

Jonathan Ducrest
Photographer
— design

Ducrest is from a small town in the French part of Switzerland (Suisse Romande) called Lavey-Village. Before he moved to Zürich in 2021, he lived in Los Angeles. He enjoys cycling, travelling, shooting architecture and swimming in Lake Zürich. For this issue, he photographed the newly restored Capitole cinema in Lausanne, the largest heritage movie theatre in Switzerland.

Do you have any recommendations for Paris during the Olympics?
The Louis Vuitton Foundation in Bois de Boulogne should not be missed. The building was designed by Frank Gehry and the architecture is stunning. While the Games are on, Matisse’s 110-year-old “The Red Studio”, usually held in Museum of Modern Art in New York, will be on display there. 

Kat Chadwick
Illustrator
— inventory

Chadwick grew up in New Zealand but now calls Melbourne home. Her work is all about the hand-drawn line and often includes a playful element too. She had fun sketching illustrations for this month’s Sketchbook feature but also faced some challenges. “Resisting the urge to put an apostrophe in Crows Nest was very difficult,” she says. “Resisting the urge to buy the kitchen utensil I never knew I needed was even harder. Fish-bone pliers, I’m looking at you.” 

Which gallery is your favourite?
Whenever I’m in Sydney, I make sure to drop by the Darren Knight Gallery. I love its roster of exciting contemporary Australian and New Zealand artists.

Steve Scott
Illustrator
— at the front

Scott grew up in various towns across the UK, from Plymouth in the southwest, all the way up to Berwick in northern England. He left for a while and moved to Sydney. Scott has since found his way back and lives on the edge of London, close to Epping Forest. For this issue, he has created some colourful spot illustrations that adorn the opening spread.

What piece of art inspires you the most?
At the moment, the elegant simplicity of Tom Purvis’s work – particularly his bold, minimalist poster campaigns for the London & North Eastern Railway (lner). It takes a lot of bravery to reduce something so much and still deliver an emotional impact.

Carli Ratcliff
Writer
— inventory

Ratcliff is a Sydney resident born and raised, and when she’s not eating out, you will find her at the theatre, cinema or in the garden. For this issue, she visited the leafy, vibrant neighbourhood of Crows Nest not far from her home to give monocle an insight into its goings on. She was interested to meet the characters of the suburb, especially café owner Peter Xenos, who was celebrating his 80th birthday as he worked the floor.

What is a must-see in Paris for those attending the Olympics this year?
I would escape the crowds and head an hour outside Paris to Saint-Vrain for lunch in the countryside at fellow Aussie James Henry’s Le Doyenné.

Antonio Sortino
Illustrator
— affairs 

Italian illustrator Sortino was born in Sicily and lives in Milan. When he was young, he drew a lot for fun. Now that it’s his job, he’s had to develop new hobbies, many of which keep him away from his desk but also help with his professional development. “I became a marathon runner because it frees my mind,” he tells us. “I also really love cooking – I’m doing something with my hands but there isn’t any pressure; I can just enjoy the process.” For this issue, Sortino’s characterful line drawings capture the transformation of Paris’s metropolitan area ahead of this summer’s Olympics Games. 

Which artist’s work really captivates you?
I finally saw some of Antonio Ligabue’s tiger paintings in person. There is a savagery to the way he painted these animals that he proabably never even saw.