Dustin Chambers likes to take his time.
We’re sitting on the front porch of the Atlanta home he shares with some of his best friends, and he’s entertaining my line of questioning like an excited student in a literature seminar: eager to jump in, but still cautious enough to be thoughtful and brutally honest.
I like to joke that Dustin Chambers is the, “Where’s Waldo Photographer of Atlanta.” From Creative Loafing to The New York Times, it’s obvious Dustin’s work resonates in his hometown and beyond, but when he’s in the ATL it’s hard to not run into the kid because he is literally EVERYWHERE.
Between projects, Dustin sat down with us for an interview. Here’s a preview of our conversation aka 10 the Hard Way.
Local Hero: Killer Mike. He’s just an amazing human. He’s just so smart and so kind.
Food: Chef Liu’s dumplings.
Source of inspiration in the city: I like to walk downtown a lot. Anywhere I can walk and see people, basically.
Sport’s team: Falcons.
Contemporary whose work you admire: David Walter Banks, an amazing photojournalist.
Most overrated thing about ATL: I think East Atlanta can be overrated.
City’s hidden gem: Atlanta Prison Farm.
Local musician: I’ve been getting into Deerhunter lately.
Scariest moment of my life: Most recently, driving to the beach in Charleston on a two-lane bridge and swerving into oncoming traffic to dodge a stopped car. No one dies. Being at the beach was a lot more beautiful that day.
Biopic director and title for your life story: P.T. (Paul Thomas) Anderson and we can call it, “Dust Chambers.”
Photography by Kelsey Ryan
“Four scores and seven years ago,” is how, Go! Ricky Go! recounts the story of how he and his wife, Malia Sioux met.
We’re in their “gypsy house,” somewhere in Atlanta, which also serves as the live-in workspace for the Five Points Music Group. Naturally, there’s recording equipment everywhere, and Ricky is sitting in the midst of it all strumming his guitar, Lucy. Malia, the tattoo artist at City of Ink, switches between checking her phone, organizing some of her sketches and packing copies of Ricky’s first solo album, Dick Brown’s Tall Tails of Foxy Cottontail, into plastic sleeves.
Spend just five minutes with Go! Ricky Go! and Malia Sioux in their Atlanta “gypsy house,” and you will immediately see and feel the love these two creatives have for each other. We linked up with Ricky (the musician) and Malia (the tattoo artist) to talk about their love story that spans seven years, along with the hardships, art and music in between.
Both of these kids are making a name for themselves in ATL, using each other and their family as inspiration to become better artists and people. Ahead of their story for 13thflr, Ricky and Malia took time for 10 the Hard Way.
Favorite place to have date night: In bed.
The first thing Malia does in the morning:
Ricky: Wakes up (laughs).
The first thing Ricky does in the morning:
Malia: Probably looks at his phone and smokes.
Favorite thing to do together other than music and art:
Malia: Eat ice cream and smoke.
Ricky: Which is an art to do be able to do both of those things.
Best place to spend family time in ATL: The Land Trust. Great vibes over there.
Our song: “Morning Would,” off of Dick Brown’s Tall Tails of Foxy Cottontail.
Best trait about each other:
Ricky: She’s so nurturing, like Mother Earth. I picture her spirit coming and sweeping in and flowers bloom and trees come to life kind of thing, ya know?
Malia: I like his optimism. It’s important to be optimistic, and we overlook that. We were driving around lost in Denver once and he was still just like, “But, we’re having the best time!”
(To Ricky) Would you let anyone else tattoo you:
Ricky: Nah, I’m her blank canvas.
Malia: No way. I feel like he should be tattooed by some of the greats. There’s a lot of people out there better than me. Hopefully we’ll meet them and get tattooed (laughs).
One thing you mutually can’t stand: Fake people. If you can, just be genuine.
(To Malia) Ever get jealous of Lucy (Ricky’s guitar):
Malia: No…
Ricky: I think Lucy gets jealous (laughs).
Malia: Yea, Lucy might be getting jealous.
Photography by Kelsey Ryan
It can hard to get a read on Sean Fahie the first few times you meet him. The St. Croix-born artist, author and designer who calls his style, “hobo chic,” wears many hats and is seemingly connected to every single creative scene in the City of Atlanta.
To better understand the mind of Mr. Fahie is to read his book, “Things About Women and Other Short Stories I Seem to Forget.” Created mostly, during “drunken nights on the computer,” “Things About Women,” shows Sean in his most vulnerable and candid moments, and if you’ve ever spent a night (or day) partying with the guy you know that’s saying a lot.
13thflr 