Pavement (magazine)

Pavement was a New Zealand youth culture magazine published bimonthly, and then quarterly, by Bernard McDonald and Glenn Hunt 1993 to 2007.

Selection of covers from 74+ issues of Pavement across 13 years.

History and profile

Pavement was started with the aim of creating a magazine that would focus on contemporary culture from New Zealand and the rest of the world, with particular emphasis on emerging "stars" on the cutting edge of creativity. It included articles on contemporary music, art, film, fashion and design and often photographed people in London, NYC, LA, Paris, Sydney and throughout NZ.

People shot for its covers and/or content included Dita von Teese, Liv Tyler, Naomi Campbell, Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Eva Herzigova, Johnny Depp, Thandie Newton, Russell Crowe, Giselle Munchen, Paris Hilton, Penny Pickard, Milla Jovovich, Peter Jackson, Cate Blanchett, Larry Clark, Melanie Lynskey, Leelee Sobieski, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Kerry Fox, Devon Aoki, Lucy Lawless, Oliver Stone, Kirsten Dunst, Amber Valetta, Kelly MacDonald, Christy Turlington, Pierre et Gilles, Gary Oldman, Abbie Cornish, Georgina Grenville, Rose McGowan, Bijou Phillips, Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Trish Goff, etc.

Musical artists featured included New Order, Oasis, The Veils, LTJ Bukem, The Black Angels, Suede, Throwing Muses, The Darkness, Courtney Love, Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Cramps, Massive Attack, Shirley Manson, Big Bud, Dimmer, Kylie Minogue, Tricky, Spiritualised, The Chills, Pulp, Ministry, Soundgarden, Elastica, Fabio, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Pauly Fuemana, etc.

While Pavement was primarily a New Zealand magazine, it made use of overseas stylists, models, writers and photographers, including Regan Cameron, Richard Kern, Helmut Newton, Tony Kim, Max Doyle, Lionel Deluy, Pierre Toussaint, Davies & Davies, Robert Astley-Sparke, Hugh Stewart, Laurence Passera, Robert Wyatt, Russ Flatt, Ranjit Grewal, Derek Henderson, Alex Freund, Terry Richardson, etc. It was available in over 2000 outlets around New Zealand and Australia and a modest distribution in New York City and London.

It had twice been awarded New Zealand Magazine of the Year, Editor of the Year, Designer of the Year & Advertising Executive of the Year.^[1]

The magazine was renowned for its controversial content and was submitted to the Chief Censor for rating on four occasions. The first occasion was its "Raw" issue which included a spread of nudes entitled "In the Raw". The censor ruled over one picture by NYC photographer Terry Richardson, of a Japanese prostitute dressed in a schoolgirl uniform, deeming the issue R16. Two further issues, one featuring a series of nudes shot by art photographers entitled "Au Natural" and the magazine's specially themed "69" issue, were also considered by the censor, although they weren't deemed offensive. The magazine's “special teen issue” marking Pavement’s 13th year of publication in 2006 had been criticised by child advocacy group ECPAT, who lodged a complaint with the censorship compliance unit claiming that a number of images of teenage girls and one 10-year-old were “legally objectionable”. Chief censor Bill Hastings felt there was a prima facie case to be answered, though no action was taken, clearing the publisher of any wrongdoing.^[2]

Editor Bernard McDonald stated that there was “only one shoot I would consider mildly provocative” and pointed out that the model in question was 19 years old. McDonald argued that the supposedly "offending material" was a celebration “of the idea and ideals” of being a teenager, the so-called “provocative” images being simply those of “a teenager developing into a sexual being, as we all do.” He also pointed out that the 10-year-old girl featured elsewhere in the issue was a profile story that had nothing to do with nudity or sexuality, the only connection being its inclusion in an issue that contained a small amount of topless nudity (as explained).^[3] Nevertheless, major bookstore chain Whitcoulls declined to display the anniversary issue, selling copies only to customers who requested them over the counter, though most other retailers didn't have a problem with the content of the issue.^[4] The Office of Film and Literature Classification eventually restricted the "special teen issue" to persons 13 years of age and over, although the issue had sold out at that point.

As a result of declining advertising revenue throughout 2006, it was announced that the magazine would cease production following its December 2006 issue, the magazine's 74th, with the issue remaining on newsstands till the end of March 2007.^[5] Hunt then set up a new magazine, 1AM, which he continues in Sydney, Australia, while McDonald wrote stories and reviewed films for the newspapers Sunday Star-Times and Herald On Sunday, New Zealand music magazine Rip It Up, and American magazine Issue, amongst other endeavors. The pair are still good friends.

References