these are actually 3 of my favorites. it's hard to believe that i took over 30 polaroids... and that my mom is in japan right now! [lucky lady!]
how is your monday? i had to get up to start class at 8am. my husband just laughed at me. do they know you aren't a morning person? tis true. but i will be there, and i will start class at 8am! [we are going to have coffee and tea in class though. it's a seminar so it's OK]. and thankfully this is only once a week. granted i will teach until 8pm tonight, but... better one long day then classes spread out over many days. my new philosophy.
my studio mate left me a magazine clipping the other day. with this image of work from my town my home . a project by yoshikazu yamagata and mafuyu [whose website is just so great].
have you ever had one of those damn! i wish i thought of that moments. this did it for me. i think these are so amazing, in concept, in execution.... yeah.
i actually have a former student coming to help me tomorrow. [gasp! dare i say i have an intern?] this makes me giddy. really giddy. i feel very fortunate. mantra : do not take advantage - make sure he learns something.... repeat repeat repeat....
be sure to check out ship where we are talking about a pig in provence... and go and wish karen and bara a happy b-day [eireann's is in a few days]... i think there are other b-day folks around now too, but....
and jan's new venture poppytalk handmade . SO MANY good things. just too many....
Labels: inspiration, japan, polaroids, ramblings
in asakusa we went on the roof of a less glamorous department store. this one had a playland for the kids. all the coin operated slightly used but still colorful robots, cars, ships were such a find.
it's too bad i don't have the sound that this one made for you....
there also was a section of broken toys. so sad, but also so lovely
![fushini inari [polaroid version]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1052/1453163085_2be7a307c0.jpg)
this was from the 1000 tori shrine outside of kyoto.
and now i'm off. mylissa from little bird is up here for the weekend and she's coming by the studio to preview the show. and if you are in the LA area.... mark you calendar... October 13th - that's the date of the opening. i hope to see people there [or i will be sad and silly looking standing lonely in front of my art]
nijo castle in kyoto [it's funny how the skies all come out gray in my japan polaroids. the humidity rules the air]
it's so fun to see all the perfectly manicured trees. they really do that. all the time
couldn't help but think of lisa
this was just on the side of the road. i'm trying to think if we have anything comparable....
that's what my grandma says when i'm busy.
so true. i feel like i can barely peek out over what's due. SO MUCH due on monday. so on that note i'll get to work and just leave you with more polaroids from japan..... happy weekend!
and oh! karen should be up on ship later today :)
another one of my favorites
oh how the gold sparkles
the neighborhood we stayed in.....
so true. i feel like i can barely peek out over what's due. SO MUCH due on monday. so on that note i'll get to work and just leave you with more polaroids from japan..... happy weekend!
and oh! karen should be up on ship later today :)
another one of my favorites
oh how the gold sparkles
the neighborhood we stayed in.....
hi there. that weekend flew by. this month is flying by. it's already more than 1/2 way over? how did that happen?? i had to wear a sweater in the house yesterday morning so i know fall is approaching. the light is shifting, the weather is shifting....
since shari is on vacation there is no documentary project today.... so instead i thought i'd talk about my friend and fellow artist aida gamez whose website i just finished....
aida's work hits home with me. it's obsessive and delicate simultaneously. she uses found objects and alters them [be sure and check out her stuffed animal pieces]. at one point we wanted to do a show together called road kill and target practice :) too bad that never happened.
and some more japan polaroids... they keep coming!
this is one of my favs from the entire trip. this was in one of the elementary schools.... gotta love the lone pink dissenter umbrella.
you never know what you might spot when looking up....
have a great day!
since shari is on vacation there is no documentary project today.... so instead i thought i'd talk about my friend and fellow artist aida gamez whose website i just finished....
aida's work hits home with me. it's obsessive and delicate simultaneously. she uses found objects and alters them [be sure and check out her stuffed animal pieces]. at one point we wanted to do a show together called road kill and target practice :) too bad that never happened.
and some more japan polaroids... they keep coming!
this is one of my favs from the entire trip. this was in one of the elementary schools.... gotta love the lone pink dissenter umbrella.
you never know what you might spot when looking up....
have a great day!
these chairs will be in richard levy gallery's room at the jupiter hotel art fair in portland this weekend. i wish i could visit them in person, but alas.... if someone makes it to the fair i'd love to know what it was like. there's a great list of participating galleries.
more polaroids from japan for you::
i saw this a lot. for some reason people seem to pile rock on rock sculptures and around shrines.
a collection of shoes hanging from a shrine gate
and.... ash posted on our new book over on ship . have a great weekend.
i'm not sure when i became a once a week blogger, but... seems like it's all i can manage these days. i feel like i have lot more to share - hmmm - hopefully next week will prove more possible.
so.... the show the show - the reason for my going to japan. 2 weeks of work [thank god we had help! i've never had/allowed someone to help me as much as i did for this show and let me tell you - a girl could get used to it]. all of the work [and i'm sorry i don't have pics of the other artist's work organized yet - i'll add them to my website in an installation section as soon as i can] in the show was labor intensive. what i was acutely aware of was how i was working on these projects that were to occupy a significant amount of space [several feet!] but i had to actually build and put them together in tiny little sections. one small action at a time. pin, repeat, paint, repeat [of course repeat ended up being a big theme for the whole trip, but i didn't know it yet].
the other thing that really sunk in this time was how intimate and also disconnected this process can be. countless hours spent literally 2 inches from a wall. occasionally bored to tears.... singing along with music... swapping stories with my helper.... and then - oh my god we're done. and then... oh my god i made that? the inevitable question - how did you do that? how does it feel to do that.... flustering in my answer - i'm not really sure. you just do it. and really i kind of forget the actual making part of it [otherwise i might never do it again].
the tank installation complete. remember when i was pondering color combos? it was for this. this is the second tank install i've done. the first time i did an argyle pattern [other time was plaid].
this is why this museum was so cool. shot from below. a little peek. sigh.
detail
the tanks made it into the paper :) !
downstairs [thankfully far away from the tanks] i did a doily installation. the space was just so inspiring. for the first time i thought about having the piece "start" somewhere and sort of disperse. so i started in the corner. i thought about snow falling [there was still snow on the mountains that were in sight of the museum]. i also had a glass case to work with. granted normally people put things IN the case - but i had been wanting to work with glass/reflections and the doilies for quite some time and this was my chance. the shadows that ended up IN the case were beyond what i could have hoped for. these pieces are ridiculously stupid to try and photograph, so... well.... i have to let that go.
one story about this piece. while i was working on it.... staring at walls. futzing with the minute alterations in the placement of each doily the curator of the show came down and stood next to me. he turned to me and he said. this is so japanese. you are so japanese. the space here. the space is just as important as the objects themselves. [this was of course 1/2 understood by me and 1/2 translated to me - i didn't know the word for space]. i literally just stopped and smiled at him. i felt as though that was the biggest compliment someone could have given me. space is something that is so hard to talk about. and he just got it. the negative space.
the right side - the way the walls interacted was just fantastic.
of course i did the corner wrap around thing
this is the "start". i also really overlapped the doilies this time.... think i might have to try that again....
detail of the mass
the glass
me painting on the glass
here we are talking to hipster architecture students from tokyo :D
ok friends. i have to get to the studio. i have to try and finish a piece for my show announcement.... oh and make the work for that show. ha ha. [show at little bird gallery in october]
i also posted on ship today.
AND.... caterine has set up a very cool muslin tote swap . go sign up if you are so inclined!
have a great weekend!
where oh where did the week go? i was sucked into a vortex of meetings, errands, plans, good intentions, and simply not enough hands or brain cells. i think part of it was also that poor little tonka had to have some major ear surgery and so i've been worried about him. he's doing fine [rocking a cloth blue e-collar - i'll spare him the embarrassment of showing you]
{{this ferris wheel is in odaiba/tokyo teleport . there are 2 gigantic malls there - and a beach as it's along the bay.}}
i have been wracking my brain as to how to wrap up my trip to japan. it was such a good and long ride. i've slowly been uploading pics to flickr neighborhood by neighborhood trying to think about how to talk about the sites and sounds.
tokyo is like new york. there is no way to do everything you want to do - and there will always be something to see and do - no matter how many times you visit. it's also funny because it really is divided into "areas". you get your electronics in akihabura, you get your high end shopping in ginza... and talk about consumerist. no joke. there are so many stores, restaurants - shopping malls - it's like a sea of buy buy buy. i'm not even sure how everything stays in business?? [it is mostly packaged and presented very very nicely].
i think one thing that kept coming to mind [besides REPETITION] was how there is really a blending an meshing of old and new. almost to a degree contradiction. the traditional is embraced with such ferocity, and yet the new and technology are pushing forward. the only "old" buildings are really historical - or most likely owned by the same family/person for a long time. granted much was destroyed in WWII, but my friend said that when someone buy a building in tokyo they immediately tear it down an build a new one if they can. so there is this strange concrete landscape - and much of that actually isn't that engaging or interesting [not at all like the beautiful historical architecture of san francisco or new york].
in terms of art the mori art museum was one of the best contemporary spaces we saw. overall how the japanese hang a show/exhibition is so lovely. each object is given a respectful amount of space - and there are interactive elements that would never fly in the states [think climbing up into things - or no railings on high places]. there's sort of a belief that if you can't take care of yourself it's your problem and why should we deny an engaging activity to all for a few. it's rather refreshing.
we stayed in a neighborhood in chuo that was bit on the older side. very very close to ningyocho subway station. but it was also close to 4 subway lines. it was GREAT.
the neighborhood was filled with old style omiyage [gift] stores [gift giving is huge in japan. it's ritualized and formal and the gifts given often come wrapped elaborately] and kimono stores. above is a photo from the window of a store that specialized in tea ceremony sweets. sigh. our hotel overlooked a grenbelt with trees. this was SO unusual - while there are parks around there were very few wide streets that had such greenery. here are some caterpillars that were in the greenbelt:
it is so so true that things are just cuter in japan.....
this is the mascot of a drug company. you find these elephants in front of pharmacies.
we went to a couple of baseball games. this was really fun. the japanese are SERIOUS about cheering. each team gets a section between the foul poles and when their team is up there is a constant loud cheer. each player has their own chant. when a team gets a hit or a score there's a whole ritual song/chant. they sell bento boxes at the games.... girls server beer from kegs on their backs. it's really different than games in the states [although the feeling of being a part of something is the same]. only in japan would a pokeman character be involved in the ceremonial first pitch - don't you think?
i've also been trying to think about how to talk more about the food. above are the fixings from BBQ we had at our friends house. the food is really good [duh]. i had some of the best sushi i've ever had in my life. some of the tastiest snacks. and finding good things is really easy. even the corner am/pm [yes like the gas stations, no slushies or dried out hotdogs] stores have good onigiri [rice balls]. if you have never been to japan you HAVE to go to a basement of a department store. it's like food overload. we went to several different stores and experienced the high end and the low end versions. all good. if you can - get to a grocery store too - the quantity and quality of stuff will astound you. i was lucky enough to get some grapes [i loved japanese grapes as a kid. they are smaller - sweeter and the skin is sour. they really are different and so good].
we were also so lucky to be taken to a 10 course seafood meal by a family friend. 10 small courses - each presented on perfect plates - in perfect quantities, with flavors carefully balanced. a cold palette cleansing soup followed by some of the best ikura [salmon roe] i've ever had. i didn't take any pictures - but i have the experience roted in my mind.
there is just no limit in terms of drink choices :). my friend said they are constantly coming up with "new" ones - and some are retired from time to time. there are vending machines all over that sell every kind of drink you can think of. i had some that i never saw again anywhere. [and they are less sweet than drinks here. really good]
in harajuku - the trendy young neighborhood where you can also buy $2000 levi jeans. kiddieland was one of the best toy stores we visited.
also in harajuku. how cute is this burger stand??
a stones throw from all the trendy impossibly amazing stores and youngsters [who currently are imitating the 80's LA rocker look] is a big park and shrine. meiji is just beautiful. it's so quiet and serene. and it has some of the tallest tori gates. [you definitely have the pilgrimedge feeling here.]
ok crafty people. if you want to die and go to craft heaven in shinjuku is okadaya . 7 floors of craft supplies [only of the cute variety]. above is the top floor of JUST craft books. [i snuck a photo]. this is one part of it. the place isn't huge, but it's FULL. and across the way is 9 floors of fabric goodness. a very dangerous place.
also in shinjuku is the muji flagship store. um yeah. i don't think i need to say anything other than will they open one on the west coast please??
one of my absolute favorite neighborhoods was asakusa . that perfect blend of old and new - trinkets + really great crafts. 2 of the best tenugui shops i saw anywhere. we went when there was a chinese lantern festival . it seemed as though every grandma in toykyo had come out for the occasion. so cool.
detail of a lantern.
asakusa is a big area. surrounding the temples are lots of shops and "fun" places. a small amusement park, a sports park, a bowling - alley. above is a phone i wanted to steal from the bowling alley.
also in asakusa is the restaurant supply area. kappabashi dori . it was decorated with the above amazing streamers. this is the hood for knives, plates and that FAKE FOOD [yes we couldn't resist - something came home with us].
my other absolute favorite place was tsukiji . it's where the famous fish market is. the market itself is amazing and not at all limited to fish. there are also some fantastic restaurants tucked between the stalls for vegetables and pickles and fish flakes and.... you can get everything you could possibly dream of to eat here. i would love to be able to do my daily shopping here. next time we go to japan i dream of staying in a place with a kitchen so we can shop and cook !
these are the traditional shopping "bags" that people were using in the market. i wanted to bring one home so badly, but couldn't think of how to get it on the plane [we were already at our carry-on limit].
the area is just bustling. there are walkers, scooters, men hauling carts and wagons, and these very odd 3 wheeled mighty cars . if you don't look where you are going you WILL get run over. and it's busiest and most exciting early in the morning [when i am least alert!]
this was the backside of some of the stalls. i loved the decay. if you go to tokyo and you love food. this is MUST.
well.... i think that's actually it. all the photos [divided into neighborhood] are here . if you have any questions about anything i'd be happy to answer.
next post i'll show the exhibition.... and then we'll get back to "normal" around here [what is that exactly?]. i have been tagged by several folks to do a meme - so that's on the way too.
if you have a minute - go check out ship of fools . we're having a really great discussion about the year of magical thinking....
have a GREAT weekend!
{{this ferris wheel is in odaiba/tokyo teleport . there are 2 gigantic malls there - and a beach as it's along the bay.}}
i have been wracking my brain as to how to wrap up my trip to japan. it was such a good and long ride. i've slowly been uploading pics to flickr neighborhood by neighborhood trying to think about how to talk about the sites and sounds.
tokyo is like new york. there is no way to do everything you want to do - and there will always be something to see and do - no matter how many times you visit. it's also funny because it really is divided into "areas". you get your electronics in akihabura, you get your high end shopping in ginza... and talk about consumerist. no joke. there are so many stores, restaurants - shopping malls - it's like a sea of buy buy buy. i'm not even sure how everything stays in business?? [it is mostly packaged and presented very very nicely].
i think one thing that kept coming to mind [besides REPETITION] was how there is really a blending an meshing of old and new. almost to a degree contradiction. the traditional is embraced with such ferocity, and yet the new and technology are pushing forward. the only "old" buildings are really historical - or most likely owned by the same family/person for a long time. granted much was destroyed in WWII, but my friend said that when someone buy a building in tokyo they immediately tear it down an build a new one if they can. so there is this strange concrete landscape - and much of that actually isn't that engaging or interesting [not at all like the beautiful historical architecture of san francisco or new york].
in terms of art the mori art museum was one of the best contemporary spaces we saw. overall how the japanese hang a show/exhibition is so lovely. each object is given a respectful amount of space - and there are interactive elements that would never fly in the states [think climbing up into things - or no railings on high places]. there's sort of a belief that if you can't take care of yourself it's your problem and why should we deny an engaging activity to all for a few. it's rather refreshing.
we stayed in a neighborhood in chuo that was bit on the older side. very very close to ningyocho subway station. but it was also close to 4 subway lines. it was GREAT.
the neighborhood was filled with old style omiyage [gift] stores [gift giving is huge in japan. it's ritualized and formal and the gifts given often come wrapped elaborately] and kimono stores. above is a photo from the window of a store that specialized in tea ceremony sweets. sigh. our hotel overlooked a grenbelt with trees. this was SO unusual - while there are parks around there were very few wide streets that had such greenery. here are some caterpillars that were in the greenbelt:
it is so so true that things are just cuter in japan.....
this is the mascot of a drug company. you find these elephants in front of pharmacies.
we went to a couple of baseball games. this was really fun. the japanese are SERIOUS about cheering. each team gets a section between the foul poles and when their team is up there is a constant loud cheer. each player has their own chant. when a team gets a hit or a score there's a whole ritual song/chant. they sell bento boxes at the games.... girls server beer from kegs on their backs. it's really different than games in the states [although the feeling of being a part of something is the same]. only in japan would a pokeman character be involved in the ceremonial first pitch - don't you think?
i've also been trying to think about how to talk more about the food. above are the fixings from BBQ we had at our friends house. the food is really good [duh]. i had some of the best sushi i've ever had in my life. some of the tastiest snacks. and finding good things is really easy. even the corner am/pm [yes like the gas stations, no slushies or dried out hotdogs] stores have good onigiri [rice balls]. if you have never been to japan you HAVE to go to a basement of a department store. it's like food overload. we went to several different stores and experienced the high end and the low end versions. all good. if you can - get to a grocery store too - the quantity and quality of stuff will astound you. i was lucky enough to get some grapes [i loved japanese grapes as a kid. they are smaller - sweeter and the skin is sour. they really are different and so good].
we were also so lucky to be taken to a 10 course seafood meal by a family friend. 10 small courses - each presented on perfect plates - in perfect quantities, with flavors carefully balanced. a cold palette cleansing soup followed by some of the best ikura [salmon roe] i've ever had. i didn't take any pictures - but i have the experience roted in my mind.
there is just no limit in terms of drink choices :). my friend said they are constantly coming up with "new" ones - and some are retired from time to time. there are vending machines all over that sell every kind of drink you can think of. i had some that i never saw again anywhere. [and they are less sweet than drinks here. really good]
in harajuku - the trendy young neighborhood where you can also buy $2000 levi jeans. kiddieland was one of the best toy stores we visited.
also in harajuku. how cute is this burger stand??
a stones throw from all the trendy impossibly amazing stores and youngsters [who currently are imitating the 80's LA rocker look] is a big park and shrine. meiji is just beautiful. it's so quiet and serene. and it has some of the tallest tori gates. [you definitely have the pilgrimedge feeling here.]
ok crafty people. if you want to die and go to craft heaven in shinjuku is okadaya . 7 floors of craft supplies [only of the cute variety]. above is the top floor of JUST craft books. [i snuck a photo]. this is one part of it. the place isn't huge, but it's FULL. and across the way is 9 floors of fabric goodness. a very dangerous place.
also in shinjuku is the muji flagship store. um yeah. i don't think i need to say anything other than will they open one on the west coast please??
one of my absolute favorite neighborhoods was asakusa . that perfect blend of old and new - trinkets + really great crafts. 2 of the best tenugui shops i saw anywhere. we went when there was a chinese lantern festival . it seemed as though every grandma in toykyo had come out for the occasion. so cool.
detail of a lantern.
asakusa is a big area. surrounding the temples are lots of shops and "fun" places. a small amusement park, a sports park, a bowling - alley. above is a phone i wanted to steal from the bowling alley.
also in asakusa is the restaurant supply area. kappabashi dori . it was decorated with the above amazing streamers. this is the hood for knives, plates and that FAKE FOOD [yes we couldn't resist - something came home with us].
my other absolute favorite place was tsukiji . it's where the famous fish market is. the market itself is amazing and not at all limited to fish. there are also some fantastic restaurants tucked between the stalls for vegetables and pickles and fish flakes and.... you can get everything you could possibly dream of to eat here. i would love to be able to do my daily shopping here. next time we go to japan i dream of staying in a place with a kitchen so we can shop and cook !
these are the traditional shopping "bags" that people were using in the market. i wanted to bring one home so badly, but couldn't think of how to get it on the plane [we were already at our carry-on limit].
the area is just bustling. there are walkers, scooters, men hauling carts and wagons, and these very odd 3 wheeled mighty cars . if you don't look where you are going you WILL get run over. and it's busiest and most exciting early in the morning [when i am least alert!]
this was the backside of some of the stalls. i loved the decay. if you go to tokyo and you love food. this is MUST.
well.... i think that's actually it. all the photos [divided into neighborhood] are here . if you have any questions about anything i'd be happy to answer.
next post i'll show the exhibition.... and then we'll get back to "normal" around here [what is that exactly?]. i have been tagged by several folks to do a meme - so that's on the way too.
if you have a minute - go check out ship of fools . we're having a really great discussion about the year of magical thinking....
have a GREAT weekend!
Labels: japan
