http://tokenchic.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/among-the-cut/
some v nice photos taken from sl.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
xyz Qin, shaping the wood embryo
xyz Qin, shaping the wood embryo
There are two prototypes, one with Old Shan wood老杉木 (spruce=雲杉,fir=冷杉, cunninghamia(used in temples w scent)=杉), and the other with WuTong (paulownia tomentosa =tong= 白桐) wood.
The Shan wood was recuperated from an old church and the WuTong桐木 is maybe new? (bottom boards are usually in 梓 (catalpa=梓)).
Shan is more expensive and gives a dark rich sound
WuTong is light in color and weight gives a light singing voice. Says Master Shan单志渊.
However, other woods for top boards could be used too. Pine, cedar, spruce.
The two shosoin shapes are cut based on a pattern I drafted using dimensions given kindly by a Japanese friend who is a specialist in guqin.
A friend, Mr.Ke Huang Yi柯宏毅 used a long trimming tool to shave the board (a plane) into the shosoin shape. Long plane, short plane, and a mini bull horn plane. Long plane keeps the lines straight, mini plane turns and gives good curves used in finishing planing.
He did it in two hours, then Mr.Yuan showed us a "bull horn" shaver took, this little tool will trim the surface further into finer curves. The blade should be held at and pushed in a 45° angle (relative to the direction of the blade) to get a proper smooth curve and not perpendicular to the direction of the cut.
The highest point of qin is at the "chest" level, the thickest part of the qin. at 3rd to 4th hui
At 8hui and a half the board dips down a little bit to accommodate the fluttering vibration of the string.
The dip is at this depth: 1.5mm at 7th string, 2mm at 4th string, 2.5mm at 1st string.
The dip is feathered out to blend in w the rest of the board
Duration of the qin making process:
Minimum 8 months to Two years. This is to allow for the qin to get into position and for the qin to stabilise the overall form.
Here is the minimum duration without considering the settling in process, 23 days as follows:
After the embryo is done,
2 days base lacquer
2 days coarse deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 days medium deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 fine deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 top board base lacquer
2 top watery lacquer
7 top board lacquer 7 layers
last last layer
4 smooth fine polish 2 times
altogether 23 days.
When drying the lacquer needs humidity, humidity 85% is best, should be between 80-90°; if its any higher there will be a misty foggy sheen to the lacquer and it will not be mirror finished.
The "bridge" which holds up the strings should be .9 to 1.2cm thick; .9 will give a lighter sound and thicker dimensions gives a sturdier sound
N.B.Some of the terms of the names of wood and details are found in Jim Binkley's blog: Little Old Qin Maker. Thanks to the Little Old Qin Maker!!
There are two prototypes, one with Old Shan wood老杉木 (spruce=雲杉,fir=冷杉, cunninghamia(used in temples w scent)=杉), and the other with WuTong (paulownia tomentosa =tong= 白桐) wood.
The Shan wood was recuperated from an old church and the WuTong桐木 is maybe new? (bottom boards are usually in 梓 (catalpa=梓)).
Shan is more expensive and gives a dark rich sound
WuTong is light in color and weight gives a light singing voice. Says Master Shan单志渊.
However, other woods for top boards could be used too. Pine, cedar, spruce.
The two shosoin shapes are cut based on a pattern I drafted using dimensions given kindly by a Japanese friend who is a specialist in guqin.
A friend, Mr.Ke Huang Yi柯宏毅 used a long trimming tool to shave the board (a plane) into the shosoin shape. Long plane, short plane, and a mini bull horn plane. Long plane keeps the lines straight, mini plane turns and gives good curves used in finishing planing.
He did it in two hours, then Mr.Yuan showed us a "bull horn" shaver took, this little tool will trim the surface further into finer curves. The blade should be held at and pushed in a 45° angle (relative to the direction of the blade) to get a proper smooth curve and not perpendicular to the direction of the cut.
The highest point of qin is at the "chest" level, the thickest part of the qin. at 3rd to 4th hui
At 8hui and a half the board dips down a little bit to accommodate the fluttering vibration of the string.
The dip is at this depth: 1.5mm at 7th string, 2mm at 4th string, 2.5mm at 1st string.
The dip is feathered out to blend in w the rest of the board
Duration of the qin making process:
Minimum 8 months to Two years. This is to allow for the qin to get into position and for the qin to stabilise the overall form.
Here is the minimum duration without considering the settling in process, 23 days as follows:
After the embryo is done,
2 days base lacquer
2 days coarse deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 days medium deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 fine deer horn powder鹿角 + lacquer
2 top board base lacquer
2 top watery lacquer
7 top board lacquer 7 layers
last last layer
4 smooth fine polish 2 times
altogether 23 days.
When drying the lacquer needs humidity, humidity 85% is best, should be between 80-90°; if its any higher there will be a misty foggy sheen to the lacquer and it will not be mirror finished.
The "bridge" which holds up the strings should be .9 to 1.2cm thick; .9 will give a lighter sound and thicker dimensions gives a sturdier sound
N.B.Some of the terms of the names of wood and details are found in Jim Binkley's blog: Little Old Qin Maker. Thanks to the Little Old Qin Maker!!
Russian Ark ***, Paranoid Park ***
Russian Ark ***
A very interesting one shot feature film. I had seen interviews of "making of" on youtube, its also very interesting.
What a great idea, no editing, just in camera editing... the pre-production is also enormous, lots of organisation! The director had one day to shoot the film because the location is inside the Hermitage museum and they only let them shoot on the off day. But what a fantastic location, very special. Rare.
As the film rolls along - we are aware of the camera framing re-framing all the time, unlike an edited movie. We see real paintings, scenarios, color of the wall, painting frames, (in ordinary movies, when you see a painting, it is a decor so usually kind of rough, look-a-like paintings but here, all the details are solid, good! can stand up to a close up without any problems). Then the actors and actresses are doing a continuous tableau display - including the sound track... music. For example: we get the Marquis (with formaldyhyde smell and old costumes) to go from room to room, he talks to the variouis people in various ages, they might be in easy jogging suits, or sailors outfit, or old style suits, he goes up to a woman in a long black dress, like in a millet painting; she seem to be blind, but she knows all the paintings and could tell lots of details about the painting to the visitor - is this a tongue in cheek effort to say, all these museum guides, whether they see or not see, it amounts to the same, because only we could see with our own eyes, she could only give you information; therefore, she could be easily replaced with a "talking guide" box - or, is the movie maker saying; all this chitter chatter about a painting is all words, we must see with our own individual eyes? In anycase, movie viewers are slightly jostled by this blind fine manner painting tour guide. Such slightly off-set with many asides scenes are many, in almost all the running water tableaux/scenes. Too many to name. Each one intriquing and holds our attention.
Otherwise, how do you keep the viewers interest while time is passing?
In the movie Stroll, our interest is upheld by the rapid fire of dialogues also full of intriques, and the girl is charming, while we dont really see the two guys faces. One is a poet the other pragmatic man-man; we are held in hope to see up close what do these two guys look like? Whereas we see the "fiancé" up close with a steady frame focused on his face. We see who this steady man through a steady cam.
Watch the movie yourself. :)
Paranoid Park ***
poetic travelling shots of the inner mind of a teenager who done got some trouble and gotta get it out of his head. Skate boarding poetry.
The pretty girlfriend and the girl next door girl friend are very nice butterfly wing type subtle touches and depth through layering. Tells the story through non verbal eye contacts, revealing the inner characters. We viewers are seeing these eyes and smiles, words through the eye of the boy-in-trouble.
A very interesting one shot feature film. I had seen interviews of "making of" on youtube, its also very interesting.
What a great idea, no editing, just in camera editing... the pre-production is also enormous, lots of organisation! The director had one day to shoot the film because the location is inside the Hermitage museum and they only let them shoot on the off day. But what a fantastic location, very special. Rare.
As the film rolls along - we are aware of the camera framing re-framing all the time, unlike an edited movie. We see real paintings, scenarios, color of the wall, painting frames, (in ordinary movies, when you see a painting, it is a decor so usually kind of rough, look-a-like paintings but here, all the details are solid, good! can stand up to a close up without any problems). Then the actors and actresses are doing a continuous tableau display - including the sound track... music. For example: we get the Marquis (with formaldyhyde smell and old costumes) to go from room to room, he talks to the variouis people in various ages, they might be in easy jogging suits, or sailors outfit, or old style suits, he goes up to a woman in a long black dress, like in a millet painting; she seem to be blind, but she knows all the paintings and could tell lots of details about the painting to the visitor - is this a tongue in cheek effort to say, all these museum guides, whether they see or not see, it amounts to the same, because only we could see with our own eyes, she could only give you information; therefore, she could be easily replaced with a "talking guide" box - or, is the movie maker saying; all this chitter chatter about a painting is all words, we must see with our own individual eyes? In anycase, movie viewers are slightly jostled by this blind fine manner painting tour guide. Such slightly off-set with many asides scenes are many, in almost all the running water tableaux/scenes. Too many to name. Each one intriquing and holds our attention.
Otherwise, how do you keep the viewers interest while time is passing?
In the movie Stroll, our interest is upheld by the rapid fire of dialogues also full of intriques, and the girl is charming, while we dont really see the two guys faces. One is a poet the other pragmatic man-man; we are held in hope to see up close what do these two guys look like? Whereas we see the "fiancé" up close with a steady frame focused on his face. We see who this steady man through a steady cam.
Watch the movie yourself. :)
Paranoid Park ***
poetic travelling shots of the inner mind of a teenager who done got some trouble and gotta get it out of his head. Skate boarding poetry.
The pretty girlfriend and the girl next door girl friend are very nice butterfly wing type subtle touches and depth through layering. Tells the story through non verbal eye contacts, revealing the inner characters. We viewers are seeing these eyes and smiles, words through the eye of the boy-in-trouble.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
High Quality Sim inspection Dec 2011
High Quality Sim inspection Dec 2011
Many high quality sims have disappeared as we go along from the time I entered sl. 2007
Sims are high quality not only because of its fine graphic qualities, but they had story telling possibilities which gave visitors real memories of events, experiences of events in real time. It's an ensemble of memories of people and interactions and playfulness, freely enjoyed times.
Often, I would like to go back and revisit, replay all the activities that we did. Just to see, has things changed?
Like revisiting my kindergarten school ground, why, these stairs are so tiny, swings so low, and all built in stone for little people. We were tiny then!
Some of the disappeared sims that I would like to revisit are:
1// Clock Island (Franck Muller themed on time and numbers)
2// Isakaya Tokyo TV (post war 40s full village w all items replicas, ritual etc)
3// Everwind (mediaeval role playing sim)
4// Greenies (tiny green men from outerspace, with occasional real life ad purpose : ie L'Oréal campaign for makeup, skin)
Many high quality sims have disappeared as we go along from the time I entered sl. 2007
Sims are high quality not only because of its fine graphic qualities, but they had story telling possibilities which gave visitors real memories of events, experiences of events in real time. It's an ensemble of memories of people and interactions and playfulness, freely enjoyed times.
Often, I would like to go back and revisit, replay all the activities that we did. Just to see, has things changed?
Like revisiting my kindergarten school ground, why, these stairs are so tiny, swings so low, and all built in stone for little people. We were tiny then!
Some of the disappeared sims that I would like to revisit are:
1// Clock Island (Franck Muller themed on time and numbers)
2// Isakaya Tokyo TV (post war 40s full village w all items replicas, ritual etc)
3// Everwind (mediaeval role playing sim)
4// Greenies (tiny green men from outerspace, with occasional real life ad purpose : ie L'Oréal campaign for makeup, skin)
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Stroll***half
Stroll***half Russian film, 2003
Interesting Russian movie, the whole film is shot on a rolling moving camera. Almost like a one shot deal. The dialogue is a sparkling imaginative bolt of silk, running non stop. Images are in motion all the time that we cant really see the face of the two main male characters. And the girl Olga, we only see her face up close quickly here and there, and her silhouette - big bosom girl. So we only see her up to her waist until we meet the best friend of the first male lead. Olga was accosted on the street by one poetic young man Alexei, he falls in love w her and introduces his best friend Petya to her. Meanwhile they are walking non stop through out the street, on the bridge under the rain. Olga receives non stop here and there phonecalls, she tells the caller to stop calling her. All the time, the quickly running conversation has to do with imaginative scenarios of who and what she does, Alexei invites her to Moscou, she agrees but insisted on paying for her ticket. She lets him see her passport so that he knows shes ten years older than him. But she really like Petya more, because Petya is the more mature one. Throughout the two hours, by the time we meet Petya, we noticed that Olga doesnt have to talk in the peppy way to Petya unlike to Alexei. She talks abouts how she sees the two, how she loves them both. Finally the secret is revealed, she was on a bet w her husband to be that she could walk for hours on high heel shoes and that she could go on a honeymoon in Tibet and Himalaya. Both Alexei and Petya felt cheated and left in a state of pissed off. Olga runs out to chase after them both to reassure them that she didnt do it on purpose she didnt want to cheat them. We see her running out the door to catch them both. The film ends with a woman kissing a man, but we dont know who she is kissing. In the dialogue, Alexei says to Petya that, the finace had no idea what he just lost... even though the two guys were sort of felt let down due to being "deceived" by this imaginative adventurous woman. When pickpocketed by a band of gypsy women, Olga doesnt get angry, she thinks its a wonderful adventure, a piece of theatre! Olga is someone who has exceptional visions of how life is lived, what time is, what people honesty, and being in the moment etc etc. Olga is a gypsy soul hereself. We see that this one day walk has changed something in her life, maybe even though she truly loves her fiancé, but she loves more these two guys whom she has just met, just like that. She runs after them out the door.
The film opens and ends with Nina Simone's wispy voice singing about love.
Very good smart story building, but after the revelation of the premise, its a little "just smart" but still believable.
Its a poetic fairy tales of a sort, and I do believe you could love many people all at once.
Here is a story that tells of the three types of love through Olga, that she was not "cheating" any one of them. However, its only credible in the framework of the film, because of clever scripting.
The film has very beautiful camera work too, and justifiable camera work, we are strickened by the a beauty of a cold blue sky of St. Petersberg through the reflexion of a car window showing all the buildings upside down and flowing in movement, (because its travelling in a marvellous curvy wave like scrolling motion on the screen); then we see its somebody in a car stepping out. In retrospect, we see the couple are not really seeing eye to eye. They are not such a made for each other couple. But there is reason why its a car reflexion that we see, because it was bet made for a day. Olga was in a car dropped off by her fiancé,where she began her walk.
When she meets Petya, we begin to see far away long shots, where we see her strutting walk on high heels, but the camera moves very quickly so we still couldnt see up close the faces of Alexei nor Petya.
Finally when the walk is over, in the bowling ally, we see Olga's fiance - a very ordinary good guy w common sense of fun, too common for a "wild horse" with run away spontaneous imagination like Olga - Olga is an exceptional woman. Olga came from a small country side - this also accounts for why she would be stuck with a man like this - everything fits in the movie.
Beautiful and refreshing story. Camera work flowing - reminds me of the one shot film also staged in St.Petersberg, the "Russian Ark".
Am very happy to have seen this movie.
I Vitelloni ****
I Vitelloni****A Fellini classic, black and white, 1953. Prize: best screen writing.
Everything in this movie is very human, measured, every character has its specificity within their lives.From the main 5 young man, to the young wife, to the bosses wife, the father, the father-in-law-boss, the aging famous actor, play wright to be, show girl, high society woman with a flair to flirting, movie house etiquettes and signs, everything fits perfectly. (make up, costume, manners all convincing and distinctive as per character)
Italian Miss Mermaid contest, young womens covered-talk about pre-marital pregnancies, everything fits. Mothers broken hearted by run away daughters w a married man, mothers distraught by missing daughter in law - (she asked herself if its time to make lunch by habit when in face of uncontrollable events coming up, making lunch brings back a normality, an order to their lives...) etc etc.
The marriage at the church, the masked ball, the grandeur and small hard working folks, the young boy who had to get up at 3am everyday to work at the train station... everything works.All details are so human and humourous at the same time.
Fellini does not despise his light hearted characters, he showed them as they are. Only someone who has seen quite a lot of human situations could he make such a film. However, maybe its collaborative? Maybe Fellini had lots of friends of all sorts, thats how he could have made such a rich convincing human comedy type of realism film?
Wonderful film, I back tracked a few times to see how he did the various scenes and dialogues just to not miss it, because he is not redundant, everything is very concise and useful - when Moraldo leaves the small town, the camera show various buddies in bed, sleeping, about to be awaken but not awake, not out of bed. Then the camera pulls away, Moraldo is leaving without knowing where to go, but he must leave, because he is a serious young man, away and away, goodbye small town good bye. (The young boy Guido asks him, where are you going? Moraldo doesnt know, he says good bye to Guido, and Guido says good bye. We imagine, Guido might be the one to leave also because he is so orderly and proper inspite of his lowly position, unlike the five buddies, he will be the one to leave. Two adults passes by Guido who is walking along the rail track towards the Sun, they pat him on the head, like for a young good boy.
All these tiny gestures throughout the movie build towards a certain ambiance, a solid master web of a story. They are not empty, not long winded, they fill in the scenario like so many strokes as in a fumato painting, suggesting who will do what in the future for the big picture.
Everything in this movie is very human, measured, every character has its specificity within their lives.From the main 5 young man, to the young wife, to the bosses wife, the father, the father-in-law-boss, the aging famous actor, play wright to be, show girl, high society woman with a flair to flirting, movie house etiquettes and signs, everything fits perfectly. (make up, costume, manners all convincing and distinctive as per character)
Italian Miss Mermaid contest, young womens covered-talk about pre-marital pregnancies, everything fits. Mothers broken hearted by run away daughters w a married man, mothers distraught by missing daughter in law - (she asked herself if its time to make lunch by habit when in face of uncontrollable events coming up, making lunch brings back a normality, an order to their lives...) etc etc.
The marriage at the church, the masked ball, the grandeur and small hard working folks, the young boy who had to get up at 3am everyday to work at the train station... everything works.All details are so human and humourous at the same time.
Fellini does not despise his light hearted characters, he showed them as they are. Only someone who has seen quite a lot of human situations could he make such a film. However, maybe its collaborative? Maybe Fellini had lots of friends of all sorts, thats how he could have made such a rich convincing human comedy type of realism film?
Wonderful film, I back tracked a few times to see how he did the various scenes and dialogues just to not miss it, because he is not redundant, everything is very concise and useful - when Moraldo leaves the small town, the camera show various buddies in bed, sleeping, about to be awaken but not awake, not out of bed. Then the camera pulls away, Moraldo is leaving without knowing where to go, but he must leave, because he is a serious young man, away and away, goodbye small town good bye. (The young boy Guido asks him, where are you going? Moraldo doesnt know, he says good bye to Guido, and Guido says good bye. We imagine, Guido might be the one to leave also because he is so orderly and proper inspite of his lowly position, unlike the five buddies, he will be the one to leave. Two adults passes by Guido who is walking along the rail track towards the Sun, they pat him on the head, like for a young good boy.
All these tiny gestures throughout the movie build towards a certain ambiance, a solid master web of a story. They are not empty, not long winded, they fill in the scenario like so many strokes as in a fumato painting, suggesting who will do what in the future for the big picture.
Monday, 19 December 2011
Chihlee Technology Institute 致理技術學院 Dec15-16, 2011; TaiChung sl in rl friends
Chihlee sl+rl campus, Nomilly Valeska
Cloud
Inaea: Unesco, Sandrine Han
Art Education
Tiny Avatar as gift
Sl friends meeting in Taichung
HuaKui MobileMusic, Swann Jie + Shuen-git
Sl locations and trees
Cloud
Inaea: Unesco, Sandrine Han
Art Education
Tiny Avatar as gift
Sl friends meeting in Taichung
HuaKui MobileMusic, Swann Jie + Shuen-git
Sl locations and trees
Zhong Dao Tang: Qin and Qin Culture, Taipei. New York Qin Society and Friends Symposium, Oct 2011
Zhong Dao Tang at QiDong Street, Taipei, Taiwan
Shuen-git Chow 周 旋 捷 invited to the Qin Symposium to present "Pale Ink 2004" and "Half HunDun Qin 2003-2006" to Zhong Dao Tang members and New York Qin Society members.
Shuen-git reading Chang PeiYou's Meeting Proceeding notebook
Jerome Li, master of ceremony at Qin Symposium; Half HunDun Qin could be seen behind him, also sg's computer for running "Pale Ink"Zhong Hua Qin Society's blog on the event.
Green= added commentary by Shuen-git Chow
Key
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4Zhong Hua Qin Society's blog on the event.
Green= added commentary by Shuen-git Chow
key
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Sunday, 18 December 2011
Talk at Chihlee Technology Institute, Taipei, Taiwan. Dec16th2011
Some questions which came up again and again vis-a-vis Virtual Worlds - especially the one in Secondlife - Are Virtual World things real?
To reply to these puzzling existantial queries, I have written back in 2009 my experiences for Secondlife-world time.
The main points are here:
Time is a limited ressource and the person who spent time specifically for you, to be with you - in person in real life, and online via their avatar - has given you the gift of their time and is a real friend.
The Virtual World becomes "real" when the people inside invest their true selves in it. What is life if you are stripped of memories? We have only memories - to provide good memories, you must have high quality experiences.
This translates into high quality objects, scenarios and time - just like in the material world - immaterial world and material worlds are both components of real life.
http://swannbb.blogspot.com/2009/11/high-quality-sim-for-good-memories.html
To reply to these puzzling existantial queries, I have written back in 2009 my experiences for Secondlife-world time.
The main points are here:
Time is a limited ressource and the person who spent time specifically for you, to be with you - in person in real life, and online via their avatar - has given you the gift of their time and is a real friend.
The Virtual World becomes "real" when the people inside invest their true selves in it. What is life if you are stripped of memories? We have only memories - to provide good memories, you must have high quality experiences.
This translates into high quality objects, scenarios and time - just like in the material world - immaterial world and material worlds are both components of real life.
http://swannbb.blogspot.com/2009/11/high-quality-sim-for-good-memories.html
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
HuaKui BallBall, large, medium and small
Real human scale 1:1 small
Human scale with different mannequin sizes. Left: Extra Extra Large, building size ball, 20meter diameter; Top: Large ball, sitting 5meter diameter sphere; Right: Extra Large ball, 10meter diameter.
Large size ball with mannequin as human scale
Saturday, 10 December 2011
3 idiots making of ***half, The White Sheik ***half, Intelligence of Being Human
3 idiots making of ***half,
New pop film everybody says I would like. I got a hold of a making of, thinking it was the film, after I watched it entirely I find it very informative. Very good. I like to know behind the scenes type of mechanics and the actors, what efforts they made to achieve for example a lisp for a character etc. All very impressive and I really like last scene of the clear magnificent setting. So clear, water and sky all in one. Apparently the actors had oxygen problems, they were gasping for air after each piece of dialogue! Wonderful making of.
The White Sheik ***half
Fellini has made this very multilayered film about a young bride to be falling in love with romance as portrayed in Photo-roman comics, and he clearly showed each characters multileveled humanity. Regardless of how naive the girl is, the lady editor is warm and friendly towards her, she wants her to enjoy her romantic dreams. The taxi driver chases after the husband from place to place and waits to get paid, because he knew the husband is in hot water, so he waits without breaking the husbands "show". Very human. And the police man, in his detective professionalism, gets the husband to say his name, his fathers name, each time he utters his name; clack clack clack, the typewriter gets going as if hes already committed a crime... very funny and subtle. The "white sheik" comes on land, and faces this big fat woman, his wife who slaps the girl, and gets his man. So immediately the white sheik denys all doing w the girl, climbs on the back of the vespa, holds on tight the fat woman - she is the one for him! She resolves all his problems, and is the true pillar of solidity of his life! All the pretty girls in the world are just little snippets of candies, no more. The girl is played by a very pretty saintly pure young actress, very gd in her role. Fellini's wife plays this nosy woman, w very bright eyes, a little kookie but so likeable. The Juilette of the Spirits, same charming eyes. In the end, the girl gets together with her new husband, who is now truly she knows he is her white sheik. It is good that she had experienced this little dream breaking romance. It is very intelligent this movie shows each person involved in the production of romance, so necessary in peoples difficult lives. Each character has rules and boundaries that makes their lives not so easy and each part provides something sweet to make life go easier, and nobody is really that naive to believe in it at the first degree. So, this movie is so great in that all these multiple simultaneously occuring layers are all happening so well, nobody is mean. Everybody can make a little room for the other when in need. That, is being human. Intelligence of being human or rather Deploying Human Intelligence.
New pop film everybody says I would like. I got a hold of a making of, thinking it was the film, after I watched it entirely I find it very informative. Very good. I like to know behind the scenes type of mechanics and the actors, what efforts they made to achieve for example a lisp for a character etc. All very impressive and I really like last scene of the clear magnificent setting. So clear, water and sky all in one. Apparently the actors had oxygen problems, they were gasping for air after each piece of dialogue! Wonderful making of.
The White Sheik ***half
Fellini has made this very multilayered film about a young bride to be falling in love with romance as portrayed in Photo-roman comics, and he clearly showed each characters multileveled humanity. Regardless of how naive the girl is, the lady editor is warm and friendly towards her, she wants her to enjoy her romantic dreams. The taxi driver chases after the husband from place to place and waits to get paid, because he knew the husband is in hot water, so he waits without breaking the husbands "show". Very human. And the police man, in his detective professionalism, gets the husband to say his name, his fathers name, each time he utters his name; clack clack clack, the typewriter gets going as if hes already committed a crime... very funny and subtle. The "white sheik" comes on land, and faces this big fat woman, his wife who slaps the girl, and gets his man. So immediately the white sheik denys all doing w the girl, climbs on the back of the vespa, holds on tight the fat woman - she is the one for him! She resolves all his problems, and is the true pillar of solidity of his life! All the pretty girls in the world are just little snippets of candies, no more. The girl is played by a very pretty saintly pure young actress, very gd in her role. Fellini's wife plays this nosy woman, w very bright eyes, a little kookie but so likeable. The Juilette of the Spirits, same charming eyes. In the end, the girl gets together with her new husband, who is now truly she knows he is her white sheik. It is good that she had experienced this little dream breaking romance. It is very intelligent this movie shows each person involved in the production of romance, so necessary in peoples difficult lives. Each character has rules and boundaries that makes their lives not so easy and each part provides something sweet to make life go easier, and nobody is really that naive to believe in it at the first degree. So, this movie is so great in that all these multiple simultaneously occuring layers are all happening so well, nobody is mean. Everybody can make a little room for the other when in need. That, is being human. Intelligence of being human or rather Deploying Human Intelligence.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Mondrian's painting closeups
photos by James Elkins
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-elkins/post_1036_b_756669.html
Closeups of Mondrian's paintings
I was at a critique session of an art school.
A student mounted a number of "copied" Mondrian to show her criticism against todays practice of museums sometimes just showing copies and not the original.
When I looked at these copies, they look like postcards blown up, or worst quickie striped "copies".
If this exhibition-work-installation is meant to be "criticism of todays Museum practices" - just a very good essay or photos of these existing practice would be good enough? Why go to the trouble of reproducing all these paintings by hand so the dimensions are exact etc. ?
I have respect for good copiers, because to make a good copy of a master painting, it also takes great artistic dedication - whether the copy is very life like or just amateur love like.
Here in this case, I think the student has wasted her time. Because her message is really thin and the effort that she has made to set this argument in a spatialised installation is - time wasted. The paintings have no love in it.
Then, other teachers think this is sufficient whether the copy is v gd or not is not important, the student has made a statement and its very good work.
I question this point because, why not copy Mona Lisa? Why choose Mondrian? Is it because we think Mondrian is much easier to fake than the very familiar Mona Lisa?
I think its a waste of time, because, this art work has no love in it. It is purely a "mediatic critique" thats not worth all this effort. In the end, the reason why we have copies in museums are not cynical. It is a solution to an existing problem - that of a standing in while the original is on loan or in the vault or whatever.
I think all paintings, whether by famous artists, or copier or students or amateur naive painters, without an authentic desire to create the painting, its not worth it. Because you will end up with a pile of "quickie look-a-like stand ins".
So, I asked the student, has she ever seen any of the Mondrian originals. No, she has not. (Why not copy something she has seen?)
So, I checked on the Internet, and within the first page, the third down the list, we see the article on "copying Mondrian" by James Elkins. There are very good photos of closeups of the painting too!
What does this all mean?
Part of this shows the change of what "painting" means and how "painting" as an art form has turned from the act to meaning, to critical gestures; and students today are applauded for "critical capacities".
I ask this question, as an artist, what is your "pleasure", your "content"? There are thousands of bad worthy of heavy criticism of moral, esthetics, from many different angles. How do you choose to criticise this or that? And would you rather use your time to improve your own work and make it better rather than criticising these other works/phenomenon?
Its very easy to be critical of a specific event or phenomenon, but without placing it in context, the criticism is too easy, too light, too ineffective. It doesnt bring much food to the table; neither for the "critic" nor for the viewer.
Put your place in the position of the copier, what are the issues involved in this act? What do you learn from the process and seeing the end result and other peoples reception of your act? Did your message deliver something thats worth your action? (Only the creator could fully answer this question)
For what reasons did the author of the copying decided to launch this laborious or easy work?
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Sl is good for... architecture prototyping, machinima
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/11/the-myth-of-why-second-life-failed-to-go-big.html#tp
The Myth of Second Life's Failure to Go Big: It Wasn't Lack of Practical Applications, But Poor Execution & Market Timing
It's quite easy to find numerous "jobs" that Second Life has been used for, in ways that other platforms couldn't provide as well. Here's just a few:
1// Second Life has been used by many filmmakers as a low-cost, resource-rich platform for making 3D animation -- i.e. machinima.
2// Second Life has been used by therapists and veterans as a high value therapy platform for treatment of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is "Working when nothing else has.”
3//Second Life has been used by architects as a low-cost, resource-rich prototyping platform.
The Myth of Second Life's Failure to Go Big: It Wasn't Lack of Practical Applications, But Poor Execution & Market Timing
It's quite easy to find numerous "jobs" that Second Life has been used for, in ways that other platforms couldn't provide as well. Here's just a few:
1// Second Life has been used by many filmmakers as a low-cost, resource-rich platform for making 3D animation -- i.e. machinima.
2// Second Life has been used by therapists and veterans as a high value therapy platform for treatment of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is "Working when nothing else has.”
3//Second Life has been used by architects as a low-cost, resource-rich prototyping platform.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Avril***
Avril ***
Very nice film on nuns. About the awakening of a young girl grew up in a convent - a very strict order - maybe Carmelite. There is a heavy criticism on Camalite vow of no speaking, no contact with outside world. When, all the elderly nuns are there for some personal reasons - often unspeakable. The young girl Avril, was suggested by the head nun to take a vow forever devoted to god and had to give up all the worldly possessions and stay locked up in a small white room - the little chapel. She was to renovate the place and speak to no one for 2 wks. Comes a middle age nun - she whispers at the door that the girl was not really an orphan, she had a brother - and she wanted to, she could take the two weeks of confinement to get outside to look for her brother. She left the door unlocked. The girl gets out, and finds her brother and began an awakening of the senses. This part is very well played with very good transitions. The young nun has a flair for drawing and artistic sense. She soon makes friends with a paint vendor. Within two weeks, she found her brother and his boy friend, the paint vendor young man and herself. To decorate the white chaple she painted her body with pink paint, and the boys in blue, and printed the body on the white wall - a la Yves Klein. The film is interesting, and the references to contemporary art is interesting. A film to use for discussion. What do people see, which are the issues that makes us think more and maybe jump start our imagination. Makes us query which parts are plausible and which parts are rather forced. In all cases,the intention of the film maker is sincere.
Very nice film on nuns. About the awakening of a young girl grew up in a convent - a very strict order - maybe Carmelite. There is a heavy criticism on Camalite vow of no speaking, no contact with outside world. When, all the elderly nuns are there for some personal reasons - often unspeakable. The young girl Avril, was suggested by the head nun to take a vow forever devoted to god and had to give up all the worldly possessions and stay locked up in a small white room - the little chapel. She was to renovate the place and speak to no one for 2 wks. Comes a middle age nun - she whispers at the door that the girl was not really an orphan, she had a brother - and she wanted to, she could take the two weeks of confinement to get outside to look for her brother. She left the door unlocked. The girl gets out, and finds her brother and began an awakening of the senses. This part is very well played with very good transitions. The young nun has a flair for drawing and artistic sense. She soon makes friends with a paint vendor. Within two weeks, she found her brother and his boy friend, the paint vendor young man and herself. To decorate the white chaple she painted her body with pink paint, and the boys in blue, and printed the body on the white wall - a la Yves Klein. The film is interesting, and the references to contemporary art is interesting. A film to use for discussion. What do people see, which are the issues that makes us think more and maybe jump start our imagination. Makes us query which parts are plausible and which parts are rather forced. In all cases,the intention of the film maker is sincere.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Transylvania ***, No Man's Land***,
Transylvania ***2006
Movie by Tony Gatlif, w Asia Argento
Tony Gatlif's movies are raw movie dancing authentic gypsy stories. Asia Argento is a wild beautiful girl, apparently she really knows how to box. Its a road movie starting with Zingarina (Asia Argento) and Marie (Amira Casar, ex Chanel mannequin); wild+milk and cream marie.
The movie is directed by the music track, with many raw beautiful scenes, and many instruments, that seem very folksy; wood cellos that has no varnish but has been used for ages... life in the woods, winter coming, giving birth in snow land at the back of a station wagon, women coming to help with scissors in hand, everything is basic human raw emotions.
I like his movies, i like Asia, and I like Amira, I like the music, so, whats not to like in this movie?
No Man's Land***
About Bosnian, Serbian conflict: two soldiers, each from one side is trapped in the little strip of no mans land, in spite of the good intentions, how the UN comes in to try to help, the "international global news" tries to get a story, when really nobody really cares about the soldiers - they all try to do their job and be safe in their own relative positions. The script is very good, actors good. Story v gd. In the intricate relations of how people react to a situation, we could be good, or better, but nobody goes beyond their own self preservation first. That is why the soldier is left lying on top of a "bouncing mine". The man with the gun will be "right".
Movie by Tony Gatlif, w Asia Argento
Tony Gatlif's movies are raw movie dancing authentic gypsy stories. Asia Argento is a wild beautiful girl, apparently she really knows how to box. Its a road movie starting with Zingarina (Asia Argento) and Marie (Amira Casar, ex Chanel mannequin); wild+milk and cream marie.
The movie is directed by the music track, with many raw beautiful scenes, and many instruments, that seem very folksy; wood cellos that has no varnish but has been used for ages... life in the woods, winter coming, giving birth in snow land at the back of a station wagon, women coming to help with scissors in hand, everything is basic human raw emotions.
I like his movies, i like Asia, and I like Amira, I like the music, so, whats not to like in this movie?
No Man's Land***
About Bosnian, Serbian conflict: two soldiers, each from one side is trapped in the little strip of no mans land, in spite of the good intentions, how the UN comes in to try to help, the "international global news" tries to get a story, when really nobody really cares about the soldiers - they all try to do their job and be safe in their own relative positions. The script is very good, actors good. Story v gd. In the intricate relations of how people react to a situation, we could be good, or better, but nobody goes beyond their own self preservation first. That is why the soldier is left lying on top of a "bouncing mine". The man with the gun will be "right".
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Anna***half, breakfast table
Anna***half
A very rich story stringing past lives of women together through a character call Anna. Anna lives in a cave with her German father. German father is a know-it-all kind man, tired of the worldly life. He taught Anna everything without putting her in a normal public school. Anna was home schooled. Charlotte Rampling plays a patron character who takes all these various young free spirited people and house them in a huge abandonned squat like place. The outside of the building has massive thick griffiti all over. Inside is a hippy squat ambiance. Women are "whores" and men "rapists". Here Anna finds a soul mate, and began her journey going back into many past lives, many lives of women, mother, goddess, priestess. The last round was being waitress at a fancy hotel. She was waitress to bring up a dinner for a special very private person. This person is responsible for war etc. He has a guard at the door. The guard searches the waitress, shes sexy. They did a sexy play, she sucked on a huge asparagus on one end to titilate the guard and the guard sucked on the other end. When she brings the plate to the man, he ate half and forks the other half offers to her, saying, he sucked the other half, she could eat it. The dialogue is quite smart. So finally she gets to his room, puts her butt on his face... and, surprise, she makes ca ca on his face!! Very gd turn of the story, then he bashes her, tries to punish her. She escapes. Finally over with this last life? She could be herself finally?
The last scene was the best, the others are fine, but all déjà vue, and quite inconvincing the sophistication Anna handles the insertion from cave to society. Anyway, this is similar in plot construction as in Hannah(see http://swannbb.blogspot.com/2011/07/hannah-murderers.html) - protected girl enters society and has to adapt and fight off all the dangers in the world. Here the story has multiple lines of political content, and history of women, injustice, a much heavier bag.
Breakfast table album, cont'd
kimchi, lotus root chestnut (ling-jiao) w two bull horns, soft sticky type corn, large pomelo, smoke dried longan infusion
A very rich story stringing past lives of women together through a character call Anna. Anna lives in a cave with her German father. German father is a know-it-all kind man, tired of the worldly life. He taught Anna everything without putting her in a normal public school. Anna was home schooled. Charlotte Rampling plays a patron character who takes all these various young free spirited people and house them in a huge abandonned squat like place. The outside of the building has massive thick griffiti all over. Inside is a hippy squat ambiance. Women are "whores" and men "rapists". Here Anna finds a soul mate, and began her journey going back into many past lives, many lives of women, mother, goddess, priestess. The last round was being waitress at a fancy hotel. She was waitress to bring up a dinner for a special very private person. This person is responsible for war etc. He has a guard at the door. The guard searches the waitress, shes sexy. They did a sexy play, she sucked on a huge asparagus on one end to titilate the guard and the guard sucked on the other end. When she brings the plate to the man, he ate half and forks the other half offers to her, saying, he sucked the other half, she could eat it. The dialogue is quite smart. So finally she gets to his room, puts her butt on his face... and, surprise, she makes ca ca on his face!! Very gd turn of the story, then he bashes her, tries to punish her. She escapes. Finally over with this last life? She could be herself finally?
The last scene was the best, the others are fine, but all déjà vue, and quite inconvincing the sophistication Anna handles the insertion from cave to society. Anyway, this is similar in plot construction as in Hannah(see http://swannbb.blogspot.com/2011/07/hannah-murderers.html) - protected girl enters society and has to adapt and fight off all the dangers in the world. Here the story has multiple lines of political content, and history of women, injustice, a much heavier bag.
Breakfast table album, cont'd
kimchi, lotus root chestnut (ling-jiao) w two bull horns, soft sticky type corn, large pomelo, smoke dried longan infusion
Thursday, 27 October 2011
tekkon kinkreet 惡童當街 ***half,
惡童當街 DVD ( tekkon kinkreet,
Studio 4°C (animation studio)) 松本大洋 ***half
Story very comic book, dramatic, good bad, black and white. Story line is very very clear. Details to the movie is very good. Very beautiful cinematographic experience. Popular and excellent high quality work.
Lots of background information for the Making of tekkon kinkreet on wikipedia.
Wonderful!
Studio 4°C (animation studio)) 松本大洋 ***half
Story very comic book, dramatic, good bad, black and white. Story line is very very clear. Details to the movie is very good. Very beautiful cinematographic experience. Popular and excellent high quality work.
Lots of background information for the Making of tekkon kinkreet on wikipedia.
Wonderful!
Sunday, 23 October 2011
slactions2011 xyz Qin, Shosoin Qin, Making of xyz Qin 1
slactions2011 installation on HK PolyU campusXYZ Qin
Version 2.228oct2011
Slactions2011
Creation of the xyzQin: an interpretation and re-creation of the Shosoin qin (金銀平文琴) Tang Dynasty (735AD) ; Shosoin Treasure House, Japan :: from rl-> sl -> rl.
Shuen-git Natasha Chow 周 旋 捷 2011
Visiting Associate Professor
Tainan University of the Arts
Taiwan
Description:
In this research-creation– the third in the serie of Digital Guqin Museum Project - we will investigate issues concerning the making of a real life Chinese musical instrument : the guqin - by deploying Virtual World 3D construction capacities and then exporting the model to real life. I will design a new guqin after the style of the locked up Shosoin qin in Nara, tentatively entitled the “xyz琴” (xyz Qin)
xyzQin research-creation
1// design template
2// cut wood, assemble into embryo
3// test sound with string
4// fine tuning, lacquering, fine tuning, polish
5// naming the qin
Technical Advisors:
Master guqin player: Sik ChingChieh
Master guqin maker: Mr. Shan ZheYuen
Making of xyz Qin 1
Picture 1// Preparation of the deer horn into proper coating grades to mix with lacquer. 600gm crushed deer horn per qin. 300coarse grade, 200medium grade, and 100fine grade. Here, we must first scrape out the marrow of the deer horn pieces. Tools: thin, flexible wood cutter type blades, w curved cutting edge
Picture 2// The open air studio of Master Shan Zhe Yuan. The studio should be well lit and well ventilated with long working tables. We will be using a lot of natural lacquer. This liquid has a slight poison people could be allergic to it. I think its good to make two qins at a time because the drying process in between makes it that you must wait, one or two will require the same window of time. Therefore I decided to make two qins, with a different skin at the finish. And a different wood base to see the two favorite woods used. Wood no 1: over 100 year old "Shan", and Wood no 2: "tong". Mr.Shan says : the two woods are very different. "Shan" wood is deeper and darker in tone, whereas "tong" is light and bright. I think making two identical design w different variables allows us to see the difference in material.
Version 1
I like this poster w the almost "arabic" font - The Dymaxion of Buckminster Fuller fame (free)- this font gives the feeling that its running, and orderly. Little hard to read. But this poster is meant to show the passage of time and idea. It shows via its components not entirely through the meaning of the text. It is readible but its appearance gives the direction and essence of the project - light, smooth, airy, inventive.
The second version (scroll above) uses a more flamboyant handwriting font (free)- "Meddon". It is angular at the turn of the letters, gives the line script some sharpness but very easily readable. I like this font very much because it connotates a fine period of baroque time - flowery, fun, adventurous (as in the 18th century, people take time to enjoy things) it has a faint reference to the period of the Shosoin qin, around 450AD (in reality) but was gifted to the Palace of Japan in 735AD so it is on record as 735AD. The slightly fancy script suits the elaborate skin of the Shosoin qin. Its part of an instrumental ensemble for the palace. The most refined and well preserved qin in current existence. I am happy that I could use this font for this poster. Each font - just like any graphics contributes to the overall feeling of a project. It says, what is the point of the project, where it is going and from where is the idea originated, aboveall, it shows visually the targeted esthetic objective, personal wishes and desire for the project of the creator-researcher.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Jazz and Art Festival at 5 Japanese Sim, HuaHui BallBall Beach, Opening and live music
Opening of the Jazz and Art Festival is tonight at 9pm - First live music event for Swann Jie, she has put her little guqin in hut for the event. Cant wait to see what happens!
Jazz & Art Festival in Secondlife
dinamite Kidd 2:41pm Oct 14
明日のオープニングはこんな感じで行きたいと思いまーす。
Opening Ceremony 進行表
実行委員(スタッフ）
dinamite Kidd (スカイプ）
miyuki Alter (スカイプ）
Toko Loon (スカイプ）
bananafish Boa (スカイプ）
Haruno Watanabe (スカイプ）
Kerupa Flow
司会進行
dinamite Kidd
miyuki Alter
進行補助
Toko Loon
音声ストリーミング担当
Haruno Watanabe
通訳担当
Haruno Watanabe
アーティスト
Goodwind Sailing (スカイプ）
Swann Jie (スカイプ）
Kerupa Flow
Gallery SayoPiyo
Yoyo Quarts
Sayoko Moonwall
edaeda Mistwallow
naturalway Flow (欠席）
michiharusaotome（欠席）
ミュージシャン
Haruno Watanabe
※進行
5:00am（21:00） スタッフ集合
5:30am（21:30） アーティスト集合、音声チェック
6:00am（22:00） 配信開始
司会者登場、ごあいさつ
イベントの概要等紹介トーク（みゆき＆まいと）
主催者と会場SIMの紹介で、ばなちゃん登場 （軽く挨拶よろしく）
6:05～6:10am（22:05～22:10）
アート部門紹介から、アーティスト紹介
ここでアーティスト登場。
（アーティストは椅子を用意する）
Swannとさちこさんはスカイプ。
ほかの人はチャット。
できれば、作品や写真を見せての紹介をしたいです。
(ポスターでもいいかな）
欠席のさおとめさんの紹介は、みゆきさんから。
アーティスト退場
（退場の後、椅子を片づけてください ←ばなちゃんかな？）
6:35am
ライブ部門の話へ移ります。
各演奏者の紹介を軽く・・
（とこちゃんにヘルプ振るかも・・天の声での参加もありかな）
※このあたりの時間帯、ノーティス出したり、ルイスのケアがありますので、
そっちをとこちゃんにはお願いします。ストリーミングの切り替えなど、
よかったらとこちゃんにも権限を渡しておいてもらえますか？＞ばなちゃん
この日のルイスとタムラの話は少し掘り下げて話します。
6:55am
はるののことを紹介、通訳、ストリーミング配信ありがとう！
ミュージシャンを代表してごあいさつ。
7:00amルイスのライブへ
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Jazz & Art Festival in Secondlife 5sims, Oct15-Nov13 2011
Jazz & Art Festival in Secondlife
http://jazzfes.slmame.com/
some videoclips
JAZZ & ART Festival 2011
Jazz and Art Festival 2011 features best second life musicians from all over the world performing live music at 15 unique venues, and incredible artists exhibiting their work between October 15, 2011 and November 13, 2011. Total 5 sims ("amatsu", "Grandblue", "HARUNO", "Waterland" and Aquapolis") will be prepared for live music concerts and art exhibitions. "Kick" will be part of Art exhibition during the month of October. Some live concerts will be held at various art exhibition venues. Come and join us to enjoy the best music and art on the Second Life.
=Event Period=
15 Oct.- 13 Nov. 2011
=Musicians=
Louis Volare
Jaynine Scarborough
Tamra Hayden
Zachh Cale
Winters Kanto
Joaquin Gustav
Cacho Nootan
Eth Tedeschi
Ankari Holder
RiZ
Ashiya Jun Trio
Jano Runo
Clarice Karu
JooZz
Al Hoffman
Nnoiz Papp
Rulie Cisse
Ruphay Sax
Moshang
Jana Kyomoon
amina Aeon
Haruno Watanabe
=Artists & Exhibition Galleries=
edaeda Mistwallow (JAPAN)
Corridor, Grandblue
Kerupa Flow(JAPAN)
Deep Thought Cathedral ,Grandblue
Goodwind Seiling (SWEDEN／JAPAN)
N00Sphere Playground & Seduction, Spiral Shell,amatsu
Gallery Sayopiyo(Sayoko Moonwall & yoyo Quartz)（JAPAN)
Captive Balloon~Firefly Forest, Kick （Oct.15 - Oct.31)
Sayopiyo at HARUNO, HARUNO (Nov.1 - Nov.13)
Swann Jie (TAIWAN)
HuaKui Beach, amatsu
michiharusaotome (JAPAN)
Swing wingS Gallery, Grandblue
naturalway Flow（Music StarMine、Show of artistic fireworks with music）(JAPAN)
MSM Base, amatsu
=DJ=
Fujiyama Yokosuka (JAPAN)
=Live & Event Schedule(SLT)=
Oct.15 (SAT)
JAZZ & ART Festival 2011 Opening
6:00 Opening Ceremony
7:00 Live: Louis Landon (USA)
8:00 Live: Tamra Hayden(USA)
Venue: Greek Theater, Grandblue
Oct.16(SUN)
Live Event @ Kerupa Flow Exhibition Venue
6:45 Introduction:dinamite Kidd & Jasminsea Noel
7:00 Live: Haruno Watanabe(USA/JAPAN)
Venue: Deep Thought Cathedral ,Grandblue
Oct.21(FRI)
Tango from Argentina
5:45 Introduction dinamite Kidd & miyuki Alter
6:00 Live: Joaquin Gustav(ARGENTINA)
7:00 Live: Winters Kanto(ARGENTINA)
8:00 Live: Cacho Nootan(ARGENTINA)
Venue: Restaurant, Grandblue
Oct.22(SAT)
Live Music from Germany
6:45 Introduction:dinamite Kidd & Toko Loon
7:00 Live: Nnoiz Papp(GERMANY)
8:00 Live: Jaynine Scarborough(GERMANY)
Venue: Takamagahara Chapel, amatsu
Oct.23(SUN)
Live Event @ michiharusaotome Exhibition Venue
6:45 Introduction: miyuki Alter & Toko Loon
7:00 Live: Zacch Cale(USA)
Venue:Swing wingS Gallery, Grandblue
Oct.28(FRI)
Live Event @ edaeda Mistwallow Exhibition Venue
6:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & miyuki Alter
7:00 Live: amina Aeon(JAPAN)
8:00 Live: Louis Landon(USA)
Venue: Corridor, Grandblue
Oct.29(SAT)
Live Music from Mexico
6:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & Toko Loon
7:00 Live: Ankari Holder(MEXICO/URUGUAY)
8:00 Live: Jano Runo(MEXICO)
Venue: Venue especially prepared for JAZZ & ART Festival, Waterland
Oct.30(SUN)
Jazz Piano & Native American Flute
5:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd &Jasminsea noel
6:00 Live: Rulie Cisse(JAPAN)
7:00 Live: Ruphay Sax(SPAIN)
Venue: Haruno Palace, HARUNO
Nov.3 (THU)
Live Event @ Swann Jie Exhibition Venue
5:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & miyuki Alter
6:00 Live: RiZ(JAPAN)
7:00 Live: Clarice Karu(USA)
Venue: Music Space KAGURA
Nov.4 (FRI)
Light & Sound Show
Artistic Fireworks with Music
6:00 Music StarMine: naturalway Flow(JAPAN)
7:00 DJ Fuji/Soul Jazz & Jazz Funk: Fujiyama Yokosuka(JAPAN)
Venue: Natulax Amatsu, amatsu
Nov.5(SAT)
Live Event @ Gallery Sayopiyo Exhibition Venue
6:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & Jasminsea Noel
7:00 Live: Haruno Watanabe(USA/JAPAN)
Venue:Sayopiyo at HARUNO , HARUNO
Nov.6 (SUN)
Live Event @ Goodwind Seiling Exhibition Venue
4:45 Introduction: miyuki Alter & Toko Loon
5:00 Live:Moshang(TAIWAN)
6:00 Live:Jana Kyomoon(UK)
Venue: N00Sphere Playground & Spiral Shell, amatsu
Nov.11(FRI)
Jazz Piano Live
5:45 Introdiction: dinamite Kidd & miyuki Alter
6:00 Live: Eth Tedeschi(UK)
7:00 Live: Winters Kanto(ARGENTINA)
Venue: PRESS Lounge Piano Bar, HARUNO
Nov.12(SAT)
Live Music from Netherlands
5:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & Toko Loon
6:00 Live: Al Hoffman(NETHERLANDS)
7:00 Live: JooZz(NETHERLANDS)
Venue: Aquapolis Metro Terminal, Aquapolis
Nov,13(SUN)
JAZZ & ART Festival 2011 Closing
4:45 Introduction: dinamite Kidd & miyuki Alter
5:00 Live: Ruphay Sax(SPAIN)
6:00 Live: Jaynine Scarborough(GERMANY)
7:00 Closing Ceremony
Venue: TAKAMAGAHARA Stage, amatsu
=Infomation Center=
Infomation Center, Aquapolis
=SIM & owners=
amatsu / dinamite Kidd
Grandblue / bananafish Boa
HARUNO / haruno Watanabe
Waterland / uota Noel
Aquapolis / cyberweb Babii
=organizers=
nabe Spitz
Bananafish Boa
Jasminsea Noel
dinamite Kidd
miyuki Alter
Toko Loon
haruno Watanabe
Uota Noel
cyberweb Babii
kerupa Flow
Monday, 3 October 2011
Half HunDun Qin, and Song HunDun Qin
Half HunDun Qin 半混沌琴 by Shuen-git Chow 2003, completed in 2006
http://guoxue.kids21.cn/tp/201109/t20110909_77345.htm
very famous 混沌 HunDun qin from Northern Song Dynasty.
I call my qin Half Hundun because its half straight and half w 2 "eyes" - it has always been Half Hundun since 2003, so that the name of the chouchou Half Hundun! :)
As for the famous Song Hundun, its smooth "tongue depresser" shaped.
The one and only authentic " 半混沌琴 Half Hundun qin" is as shown in this picture above. Copyright protected.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
brainpickings, Scholar Stone, Scholar Stone Flower
sg taking pic; photo by Mr.Wang QiJun
花：赏石开花
花：赏石开花
“Scholar Stone Flower 2011”
Scholar stones are traditionally pieces of stones selected and displayed similar to vegetal bonsai for visual and spiritual enjoyment。Flowers are universally enjoyed for its sexy beauty and pleasure as a symbol of plenitude Together we see simple lines of construction that transform a stone into a flower。 The shiny stainless steel scholar stone flowering into long term happiness for many special moments to come。
赏石是中国传统用来观赏的漂亮盆景石头。书房案子上摆放後空间有安静典雅的气氛。鲜花也有同样的功能。我们直觉感到活的生趣和联想。
透过明亮简洁的统一线条，空靈巨雕赏石开花； 大人小孩旁边一站，自身马上变小；指向一段闪亮多姿硬朗洁净又长线的开心时光。
Web site of the day
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/about/
very nice site, from graphics to content
http://www.spirit-stones.com/2010/11/26/harvard-shanghai-centers-scholar-stone/
Many people ask me about Scholar Stone Flower, especially the part about the Scholar Stone. Either they dont see the stone, or they think its funny to have a stone thats "Scholarly". So I found some online information to clarify what rock collectors love - Scholar Stone.
More pictures of the Changchun sculpture symposium, thanks to Sury's detail photo documentary!
Monday, 12 September 2011
Planet of the apes 2011, Russian Watch, PeiYou and Stephane
New Russian Bracelet Watch
Have not worn a watch for a long time, but its easy to tell time if you wear one, instead of having to look at your mobile phone. So I started wear a watch again, and this bracelet watch is really gd for lazy people, you just put it on one click, and not have to do the buckle belt thing.
Russian watch, (most likely made in China) From Harbin Russian Friendship store. Since I had idle time, I bought this affected by the enthusiasm of Winnie - a real shopper - afterwards, at brkfst, real Russian Tuii says, hehehe its kitsch, (but I like it more and more everyday... )so far its keeping time v well...
PeiYou and StephaneFirst qin player visitors since I arrange my qin playing "house" - to the size of a tiny house! PeiYou thinks the Half HunDun is good and suggested that I put silk strings on one of my qins, maybe this is the one. I will but no time to play now, will do it later. So nice to hear her play on the qin.
===
Planet of the apes 2011 **half
Intelligent monkeys, getting out of the lab, going back to his natural forest leading many apes... fight w police, wild life animal prison, medical lab testing. End of story
Friday, 9 September 2011
Melancholia (2011 film)
Melancholia (2011 film)****
Lars von Trier's films have always been hard to watch for me. I dont enjoy watching his movies. There is always some sadistic torture elements in them that i feel very hard for the actresses.
Here, Melancholia is a surprise. Kirsten Dunst is truly remarkable, she looks at times v potato faced - like a lump of white starch but then she smiles and she glows w dimples and sensuality with many many nuances and turns of a character, very expressive. There is also something very spontaneous in each scene, like a home cinema of a sort using hand held camera? The camera shakes and shuffles from one take to the next. But it creates immediatecy this is the Von Trier method and its really good here. Charlotte Gainsbourg looked dry and self controlled as her character should be, not very sympathetic but v kind and well brought up as she should be.
There is an enigma, whats going on w this wedding? and how come these two sisters are fighting, the two actresses are so well put together one slim and dry the other fleshy but full blooded and daringly outspoken... and how could a mother be so rude in such a context, and the father so silly etc etc All absurb situations.
The music and visuals all very beautiful and esthetic. The riding beating of the horses, the Kirsten Dunst nude facing the moon on disaster ending of the world approaching all v impressive.
Apparently Von Trier conceived of the story from his depression session with his analyst. Maybe that makes the components stick out from the usual expected political correct dialogues in most story telling.
Its an extraordinary; flashy and at the same time calm film.
Lars von Trier's films have always been hard to watch for me. I dont enjoy watching his movies. There is always some sadistic torture elements in them that i feel very hard for the actresses.
Here, Melancholia is a surprise. Kirsten Dunst is truly remarkable, she looks at times v potato faced - like a lump of white starch but then she smiles and she glows w dimples and sensuality with many many nuances and turns of a character, very expressive. There is also something very spontaneous in each scene, like a home cinema of a sort using hand held camera? The camera shakes and shuffles from one take to the next. But it creates immediatecy this is the Von Trier method and its really good here. Charlotte Gainsbourg looked dry and self controlled as her character should be, not very sympathetic but v kind and well brought up as she should be.
There is an enigma, whats going on w this wedding? and how come these two sisters are fighting, the two actresses are so well put together one slim and dry the other fleshy but full blooded and daringly outspoken... and how could a mother be so rude in such a context, and the father so silly etc etc All absurb situations.
The music and visuals all very beautiful and esthetic. The riding beating of the horses, the Kirsten Dunst nude facing the moon on disaster ending of the world approaching all v impressive.
Apparently Von Trier conceived of the story from his depression session with his analyst. Maybe that makes the components stick out from the usual expected political correct dialogues in most story telling.
Its an extraordinary; flashy and at the same time calm film.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Einstein avatar contest, 3Dceramic printing
http://www.imric-virtualmarathon.com/
Einstein avatar contest
Implications and participation in real world contest for the creation of an Einstein Avatar for fundraising purpose in medical research.
More info here, prize money usd 2,500.
3D ceramic printing
http://blog.ponoko.com/2011/08/19/new-material-glazed-ceramic-for-3d-printing-yeah/
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Nanni Moretti:habemus papam, LES BIEN-AIMES
Nanni Moretti:habemus papam ***half
Nanni Moretti has made another film thats spiritual, light and grand with human existential questionings happening to a Pope - the Pope is just like anybody else he might have had doubts about his capacities and one day, he decided to put a stop and step down to begin another life. Airy and grand. Piccoli plays the Pope with delicate subtle understatement. He has the face of someone who has lived well and not at all suffered, even incognito, we believe that he couldnt have lived a blank life but its time for something else even though he himself doesnt know what it is. It is a courageous film to say: its ok to stop; at whatever level of life you have lived. Encouragement for people to take things lightly and live, and finally enjoy.
Les Bien-aimés ***
This one is a story that spans from the 60s to the year 2007 covering the life story of a mother and daughter played by young actrice and Catherine Deneuve for the mother and Chiara Mastrioanni for the daughter in adult age. This cream puff of a muscial on variations of men women relationships has singing parts to help the sentiments along but the songs are heavy and little by little this cream becomes a thick mayonnaise that stiff with pins and needles embedded - the story gets dark and bitter with much blasé feelings. Like a very complicated spider web, every character has to unravel and work out their fears - courage is, the father says to the daughter - knowing that it might not work and still go right to the end. The daughter suicides after running head strong into an unrequited love with a weak homosexual man. Much nudity, we cannot believe such beautiful people with intelligence, not naive could fall in this unexplained way for shallow coward people. Why and how? But the time line is given the movie seem to be saying that in our days, love is complicated freedom and romance from the old days do not exist in such rosy clouds anymore; all is complicated, impure, disappointment galore due to the weakness of people and maybe social norms as a whole?
Heavy and unconvincing, its balls and balls of small threads sticking all over the place thats tiresome to be rid of. If you are rid of these, what is left? Nothing much.
Nanni Moretti has made another film thats spiritual, light and grand with human existential questionings happening to a Pope - the Pope is just like anybody else he might have had doubts about his capacities and one day, he decided to put a stop and step down to begin another life. Airy and grand. Piccoli plays the Pope with delicate subtle understatement. He has the face of someone who has lived well and not at all suffered, even incognito, we believe that he couldnt have lived a blank life but its time for something else even though he himself doesnt know what it is. It is a courageous film to say: its ok to stop; at whatever level of life you have lived. Encouragement for people to take things lightly and live, and finally enjoy.
Les Bien-aimés ***
This one is a story that spans from the 60s to the year 2007 covering the life story of a mother and daughter played by young actrice and Catherine Deneuve for the mother and Chiara Mastrioanni for the daughter in adult age. This cream puff of a muscial on variations of men women relationships has singing parts to help the sentiments along but the songs are heavy and little by little this cream becomes a thick mayonnaise that stiff with pins and needles embedded - the story gets dark and bitter with much blasé feelings. Like a very complicated spider web, every character has to unravel and work out their fears - courage is, the father says to the daughter - knowing that it might not work and still go right to the end. The daughter suicides after running head strong into an unrequited love with a weak homosexual man. Much nudity, we cannot believe such beautiful people with intelligence, not naive could fall in this unexplained way for shallow coward people. Why and how? But the time line is given the movie seem to be saying that in our days, love is complicated freedom and romance from the old days do not exist in such rosy clouds anymore; all is complicated, impure, disappointment galore due to the weakness of people and maybe social norms as a whole?
Heavy and unconvincing, its balls and balls of small threads sticking all over the place thats tiresome to be rid of. If you are rid of these, what is left? Nothing much.
The Skin I Live In, Pedro Almodovar
The Skin I Live In, Pedro Almodovar, 118 mins, **half
As usual, Almodovar has a theme about sex and identity, family secrets, obsessions and perversions, with a very good singer scene in clubs.
This is a tale of taking a young man to have his sex changed without his consent - the actor is very fine featured like a young Richard Chamberlain but when he metamorphosed into this big eyed young girl - the face doesnt match. It would have been much more convincing to have the actor made up as a young woman? Or is it too much trouble? Eye size do not change like that so this is a big "easy way out" for the story to work. The actress has a v beautiful face and body. The body suits in nude skin tones are interesting clothing pieces. I have seen a beaded body suit in an exhibition of Almodovars films by Jean Paul Gaultier, its truly a second skin with nipples and toes, fingers all finely tinted to ressemble flesh. Magnificent dress/body suit. Here the actress wears a simplified version with zippers under the breast, around arm holes, why? because her skin is supposed to be burning and sensitive. OK.
Then the crazy doctor sleeps with his transexual pet - he showed us the sex change requires the vagina needs to be stretched incrementally with various size strechers in shapes of slim, medium, large, full size pencil/penis shaped sticks. A little peek into the process of what sex change requires to go from a man to a woman.
The mother of the doctor is played by the usual actress v gd.
However this movie lacks heat, its a string of complicated family stories linked to make up the intriques with sex change contents. It lacks enthusiasm.
Everybody dies in the end and the most intersting and challenging moment of the story comes - how does the "daughter/son" deal with meeting his/her birth mother, and how does he feel really? All these could have had moments of emotional intensity - with some inner truth to be said to the audience through the sex changed character - but the scene blacks out to credits. ?!! Quick and easy.
There are lots of sex, erotic, transgression themed movies out in recent months, and quite a few has the glossy, esoteric voyeuristic elements in it - not yet seen any one that truly deals with the decision making, the turmoil of the people involved. We are curious but no longer only curious, we also want to understand too.
Maybe Almodovar himself is tired of all this.
As usual, Almodovar has a theme about sex and identity, family secrets, obsessions and perversions, with a very good singer scene in clubs.
This is a tale of taking a young man to have his sex changed without his consent - the actor is very fine featured like a young Richard Chamberlain but when he metamorphosed into this big eyed young girl - the face doesnt match. It would have been much more convincing to have the actor made up as a young woman? Or is it too much trouble? Eye size do not change like that so this is a big "easy way out" for the story to work. The actress has a v beautiful face and body. The body suits in nude skin tones are interesting clothing pieces. I have seen a beaded body suit in an exhibition of Almodovars films by Jean Paul Gaultier, its truly a second skin with nipples and toes, fingers all finely tinted to ressemble flesh. Magnificent dress/body suit. Here the actress wears a simplified version with zippers under the breast, around arm holes, why? because her skin is supposed to be burning and sensitive. OK.
Then the crazy doctor sleeps with his transexual pet - he showed us the sex change requires the vagina needs to be stretched incrementally with various size strechers in shapes of slim, medium, large, full size pencil/penis shaped sticks. A little peek into the process of what sex change requires to go from a man to a woman.
The mother of the doctor is played by the usual actress v gd.
However this movie lacks heat, its a string of complicated family stories linked to make up the intriques with sex change contents. It lacks enthusiasm.
Everybody dies in the end and the most intersting and challenging moment of the story comes - how does the "daughter/son" deal with meeting his/her birth mother, and how does he feel really? All these could have had moments of emotional intensity - with some inner truth to be said to the audience through the sex changed character - but the scene blacks out to credits. ?!! Quick and easy.
There are lots of sex, erotic, transgression themed movies out in recent months, and quite a few has the glossy, esoteric voyeuristic elements in it - not yet seen any one that truly deals with the decision making, the turmoil of the people involved. We are curious but no longer only curious, we also want to understand too.
Maybe Almodovar himself is tired of all this.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
"Scholar Stone Flower" poster in sl w rl content
Monday, 5 September 2011
12th ChangChun International sculpture Symposium, rl monumental sculpture "Scholar Stone Flower"
"Scholar Stone Flower": sg: Canada, Nicholas: Cypres, and Syrian sculptor
"Scholar Stone Flower" sg, Nikolas and 2 sweet interpreters
"Scholar Stone Flower" : Back ground surroundings with trees
12th ChangChun International sculpture Symposium, rl monumental sculpture "Scholar Stone Flower"
Wang, Sg, Fernando Pinto
sg taking pic
"Scholar Stone Flower", stainless steel sculpture by Shuen-git (Swannjie), photo by Solviega
"Scholar Stone Flower", stainless steel sculpture by Shuen-git (Swannjie), photo by Solviega
"Scholar Stone Flower" stainless steel, 4.5m high x 3m large, on the truck to the Wetland Park for installation; ChangChun. Sol, Shuen-git (Natasha), Marie and Sury
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