"Tell the Moon" press article by Zhong WenYing

http://www.alleyeshot.com/html/200606/10/20060610113200.htm
about "Tell the Moon" by Zhong WenYing

山水的圣宴——桂林愚自乐园国际雕塑创作营作品与雕塑家初探

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 52 : Street art, Lego street art

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 52 : Street art, Lego street art

What kind of street art do I consider "responsible street art"?
A lot of street art are graffiti, wall paintings, large "name signing", tagging.
All this is ok if its temporary, and ever changing.  It serves a function somewhat like a blackboard on the street.  Where everybody could express themselves and nobody cares if someone else comes along and draws, paints over the previous things.  Such a function is very well displayed in the movie, "Be kind, rewind".  Where at the beginning, Jack Black and his pals are up to adolescent naughty public property defacement.  At the end of the movie, we see other adolescent kids painting over what they had done previously.  
If the wall, or space can fulfil this "support" for self expression - such as under the bridge (no body really cares, its nomansland) or some abandonned shipping yard (nobody cares) however, when its in a public area, like a town square, or city park lot, I would say, it needs to have some characteristics that would be useful for the general public.  Public Art is not "contemplative personal art", you can take private art and study at home all you like.  This includes Leonardo's painting to graffiti found on an abandonned site.  But in a public square, its discussable what is an "eye sore" and what is "street art".

When we have too many things in the world that are ugly, violent, destructive - what a lot of people call "shit" already, why display in grand scale more "shit"?  Under whatever name you could label, shit is shit.  And large scale ugly negative things are just that, and should not be ruining the ambiance of a space.  ie "Butt Plug" by an American artist at Place Vendome I think.  I think yes the message is strong, money+purchased sex+sex games all rolled into one.  But I am not interested in that, such a giant size balloon of an object of not much other qualities is ok to be seen for an evening, as a performance, as a display, but not as any permanent, semi permanent installation.

Recently, a sculptor told me about his worries, his daughter enrolls into a fashion institute.  I am so worried he said, I try to disway her from entering into this business, because I know this milieu is superficial, all about sex.  If you are lucky, he said, you are a big name, and you become v rich and famous and have a comfortable life.  But anything below that, you become a prostitute.  I have seen so many.  They have no brains.  In her school, 25 students, and 11 guys, and they are all homosexuals, he said, its is a frightening future for her.  If his daughter ends up amongst the ones who did not "make it" - and its likely that - since she didnt get into a famous school but a normal range fashion school.  Her future would be in, slaving in the clothing design industry... or worst, become part time prostitute to make her way!  This sculptor goes rather in large steps, but hes in the professional art field for so long - what he says is a caricature of things that happened.  Its not all wrong.  You just read a selection of  books by ex-fashion models and it recounts the milieu with real stories.  Magazines often has stories of ex-companion of Mr. so and so.  The stories are more or less within a certain envelope that makes the sculptor friend summaries his opinion of the fashion field.

But then, maybe people's perception and uses of their bodies change too?  
Nobody knows.

Here below are the kind of Street Art that I like, I think maybe children would like, a bit child like, very innocent, icecream, flowers and trees, that kind of Dr.Seuss type of children literature range.

I am no fan of Tags.  And ugly amateur paintings on a huge wall hurts my eyes.

Playful toy like addition to a public space is my idea of positive addition to an everyday world.
Of course, I also know, we cant eat ice cream all the time everyday.  

Sometimes you want something else, more adult.

Lego Street Art

Virtual Micrometer, virtual caliper w dial

Virtual micrometer - simulator in inch

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 52 : DIY silk strings for guqin (xyzQin#1+#2)

Monday 7, sept 2015 preview, published today 20nov2020

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 52 : DIY silk strings for guqin

Research Creation of xyzQin #1 and #2 :: (from 2013-ongoing)
phase 1.2 :: customised Silk String for guqin - with de-facto advisor Alexander Raykov

My objective is to make both a qin and all the accessories including the strings myself.
How is this feasible?  
In the old ancient days, qin people (players, master craftsmen) were all able to make their own qin and strings.  Why couldnt we do it today?  (ref. here)

Has the context for Qin music, qin people esthetics, Qin culture itself changed?  
If yes, great!
If not, how do you know for sure that it hasn't?  
What has changed and where has it not changed?

While we could think about these questions, in the mean time, we could take a look at the very famous "silk string", "guqin string" problematic.

Currently:  
silk strings are available from the 1//commercial top group to 2//general commercial folk group and - maybe - a third group - 3// commercial small batch artisants from US and maybe elsewhere.  4// customised DIY very small batch.

1//, 2//and 3// are availble at a price range from 1000us to 40us, 4//no price available.
In terms of qualities of play, we will get opinions from expert players as we go along.

My strings will belong to the DIY group.

Next DIY Objective:
Making a set of custom strings for the xyxQin #1 and #2
Phase 1.2.
Phase 2 =>3d printing, or composite qin, a new method of making xyzQin #3 and #4 
Final output:
A small series new prototype composite material quqin with 
a// new composite strings, b//small batch silk strings

Current stage:
After I completed the xyz #1 and #2 - the new graphics skin-tattoo will take time to develop - so next step is to see about DIY customised strings.  

I have done a workshop with Charles Besnainou 2015, who is a master carbon fiber guitar, luth maker from CNRS of France.  
We experimented with nylon polyester material - v interesting knowledge.
More pictures here: 
http://swannbb.blogspot.fr/2015/05/kunstkammer-46-diy-strings-for-guqin.html

I then, visited the very famous Suxin Qin silk string maker, Suxin, the creator and Geng Wang scientific expert - in Beijing.  
More pictures here:

Very beautiful strings and custom adjusted strings available.

Their experiences confirm the knowledge that I have learnt from Prof Charles Besnainou.

Now comes phase 2.a:
So, I thought, maybe time to buy the special nylon material now and begin the composite qin strings.  

Also comes phase 2.b:
Next, I found some very beautiful 100% vintage silk thread made in France.

And consulting John Thompson's web site, I found Master Alexander Raykov - from US, one of the three silk string maker in the world outside of China.

I wrote him a letter and suddenly, I found that in fact, master Raykov says, I could make my own silk strings!  And some professional violin players prefer strings made this method.

So, with the reassurance and help of Master Alexander Raykov as de facto advisor, I will first work on the  DIY silk string.

To continue.

additional info on silk string making:
On fb, Hidekazu Hashimoto reveals talks

• 
  
• 

  David Badagnani The blog post did not mention Japan that I noticed. Of course their strings are of excellent quality, but Chinese producers are apparently doing better and better through research and development over the past five years or so.

  August 24 at 11:48pm · Unlike · 1
• 

  Hidekazu Hashimoto I introduced to this article.
  I met with master 李祥霆 in last year, I was asked to develop the premium silk strings using a genuine glue.
  This is the development announcement....See More
  

  
  

  

  Hidekazu Hashimoto at 北京
  

  李祥霆老師 with 橋本英宗（Hidekazu Hashimoto)
  I could meet with 李祥霆老師 at his home.
  He highly evaluated our silk strings!
  It is a great honor. 2014/11/15

  ...See More

  See Translation

  August 25 at 1:57am · Edited · Like · 2
• 

  Peiyou Chang 2016/11/15? what does that day mean?

  August 25 at 11:36pm · Edited · Like
• 

  Hidekazu Hashimoto It's mistake.2014/11/15 is correct.

  August 25 at 11:49pm · Like
• 

  John Thompson Does "genuine glue" mean a Chinese glue (e.g., fish glue) instead of Japanese rice glue?

  September 5 at 1:32pm · Like
• 

  Hidekazu Hashimoto It has coated the glue of fish on the surface.

  September 5 at 2:32pm · Like
• 

  John Thompson Aren't the strings boiled in the glue, not just coated?

  September 5 at 3:16pm · Like
• 

  Hidekazu Hashimoto John Thompson I'm sorry , I can not tell the detailed process.

  3 hrs · Like

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 51 : Paris Design Week - 4-12Sept2015

好奇藝術 Kunstkammer 51 : Paris Design Week - 4-12Sept2015

What is "Design"?  
How does the eye + hand + smell + touch/taste + sounds reflect the perceptions of our world?
http://www.maison-objet.com/en/paris-design-week

At the end of the day, I have seen a lot of very good ideas, and beautiful objects; reflecting, enhancing, helping, recycling, inducing, perfecting life styles.

Eye candies, soft comfy life, ideological realisations, or sumptuous self pampering settings.
As Yves Saint Laurent says, his clothes are beautiful, when a woman doesnt have a pair of real arms to hold her, this is next best, to have beautiful clothes to hold her.  But that, is something else. Cannot really be solved directly with design.

At the end of the day, these objects are v nice and beautiful, but they are just objects - in the end, any real people is thousands times more important than pretty objects.

===
Here are lovely things, second best to real human attention:

My picks, pictures that I have taken, and objects that I find interesting :

> Granules of wax for a special wax candle ambiance device - made by HK designer, using Malaysian Palm wax. (pic)  The designer answered my query that a certain "Chinese wax" is made of soy bean wax... which has low melting temperature. 
Glue Associates, Xavier Tsang; BeCandle, xavier@becandle.com.hk

> Recycled leather by LINDDNA - made in Danemark.  A piece of recycled leather as a coaster.  Smells like leather.  Very compact pressed leather.

> Danish architect design, by Lassen, v clean lines w vintage wood tractor stool (pic)

> "Collect Stories not Things" - Magazine of small object design in a box -
 Soliphor vase by Shanghai designer, comic book face clocks - each month the subscriber gets a flyer with explanation of the object inside a box.  Its stories with a real object.

>Humorous shelves with glossy hair as curtain, graphic lion/bear as rug, and very clean simple curvious shapes for side tables, tubes for chairs. (pic)

> transparent drapping clear tables - 25kg maximum - as a side table (pic)

>Giant size knitting wool cushions (pic)

> Very beautiful master craftsmen - wood shelves, stools, clocks.  www.internoitaliano.com  (pic)

>a room with many many little drawers, curiosity installation.  A revisiting of old time curiosity cabinets with nature, minerals, and art objects (pic)

>Table basse design Loll L by Pulpo
This is such an elegant idea, just one round disk of metal, and you pull the edges apart, to form a table.  Maybe heat up the small lace edge to pull.  (pic) Not foldable

http://www.drawer.fr/table-d-appoint-design/139-table-basse-design-loll-l-by-pulpo-3700820502711.html

> soaps in shape of gold bars.  Somebody must love this, symbolic wishes and love - no ambiguity!  Only for the price of a bar of soap.  It must be a big seller.  It has been used as chocolates, perfumes, and some artists used as art work w rice... everybody knows what a gold bar means each in their own way. (pic)

Harcourt Photomaton - this is one kind of design.

The Harcourt Photomaton is an example of a design installation.
Studio lighting is set up in a glamourous booth, you put in 10euros, and get a DIY photo.
It is set up for the pleasure of everyone.  This is a glamourous moment, self conscious and you want to "play" a part.

Compared to the photomathon of ancient days, where you get a strip of 4 poses, its much more formal.
The strip of 4 poses is an everyday souvenir set up in a department store, or subway stop.  It is related to a fun moment in an everyday event.  Here, you want to record yourself as truthfully as possible, or as playful as possible.

How-to-Weld-Aluminum-Without-a-Welder

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-Aluminum-Without-a-Welder/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu-VZ5K79pY
铝焊条  aluminum welding rods, from harbord freight 8pc=15.99us$



http://world.taobao.com/item/45191574677.htm?spm=a312a.7700714.0.0.ek0JRB#detail
diff welding rods, stainless steel, aluminum

wood sculpture: Point of Return

International EcoArt Festival " Point of Return", Irkutsk - Baikal. July 2015.

"SOS"- save Baikal, wood,iron, 600 x 160 x 70 cm
team:

Tanya Preminger

, Ruf Poliakv, Evgenyi Niktovenko, Vladimir Nekracov, Bogdan Kromcki.

this is such a cute and monumental sculpture using v little labour but the effect is so good, great idea.  sg