Amazing work by Zhong Biao.
Tag Archive - Asia
“I like to paint people in black and white because people are temporary”
Auteurs on YouTube – Part 2
Cinematographer extraordinaire, Christoper Doyle talks about his craft on the streets of Bangkok and Hong Kong PLUS a series of commercials by collaborator Wong Kar Wai over at Girl With a Movie Camera.
The Beijing Dispatch
There are people wandering along the side of the freeway.
This is my first impression upon our arrival in Beijing. It strikes a deep set horror in me. Caught in the headlights, choked on the edge of the 10 lanes that spew out an air that you wear like another layer of skin, they look displaced, lost, left behind.
My god, I think to myself, 1.3 billion is too many; China’s population is supersaturated; the levee has broken; people are spilling out everywhere. Continue Reading…
Tokyo Hectic
This video, found over on William Gibson’s blog this morning made me immediately nostalgic for my old Tokyo ‘hood.
Zen, Kafka and Typography
“For many, including myself, the voice at the start of “The Trees” belongs to Kafka’s letters themselves, speaking directly to the reader: “we are like tree trunks in the snow.” Picture a field after a recent snowfall.”
A beautiful article by Rob Giampietro on the relationship of Zen Buddhism, Franz Kafka and typography over at the newly redesigned Design Observer.
The Return of Fotologue.jp
Just over a year ago I posted an entry about my experience acquiring a fotologue.jp account for Industrial Brand Creative. As I reported, at that time there was no English whatsoever on the site and one required an invitation in order to join. Almost immediately after our success with acquiring an account, I began receiving emails from people from all over the world asking me how I had done it and could I help them in securing one of their own. Unfortunately, I could not offer them an easy answer.
Recently however, fotologue has launched a new site that is open to the public and has been translated (with typical Japanese accuracy) into English. There are still a few bugs but it also has a number of new features that should make it even more user friendly. At the very least, it offers an aesthetically pleasing alternative to flickr.com of which I have never really been a fan.
And so to commemorate my own new fotologue account, I have posted a few photos from my recent trip to Los Angeles. Enjoy.
Eriko Horiki – Washi as Architecture
Washi is a traditional paper made in Japan using fibers from the bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub, or the paper mulberry but can also be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat. It is everywhere in Japan. But the structures that Eriko Horiki creates with this paper are anything but common or traditional.
From giant glowing installations to smaller organic lamps to the stage art for cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Eriko and her team are reinventing this 1000-year-old craft, by developing advanced production methods that cope with today’s architectural and lifestyle demands. The results are magical, inspiring and, it goes without saying, illuminating.
If you are in the Vancouver area, you can find Eriko’s work at Kozai Designs at 1515 West 6th Ave.
Edward Burtynsky’s China
My own personal experience has taught me that China is a force to be reckoned with. As it careens forth into this century – a century that most have already conceded that it will dominate – gaining momentum at every turn, one is left to ponder how anyone is going to keep a hold of the reigns.
Edward’s Burtynsky’s photographs, recently compiled in the book Burtynsky – China, document the harsher side of this burgeoning rise and provide a rare glimpse into the hefty price of progress.
Gochiso-sama
China/Japan: the photos.
Sun, Soil and Sincerity
“We like to think of ourselves as winegrowers, not winemakers. We offer the support that is needed for the grapes to develop naturally. We do the same for our students”
COCO Farm and Winery is situated in Ahikaga, about an hour by train outside of Tokyo. Built upon the above philosophy, it provides lodging, care and employment for over 100 adults with mental disabilities ranging from autism to down syndrome. In the process, they produce some highly complex and very tasty wines that are unique to Japan. The winery:s vintner, Bruce Gutlove, originally came to the vineyard 15 years ago with the intention of staying just six months as a consultant and has been there ever since.
Much credit must be given to Gutlove for his experimentation and unorthodox methods seeing as the conditions for wine making in Japan could never be considered ideal. But as one sits back and sips a Kusho grape varietal and takes in the positive energy that emanates from every corner of the vineyard, one cannot help but consider that the quality of the end product is a result of the integrity and compassion that goes into making each bottle.
