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11/28/2010

Sunday Drawing and Battle Star Galactica

Here is a sampling of some drawings I did this Sunday. Hopefully they will become tiles that I will create. The plan is to build up the surface with multiple layers, underglaze, carving, glaze, china paint, luster and decal. It has been very interesting to be in China during such expedient change. The same way that I have been interested in the modernist manic need to sweep away anything old (pattern, decoration, common sense), I have found a current cultural phenomenon in China that I find to be quite akin.It seems to be something started during the cultural revolution where everything of the past was swept aside and I see it has evolved into this zealot westernization. Living so much of my life in the wake of the slow death of once great industrial cities and moving to Jingdezhen, a place bustling with activity, has created a palpable contradiction. On one hand I love being in a place that is full of energy and spirited optimism for the future, on the other hand I see the same mistakes being made culturally, ecologically and socially. BSG so aptly described the crux

“All this has happened before, and it will happen again…again…again…again…again…again…again…again…again”

Though I have spent most of my “art life” deeply mired in my nostalgia affliction. Making work became a eulogy of a too often lamented relative. Whereas in China, there still seems to be time to save that which is worth saving. Though I do see an absorbent amount of blue and white porcelain malformations that really should have been aborted long ago…

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09/24/2010

Autumn Moon Festival

Tana was wearing a very festive and nice dress.

This Past Wednesday was the Autumn Moon Festival. This holiday coincides with the full moon and celebrates the beginning of autumn. We had a great dinner with the traditional moon cakes (made from sesame seed). After that we headed back to The Sculpture factory to write our wishes on paper lanterns and set them free in the blustery winds brought on by the typhoon hitting land fall farther east. It was an amazing night to spend with my fellow coworkers and the resident artists.

Tags: 2010, China, Jingdezhen, moon festival
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09/06/2010

Yao Li Ancient Kiln Site and Waterfall

This past Sunday, some of the Jingdezhen laowais and myself took a day trip to Yao Li. Though it took some convincing to get me to go, being that Sunday is our one-day off and I still have a pile of clothes to wash, another to fold, an apartment to clean and an empty fridge. I thankfully made the right decision to be less practical and more touristic. It was another beautifully hot day, a little sunny but mostly overcast which gave me some really great photos. Glad I’m finally getting some use out of my Nikon other than shooting slides. The countryside here is truly beautiful, the landscape still makes me think I’m in a movie with some epic soundtrack playing in the background. The ancient Kiln site is a tourist destination with the usual knick-knack peddlers, entrance fees and some amazing chinglish. Though we had to pay to get in, being able to spend an afternoon walking through a beautiful landscape of bamboo forests, tea leaf fields, rivers, waterfalls, bridges, mountains and having it almost completely devoid of litter was worth the entry fee. The kiln itself was incredibly long, if my memory stands correct it was 47 meters long (I verge on 2 meters tall). There are shards and saggars everywhere and you can see the remaining foundations of the workshops. Unfortunately the map’s description was rather cryptic, one room was the precipitation room; I forget the other names but they were equally vague. After the Kiln site we made an epic trek up a mountain to see a waterfall. We easily walked 5 miles that day and that is a conservative estimate. The path to the waterfall was immaculately kept, paved with stones and often having concrete steps, there was never a time where we had to do any actual climbing, just some seemingly never-ending steep staircases. Sitting at the base of the waterfall, dipping our feet and heads into the pool, was an incredibly relaxing experience especially after a hectic workweek and some serious badminton games. The Badminton experience is for another time though, Chinese Badminton is no leisurely gentrified game here, it is intense. And by the way, Imovie is possibly my new obsession.

Tags: 2010, Ancient Kiln Site, China, Tourist in China, Yao Ii
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09/04/2010

Jiu Jiu Jiu Ba – one crazy night in Jingdezhen

After the Friday night lecture given by Uma Sawhny, some of the staff and residents decided to have a night out on the town. Every Friday there is a reception in the cafe following the lecture where cold beer is served. it is a place for the local Chinese to practice English and it serves as a great place for people to meet. It was your typical “herding cats” scenario, everyone was milling about the cafe with their indecisiveness. Finally the decision was made to venture Jiu Jiu Jiu Ba a crazy night club. Its one of those places that you have to have the right energy and the right people otherwise going there can be a miserable experience. Thankfully that was not the case this night. First off, the interior is this bizarre bastardization of what could only be described as an Austrian Hunt Lodge, the bass is an intestine liquefying test lab, but the fashion show and house dancers were what really made it seem like something out of a Hunter S Thompson Novel. So I have also decided to play around with Imovie and this is my first attempt at video editing. Cheesy as it is now, I hope to get better and make some great videos of Jingdezhen.

Tags: 2010, China, Jingdezhen, Jiu Jiu Jiu Ba, Night Life
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09/01/2010

Traveling by bus in China

Tana and I had a two hour bus ride to my health check. You may have noticed I haven’t given the name, not out of any secrecy but rather embarrassment that I don’t know how to spell it. Our first bus was very clean and in good working condition; I even got to watch a Jackie Chan movie. However the bus on the return trip could not be described so positively. I guess 50/50′s not so bad of odds. I’ve posted some photos of the bus ride. Pictures of the bus station and the scenery along the way. The Video was taken in the taxi while driving to the health facility. Being in Jingdezhen has been great but it was nice to have a day and get out of town.

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09/01/2010

On the way to getting my work visa…

So I have returned in one piece from my health check. To be frank I hope its something I never have to do again. I’ve posted a video of the walk going to the facility. This is one of those occasions where a book can be judged by its cover, the character of the outside gives a pretty good picture of the interior. Tana, was “kind” enough to take some pictures for me. Read more »

Tags: 2010, China, Health Check, Jingdezhen
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09/01/2010

On my walk to work…

Here is a just a regular morning in Jingdezhen, a video of the locals singing on the street corner and a picture of a sculpture shop that is on my way to work.

Tags: 2010, China, Jingdezhen
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08/27/2010

Hello From China!

Woefully Negligent, this should have been the title of this post. As I approach my first month of living in China I felt it necessary to make a post though it will be brief. Though “brevity is the soul of wit” I in no way claim such an adjective. the length has more to do with the quickly approaching dinner call and the fact that I spend most of my day sitting at a computer for work. I thought at the very least i could put up some photos maybe even a video if I can figure it out. The pictures are of the view from my tenth story apartment, which is awesome, my walk to work and Boudza my favorite thing to eat at breakfast.

So the videos are too large right now, will have to upload them to youtube maybe. Always keep em wanting more right?

Tags: 2010, art, China, Jingdezhen
Posted in China | 1 Comment »