My good friend Aga at the Dong Ping Road cafe where I am supposed to be staging my first exhibition in around 4 weeks, called me a little while ago with news of a potential opportunity, which has now become reality.
As if I had nothing else to do, I gladly grabbed the opportunity to undertake a commission to produce a graphical installation at an art cafe near Jing A'an temple.
I have a stair well and glass wall, and a dumb waiter on which to work my magic, and will also face the challenge of working exclusively in contact film (like I used to use in shop display to create text and graphics for Jigsaw windows in Floral Street etc)
My proposal continues the current theme in my work to analyse and comment on contemporary youth culture, but instead of skateboarders I am working with an unsigned and independent Punk band. I hope to work with them to produce portraits and graphics featuring song lyrics and other funky graphotism. I will be catching up with them in some garage the other side of Puxi, and trying to translate the experience into laser cut sticky film on glass.
I just hope I can keep all these plates spinning!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Ginger Bob
So it has been almost 4 weeks since the last post here, but its been a busy 4 weeks and though not an excuse (my own adage: dont start a blog if you can't see it though...) it might help to explain the scarcity of reports UK-side or China-side... since we last exchanged thoughts, I have been to the UK, taken on more art lessons, accepted a new art commission, painted 5 pictures, sacked a client and bought 2 gerbils, 2 terrapins and around 600 herb seeds.
But none of this is relevant when considered along side the fact that our activities here in Shanghai are currently being accompanied by the one and only Ginger Bob, my father and our kids' favourite 'popgar'.
His daily exploration of the local area, and more importantly according to him, exploration of our daily lives has been a joy to behold. He holds a fascination with our miniscule and repetitive activities, from the bike ride to school to reading at bedtime. The joy he receives from meeting colleagues, parents and teachers, from playing with the kids at the ponds and catching tadpoles... from catching the metro to buying ginger ale by the crate... the joy is a pleasure to behold, and to provide.
Time is of course spinning by all too fast, and his return on the 2nd June is looming eerily already...
But none of this is relevant when considered along side the fact that our activities here in Shanghai are currently being accompanied by the one and only Ginger Bob, my father and our kids' favourite 'popgar'.
His daily exploration of the local area, and more importantly according to him, exploration of our daily lives has been a joy to behold. He holds a fascination with our miniscule and repetitive activities, from the bike ride to school to reading at bedtime. The joy he receives from meeting colleagues, parents and teachers, from playing with the kids at the ponds and catching tadpoles... from catching the metro to buying ginger ale by the crate... the joy is a pleasure to behold, and to provide.
Time is of course spinning by all too fast, and his return on the 2nd June is looming eerily already...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
tired
on the eve of a trip to uk, desperately sending emails to cover my erse while im gone, wondering when I will actually get to paint in the studio, thinking what I might need from blighty, panicking about a meeting with the boss, feeling creative, emotional and weak...
some good ska to listen to is easing the pain...
some good ska to listen to is easing the pain...
Saturday, April 5, 2008
_ticking over_
Smile! Entered this into the Sovereign Asian Art prize, just as whimsically as I entered the BP at the National, London. Made it to the Shortlist there, so maybe I have a chance here...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
There are listeners, after all...
I am very pleased to report that it is not just the spammers and viagra sellers who visit the blog... although it is only them who bother to comment...
Thanks for listening, Aunty June. Your support is an inspiration, even from all the way over there!
Thanks for listening, Aunty June. Your support is an inspiration, even from all the way over there!
Proverbs (new edition)
'Even a hare will bite when it is cornered'
Taken from an image shot in Hanshoi Road, Shanghai
Snowing again
Not the ethereal fluffy snowball fodder, no this time, in the warm spring air of shanghai it is being snowed under that concerns me. And this is only a good thing. I have so much on the go, as does everyone else in the household, the family, that I am sometimes not sure if I can keep all the plates spinning. But just like having plenty of money in the bank, having lots on gives yu a certain swagge, a confidence that inspires faith in others and brings more opportunity your ay. Just like when the banks offer you credit cards and loans when you least need them, work and projects come rolling through the door when you are up to your eyeballs.
As a bit of a test, I have just retreated to the studio to crack on with a big 2m x 1m full length portrait of a little boy from one of the charity projects with which I am involved. Its unusual for me to just paint a kiddie with no background work or underlying project on which to hang the painting, but it is out of a need for sanity and confidence that i retreat to this painting, its not part of any particular project. Its part of a little introspective searching as I say to myself 'its all very well having all these projects on the go, but can you even paint any more. The marketing schpiel, confidence and swagger feel like they have become the reality, not the art itself. Its a bit like switching on the telly and watching the adverts, not the programmes that accompany them. By getting back to the brushes I am at least slaying the 'hot air' demon of talk and bullshit about art, and actually getting back to nuts and bolts of looking, drawing, creating...
As a bit of a test, I have just retreated to the studio to crack on with a big 2m x 1m full length portrait of a little boy from one of the charity projects with which I am involved. Its unusual for me to just paint a kiddie with no background work or underlying project on which to hang the painting, but it is out of a need for sanity and confidence that i retreat to this painting, its not part of any particular project. Its part of a little introspective searching as I say to myself 'its all very well having all these projects on the go, but can you even paint any more. The marketing schpiel, confidence and swagger feel like they have become the reality, not the art itself. Its a bit like switching on the telly and watching the adverts, not the programmes that accompany them. By getting back to the brushes I am at least slaying the 'hot air' demon of talk and bullshit about art, and actually getting back to nuts and bolts of looking, drawing, creating...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Shanghai Sessions
Managed to get out and do the shoot the other day- it was totally rocking. 2 photographers, a film camera, two skaters and me, getting kicked out of every place we could find... im too tired to go into details now, but heres a little visual sample...
Friday, March 14, 2008
f*cking production nightmare
So I have been preparing myself, my assistants and my skaters for a rocking and very conceptual metaphysical artskate experience, by phoning at all hours of the day and preparing the team for the following days' session. However, the weather has thus far conspired to thwart our plans. I never used to care about the weather report, I thought it was the futile fanaticism of middle aged men, the plaything of trainspotters. Even when I was production manager for £20,000 brazilian photo shoots for Umbro, I was not ravaged by anguish at the weather forecast- it inevitably wasnt my call- my cash- it was up to the creative director, the photographer, the bank manager to get upset about running over budget because of extra days spent in the hotel, in brazil, wherever, because of the weather. But now its my baby, my project- my budget (admittedly miniscule) and my time (all too precious these days) that is at stake, and I spent all of today completely fucking wound up because at 5am I made the call to everyone to abandon the shoot again today, whilst on the balcony admiring the heavy cloudy squall in my underpants, whilst the rest of the family slept lightly... only to find less than an hour later that sun was blazing, burning throught the clouds, to reveal what turned out to be the hottest, brightest day of the year so far. It shouldnt matter- Ive got time, it'll happen eventually, Thomas hasnt event secured his new gallery space definitely, I can knock the stuff out fairly rapidly (such is the nature of watercolour).... ut it still infuriates to see sun blzing today while I idly iron the washing, while yesterday- whilst all fired up for the session- drizzle beat at the windows.
I remain philosophical. I have another job on the go to keep me occupied, who's commissioner would be glad that I didnt make the call to shoot today for he needs posters for his new contemporary californian menu, at syzygy restaurant, like yesterday. As such I could spend today establishing the fact that the concept in my head of hand painting space invaders in gouache would not actually work as my imagination had predicted it might. Thus much of today was spent researching what exactly my mind had expected to happen when intergalactic met william blake, and how exactly that was supposed to fulfill the brief of an edgy experimental menu.
I am confident now that ive cracked it, and experiments with photocopiers, scanners and 80's pink and electric blue should resolve my anachronistic references...
2 for 1 breakfasts and donut spectacular here we come!
I remain philosophical. I have another job on the go to keep me occupied, who's commissioner would be glad that I didnt make the call to shoot today for he needs posters for his new contemporary californian menu, at syzygy restaurant, like yesterday. As such I could spend today establishing the fact that the concept in my head of hand painting space invaders in gouache would not actually work as my imagination had predicted it might. Thus much of today was spent researching what exactly my mind had expected to happen when intergalactic met william blake, and how exactly that was supposed to fulfill the brief of an edgy experimental menu.
I am confident now that ive cracked it, and experiments with photocopiers, scanners and 80's pink and electric blue should resolve my anachronistic references...
2 for 1 breakfasts and donut spectacular here we come!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Illsutrative
Can't remember if you saw this yet- Im thinking its an album cover- whats the title though? answers on a (shanghai) postcard
This is progress
So this is actually starting to look like progress- this is really happening- its going off. Had a meeting with Thomas from Island again today, (shown above)to finalise my project. Thomas has kindly given his benediction, his backing, his photographer and one of his artists to my new project, which focuses on a group of china's top professional skateboarders as they enterpret the shanghai environment, one chilly thursday morning (probably next week). This thing is going to go of, its going to be amazing. I was excited before, but with one of Shanghai's most respected and outlandish gallery owners behind me, and Joe, californian skate entrepreneur and owner of funboxx amongst other xtreme ventures, I have a great team behind me, with me, willing me on to produce some good work. And to think that this is one of three projects on the go at the mo- amazing. Man, this is really happening. This is real.
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