thinking of Japan

All of my friends are safe although very shaken and distressed with the strong after shocks.

The images of the tsunami leave me speechless. My thoughts and best wishes are with the people of Japan.

This is how I had my bed set up at TWS, I usually included a bottle of water too. The strange shaped thing is a torch. I had another helmet next to my desk, and one down stairs in the studio. I was paranoid- the TWS building is very new.

Andrew sykped with Utako in Tokyo yesterday, she was wearing one of these white helmets, her family in the north are all fine. I have heard from Hanako who was at TWS during the quake, everything and everyone there was fine, although she said it was terrifying. She had to walk back to Asakusa- a journey Kajsa and I did in reverse on our bikes home after a sento visit in February a year ago. It's a long way and disorientating - even more so if you are avoiding walking under the raised JR train lines.

Tokyo blur

The last five days have been a real blur- trying to see as much as I could and as many people as possible. Some snaps and images from the first couple of days.

Commercial gallery hoping with Reuben from Artspace (now on internship at the Yokohama City Museum) and Will French, an Australian artist now at Tokyo Wonder site (check his site- nice work with flags and bicycles). It was quiet nice that day as it rained, so it was reasonably cool.

The galleries were a pretty mixed bag, with Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba at Mizuma being a highlight, especially two flag works that remixed the stars of the Vietnamese and U.S. flags. Here is a link to his current large project “Breathing is free”.

We ended up in Ildabashi the part of town where I was staying and ate dinner at a nice isagaya. It’s a fairly fancy part of town so it has a fugu restaurant in the main street. Eating this fish doesn’t appeal to me, they are fairly ugly, along with being poisonous. I like the ‘before and after’ set up, one window has the fish tank and the next is a display of what you will get served.

Packing and planning while working

Second last day here at Tokyo Wonder site. Photos above give should be compared with the first ones I posted. I don’t think it’s too bad… Could be worse, but still it’s going to take ages to sort it all out. I don’t know why I am such a paper hoarder- mainly because I am afraid of forgetting things. And a zine maker… this would look good, extra photocopy here of a page etc.

Working on some stamps at the moment- will post (ha! you are probably not believe those promises now).

This is the lovely JR lady fixing up my pass and booking my first trip to Beppu for Thursday morning. It’s going to be a 4:30am start- ouch! She used every one of those stamps in the kit to activate the pass. The large one set to the Japanese year calendar is my favourite.

Another open studio and another late night.

It seems like I work in fits and starts. Having another late night to try and get something up to test run point for tomorrow. Kind of want to make a new zine too. But as I have only vaguely started on a few things it seems unlikely.

Above is a still from the new video I am working on.

Grey week- music performances

The view out my bedroom window- grey on grey on grey- with earthquake mesh windows

After making the decision to make a work about going to all the famous Fuji viewing spots- every single day till three days ago was grey. Which means you don’t really see more than 500 metres ahead of you in the sky. i.e. fat chance of seeing Fuji. In fact the only view I have had- despite making some trips to good spots was a glimpse from a train window…

Now I have started the new blog, which is the log or catalogue of views, but have been a bit down in the dumps so it’s not very far along- i.e. not at all really. Although I have totally scared myself with the amount of work I want to get done in the next 2 and a half weeks (before I leave Tokyo Wonder site) but its good to be excited and have ideas.

Will put the link to the Fuji Blog- Magnetic Glimpses here, but perhaps check it after the weekend.

Yao performing- it took about 10 goes to get a shot with the lights on. the bright green is a senor he is playing.

In the meantime I have been going to the Experimental Music Festival and enjoying seeing the composers and musicians performances. The first night with performances by Matt, Bettina, and Yao was especially exciting. Tim M you should look at Bettina and some the groups she plays with- Wow wow wow!! Amazing contemporary and baroque flute performer, she gets an amazing range of percussive and melodic sounds from the various flutes she plays- this night it was a classical flute and a baroque traverso. I hope to see her play again before leaving Tokyo- those who have know me for a long time know this is high praise indeed. And Matt and Yao would fit with so many Australia arts centres and festivals- check them out!

Late start

Its been a week and a half since I arrived in Tokyo and considering I havebeen writing this blog in my head I figure it’s time to get some stuff out there.

So some images to start…..

My apartment the first day I moved in and unpacked. I took these photosto remind myself how neat the place can be, for those of you who don’t know me- or have not been to my place, this is the usual state of my desk.