Beautiful... and yet completely hilarious too. He said he wants to create a kinetic robot that will keep on walking for 450 years, to just simply walk for 90km or 900km.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Girl washing her face
I started this painting a few months ago and put it away until yesterday, when I took it out again and continued on until I signed it just now.
The original is Mary Cassatt's Woman Bathing, which was part of her series of ten color aquatints that she described as "an imitation of Japanese methods" with the flat coloring, diagnals, flat forms, and strong emphasis on pattern and lines.
I picked this, just because I liked the angles and color. But I also wanted to see how a picture that was first based on ukiyoe woodblock prints, interpreted by a western impressionist painter who abandoned oil painting for flat printmaking, would look like, back in acrylics.
The original is Mary Cassatt's Woman Bathing, which was part of her series of ten color aquatints that she described as "an imitation of Japanese methods" with the flat coloring, diagnals, flat forms, and strong emphasis on pattern and lines.
I picked this, just because I liked the angles and color. But I also wanted to see how a picture that was first based on ukiyoe woodblock prints, interpreted by a western impressionist painter who abandoned oil painting for flat printmaking, would look like, back in acrylics.
Lucian Freud
Not all of us knew that Lucian Freud, the grandson of THE famous Freud was the highest bid living painter, when in 2008 his Big Sue painting was sold for US$33.6 million. He has passed away a few days ago, painting until the very end of his life at 88.
What inspired me to write about him was not his gazing portraits or fat ladies that are so truthful (or borderline shocking), nor that he may have fathered 40 kids, or that he is the first in 300 years (since Rembrandt) for having such a close relation with his mother.
I was impressed how he keeps on working on a painting until he drops. In 2007 he spent 16 months, with a model posing everyday (other than 4 nights), a total of 2400 hours.
Freud said "he feels he's finished when he gets the impression he's working on somebody else's painting".
I always struggle when to finish a painting. Sadly, as I have mostly finished when I find a new interest and start a new work, I would imagine you can keep on painting for years, painting something different everytime you cross the "line" and it will be endless. But this is all theoretical.
Read his full 88 years of life here.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
My usual weekend walk in SOHO
Today I decided to take photos of SOHO in Hong Kong where I live and spend my weekends walking around.
Gough Street is popular with lots of very cool furniture and interior shops and a few really good restaurants. Lot 10 (34 Gough Street) is one of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong (the US beef steak with potatos fried with duck oil is really good).
This is a very well known noodle shop called Kau Kee that has been in operation for 90 years (21 Gough Street).
Peel Street is my lovely street where I live and buy my groceries from the street market and small shops. The tea house here (facing Hollywood Street) is always filled with HK people taking photos and drinking I'm sure, a type of tea (I want to try but have no idea what they are!).
This shop (15 Peel Street) sells homemade noodles made in the back of the shop. It was very nice to have discovered this, as my parents really loved the box that I bought back home. I picked a package for myself today too.
On Peel Street there is also a lovely Indonesian furniture shop called Souris Decor(37 Peel Street). They have a lot of really cool coffee tables that are very clean and simple but not so expensive.
Just be ware that Peel Street is really steep.
Eligin Street next to Peel Street, has this outside noodle shop that is always filled with 20-30 people, eating noodles under the sky in a very small space. There must be added spices from the activities on the street. I would like to try this out sometime.
My last stop was a vintage shop at the corner of Peel Street and Hollywood Street. Knickknacks and a random photo of old HK fashion.
Typewriter piano
Everyone has probably heard of this typewriter symphony somewhere, sometime in their life. This pianist (I'm sure, or conductor) has done it so seriously and well, I watched it so many times.
A typewriter that plays piano tunes.
A slightly useless but hilarious interpretation of a piano typewriter by Igor Zimmermann (he's really funny!). It basically combines a piano and typewriter in a most non-functionable way.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Igor Zimmermann
By chance I came across Igor Zimmerman while surfing through the Whyred website. It seems the label used his work for its past event. I liked the blue and the simplicy of things, so I browsed further in the artist's website. He has a very relaxing touch with no seriousness and nicely not purposeful. He's born in the 80s.
I especially liked this link where he has some of his super chill work.
I especially liked this link where he has some of his super chill work.
Bird in a mansion
This morning I saw in Garance Dore's blog that Mulberry bags are amazing. So I obediently went to their website and came across this picture. I forgot to read what it meant and why is there no Mulberry bag!? but the proportion of the bird fits so well with the rest of the room that my mind instantly forgot why I was there and went into a circular thinking on which of the following this situation maybe...
- The bird is a real wall picture, and someone had great courage to paint a giant owl on the wall;
- The bird is a collage that was added into the picture later on; or
- The room was drawn around the bird
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Italian moment with TOD'S
Honestly, my want to become Italian had become irrevocable with this year's TOD'S ad. I've seen it a couple of times on the street and since I no longer see it, I decided to post it here myself.
It's not too ostentatious and everything in the scene is well made, from the stitching of the shoes to the bookshelf in their summer house.
I really like the lovely home feel, laughing and talking about random things, with close friends and families.
If only Italy was not part of PIGS...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Nawa Kohei's Bubbled Elk
Nawa Kohei is now one of the most popular artists in Japan. He's only 35 but has a very clear vision on what he presents, which is a mixture of what's real and what's not (or virtual). Out of the several series he has, I like Beads and Scum the most.
Beads are these objects, which are originally live animals mostly elk, or real objects that have been glue-gunned with these random large bubbles. They no longer look real or at least lose the original shape enough that it may look like a tasteful and playful interior.
But if you take a closer look, the inside is real, and you can see the hair. Creepy.
He also created a double elk statue. This came from his disappointment that nowadays even stuffed elk that he buys off of the internet, come in the same pose for cost and commercial purposes. He wanted to counter this with a message and create a weird double-elk that are not twins but cannot be separated into two, and almost have the same posture.
In his profile picture, in front of his work of Scums, he looks very clean and normal.
Photo credit: Artist's website
But if you take a closer look, the inside is real, and you can see the hair. Creepy.
He also created a double elk statue. This came from his disappointment that nowadays even stuffed elk that he buys off of the internet, come in the same pose for cost and commercial purposes. He wanted to counter this with a message and create a weird double-elk that are not twins but cannot be separated into two, and almost have the same posture.
In his profile picture, in front of his work of Scums, he looks very clean and normal.
Photo credit: Artist's website
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
If I may belatedly react to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is planned to open now in 2013, it is great that art can fluorish through (a potential) public means and public manner, in a particularly private-money driven country.
But before anything, the architecture of the new building is beautiful with sunlight flooding in, like through a pattern of mosaic that the Arab world are very well known for. There is so much water involved in the design plan, it honestly gives worries to viewers like me about the art work to be loaned, but I assume money will resolve everything and set the temperature and lighting perfeclty. The architect is Jean Nouvel from France.
It is not only great that art will spread, but also that Louvre brought about a new means of sustainability (money). A few years ago, it was so heartbreaking to read many museums having to close or sell off their historical art collection along with the global crisis. Museums have to be alive and therefore constantly need to buy new collections.
The Louvre in Paris has almost 450,000 pieces and exhibit 35,000 of them. Along with the great pieces to be loaned, the Louvre can share its historical accumulation of knowledge and the brand.
These art work to be loaned for 10 years, the use of the Louvre name for 30 years, and the advisory etc were priced at 975 million Euro. Added to that, the original estimated construction cost was 83 million Euro. Richness.
By the way, this is a really nice website called designbuild-network, which has a lot of fantastic information and where I also owe the photo credit.
But before anything, the architecture of the new building is beautiful with sunlight flooding in, like through a pattern of mosaic that the Arab world are very well known for. There is so much water involved in the design plan, it honestly gives worries to viewers like me about the art work to be loaned, but I assume money will resolve everything and set the temperature and lighting perfeclty. The architect is Jean Nouvel from France.
It is not only great that art will spread, but also that Louvre brought about a new means of sustainability (money). A few years ago, it was so heartbreaking to read many museums having to close or sell off their historical art collection along with the global crisis. Museums have to be alive and therefore constantly need to buy new collections.
The Louvre in Paris has almost 450,000 pieces and exhibit 35,000 of them. Along with the great pieces to be loaned, the Louvre can share its historical accumulation of knowledge and the brand.
These art work to be loaned for 10 years, the use of the Louvre name for 30 years, and the advisory etc were priced at 975 million Euro. Added to that, the original estimated construction cost was 83 million Euro. Richness.
By the way, this is a really nice website called designbuild-network, which has a lot of fantastic information and where I also owe the photo credit.
More strolling in Macau
My dad visited me from Osaka over the weekend, and we paid a really efficient visit to Macau staying for a whole three hours (how Japanese of him)!
We first went to the main Plaza and there was some construction work going on. This method, I always find very circus-esque, relying on no safety belts and using only bamboos. I thought each person was positioned perfectly for this picture.
Rue da Felicidade was a street that was formerly filled with brothels and seedy bars, and retains much of its beautiful old architecture today.
It was a lovely day for laundry.
At the end of the day, we gambled 50 HKD and won back 77 HKD in a few minutes. Naturally, we cashed out immediately, and walked out very content.
We first went to the main Plaza and there was some construction work going on. This method, I always find very circus-esque, relying on no safety belts and using only bamboos. I thought each person was positioned perfectly for this picture.
Rue da Felicidade was a street that was formerly filled with brothels and seedy bars, and retains much of its beautiful old architecture today.
It was a lovely day for laundry.
At the end of the day, we gambled 50 HKD and won back 77 HKD in a few minutes. Naturally, we cashed out immediately, and walked out very content.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday breakfast
Sunday breakfast is my favorite time of the week. I usually like to cook something easy and then read a book. Today, I plan to read a new book Cryptonomicon that I picked up this week.
I made an omlette out of dried tomato, mushroom, and some licorice tasting vege that I always forget the name. I also made tea from Mariage that is called Russian Star that has some grapefruity aroma. Enjoy your Sunday!
I made an omlette out of dried tomato, mushroom, and some licorice tasting vege that I always forget the name. I also made tea from Mariage that is called Russian Star that has some grapefruity aroma. Enjoy your Sunday!
Lovely Louboutin
I am so happy about my new Louboutin and tried them on for the first time. Since my legs are bruised from kick boxing, I put on gray Celine tights, which goes surprisingly well I thought. The heels are so high and amazing! I'll probably fall off the steep hills of SOHO in Hong Kong, but who cares.
The shoes go really well with my black dress from Whyred from Stockholm, which is also new and a lovely gift for my birthday. The yellow scarf is what my mom bought me a few years back. It's from a Japanese label J. Ferry that looks very kimono-esque and with an added bonus that it was made in France.
The shoes go really well with my black dress from Whyred from Stockholm, which is also new and a lovely gift for my birthday. The yellow scarf is what my mom bought me a few years back. It's from a Japanese label J. Ferry that looks very kimono-esque and with an added bonus that it was made in France.
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