Reflection
September 14th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Just as I started to feel a teeney bit of despair crawling into my life, talking to someone changed everything in an instant. The encouraging voice on the other side of the phone did not say You must persevere, it only said, in a somewhat stuttering but kind voice, Yes come in the afternoon for a chat. Researching on lost art in ‘small’ Singapore takes a lot, well, research generally does. and at a certain point you start asking yourself, what am I doing this for. It’s a choice, not imposed. why put yourself in all this shit, blood n sweat. I don’t want to look back. I fear that the basis for which I started this, the very reason/feeling/both, is starting to diminish. Just keep looking ahead. And it’s all these people whom I have to interview, who time and time again, through their willingness and passion to share, that has kept me going, whether it’s me stuttering along, crawling or trying to pull myself to get up and keep going.
I had a chat with the owner of Yeo Swee Huat today, a business which deals with funeral objects, hand-making decorations for processions, festivals like mid-autumn etc, and the boss hand paints Chinese lanterns. perhaps speaking to older people makes you feel less bad-tempered/angsty/in a rush. you have to be patient and listen. you also have to know the right questions to ask– practical intelligence they term it. I realised it’s really impt that you ask the right and precise questions to get the very essence in the answers. knowing how to precisely pick out the crux through questioning, or should I say, allow the crux to surface naturally. unlocking the key, because sometimes the interviewee will not know what to say too. until you ask precisely! well this I am learning and I’ll say it’s pretty challenging. and exciting. it’s like having to think quickly on the spot once you sense something interesting, on your toesss! hehe. I’m not a very sociable person ya knw~
perhaps it’s also because I’m doing all this pretty much myself at this stage, and having to go around Singapore on public transport, especially to search for someone, is a trying task indeed. So the strategy is, whenever despair starts coming close, pick up the phone, dial the number and talk. it’s the first big step that’s the most difficult. but arghhhhh!! gotta do it. sometimes you gotta think and not feel. that’s how it is.
Tay Guan Huat continues. . .
September 4th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
present day joss sticks
airbrushed joss sticks w typical symbolic neon colors
joss sticks originally reached for the skies but were eventually restricted in height due to the pollution it was causing
hand sculpted woodclay figurines
demo
woodclay– from the wild cinnamon tree
So it was that I spent a few hours speaking to a 2nd Teochew counterpart, and I learnt that there are three kinds of Teochew, the terms I cannot quite remember :x Amos(above) was the only brother of the three who could speak fluent English and he told me about how his family’s local joss stick business started when his grandfather came from China to Singapore before WWII. He learnt the tedious craft from his father after school hours and this was how he came naturally to take over the business, which he does not see any future with the next generation. Tay Guan Huat’s current business runs in the production of joss sticks, clay figurines and workshops conducted with schools & museums. Clients include locals and expats, the latter being very fond of his hand sculpted clay figurines of images of old Singapore. Amos said he does not know how long the business can continue but he will put his head down to work and keep at it until. . .
Dec 2010 – Delvey art & design fair
December 15th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Pao was at Abney public hall, Stoke Newington parading his stuff. Did you catch a peek of him? aha
click on image for more photos
Toy shopping
December 7th, 2010 Comments Off
Shopping inspires. It is indeed a form of therapy, for the unhappy, depressed, unexcited and somewhat jaded. I need a turning point I guess. aha. in case you think I do nothing with these toys, ahem, art, but display them, no no, I analyse them okay. he he with the help of a modelling tool ;)
stash from Kidrobot. 30% off all Kidrobot objects. GO NOW!
Amanda Visell’s wood (I think) figures, the last of the lot! no more no more he he
Devilrobot’s ever so cute zip-pull. I pity him loads!
MUJI wood toys: London transport portrayed in such a cute version (total contrast in reality)
MUJI wood toys: football team
MUJI wood toys: extinct species
try pronouncing that! (sounds like a Harry Potter’s spell)
to grow more hair
November 25th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
I just had a haircut. I realised my haircuts always come after a huge project has ended. it’s becoming a ritual. seems kinda empty and void now, like, what should I be doing nowwww? he he well, I think I’ve chilled enough. 2 days is a bit too much, 1 day is just fine.
I did not admire Michael Lau so much till recently. I think the more I learn about Art toys, the more I can appreciate them. and especially since I have done a tiny bit of sculpting, molding and casting before, I now can observe a toy with better knowledge. but still, there’s a whole lot more to learn, I’m only at the foot of the mountain adjusting the ropes and fixing the carabiner. So, in the meantime, I’m gonna look at Michael Lau’s toys more closely. I like some of his Crazychildren characters and a few Gardeners, but one thing is certain, he has projected his style onto his toys and it has become his brand. consistently. Just ‘Google image’ Michael Lau and you’ll see all his fantastic creations. FYI, Michael Lau started the Art toy revolution in HK (1998) with his customised G.I. Joe figures and is still one of the best toy artists (IMHO) today.
Michael Lau for Nike BMX China
I love the dog. how cute can it get?!?!
Watched ‘Objectified’, a film exploring the relationship we have with objects. Here is the trailer. There were a few insights, but I remember one clearly – Karim Rashid asked, why are we creating things to be permanent when we always consume and dispose to satisfy our innate desire for new things? Hmm let me think about it.
Currently reading ‘In praise of shadows’ by Junichiro Tanizaki. spotted it at Koenig books and decided to get it via Amazon. it was an impulse purchase but somehow I know a book is good when I spot it. I’m trying to grasp some of its insights as it’s slanted towards the Japanese culture.
So… I’m not that lazy I guess :p no no I need to produce something, I feel. hmm. sometimes I’m in a hurry to produce things and end up not enjoying it, very very probably because I have not given it much thought in the first place and thus subconsciously I do not want to do it and won’t do it and will keep procrastinating (it’s my subconscious telling me that I need to work on the concept more). this is probably my sixth sense, I think. and when I look back to try to figure out why I’m procrastinating, hey yeah, I realised it’s because I don’t really like it, and the most probable reason why I don’t like it is because it has not impressed me or the idea is not that great. yes yes it has been like this most of the time.
But still, I can be quite lazy. I can just sit in my chair and just listen to music. I can.
Adios to my beloved building
November 16th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Hi. It’s my last year at the Southampton row building and I’m sad.
On the other hand, you have arrived at this category I named ‘toys & language’, the only place on this digital planet where I will blog/post stuff on my work processes and all the things I did/am doing/will do in this epic year. OH YEAH IT IS EPIC. I love going to college and especially love the smell of certain rooms (letterpress is def. one of them). So while I can, I will make deliberate efforts to sniff them out a lot more. Hope you will too.
I will post context work process after the 23rd. It’s cooler this way. I like mystery.
*shrouded by mystery*
