ShanDong ARt intensive, BUT I'M ALIVE!

Hello!
Just want to tell the world about my new favorite artist: Du DaKai, he's a traditional Chinese painter with work up at Shan Dong Universtity of art and design, he's the MAN! His work is very basic, but busting with information, plenty abstract and executed on traditional tools like ink wash and asian paper, his work is what I try to accomplish when I try to do art outside of printmaking and sculpture. Especially on the move in China I'm trying to get use to their materials (asian paper, ink wash and water, VERY MOBILE).
So I've strated some personal work in the local medium, which has started twice actually. There is a big unfinished structure on the ShanDong campus that is very dangerous to climb but a the top is an excelent view of the landscape surrounding the campus, which is like no other I've seen. At the first attempt to gain accsess to the top of this structure, I dropped all my asian paper twenty feet down in the muck while navigating a treturous corner and stay alive, I alos dropped the first attempt at My landscape ink washes. Luckily The basement store had more paper, which was fortunate because most of the school is closed for Mid Autemn Festival. So I found more paper, and on the second attempt to get to the top of said structure, I started ink wash drawings over and I 'm back on track, stay tuned.

ps 3D suitcase journal was given life today when my Partner and I finished shooting a stop animation with the contents of my experience here in China, Yin Xiujin EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

Hand Made Journal

Here are a few images from my Hand Made Journal from the Great Wall and time in Jinan, Shan Dong. A persistent theme in my work here in China so far has been MOBILITY.
We've been in Shan Dong for about five days now. Our hosts are treating us like rockstars, five star restaurants and trips in a big bus to the countryside. So far we' ve worked much with our Chinese partners, my partner is named Fan Yie Ming, and he's a good match. I imagine he's being adveturous with our ideas together: We're working on The 3-d suitcase journal, a stop-anima cartoon is on it's way. Something new to happen to the 3-D suitcase journal is the manufacturing of many stuffed dolls or monsters, I like to call them characters. Their emergence happened when I arrived to the Shandong art school and noticed that character making, or doll making was a popular theme at the school; I would say it's a popular theme in folk art and all of Asia and even Latin America, anywhere where their is some kind of effigy used in the culture to communicate, anyhow the phenomenon made it into the journal and we've got about a dozen dolls in the journal made of materials my partner had and even some found object buttons for eyes and such. Stay tuned. The exibition is on Tuesday, I might have to leave the 3-D jounal here???

Shandong has been too good to us Americans! I hope we can get close to their expectations while we have many for them to live up to. By the way we've been to the home town of Confucious, the top of Mt. Tai, a kite factory(using the word factory loosley) and a printing shop(relief, very old school).

Thirty Towers of the Great Wall

Before we left Beautiful Beijing, We hiked thirty towers of the Great Wall. Wow! an impresive piece of stone winding up and down the highest and lowest chunks of mountain. I made many sketches, I was very happy with. One of the Funnest things to do on the Great Wall is to ditch the old ladies who walk the wall everyday to make a living off the tourists. As you walk the wall, you will be aproached by all sorts of people making their living uop there, one kind is the spontaneous tour guide who will adopt you as their leage. These ladies walk the wall everyday and are very strong and nimble up on the wall and if you're looking for a little entertainment and a chalenge, you can try to lose them by out walking them, they ARE persistent! I managed to loose one such tour guide and break a fine sweat doing so, the pay off is some time alone to take in the Chinese mountain geography and impressive stacks of ancient brick. Oh, Yeah, the zip line is only scary until you get passed the rocks and over the water.
Cheers!

On Asignment at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Ni Hoa!
Six days have elapsed since last writing in here, but believe you me I've been a good journalist, in my very special way ofcourse. Here are some on asignment photos at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing; the ancient sight where the Ming Emperors came to communicate with heaven and God. As usual the temples are a compound of relic culture and masive achievment, here are two large temples, one circle(for communion with god, in Chinese culture the circle is heavenly and the square terrestrial), one square. In the photos above, you can see yours truley making sketches in my hand made sketch book and meditating about what it would mean to hold discourse with god like the Emperors of old China. If a higher power were to be listening (or leaning over my shoulder and looking in on sketch book) it would hear from me a plea for time and patience for our kind as I feel our kind have strayed from the rhythm. Also an opportunity to make a small sacrifice came to me( The emperors of old made many sacrifices at this Sight), in the form of a pair of older ladies as they aproached me for their picture to be taken with my polaroid. My first reaction was to walk away since my polaroid film is expensive a slim pickings but soon it hit me that it was my asignment to make a sacrfice while here at the Temple of Heaven so I shot the couple o' older chinese ladies and gave them the polaroid. I must have made their year! People don't seem to have easy access to pictures here and I'm sure the pair of ladies apreciated it.

Day two, Beijng, Ni HUn Nyo!

Hello out there!
Beijing is a beautiful city with a busting art scene nice people, cheep everything, much transportation, and vry old cultural centers Like The Forbidden City.

The airport was too clean but I was put at ease when we hit the more urban center, lots of bikes and scary driving. We eat well and its customary to try and eat too much. Whre we stay is at the temple hotel is close to the people it feels like, we walk through their lives every day.

I dont have much technology to get pictures onto this page but that's nevr been my thing any way but don't worry I'll be binging you'all the narartive in my own special way. I'kicking much ass in the Journal I bound in the States and making babysteps towards my 3-D portable suit case journal, getting some sewing done and finding stuff in the streets.

798 or ChiJioBa was an ispiring space, artists space and direct retail for their work. I was really drawn in to work BY a printmaker maybe called Kang JinFei. Woodcuts mostly, he also pulled off a some installation with the printing blocks that I will be taking inspiration from.

CAFA or The Central Academy of Fine Arts seemeda great school, The Printmaking space was inpresive and sulpture studio open and spacious, I would go to school there. We were treated like rockstars.

Hi, I gotta go find some found object and draw.

Zai Jian!

Gita and Christian, last day in Eugene

Hi from Eugene, Oregon. My girl, Gita and I are spending a little time together on our 6 year aniversery and the last day before I head out to China. I'm a little nervous. I've acumulated a ton of of material to make art in China. Stay Tuned.
CHEERS!