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Photographs of Dogs' Psychology

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:23:00 +0000

It is interesting to see several photographers who used Dogs' Psychology as their subject matter. photographers are able to capture to best moment from excitement to anxiety.

Nikon Pure Photography: All Episodes

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 03:29:00 +0000

A Full Stop of Hong Kong Shaolin Temple in Photography - KTVTC

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 22:00:00 +0000

On the 27th July 2013, Kwun Tong Vocational Training Center (KTVTC), where famous for its design and photography training programs, was gloriously shut down. After running a variety courses (included vehicles repair, hotel hospitality and etc..) for 48 years, this center not only have trained enormous amount of people, equipped them to be able to survive with technique knowledge, it also was symbol of Hong Kong photography.

An non-official statistics shows that over 80% of photojournalists and magazine photographers in Hong Kong were cultivated from KTVTC, indicating how this place significantly influenced the media ecosystem.

Remembrance of the time with in KTVTC, there is a lots of meaningful stuffs that is hard to make every schoolmate not to be nostalgic. At very least, I'm the one still have the "after taste" of my very best photographic training time with Mr. Chu and Mr. Chak. Dating back to 14 years ago in 1998, I was in a class size of 34 students, lucky enough got passed the interview and successfully enrolled into the amazing program. During the year, from handmade pinhole to 4x5 large format camera, non-silver prints to B/W and color printing, lighting to optical, chemistry film to digital CCD, photojournalism to commercial photography, these were the course contents that the students would learn in one year intensive program. Undoubtably, KTVTC is a Hong Kong Shaolin Temple in photography, where you weren't only learn practical skills, but at the same time, a correct attitude was being shaped whilst taking, making and practicing photography.

Nonetheless, this photographic Shaolin Temple was eventually beaten by many factors, and one of the main reasons is insufficient student enrolment. As if an artist, who cannot survive in this economic world and make a basic living, how can one sustain its artistic practice? Well, it is a brutal fact and indeed a golden rule for any organisation keep running in this planet.

If you asked me what is photography when I was a student, I would say it is a communication tool between people, a reflection of the realities, and an expression of one's feeling or thoughts. If you ask me the some question again now, then I will say photography is a philosophy, a person spirit, and a dream. It is true that my point of view has changed, but if I never went to KTVTC, I wouldn’t be today’s me.

Good bye and Thank you KTVTC!

Photographic Projects relate to Cars

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:26:00 +0000

©Alejandro Cartagena from the car poolers series

Cartagena's work focuses on the laborers carpooling images which indicates other insight of Monterrey city in Mexico,

©Óscar Monzón from Sweet Car series

Oscar's work emphasizes confrontational approach to reveal the other surface in the vehicles.

©Richie Tse from Idling series

Richie's work highlights the intercross event of our everyday trajectories by capturing image backward to the car behind.

Exhibition: GLIMMERING LIGHT - Hiroshi Mori Solo Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:12:00 +0000

This is my second time meeting with Mr. Mori, who is a Japanese contemporary artist. His works are extraordinary. It is hard to find his unique style of art-making approach with a mixture of Japanese Rimpa painting and contemporary digital printing. In addition, a Japanese cartoon characteristic is too the main element in every painting that Mr. Mori created. Nevertheless, Hiroshi Mori's recent exhibition Glimmering Light has showed his latest artwork which will definitely blow the viewers' mind. With a sense of Baroque (maybe I'm wrong), contrasting with traditional Katsushika Hokusai's wave and Japanese contemporary Cartoon, each painting just exquisitely speaks for itself.

" The artist has transformed the archangel and the Virgin Mary into teenagers in Japanese manga, mixing in explosions and the Ukiyio-e master Katsushika Hokusai’s signature Great Wave as metaphors of nuclear power plant explosion and tsunami caused by earthquake. The Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster incurred by the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 has caused tremendous worries about fertility among the local women. Therefore, when the teenage girl is told about her pregnancy against the background of nuclear explosion, she appears to become bewildered and disturbed." from Art Experience Gallery press release.

Exhibition Duration:
18 May – 29 June 2013
Mon - Fri, 9:30 am - 6:30 pm, Sat, 11am – 5pm, by appointment on Sun and public holidaysExhibition

Venue:
Art Experience Gallery
Room 2009, Cable TV Tower, 9 Hoi Shing Road,
Tsuen Wan, NT, Hong Kong

©Hiroshi Mori

Recession happen when Trojan Duck and Inflation gone?

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:53:00 +0000

Is it a Trojan Duck? No, it's a Project Rubber Duck by Florentijn Hofman.

Coincidently, this Trojan Duck is in sync with the outdoor exhibition - Inflation! hosted by Mobile M+.

All in sudden, Hong Kong is in an inflation status and it is true.

When the Duck leaves and exhibition Inflation! goes, will that is the time to step into recession?

Trojan Duck - Diana Lens 35mm + Nikon D800

Trojan Duck - Diana Lens 110mm + Nikon D800

Trojan Duck - Diana Lens 35mm + Nikon D800

Trojan Duck - Diana Lens 75mm + Nikon D800

Trojan Duck - Diana lens 55mm + Nikon D800

Mobile M+ : Inflation!

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:51:00 +0000

Inflation is a giant outdoor exhibition curated by M+. It is an interesting exhibition with giant inflated sculptures. The only regret is, Paul McCarthy's Complex Pile (a gigantic shit) deflated and become liquid excrement. The artwork itself wanna like a metaphor of "deep shit". Lol

With the Wind ©JIAKUN ARCHITECTS/LIU JIAKUN

Sacrilege ©JEREMY DELLER

Falling into the Mundane World ©TAM WAI PING

House of Treasures ©CAO FEI

Complex Pile ©PAUL MCCARTHY / Emptiness is Form. Form is Emptiness ©CHOI JEONG HWA

LCX x Yulia Brodskaya - Paper Quilling

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:18:00 +0000

I love to visit exhibitions and shows. It helps my brain to stay in a creative mode. Russian Paper filigree artist Yulia Brodskaya who recently have her work to cross over the one of the biggest shopping malls LCX in Hong Kong, and for sure, her works are just brilliantly amazing. However the show in LCX is perhaps disappointing the audiences.

Is bottom-lit approach the best way to demonstrate the texture of the artwork?
Not really. I would say it damaging the presentation of Yulia's works

Audiences really want to have a look at the amazing detailed paper painting of the portraitures that Yulia made. Yet, the exhibition only shows the a flat copy of the original work. If people spend money to come to the mall and just see the photographs of the original work, then why don't people stay at home and search the images on the Internet?

Moreover, you might find bad mounting and framing on the photo copy of the work. This is just an act of insulting the artist, and it's sort of fooling the audience. What a shame.

Body Paintography by Alexa Meade / Sheila Vand

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:30:00 +0000

©Alexa Meade / Sheila Vand

Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand use bodies as canvas, submerging in a tank of milk, amazingly transform the to a frame of the artwork. The paint melt in and mix with the frame. Their works not only have fluidity which sublimes the concept to the next level. By looking at their work, you might find a mixture of De Stijl and Fauvist style.

Interesting one.

©Alexa Meade / Sheila Vand

Ken Kitano – Our Face

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:36:00 +0000

©Ken Kitano

Ken Kitano's Our Face project reminds me of the most typical person in the world.

His images not merely explore the difference of human facial structures by categorising varying roles, also express the quality of abstraction of Zen. Every single image is produced by overlapping images with multiple exposure in a traditional darkroom. Employing the analog method to create these images which add another layer of meaning to the body of work. Each projection from the darkroom enlarger to the paper as if questioning who are these people? Who are we? What's the difference between each person in a category?

Ken Kitano's works have so much for us to contemplate, full of Zen quality

Watermarks - Edward Burtynsky at Sundaram Tagore Gallery HK

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Just passed by Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Central Hong Kong, where is now exhibiting a Canadian Photographer Edward Burtynsky's photographs. His photographs are, as always, showing the impact of industrialisation around the globe. You will be amazed by the unique perspective of each aerial photograph as well as the size of it. For me, I personally like his previous series - MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES a little bit more.

Exhibition Dates: November 1 – December 15, 2012

DOUBLE RAINBOW Group Exhibition by Hiroshi Mori & Louise Lee

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 14:30:00 +0000

©Hiroshi Mori

Last Saturday went to an exhibition opening in Art Experience Gallery. Hiroshi Mori & Louise Lee both paintings are mainly focusing on the mental status of child. Special highlight is the style of painting that Mr. Hori employed. You can see the complexity with varied painting approaches, merging into one piece of surface. Other than that, you might see the layer beneath, implying no matter what kind of form does an entity have, life can be strong and unbeatable.

©Louise Lee | ©Hiroshi Mori

Rogerger Ng - Image Editor at Post Straight Photography Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:06:00 +0000

©Rogerger Ng

Every time when there's a period of election for Legislative Council, most of the candidates will launch an advertising campaign, hanging their elective banners in their regions, intended to gain as many as votes they can. As part of political promotions, most candidates will have their faces included on the banner right next the slogan, proclaiming their platforms which are the right choices and the bright future for the public. Nonetheless, some people will stand against them and hold a different view. Their disagreement even beyond a degree where they would take it personally, destroying the image of a politician.

©Rogerger Ng

I'm impressed by Rogerger Ng's work of art. In "Post-Straight: Contemporary Hong Kong Photography", his works is really outstanding from the other 15 artists (at least I think it is). He repairs a series of banner photographs which were damaged by someone and for some reasons. The interesting part is the image of the person who strives to construct, and some people with a contrary view are trying hard to destruct that person's credibility by destroying the image.

"Observing these damaged political banners which often appeared on the streets in hong kong we become witnesses for these narrative portraits. By studying every scratch on these portraits stories depicted by both the vandals and the victims can be imagined beyond these images having presented. "

Rogerger Ng comes across as a "mediator" to fix, to repair and to replace the awkward situation between politicians and parties. His reconstruction of the banner images not merely address the conflict in our society, it also reflect his point of view on the politics and our future.

©Rogerger Ng

Tracing the Chinese ancestor in Cuba - Lau Pok-Chi

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:23:00 +0000

©Lau Pok-Chi

Hong Kong Photography Series 3: Beyond the Portrait is an exhibition that demonstrates a variety of photographic works produced by 18 local photographers / artists. Amongst those works, Lau Pok-Chi's Cuba Chinese series is the best.

©Lau Pok-Chi

Mr. Lau's works mainly focus on the "root". Not about the botany but our race, Chinese of course. He spent time (the last three years) to dig out who Cubans have the Chinese blood and record the stories of the dwindling Chinese community in Havana, which is incredible. High level research skill is needed. Communication is another key to this project's success, which is another difficulty when producing this project for sure. Strong interpersonal skill is necessary. Further more, He has a generous heart to assist one of the subjects - Caridad Amaran (image above) to go back to 'hometown' in Guangdong China and worship her parents. There is a dramatic fact in this store. None of her blood has a drip of Chinese gene, however her was adopted by her Chinese parents when she was young. This lady Chinese name is Ho Chou Lan - 何秋蘭, and she can speak Cantonese fluently limited writing, yet she has an amazing ability to sing Cantonese Opera. This is an extraordinary case which support the photographs with a deeper layer.

Exhibition info:

Thematic Galleries (1) & (2),
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
14 July 2012 - 26 November 2012

Parallel Visions at Hong Kong Art Centre

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Didn't have time to share my after thought of this exhibition - Parallel Visions. For sure, you've known this photographic exhibition is part of the Hong Kong International Photo Festival 2012. It was indeed a pleasance for photographic enthusiasts to borden our horizon. The show focused on two Asian countries - Japan and Korea. I picked an artist from each country which I think their works are the best representatives in the show.

From series of Adventures of Kura ©Kura Masumi

Kura Masumi collects fashion magazines and bases on the postures to photograph the on the street. It's not hard to find the shadows of the fashion magazines from Kura's works. The series of Adventures of Kura is a fantastic sample. Most of the postures in the photographs not merely reveal the femininity, it's also capturing the best human contour from the moment of time.

From series of Adventures of Kura ©Kura Masumi

You might think this picture is not artistic enough right? Maybe! But I find it's kinda interesting.
These girls seemed awaiting something outside of somewhere. Perhaps it was about seasonal sales. It obvious that the image has four parties in there. The ladies was enjoying a McDonald's meal which signified the waiting time was quite long. The posture of squatting has never been more seductive than this. Of cause, in comparison to Chinese style. At very least they lean against the wall, not blocking or in the middle of somewhere.

Triptych: Korean Family © Sunmin Lee

Sunmin Lee is a Korean artist, whose works focus on the domestic relationship - Family. Triptych: Korean Family is a series of photographs, mounted with three family portraitures which narrate the importance of a family notion in Korean society. For me, this work is questioning how and where do we locate our traditional value when the family notion is vital.

In general, this show is brilliant! It broadens the views' horizons. But there has an only regret which is NO English of the prelusion.
I saw some foreign viewers who couldn't dig and deepen into the artworks because of neglecting the right language. This exhibition was one of the biggest event in the Hong Kong International Photo Festival. When you heard the word "international", you assumed English introduction would be provided, however there wasn't. The prelude was location at the front wall and was super long. I wondered why didn't the curator set up the introduction just next to artworks for the viewer's ease of reading.

Comparison of Theories of Time and Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:15:00 +0000

"The past cannot be captured by the present, and the future also cannot be captured by the present. The present can only be captured at the moment." Daido Moriyama

“Photographs are a way of imprisoning reality...One can't possess reality, one can possess images--one can't possess the present but one can possess the past.” Susan Sontag

"A photo is produced in a photographer's specific perspective. However, when it is presented in front of different viewers, various perspectives will be developed by viewers, which will enrich the content of the photo." Daido Moriyama

“All in all, the creative act is not performed by the artist alone.. the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.” Marcel Duchamp

The mindset of two master photographers - William Klein / Daido Moriyama

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:00:00 +0000

"2012 seems to be the year that Moriyama's work finally takes its rightful place in the eyes of the international public" Quote from British Journal of Photography (BJP iPhone is an E-magazine available in Newsstand on any iOS devices).

I think no one can deny this as a matter of fact. His works have been exhibiting extensively in the famous museum such as Tate Modern in UK and Los Angeles County Museum of art. Nonetheless, I'm attracted by the latest exhibition -"William Klein + Daido Moriyama". (with the app of BJP iPhone, you can get two tickets for the price of one.) I wanna to fly to London and have a look at this exhibition but it seems impossible as I have a flight to Guam tonight. Only thing I can do is watch the videos on the Tate website.

"Cities are enormous bodies of people's desires and I search for my own desires within them."Said Daido.

In order words, cities are a arena for everyone as well as a platform for street photographers or snapshotters. If Daido's concept of desires in city is true, photographers are the fantasy hunters who pursue the endless eagerness from every projection of any object, and they "can't photograph anything without a city". The billboard, the traffic lights, the buildings, the people or the action of something, they all have an intention which drives the result to be real and true. I guess that's why William Klein mentioned "... half of everything he's done is chance". When a shutter released after a click, it joints "the movement of both yourself and the outside world". It's implying photography is an reaction of reality, and reality is coming from lusts. Daido "creates his own home by connecting pieces of images from his imagination and thins he saw as a child" and William Klein would feel his some of the snapshot he took as a self-portrait. These two masters are once again promoting photographs are an epitome of the photographer's spirit and mindset.

Lanwei - anothermountainman at blindspot gallery / blindspot annex

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Blindspot Gallery (Aberdeen Street)

I like visiting exhibitions, and I've visited Blindspot Gallery quite a few times. After the show of Yangjiang Group, now they are hosting an exhibition of Anothermountainman (又一山人), who is one of my best favourite Hong Kong photographers. But this exhibition varies from the normal ones, it exhibits in two locations. Blindspot Annex is a huge exhibition space located in Wong Chuk Hang industrial district (southern Hong Kong island), and it is indeed a paradise of artists.

Blindspot Annex (Wong Chuk Hang Road)

Anothermountainman, I've heard this name for long time ago. Finally got a chance to visit his work of arts. Ok dictionary time. Lanwei's direct meaning is "broken tail". Tail in Chinese is the end, finale, and "broken tail" means something was being done but for some reason it was ceased in the middle of its progress. The synonyms would be abortion or abandon. This word can be used in developing project, constructing building or even a relationship.

Lanwei @ Blindspot Annex (Wong Chuk Hang Road)

" Buildings can be aborted, so can project.
Plans may be aborted, so may hopes.
Ties between people could be aborted, so could relationships.

Life, I guess should not be aborted. " Said Anothermountainman.

It is indeed a brilliant exhibition. Anothermountainman's works not merely have high image quality, they also contain sarcastic elements such as a variety of costumed characters in the pictures, as well as revealing the "fun fact" behind the photographs. In his Wonderland, 2102 series, for example, he showed a conversation with a local guy and noticed that the counterfeit Disneyland in Beijing was built by a rich man for his son. However, the construction aborted due to his son was dead, which is other layer of "lanwei". From the architecture "lanwei" to the human life "lanwei", it truly depicts the uncertainty of our daily trajectories. The Workshop, 2008 is another great example. Anothermountainman invited the builders to go to the construction site to have a group photo, but somehow the builders didn't come because of their hotels didn't have morning call service. Whether it was an excuse or a true inconvenience, this instance was an add-on "lanwei". In which, a deeper layer was embedded into the photograph. I guess this is the point of success of Anothermountainman's artworks.

One more "lanwei" thing is on the hinge of every catalog. Deliberately making the hinge has the feeling of "lanwei", or unfinished if you like, which is correlating the theme of the show. There is undoubtable that the presentation has reached the supreme level.

Lanwei hinge

"Side-Dish" Exhibition circumscribe Daido's show

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 15:43:00 +0000

There are lots of local photographers present their works in responds to Daido's works. When I looked at the works created by Hong Kong photographers, it kinda mismatch with the theme of Daido's exhibition, even though the whole theme of the event is named "From City to City / A Hong Kong Response Exhibition on Daido Moriyama". It's most likely because of messages and styles are not echoing the ideology of Daido's works as well as his manifesto.

For instance, Daido's photographs have an indescribable power, which enable the photographs themselves to articulate the photographer's personal but sentimental feeling to the audience. By looking at the "side-dishes", you wouldn't feel subjective messages from the Hong Kong photographers and That is the reason why they are not catching with the them of Daido's exhibition.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean the photographers from Hong Kong ain't good enough. A "side dish" can also be a delicious one. Particularly like the works of Leong Ka Tai and Ko Chi Keung.

Leong Ka Tai's serious of work "Hong Kong From The Back" investigates the space between two spaces such as buildings and architectures and Ko Chi Keung' approach is more like the style of New Topographics in the 70s. Their works are indeed leveraging our photographic culture, and I look forward to be part of it. (if I got a chance).

Daido Moriyama's Exhibition - REFLECTION AND REFRACTION

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:45:00 +0000

One of the famous Japanese photographers Daido Moryama (森山大道) who has an huge exhibition at ArtisTree. There are loads of Daido's photographs with a typical Japanese style. You might ask, what are the elements to be contained? Well I would say, the photograph has to be directive, frank, high contrast added a feel of fatal, non-distortive and little bit doom and gloom. Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps I should say Daido is one of the Japanese photographers who created this typical style. By looking at his works, you would feel his was trying to blur the line between the past and present; real and surreal; unintentional and deliberative, and I think that is the reason why the curator (Hisako Motoo 本尾久子) named this exhibition as Reflection and Refraction. It is a perfect name.

Almond Chu exhibition at Lumenvisum

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 14:58:00 +0000

I've heard well-known Hong Kong portrait photographer - Almond Chu's name for long time age but this is my first time to visit his self-portrait solo exhibition - [Future and The Past]. To be freak, the presentation of most of his photographs is not strong enough, and I think it is not only an environmental issue, it's also of this series of work does not have a good contextualisation, which force the viewers have a sense of disorder. I guess an exhibition curator is missed.

@Lumenvisum

Yangjiang Group's After Dinner Shu Fa at Blindspot Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000

When audiences look at Yanjiang Group's calligraphy, possibly would think: What is that?

It's true this kind of unconventional artwork won't be easy for people to grasp. In fact, they are obviously trying to rebel against the traditional situation of calligraphy with the left over dinner, or call it food waste if you like, manipulating and pasting the waste upon an improvised ink calligraphy. Although the work of ideology is not vivid, the outcome seems really interesting. I guess its approach is similar to the idea of Happening art moment. While I was doing research on this group of artists on the website of Eastside Projects, it does also have a quality of Relational Aesthetics defined by Nicolas Bourriaud. It seems there are lot more for me to discover about the works.

Aesthetic family project

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:01:00 +0000

It is just simply amazing. Sending a toy train to the space will nowadays technology couldn't be simpler. Watching this video does remind me of a French movie Amélie. I still remember Amélie in the file brought a garden elf with her and traveled around, taking photographs and sent back to her papa. Talk too far? Maybe. But at least it's similar to Ron Fugelseth's "A Toy Train in Space".

Ron didn't bring his son's toy train to the space but cleverly sent it with a variety of homemade equipment and cheap gadgets,which are whether ballon, cellphone, camera and etc.

This piece of video does have its aesthetic value! Amélie would send photographs of the elf to her father which shows the love between relationship, so do Ron and Jayden. You can feel lots of love within this full of creativity's project.

Inception Park

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 13:14:00 +0000

This is a brilliant video with excellent motion graphics. It completely turns our concrete jungle into a playground. How about make one in HK?

Feng Zikai books arrived

noreply@blogger.com (RT) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:29:00 +0000

Finally I got two Feng Zikai books from art book store.