Oh, and it's almost Lunar New Year

Lovely wall

I like walls, and I walk past this one a lot. Today there wasn't a truck, bus, taxi, car, van, group of people standing in front of it. So what does a boy do, he takes his shiny new camera and takes a photograph of it. Or more to the point he points an electronic device at it which converts light to ones and zeros then stores them as electrical charges that he then spends hours trying to get from the f*%@#ing thing to his computer...... And I thought learning to scan was hard!

I'm thinking of taking it back..... stupid digital stuff. Check back later when I have got used to it.

The Andy, redux

I have a filing system that works, it seems at times, on divine guidance and luck. I have been trying to find a negative that I new where it was a week or two ago, but then I was stupid and tidied everything up.

On the plus side I found this.

You know, I just might dig the holga out, tape it up and hit the streets.

Fotan

Recently I went to Fotan. When I mentioned this to some people I know they looked at me like I was strange. Probably because they know Fotan as an industrial area in the New Territories. But, as various industries in Hong Kong relocate to China, Vietnam and other "lower cost" areas space becomes available in these buildings that is increasingly difficult to rent out.

So, bring in the artists. Fotan has developed as a sort of artists village, and on occasion they open the studios up and people came and visit. Along a wall on one of the floors of the building I found this. I like it.

Self Portrait

..an idea I am playing with



.. the indistinct person

Titled

Untitled

It's Friday

and I am tidying up and attempting to organise my study/office/workspace/cave/thinking space. So, I keep finding cd's with no label. You have to open them to see what's on them. This was on one. Now, I'm back to it.

Back home

Well, what a trip.

There is an old curse, "may you live in interesting times”. Well, this trip was interesting, both in good ways and bad ways. The good was seeing friends and family, traveling through the North Island with my friend Andy and reconnecting with the New Zealand landscape again. I felt refreshed by it, both creatively and personally. I attended a very interesting master class in Auckland and met some talented people. I have also been asked to put a proposal together for an exhibition at Gallery I respect (a highlight of the trip). More later.

On the not so good was breaking teeth, then a small cut on my arm turning into a large infection. Three weeks later I am taking antibiotics every 6 hours….. But the doozy of the trip was a car accident. Had a guy in a large van go through a red light in front of us. Fortunately we hit him, not the other way round, or I don’t think I would be here to talk about it. We are both ok, sprains and bruises only. Thank God for modern safety features on cars. Don’t think I will ever drive without a seat belt either, (had ours on at the time). Better a sore chest from the impact than a head through a windscreen….

Anyway, to all you out there, take care, drive safely and blessings for the rest of the year.

Traveling again

I'm in New Zealand for about a month so will be posting on occasion. Here is an image from a series I might call "A poorly remembered childhood". Then again it might remain one of those ideas that sounds better than the realisation can ever be.....

Show

Well, tonight was opening night for the latest exhibition. After lots of photographs, numerous trips to the lab for test prints and colour matching, hours, days and weeks of thinking and editing it all came down to the final hang. BIG thanks to Andy for his help in putting it all together and for making sure it all hung straight.

At the end of the night a couple of sales and some more likely which makes it all worthwhile.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the hang, and, if you look quickly, a portrait of me in passing oh gentle reader.




So, if you are in Wellington go look in at Photospace

Custom

Maybe this will become part of something, or maybe not.



This is from an "Ancestral Hall" at a Taoist Temple complex.

Minimal

No, I have not gone and bought an xpan ......

Old stories

Well, my next Wellington show is coming up. Opening is Wednesday December 6th at Photospace (see link in sidebar). It continues my exploration of my traditional New Zealand spiritual upbringing. The images, (two of which follow), take their inspiration from bible class stories taught to us each Sunday, and how I (miss)remember them.

Enjoy the preview

The Flood

Divided Cross

more random stuff

Nature at its best

So, I have a thing going for panoramas at the moment. I will soon get over it, don't worry. A great rural New Zealand image.

Random acts of art

More travels into the Promised Land

Hong Kong becomes more and more an imaginary place in some ways. The divide between what is real and what is imagined can be dramatic, even for those of us that live here. And the portrayal of it within itself continues to inspire.



These are from a row of old Wan Chai shop houses that are being "saved".

Back with the Buddha's

Needing some peace and quite recently I took a trip out to Sha Tin and made the walk up the hill to the 10,000 Buddha Temple. I love this temple. It is not a tourist centre like the (over rated) “Big Buddha” on Lantau and as such when I visit there are often only two or three other visitors.

So, anyway, to assist you in your meditation during a busy and stressful day this is my gift to you. If your day is not busy and stressful what the hell are you doing slacking about?

More from the markets

Starting to scan some of the negs, will put more up soon. Great place, a community.

Imagined clouds

From the ongoing "The Promised Land" series. I like to think that this works on a couple of levels. Firstly, as part of the comment/documentation on/of advertising and consumerism and its development of imagined ideal lives.

Secondly, here in Hong Kong we suffer a bit from, according to politicians, a "perception problem" about air quality. Apparently if you can see and smell the air you breathe you presume that it is bad for you. This apparently makes you think you are sick when you aren’t. Wow, so that explains it.

The Andy

S0me time ago I was driving along and didn't see the circus setting up. I had to stop, park my car and go for a walk before I stumbled across it. Anyway, Andy this is for you.

Market report

In the spirit of making Hong Kong a "World City" (read faceless and generic) the city is being striped of its character. One of the latest to go is the 1930's Wan Chai Food Market. The building is a wonderful example of streamline modern but will, within the next few years, be another boring tower block designed to look like a toilet.

Anyway, I hope to put up more photo's of this market, it has become a project for me.

Corners

Nothing much to say, just a nice colour exercise I think.

Flag

The apartment upstairs is getting renovated. There has been lots of drilling, bashing and crashing. On the plus side they have been using some nice plastic sheeting around the place.

the beauty of speed

Another of my attempts to find beauty in the mundane....

wall

Every now and then you see something that says please, photograph me

Black, white and grey

OK, about time to put more images up. Sorry that some of these may be a bit "soft". My scanner does not allow me to scan negs larger than 35mm. So I am scanning from proof sheets for many of these. I am going to buy a new scanner soon, but first need to sell some gear. Anyone want a Canon A1 or Leica 90mm lens?

Anyway, a selection of black and white images for your review

From a distance

Well, I have been back near a week now and it has given me time to develop both film and distance. Going to Iceland was something I had wanted to do for some time. I remember as a kid reading about the "cod wars" with the British and that the mid Atlantic Ridge ran through it. So I go there and photograph. Looking back over what I did I find it interesting what attracted me.

I continued on some themes that I have been exploring around spirituality like this one.



I took bad tourist photos, (I will leave those out) and occasionally I just became entranced with the beauty of the country, its colours, shapes and tones.



And on occasion the modernist in me came out.

Midnight sun

Welcome to Iceland, or at least, over the next week or so a selection of images from my travels. I go to the other side of the world and what do I find, crosses.