Monday, May 29, 2006

"pictures of an exhibition"

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so i signed up as a photo assistant to darlene ( the girl blowing the balloon) , a photographer from nyc. she was here for two weeks with her friend julia.
it was cool, because i was assisting in a work that was born of love, improvisation and great fun. it began with darlene's idea, and then we worked towards it, using resources available here in singapore.
first, darlene took portraits of people who walked into the bookstore she was shooting in, together with the objects they brought that best represented them.
after that, she hung these portraits in another exhibition space. and positioned the objects in an enclosed area, where there was a video camera capturing the movements of people who entered that area.

it was fun trying to build frames with plywood,spray white paint on plants,books and slippers, blow up white ballons, running around doing errands for the photographer, listening to them talk about their beautiful lifestyles in new york city, and of course, laughing with them.

personally,the whole week's experience had been kind of dreamlike and intense;intense because of the need to meet the opening date of the exhibition. on the closing night, my dear friend,ben, sang some opera music with me accompanying him on the violin. it was a nice way to end the whole event- with music, which includes Bach's soothing aria "Schlafe mein Liebster" which also means "Slumber Beloved."

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on the last night before they left home for nyc, we had steamboat in chinatown and it was julia's first time having it! and then, ben and i introduced them to cactus juice, which turned out to be quite a refreshing experience for them :)

Monday, May 15, 2006

inspired by late night wanderings in woodlands with a friend

the winds are carrying me, to new places, new hopes, new directions. it feels different, all of a sudden. i am still on the same island, here in singapore, but somehow, there is a breadth of fresh air suddenly being blown in my face. maybe it's because i started chatting with him. i am in love with his presence. well, i am not romantically attracted to him. furthermore, he is gay. but being with him makes me feel that every detail, every experience is refreshing. people can make such a difference to your life. it's not the place, it's not the food. it's people.

i just want to fly. i suppose i don't need to do it physically always , in order to have an adventure. i want my ideas within my heart, my soul, to soar into the space ahead, to create something for myself and others. i want to enter a foreign land with these mad thoughts within me, to break out of this cage that is imaginary, inside and outside me.

thank God we have people to do it with ! i have allies! i have loving, supportive associates that will journey into this place of freedom, grace, beauty and madness.....with me.

these days, i am dancing in my heart, quite wildly. i don't really want to go back to being that tamed lion i sometimes am. i want to stay in the jungle, in the wilderness forever, always trusting that an ethereal way will be provided. we will fight and free ourselves from silly oppression of any sort, and from victory we fight.

pardon me for this sudden euphoria.