I was fortunate to see Keyko perform with HIFANA at the end of April. She inspired me to start some new stencil based collage works. She has recently posted the piece on her website. You can follow the link below. Sorry it is only in Japanese.
Life is simple. It is full of little pleasures. I am a uncomplicated person. I am amazed when bits of frozen water magically fall from the sky. So, today, as the rain comes down, and humidity rises. It was a pleasure to wander down the street here is Tokyo to my local developing corner store. It really lies on a corner too. And drop off a roll of 35mm film for processing. The owner of the shop is my main man. He never argues with me and tells me things that i cant do. he always is there listens and does a great job. I wish there where more people like him in the world.
Happiness does come from the most urbane sometimes. Today it was browsing though black and white images from a fresh shot roll of analog film. Sweet, isn’t it?
The ear to the streets Underworld Magazine was totally revamped there website and this includes a feature selection of images by Jacob Schere. Including his Lucid Communication Manifesto. Please take the time to browse though the Underworld website and give the wonderful Magazine an intensive going though.
http://underworldmagazines.com/featurestories2.html
Lucid Communication Manifesto:
These pictures represent the pursuit to bring together the spirt and practice in photography. The spirt brings guidance and a deeper understanding of the world. It’s mission is to bring the world closer together though the act of stimulating interaction between myself the photographer, the subject and then the viewer. In this the catalyst for the interaction in the camera created image. I strive to seek out the positive, I want to show the negative in such a light that humans will want to reverse and change it into a more spiritual, positive direction. This is the goal of Jacob Schere’s Lucid Communication’s Manifesto.
Excerpt from Underworld Collection
As the summer Olympics rolls around, so does the once every
four years Urayasu Sanjya Matsuri. [ Three Shrine Festival ]. Now on the border
across from Tokyo this once poor fishing village could only afford to
hold their festival every four years. Nowadays its a HUGE party, and
the community really comes together to have a good time and carry
the heavy portable shrines around the neighborhood.
Its a time when people open their gates, break bread with neighbors,
and get piss roaring drunk. Also the local yakuza can show off their tats,
and for 3 days be just another family in Urayaysu.
To me its beautiful.
enjoy…
yankee girls 2008
Gone Crazy 2008
Head Above 2008
It Takes Community 2008
Mikoshi and Wires 2008
The Long Way Home
I came across this the other day. It is a philosophical exploration on Tai Chi. Below the quote I have applied the theories to the creation of art.
In the “Forty Chapter” t’ai chi classic text supplied by Yang Banhou
The spiritual is the essence, the martial is the application. Spiritual development in the realm of martial arts is applied through the ching (metabolic energy), ch’i (breath energy) and shen (spiritual energy) – the practice of physical culture. When the martial is matched with the spiritual and it is experienced in the body and mind, this then is the practice of martial arts. With the spiritual and martial we must speak of “firing time,” for their development unfolds according to the proper sequence. This is the root of physical culture. Therefore, the practice of the martial arts in a spiritual way is soft-style exercise, the sinew power of ching, ch’i and shen. When the martial arts are practical in an exclusively martial way, this is hard style, or simply brute force. The spiritual without martial training is essence without application; the martial without spiritual accompaniment is application without essence. A lone pole cannot stand, a single palm cannot clap. This is not only true of physical culture and martial arts, but all things are subject to this principle. The spiritual is internal principle; the martial is external skill. External skill without internal principle is simply physical ferocity. This is a far cry from the original nature of the art, and by bullying an opponent one eventually invites disaster. To understand the internal principles without the external skill is simply an armchair art. Without knowing the applications, one will be lost in an actual confrontation. When it comes to applying this art, one cannot afford to ignore the significance of the two words: spiritual and martial.
When I read this, I had to take a breath to ponder it, it then proceeded to hit me like lightning. This is key to making art that is meaningful. Art that is full of love, full of the spirit. My main vehicle for artistic creation are the technological wonders of cameras. Naturally, one must lean some of the mechanical skills needed to manipulate and create images using this device. This is the “external skill” that Yang Banhou is talking about This alone can make art, but it is a construction made of only technique. On the other side of the equation, you have the internal spirit, what gives work life, and spiritual content. Like Yang Banhou says, “the practice is the application of the spiritual.” I wonder to myself, and think back my life as an artist. So long I struggled to find that spiritual side, so long I have searched, and practiced my technical skills needed to manifest that spiritual energy into a work of heart, art.
I have over the years encountered all kinds of creations. Ones that are only on the side of technique, engaging to look; however, lacking in a expression of a higher spiritualness. Then I have encountered the spiritual, and only spiritual that lacks the skills needed to fully express themselves. I myself have fallen victim to these extremes. I need, and seek out the balance of the two. The melding of the spiritual that is manifested into a physical construct. This physical construct is what we call art.
Jacob Schere
