41 posts tagged “art”

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for group: 80s Nation

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I set myself, and a Chinese acquaintance, a Chinese New Year photography project to compile 10-20 shots of the season.  I suppose it is as much a practice in perspective as it is in photographic technique. 

 

It will be released here after the season - sometime in february - after those scenes which I have shot, and am shooting, has been taken down so as to avoid the numerous copycat 'artists' and photographers here replicating the shots and taking credit for it.  What irks me off most of the time is that whilst the people here refuse to be avant garde and have no problem in shunning or discriminating against others like myself, they are not averse to taking the ideas that naturally come forth from those like ourselves.  Quite typical of this country.  Many a time, whilst photographing unique angles and scenes, I would detect some movement beside myself, and, disengaging my eyes from the viewfinder, find myself flanked by local Chinese photographers who unashamedly have no problem in doing the copycat thing.  Some even have the audacity to stand arms’ length right in front of me and blocking my view whilst doing it.  No joke.  (just like I’ve many a time encountered them walking a few feet past me and grabbing the taxi I’ve been waiting some time for…it goes on in all aspects of life here. Disgusting isn’t it.)  It is something I’ve frequently encountered whilst out photographing and taking on relatively unique angles and perspectives.  I suppose when one cannot come up with original ideas, they inevitably evolve into finding satisfaction in appropriating the intellectual and creative produce of others

 

Well, so much for that.  The above is one of the set of Chinese New Year shots I have currently compiled.  Hope you like it.  I call it, ‘Spring and Autumn’.  The chinese character on the lantern is ‘spring’.  You’ll be able to guess the reason for the second half of the title I trust;)  I must say I love the vibrance in Chinatown during this period.  I'm quite thrilled by it actually.  Too bad such vibrance is not transmitted to other arenas.  Credit for this shot goes to the metaphorical culture of India.

ed

 

 

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The above is my impression of the 'Singapore Flyer' - not unlike the 'London Eye', or 'Millennium Wheel' - that is not ever likely to see the light of day on a Singapore postcard - as I'm sure the numerous picturesque shots available are preferred to transmit a more pleasant impression.

Those socialised as 'Chinese' see it as a 'wheel spinning wealth into the country' according to their 'Feng Shui'.   The way I see it, the six-figure sum spent to change the direction of the 'Flyer' at the advice of Feng Shui 'masters' is nothing but an attempt to validate Chinese culture as the predominant determinant for what is right and wrong, and the official culture of this allegedly 'multiracial' state - I don't see Indian and Malay cultural experts being consulted. 

My title, 'Feng Sway', plays on the original phrase, but with the 'shui' replaced with 'sway', which in one Chinese dialect, means 'bad luck'. 

That's what the 'Singapore Flyer' means to myself - taking you high enough so as to render the cracks on the surface invisible.

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ed

The role of the artist is to present reality as the soul of the subject presents it.

~ ed

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Who I am may not matter, but I'm most certainly of significant matter.

 

 

 

 

[shot with Nikon D700, 70-200mm Nikkor lens. uncropped.]

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banner for voxers, animated.

It does not render well, here. For that you'll have to view it as a file in itself.  Just click here to view.

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