Farewell, My Concubine

I finally got around to putting up this Chinese hanging scroll with a painting of a scene from the Bejing Opera "Farewell, My Concubine".  I ordered it from a site in China that specializes in hand-made arts and crafts.  I can't read the inscription or the artists' chops, though, and I don't remember who painted the picture.

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Leslie Cheung--never forgotten

This is a music video from the "Crossover" album featuring Leslien Cheung and Anthony Wong (Gor Gor and Ming Gor).  At the time the video was shot, Leslie was too ill to appear.  Now it seems totally fitting (and bittersweet) that he is evoked through pictures from the Wong Kar Wai film "Happy Together", one of Leslie's greatest roles.  A fitting memorial to one of Hong Kong's greatest singers and actors on the sixth anniversary of his passing. 

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Remembering Leslie 4-1-2009

I took the knife of longing and carved your name on my heart. Now crimson beads lie scattered like rose buds at my feet.

My cat Henry

I've been wanting to share pictures of my cat Henry for months, now.  Seeing Lawrence Wong's cat, Esky, plastered all over his blog, seeing Karen Mok's beautiful cats, I knew the world would love Henry, too.  Just one problem, Henry hates to have his pictures taken. 

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Low Ebb

Some days you wake up wondering what its all for (usually after you went to bed wondering the same thing).  I feel like I have so many balls in the air these days, my life is a careful choreography that takes maximum concentration.  But right now, I seriously wonder what is the point of keeping all those ball up in the air?  Living two totally separate and all-consuming lives simultaneously is not easy.  I keep trying to steal more and more time for the life that matters to me--the one I live at night and on the weekends--but it isn't working.  T...Read more

Art as Algorithm - the computer generated art of Jason Salavon

Jason Salavon is an artist who uses computer programs to produce visual art.  More specifically, he typically takes a series of images, say 2001:  A Space Odyssey, digitizes them and runs a series of algorithms to produce a work of art. 

Emblem (2001: A Space Odyssey) 2003. To create this 48” x 48” digital photograph, Salavon designed an algorith...Read more

Did one inspire the other?

The first time I heard this Anthony Wong Yiu Ming song, I immediately thought of the Cantilena from Villa-Lobos' Bachianas No. 5. They are not the same, yet I can't get the Villa-Lobos out of my mind whenever I hear Ming Gor's song. Listen to both and see what you think.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/wat...Read more

Improvisation

(Improvisation)

savor

tongue—skin—emotion these moments        together rippling surgingbreathheartbeatsurrender

clinging    breaking open

falling away

losing oneselfunexpectedfulfill   -ment

¡Olé!

Well, for those who have been following my progress:  I just returned from Duke and the class went extremely well.  I had the undivided attention of 15 undergraduates, a decent classroom and a lot of interesting material to share.  The only glitch, predictably, was with the sound system.  The remote refused to operate, even when we inserted a fresh battery.  I never did figure out why it wasn't working and, since I had a class to teach, their normal instructor was sound technician for the duration of the class.  With just a few minor screw-ups, we ...Read more

Back to school (once more)

Monday I will be in front of a university class for the first time in over 15 years.  I spent 10 years in graduate school to get a Ph.D. with the plan of being a university professor.  I got the degree, but not the job.  I've been reinventing myself and my life since then, but I've never lost my desire to be in front of a classroom again.  Now I have my chance; for 75 min on Monday afternoon I will be a university lecturer once more.  The funny thing is, I have a Ph.D. in art history.  The class I'll be teaching, its on...Read more