Doppelgänger left or right...(1/12)

It is a question of polarisation. It is a question under the school of dualism. A symbol of historical recording is also an appreciation of art form. Why is there a left and a right? When the Saints and characters were figured out in various forms of eternity, they carry an element of left and right...this is a perspective, or is this just a habit? The fabrication of a sculpture for instance, the head of the character possesses a long lasting gesture in the direction of left or right. It was perhaps a glance of an unfinished business, a capture of the repatriated past...a direction, and this is a drive to indicate the way to heaven or hell, simply the eterinity.

The gesture, be it ever been a realistic dimension or simply an extension of an imagination, provides to an audience a perspective of focus and elongated dotted lines...further from the stand of the now, think about it. It was perhaps the artist or the carpenter who adopted a way of presentation to others, be it a left or a right. Under the crosses of Saints, there may not be actually a real matter of left or right. The study of human brain defines a left and a right, the two different parts of sensible functionality of reciprocals. Using a left or a right to receive an external substance would weigh varied images and senses. There is no relevancy to yet an analytical research of the leftward and the rightward inclined faces and gestures inside the churches and museums, but it was simply also a habit to the way of preparation in receiving new communicative signal from the outer world.
There was an exhibition about melancholy last year in Paris - a same phenonmenon about the directional contemplation. Who would care now?
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The exhibition at Chateau d'eau in Toulouse at the moment was not an excellent but inspiring one. Named 'double je', it is an attempt of photographing the double identities and perspectives from people. Like the doppelgänger, the mirrored world is filled up with up and down, left or right - a simplified understanding about the being in terms of polar x and polar y. The photographer mentioned two basic activites on photos (or other art form like painting or sculpture): contemplation and consumption. True. This is a concept of diptych development under photo films.

Images of notre dame, bayeux...(14/10)

Bayeux has a very impressive cathedral at the centre. The Notre Dame possesses all the features I can find in other grand cathedrals or Notre Dames...then, the high rise construction has a harmonised use of sunlight inside the church. There are light-welcoming windows and openings at the top end of the embracing facades, and this allows the hope of outside world to spiritually reach the inner heart of the religious belief in the form of rays and projections. The building is more humane, and deviated from the traditional divine nature of churches in Europe, it offers a reachable dignity for believers and visitors. It is bright and pure. Perhaps this is what a feeling of home is. Religious believes are at present challenged by the post modern school of value to be, and a kind of civil education and reinforcement would be a need to maintain a solid ground for fabulous buildings like this. An approachable step one would simply be a cultivation of relationship between the god and the people: a game of respect and exchange.

I worship the existence of handy digital photo screen every photographer possesses. Simply allow the followers to worship and love the churches with photo taking. This should work. When the red spots hit onto the iridescent stain glasses with shades and dreams, there is a connection between the eyesight and the figurine stories of hearsay. The intimate communication is reinforced when the digital screen replays the scenery annotated with personalised sensation and deja-vu. The sculptures inside the Notre Dame are meditated. The facial expression of these picturesque icons is a source of contemplation. The maintenance of the building is excellent, and outside the spiritual stage, yellowing trees and greenfield outside the construction bridge the community but the buffering effect creates an optimal distance between the realm and the imagination. It is a spiritualised idea. Of course, the chamber music magnifies the extension of Babylon generations.

Musée Maillol...(19/7)

Looking at the history of foundation of Musée Maillol is much more interesting than looking at the museum itself...it does not mean that the collection in the museum is not good, but all in all, it is a ‘personal’ collection and it should not be viewed as a public museum. Dina Vierny spent her decades establishing the museum for Maillol and collected his works to be displayed in the building. This is already a touching story. Since Maillol met Dina, the artist found his fountain of creation with the feminine body of Dina and developed enormously his works of sculptures. To me, this was rather an unconventional ‘rencontre’ that stimulated the creativity of an artist. Along the historical line, it would rather be a separation or divorce etc that induced an artist’s creation. Well, I see all these again change management, an environmental induction to a consolidation of creativity unit.
The entrance fee of Musee Maillol is actually quite expensive when compared with other established museums in Paris, but then taking into account the maintenance and the interior decoration of the museum, I understand how the interior can be kept in such a luxurious manner. I was feeling like visiting a private library or a display room of Sotheby instead. The Cabinet of sketches displays rough works of Picasso and Degas etc. and they are nice collection.

At the moment, a photo exhibition is taking place in the museum showcasing about 50 works of Bert Stern on ‘la dernière séance’ of Marilyn Monroe. Ironic photos and captured visage of Marilyn in melancholy, these become the impression I have to the last moment at Bel-Air Hotel in LA, 1962…

One go...(21/6)

Pilgrimage is meditation. It is a process to recognise about oneself...There are ways to prove one's life, and meditating in the nature can be one of them. Like the river and the sea, both of them carry an inborn capacity to replicate, renew, recycle and reform. Do we do these too?
I had a memorable dream in my childhood. Dream can act as a guru to consolidate an empirical formulation of cognition and recognition. Of course, the exercise serves as a release of invisible pressure and an attitude of affirmation. In the long lasting dream, I met Gods of different religions at one go. It was a temple-type architecture where all of the Gods existed and were exchanging. The rendez-vous formed a conscious déjà-vu reminder about my hypothesis of multi-existence of Gods. They serve the same social purpose to communities.
I encounter queries and challenges on religions. I may have not been thinking seriously again about this since long time ago. The only feeling I got after moments is that some superior traits from my body appear to decay. Simple trap - modern people tends to think that they are more superior...Darwinism.
The river and the sea is somewhere far away from me now. I choose to stay still instead of dream recently. Dream is the martial arts for my mind, and the dreamland is my place to go pilgrimage.

Tendres et douces...(27/4)

(source: www.kaloo.fr)

I went to the newly established showroom of Kaloo at Rue de Saint Honore this evening in a cocktail function...It's a cozy area where collections of the brand were displayed to its visitors. This is one of the successful models for a French businessness via Hong Kong. Established with a concrete production background in PRD region, the business developed with the formula of 'made in China' plus 'HK advantage' and set up its winning brand in France and other European countries. This children brand commenced with its unique children perfume products and diversifies its product line with other childrenswear and furniture items for children. Staying in the showroom, I understand how the place can enable a closer contact for the brand to meet in touch with their private clients and builds up a 'tender and sweet' image for the brand.

Surprisingly, the showroom allowed me to have another view of Eglise Saint Roch and I found that the sculptures on the church were actually quite nice.

Gorgeous...(22/1)

This is what I would say 'gorgeous'...The work of Ron Mueck is incredibly true and astonishing. Firstly encountered his work at the 'Meloncholie' exhibition in Grand Palais, the magnificent scrupture of a gross sad man simply open my eyes to his world of creation. You would just think that it's a lively figure when looking at the exhibits. Yes, all of his creation is alive. There is an exhibition of his 5 works at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain at this moment, and this is indeed his debut show in France. Well, paying a visit simply means worship to his masterpieces which you would need to say nothing but open your mouth. Five works namely Wild Man, Spooning Couple, Mask III, In Bed and Two woman contain the spirit of human that are really impressive. In his works, the detailed imitation of human parts from the shivering eyes, the humane skin texture, the twiggy hair or the sketch of the vain network are all appraisingly perfect. One of the direction of his works is the polarisation of size and that's why the five works range from the gigantic creature to miniature models. Trust this is a way to model the reality in a twisted dimension & scale, and to me, the output is richer and more impactful. With the breath-taking presence of his 'fat man' in the Grand Palais, I believe quite some more French art-lovers realise his specialty and talent, and this may explain the long queue outside the exhibition salle during my visit. Truely, all the five sculptures are just gorgeous.

La porte d'enfer...(14/12)

the corpse quietly hit onto the dark side of the door,
the pair of uneven surface covering the gateway.
the twin opened slowly, and the body stood still...
be it the dense layer of thick air covering the visibility,
the pair of eyes closed when there was no need to see.
cured soul borne the unwanted goals,
followers followed.
dizzy rain, holy scream,
the falling angel was on the way to dim.
direction, intersectable,
a twisting wind had hollowed out.
a paper on chorcoal,
light as a wish,
a day with no surrender,
this is the dawn that blendered.
hasty elbow lusts love.

Musee Rodin...(13/12)

"Un piedéstal haut, cela sortirait de ces sculptures mises comme aux expositions. C'est proclamer la du courage et de la clémence, très haut avec la deinvolture du XVIeme siècle", quoted Augustin Rodin on his works and view of the art of sculpture...I paid a visit to the museum dedicate to his work today in the 7eme arrondisement, and the tour gave me a quiet and reflexive feeling in an afternoon time. The sky was cloudy and white and this is exactly the way to accompany the tragic atmosphere of the works of Rodin. The exhibits are heavy and rich in sensation, and it gave me a deep impact of human's emotion and feeling. The layout of the museum is simple yet pleasant. There is a nice garden outside the building which provides a natural place for the sculptures. Having winter breezes and browny falling leaves, the garden assembles some mood of "la porte d'enfer", and well, thanks for giving me a chance to pose my gesture of "le penseur"...

A visit to Musée Cernuschi...(28/9)

Organised by the Asia Presse in Paris, I joined a cocktail reception last night at the newly renovated Musée Cernuschi...before the rendez-vous, there was a specially arranged guided tour for the participants to visit the museum, and well, it was an interesting experience to view quite numerous decoration artworks of the ancient China in a French style. The museum was established for quite some time in Paris exhibiting Chinese antique and classic houseware items from the Chow to Tong Dynasty. A sizeable budda scripture has been installed in the museum as well. The presentation of exhibits in the museum and the French version of on-site guidance provided me a projection of how the French people look at China arts and their admiration of the eastern history. Being a Chinese to visit the museum situated in Paris is a bit strange when all exhibits in front of you are indeed originated from China, but at the same time, you are feeling a bit shameful when you see how the French preserve nicely the artwork. This was a very weird and conflicting occasion for me to position myself. In some way, I act like one in the local community to enjoy the presentation of exhibits in French, and at the same time, I recalled my Chinese visage as well as the piece by piece memory I learnt from my Chinese History class and books about the various ancient Dynasties. Other visitors regarded me as a Chinese but well, I knew at that moment that I was less a total Chinese but something what we called ourselves the Chinese from Hong Kong. I would say, we the Hong Kong people lack the required baptism of the recognition of Chinese culture and history, and we lose in a search of our national identity. We got quite often an absent mind to our identity, our role and positioning in the world. We may regard a successful development of trade and economy as a substitute to the questioning of our own self. Watching from the globe, Hong Kong is a tiny point but no more. There seems a paradox for us to answer questions like “where are you from” and “what is your nationality”. We lack some form of life perhaps.
(musée cernuschi: 7, avenue Velasquez 75008 Paris)

The Weight of Life...(12/9)

Finally, I got a chance to pay a visit to the "Cimetière du Montparnasse" last Sunday. It was a quiet Sunday morning, and after an overnight rain, it tracked back to a vividing sunny moment with birds waking up after the storm. The cemetary lies numerous graves of different shapes. Yes, they are really of different colours, design, structure, historic and symbolic meaning...I walked in between for about two hours. It was a feeling of reading old-styled poems rather than frightening in the unknown wierd ground. Along the "trail", I met the past of writers, sculptors, singers, engineers, aviators, directors, merchants, booksellers, publishers, auto makers etc...everyone has had one's role and identity to present in the time of life, at least this is significant to a few other people. Something just like what Mitch Albom suggests in his five persons to meet in heaven perhaps...when there is a grave accompanied by an angel with tears, you know how the life thinks about the death. Seeing the modern sculpture erected on top of the place to rest peace, one can see there was a life with passion and aspiration. The symbol constructed on the grave is like an identity, a last phrase to conclude a life, or a last moment of the once-upon-a-time that is to be memorised by the rest who live on. So what would we want to keep on our grave? How would we identify ourselves to have been? Recalling the film "the Jacket" which I saw recently, Jack Starks in the film said that it would only be after death that we see life. Somewhat true. Have paid a worship during my visit to a number of "celebrities" including the director Jacques Demy, the automaker André Citroën, the founder of Cinémathèque Française Henri Langlois as well as the philosphers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. I hope they would not mind letting me to take some photos of this peaceland.
For more sculptures in the area, check: -
http://www.kodakgallery.fr/I.jsp?c=jiw1j59.f1pi2mp&x=0&y=tke1si