Exhibition: We Make Our Art Our Life, We Make Our Life Our Art

Sakoto (left) and Terumi Yamamoto (right)
NEW YORK, February 15 — Sakoto and Terumi Yamamoto, two amazing Japanese artists, held a joint exhibition at Harlem’s Tribal Spears café lounge (2167 Frederick Douglass Blvd). The show was called "We Make Our Art Our Life, We Make Our Life Our Art". It consisted of individual works and combined collaborative pieces. All of the pieces were created in Japan, and they were shipped to New York on Tuesday. Yoko Myoi, a noted puppeteer and performance artist, was the curator of the exhibition.


"Memory" by Sakoto and Terumi Yamamoto
I met both artists at the gallery opening, and they were very polite. They did not speak English, and my Japanese is vulgar at best. Yoko politely translated for us, and I got acquainted with these extraordinary artists.


Relief Sculpture by Sakoto
Sakoto is a trained sculptor and ceramicist whose work was stunningly beautiful. Her pieces were ceramic relief sculptures with metallic and glazed highlights. The western influence in Sakoto's work was clearly evident. Her careful ornamentation can easily be compared to Romanesque relief sculptures from the beginning of the 10th century. However, the tone and touch of the artists seems uniquely Japanese. The careful line and the triangular compositions stem from a primarily East Asian culture.


"In and Out" by Terumi Yamamoto
Terumi Yamamoto is an avant-garde calligrapher. Her work was very close to 1960s Minimalist painting in spirit and form. Her brush stroke had the elements of Chinese/Japanese calligraphy, but her forms were not restricted to traditional Kanji. She utilized large sweeping organic shapes, and the simple black and white composition was striking. Yamamoto used contrast and space like Jasper Johns. I found her work to be absolutely amazing.

During the gallery opening, there were several performances. There was live music and a puppet show. However, the real treat of the evening was Yamamoto's live performance of her calligraphy. She had paper and ink set-up on the floor of the gallery, and she took requests for Kanji. The audience shouted requests, and Yamamoto painted live pieces of calligraphy. For many artists, their creative process is very personal and intimate. It was brave of Yamamoto to share her process with the audience, and I was honored to be apart of it.


Terumi Yamamoto performing live calligraphy
It was a great evening with amazingly creative people. Sakoto and Yamamoto had a successful gallery opening. Yoko Myoi did an amazing job with the gallery show.

Related Links:

• TRIBAL SPEARS and GRASYA presents "We Make Our Art Our Life, We Make Our Life Our Art"
  
• Sakoto
  
• Terumi Yamamoto

Tibet House Benefit Concert 2008: Celebrating the Year of the Earth Rat

NEW YORK, February 13 — On a wet and gloomy night, I attended the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall (West 57th Street and 7th Avenues). The concert benefits several charities such as The Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey, Batonga, and Farm Aid.

This year’s concert was a little bit more somber than previous years. The absence of Patti Smith, a regular performer for the Tibet House Benefit, was apparent. In previous years, she brought the raw punk energy to the benefit. She did not play this year, and I missed her presence.

The performers included: Philip Glass, Ray Davies, Band of Horses, Nawang Khechog, Ashley MacIsaac, Marisa Monte, Drepung Gomang Monks, and others.

There were some good performances. The highlights included performances by Ashley MacIsaac, Nawang Khechog, and Ray Davies.

The first high point was delivered by a Canadian fiddler, Ashley MacIsaac. MacIsaac’s performance was filled with high energy. His instrumental music, a mixture of Irish folk and pop, was a hit with the crowd. His fiddling was very percussive, and it quickly energized the concert hall. As his tempo picked up, MacIsaac started a mean Irish jig, and the crowd went into a roar.

The next notable performance was given by Nawang Khechog. I’ve seen Khechog several times, and he never disappoints. He was exceptional tonight. On his second song, Khechog collaborated with the drummer to produce an amazing composition of percussion and horn. He played the Tibetan Ceremonial long horn with grace and mastery. He is a uniquely talented musician.

The benefit ended with a powerful set by Ray Davies, formerly of the Kinks. His set included hits like "Lola". Davies closed the benefit with "All the Day and All of the Night". As he rocked out, Carnegie Hall was electrified and the audience roared out of their seats. He rocked it hard, and the audience loved it.

Related Links:

• Tibet House
  
• Carnegie Hall
  
  

The History of Korean Toys and Butt Cheeks on Astro Boy's Chest

NEW YORK, January 31 — The Korean Society had a new art exhibition called Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood. The exhibition was a visual study of the Korean toy industry in the 1970s and the 1980s.

They filled the gallery with Korean toys and games. It was literally an explosion of plasticer and vinyl paint, and I was ecstatic. Some of the pieces showed some wear; it wasn't the mint-in box condition. Some kid probably played with them twenty years ago, but they were still very cool.


Mach 5
When I studied each toy, I immediately notice the heavy influence of Japanese pop culture. It's not a surprise that Japanese pop culture has infected the Korean toy industry. The two countries were so close in a geographical sense. There had to be some strong influences from Japanese pop culture. They had Korean toy versions of Kamen Rider (仮面ライダー), Battle of the Planets, Gundam (ガンダム), and Ultraman (ウルトラマン).


Kamen Rider (仮面ライダー)


Battle of the Planets


Gundam (ガンダム)


Ultraman (ウルトラマン)
There were also some original Korean toys like Super Taekwon V (로보트 태권 V). Super Taekwon V (로보트 태권 V) was based on an original South Korean mecha cartoon called Robot Taekwon V. The show was very similar to the Japanese Mazinger Z (マジンガーＺ) anime series.


Super Taekwon V (로보트 태권 V)
American cartoon and comic books also influenced the Korean Toy industry. The exhibit had Korean action figures for both Spider-man and Superman. The Korean versions of American action figures seemed a little different. The Superman Korean action figure looked strangely similar to the Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム) Korean action figure. They were probably made from the same mold to save money.

Wait, are those butt cheeks on Astro Boy's chest?


Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム) and Superman. Separated at birth? Butt cheeks!


Related Links:

• The Korean Society
  
• Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood
  
  

Mike Toole is Not Moe for Moe

Oh Snap! Mike Toole rips moe fans.
NEW YORK, January 29 — Mike Toole, the pioneer behind Anime Jump, has started a humorous video podcast on Anime News Network (ANN). In his first episode, he rips on Kanon (カノン), and he infects the internets with the classic anime Alakazam the Great (西遊記).

You can see his first episode here: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ann-tv/2008-01-26

The Jack Lords in Winter

The Jack Lords at Kenny's Castaways

NEW YORK, January 25 — It was a chilly night in New York City. All the New York pedestrians were dressed in long winter coats and sweaters. I crawled into a small bar with a chill in my system. I needed some hard liquor and good rock music in order to defrost my bones. Kenny's Castaways provided the Jack Daniels, and The Jack Lords delivered the rock music with extreme prejudice.

The Jack Lords played an amazing 45 minute set at Kenny's Castaways. Their unique blend of alternative rock and Hawaiian pop music filled the small bar and lounge.

This performance showcased a stripped down version of The Jack Lords. It was just six members; their full line-up usually consists of ten band members. However, the lack of numbers did not affect their bombastic sound. They still rock the stage with aggression. Micah and Sarah sounded particularly good during this performance.

Their fans also put in a good showing. The bar was filled. Seats were hard to find. J-Bomb and other members of P.I.C were also present to support their label mates.

The Jack Lords' set included "Rayd" and "High Winds" (my personal favorite).

Related Links:

• The Jack Lords Official Website
  
• The Jack Lords Official MySpace Page
  
• Riding Mower Records