很多人來讀我的Blog,很多人來買我的作品...

可以在blog上說謊嗎?或稱它為鼓勵性的期許吧!
到了年底怎麼有想跳過這一截的欲望?
懶懶地努力創作,希望忙碌的新年慢點到,又希望拖累進度的節日快點消失,
像拖著壞掉的火車頭一樣,
辛苦緩慢又不情願地行進著...

白色的聖誕節最美了

冷冷的冬夜裡燃燒的松果啪啪啪地說著破裂的故事

有時候我想我對都市的生活已經疲倦了...

US artists, where are you?

Berlinde De Bruyckere, Wezen, 2003-2004, at the Düsseldorf Quadriennale 2006.


International Herald Tribune has a wide coverage of art happenings around the world. One often gets the pleasure of reading them on the international flight... what a refreshing smell.
I shall not criticize the homogeny of contemporary US art because i myself am also one of those who are still trapped in the trading of traditional sculptures and paintings. Great thinkers in the art world are actively performing in the euro market, I want to bash my head against the wall for one, I wish i can be that good; two, our "art costco" has not yet learned to appreciate art with content. The vicious circle of conservative collectors and fearful artists cultivates mold in young artists' hearts.

anyway, IHT offers slide show with major articles on art. What a feast when you can't get real Chinese food in Chinese restaurants any more!!
and talking about Chinese, don't be fooled by the hot tamale Chinese contemporary art market. Most collectors are real estate developers who have too much money laying around. "let's do art today," they say, "until renewable energy or africa becomes the next investment babe."


The large-as-life figures of Manolo Valdés's "Las Meninas" saunter along a traffic island near the Düsseldorf opera house. Manolo Valdés, Las Meninas, Düsseldorf.

December 2 = Shows and Shows

shows and shows and shows...
more and more and more new works...

I am staying mellow this holiday season, because studio time is taking the lead. No more turkey around or cutting tree for deco. What do people do with those Christmas cards anyway? Wish they care to recycle... I am creating new works for Christmas shows while an exciting opportunity came along, tucked in the already very-jam-packed week.

James Gray Gallery is hanging a group show curated by Joella March. I met Joella last Sunday, felt as if I've known her forever. This is my first time showing in the west side, and I go straight into the Bergamot Station~

"Belong" is one of the pieces I will be showing there. Sadly I will have to close my door early during the open studio hours, because I really really want to go to this opening. One of my favorite artists Melissa Meier will be in the show as well. I can't wait!

And Leora's mounting a fun and treasure-packed show in Gallery Revisited, opening on the same night. I have some cute tiny sculptures and new paintings/drawings there. Treasure hunting starts right here! and they never run out!

Art Media Reform

Although Mass Communication was my major in BA, I still found myself shocked by the way US media operate. They are the sole reason, driven by all the corporations, why most people are ignorant about the world, fearful of those who are different and build their faith on what the media manufactured.
Not surprise at all, US media in Art are the same. Mainstream art magazines write about artists as if they are Britney Spears, not great thinkers. They focus on the popular local artists whom other magazines have written about, so when one reads one magazine to another, one can hardly tell the difference.

I have had enough of this. I want to know what artists outside the US are making, what they are thinking, how they think and how the rest of the world respond to their art.


Tema Celeste and Sculpture are two of my favorite contemporary art magazines. Unfortunately, Tema Celeste is published by an Italian company who's an expert on auction market. But the sad part is that even Tema Celeste smells a lot fresher than ARTnews. I read about a lot of great artists before they were taken on by US galleries/museums. The experience is like after listening to Pacifica station, one wonders: "why didn't I hear about this on TV news? Not even on NPR or PBS."

Sculpture provides much support to my conceptual activities. Their interviews on artists dig deep into their mind and philosophy about world affairs, politics, art or life itself. You simply can't separate artists from their views on the world, why pretend they only care about colors? Reading Sculpture is like going thru a spiritual journey, I learn how to negotiate between concepts/materials and grow as a humble human being who makes art.
Before we have a reform on art media, do yourself a favor, read something that empowers you as an artist!

Chandelier featured in FiberArts magazine!!

My favorite magazine, FiberArts just published their Nov/Dec issue. I spend more time reading FiberArts than any other sculpture or fine art publishings, especially this issue.
Because on the last page, you will see, yaya's gummi bear Chandelier is hanging high and happily on top of an article about yaya's gummi works. A full page, all by myself! Liz did such a good job writing it, even made me feel curious about myself.
If you hurry enough, you can still get a copy in your local bookstore and treat yourself with the endless inspiration offered by maticulous fingers & marvelous minds. But if you are shocked by the high price of paper nowadays, I will help you read for free!
YaYa Chou: Bear Bulbs

YaYa Chou, a native of Taiwan who now lives in Los Angeles, has a lot to say about the relationship between society and nature. Her work addresses culture's tendency to cause alientation from nature; she often juxtaposes animals within domestic objects and scenes to illustrate these ideas. Chou's Chandelier is part of a series of gummy-bear sculptures that highlight the artificiality of the animal-shaped candy snacks. With their jewel tones and translucent qualities, she thinks they look more like decoration than something edible and notes that even when the bears were left out for cats, roaches, and ants, none showen interest in eating the candy.

I took Chou two months to thread thirty pounds of gummy bears onto monofilament to create the chandelier. The untreated bears show very few signs of deterioration since the chandelier's completion in Jund 2005. Even after more than a year, they are still fragrant and squeezable. At this rate, Chou believes the chandelier could last ten years and shine on as a symbol of our distant relationship to nature.

Liz Good, “Curtains: YaYa Chou: Bear Bulbs,”
Fiberarts magazine Vol.33, No.3, Nov/Dec 2006, page 80

Have you seen some good shows lately?

10.14-11.4, 2006
SCA Gallery in Pomona
Three Rituals: Paintings, Photographs, and Video Projection
Artists: Corina Gamma, Yoko Kanayama, and Trine Wejp-Olsen

a show that moves me into tears... if you know what it feels like to have really good friends with whom you don't even need language to communicate, this is a show you'll enjoy. Genuine and honest art by three artist friends, pouring straight out of their hearts!

I met Trine in 2001 in a collaboration project. Her paintings has never failed to inspire me, bring me to a higher level of understanding what painting is and who a painter is. I always believe that you have to know the artist in order to read their art. Perhaps this is why when I look at her works, I feel as if I am in my pajamas, listening to her telling me stories of what happened today. SCA is directed by a superb artist and friend Nina Jun; they are calling for exhibit proposals... fellow artists, this is a professional space to show your works!


10.14-11.11, 2006
Lawrence Asher Gallery in Los Angeles
Sonic Landscapes
Solo show of Fumiko Amano

I have only known Fumiko for months, but it feels like she can be my sister. I am seldom drawn to abstract paintings, yet hers sing right into my heart. Mysterious warm emotion rises when I stand in front of these gorgeous works and the closer I get, the more magnetic power I receive. Go see the show and prove I'm right! Here are two detail shots of the pieces I will OWN one day!
Yes, I will!

10.14-11.19, 2006
Gallery Revisited in SilverLake

Malflourished

Artists: Pete Goldlust & Julie Hughes

Sorry that I was too excited to remember taking pictures of this show...dah... Although I should be promoting myself in the gallery I show at, but I wholeheartedly have to call this duo "the treature of Gallery Revisited!" I imagine if I can sit among their installations, I will be able to receive enlightenment and message from the art heaven. Dear collectors, you really should build a new vacation home to house this whole project!!

五角形一角碎碎念之二

貓頭鷹碎碎唸的續集
鴨鴨說:

有一種朋友
可以一年只說三次話還能當最要好的朋友
有一種朋友
可以藉一點點動作就能彼此了解
有一種朋友
可以偷懶不理她們也沒有人會生氣
有一種朋友
可以很久不見面還是化不散對彼此的關心
只有這種朋友
了解我為什麼做奇怪的事
只有這種朋友
會跟我一起做奇怪的事

我有四個朋友
是那種在夢裡見到也會令我高興地跳起來的朋友
是那種我想要跟她們一起白頭偕老的朋友

給我五角形的姐妹們!

We met each other when we were 17. We were editing magazines together, rebelling against the school bureaucracy together, writing, making art and listening to music together. There is a chance we may have a reunion for the first time in 6 years. My four best friends on earth. We are Five Corners!

Husband's name

People are surprised that I did not take my husband's name when I got married.
I find them odd the way they find me odd.

I know few married women who take their husbands' names in Taiwan.
Not my mother, sisters, aunts, nor did our girlfriends.
Perhaps that is the custom, or I grew up among self-conscious women.
Grandmother was recorded in the family tree with her maiden name only.
When I was young, I thought that was her full name. Dad laughed, "she does have a correct name (first name), you know?"
Therefore, I never called her maiden name anymore. She is independent from the Chou family, both in my mind and in reality.

It may be difficult to take husbands' names in a western country where the divorce rate is as high as 50%. Does one continue collecting names after seven marriages?
But my point is, why?
Is it important?
Perhaps it is, to ladies who dreamt of glorious wedding, beautiful husbands, children and houses since they were seven years old.

Does taking a husband's name make one married woman proud (that she is taken, occupied, belonged)?
Is it a shame to my husband if I don't take his name?
It must come from some religion, since religions often motivate the needs to "control."

Anne Carson quoted Plutarch in her "Men in the off hours:"

After veiling the bride they put on her head a crown of asparagus, for this plant yields the sweetest fruit from the harshest thorns and so may the bride, if properly managed, provide a civilized and sweet contribution to her husband's life despite her original roughness and sourness.


Well behave, all married women with husband's names! Thou shall not soil husbands' names and their family.
Is it alright to soil Father's name? Why am I a Chou, instead of a Lin like Mom is?... wait, that is Grandpa's Lin, afterall, not Grandma's Lin.

ps. Mom's mom and dad are both Lins, same character, same pronunciation.

哀傷在十二點鐘來襲

昨天待到十一點多才上床
睡前靜坐坐到十二點
突然被想念三姐的思緒打醒

很濃很濃的思念
像海浪一樣襲擊
讓我不可扼止地哭了起來

想到我們最後一次在機場的告別
請她保重自己
悄悄地在心裡送她一個去自由流浪的許可
也沒想過她真的就去流浪了

六年了
我對死亡的觀點成熟了許多
遠遠超越宗教的狹隘解釋
誰料到偶爾來打擊的
竟是最基礎最底層最原始
最容易超越的"想念"
一種一文不值的情緒
連中學生的文章裡都不屑一提的
"想念"

Rosted duck asleep

Lilly slept in a roasted-duck-hanging-in-Chinese BBQ-resturant style, if you know what I mean.
麗麗睡覺採取北京烤鴨倒掛式!

7 dangerous ingredients in your food!

oh do I love reports about toxic foods. I am always delighted to know that the safest way to eat in the US is to chew your own finger nails!

TIP OF THE WEEK: THE MOST DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS IN CONVENTIONAL FOODS

1) Sodium nitrite -- causes cancer, found in most processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, sausage. Used to make meats appear red (a color fixer chemical).

2) Hydrogenated oils -- causes heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, general deterioration of cellular health, and much more. Found in cookies, crackers, margarine and many "manufactured" foods. Used to make oils stay in the food, extending shelf life. Sometimes also called "plastic fat."

3) Excitotoxins -- aspartame, monosodium glutamate and others (see below). These neurotoxic chemical additives directly harm nerve cells, over-exciting them to the point of cell death, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock. They're found in diet soda, canned soup, salad dressing, breakfast sausage and even many manufactured vegetarian foods. They're used to add flavor to over-processed, boring foods that have had the life cooked out of them. (yaya's note: most conventional soy sauce contains monosodium glutamate.)

Source: A new book by Mike Adams, entitled "Grocery Warning" takes a scientific look at a plethora of problematic ingredients in the everyday foods we eat.

more on Organic Consumers Association's website http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_705.cfm

Art in walking distance

I have dreamed of living in a place where one would step over artists' bodies when walking out of one's studio.
I also want to live in a place where you can walk to see arts and buy a nice book.

In LA, that is almost like what is sounds like, A DREAM.
Yet my dream has come closer than ever.

Friday night, we walked out of our building, by foot, to a live performance 2 blocks away from us.

Inside the warehouse was a huge harp made of 40' long strings. String Theory improvised both in notes and body movement based on a video footage. The building-in-progress venue is mostly interesting with this performance, as if the building itself is improvising, too. The dancers and musicians are so tasty that I wish my sculptures are as good as their performance. Best of all, I forgot to bring my digicamera, damn... it was too good to miss a single minute, so don't ask me why I didn't run home to retrieve it.

If you are a performer or musician who's interested in experimental works, or love seeing risk-taking arts, check out Routes and Methods!

收入不夠很恐怖

收入不夠很恐怖,讓人有站在懸崖上快掉下去的感覺;
每天去上班,並且花兩個小時以上的時間痛恨自己的工作, 唾罵上司或同事, 憎恨自己的生活更恐怖, 讓人有掉到懸崖底粉身碎骨的感覺!

小孟失業了, 鴨鴨辭職了, 同事Judy辭去全職工作到大學教畫畫去了, 收入不太夠, 但是心理暗爽又賺到好幾個小時創作的時間了. 給自己時間做自己想做的事算不算是一種收入? 鼓勵自己不論世事變遷, 我依舊要聆聽那讓我心情澎湃的渴望, 這種激勵算不算是一種收入?

我們從小被教育成靠"害怕"過日子的動物, 怕沒錢就要努力兼差, 怕不夠美就要在臉上塗粉, 怕失去自尊就要考第一名, 怕孤單就找個人結婚, 怕退休後沒人理就要趕快生小孩, 怎麼沒人教我們要如何過沒有恐懼的日子呢?

I am not a housewife.

I was talking about quitting my part time job yesterday. It reminded me of a friend who once asked me about what I do everyday.

I am fortunate enough to work in my studio most of the time, therefore giving people false conception that I am FREE all the time. Non-artists can't imagine what an artist's life is like, they can't even think of Art as a choice of career or a way to make a living. Young artists nowadays actually don't have a life as romantic as others think. The competition is fierce, the business is easy to start but difficult to maintain, the same as in all fields.

I am a slow artist, I don't know how to paint quick paintings; each sculpture takes from 3 weeks to 5 months to finish. I work 7 days a week, which means if I have to go to my part time job, I have to stay late to make up those lost hours. I work in the studio about 30 hours a week, another 30 hours is research, online marketing and business coordination. All these hours doesn't include reading 3-4 art magazines and endless of literature works (poems, more magazines, books) a month, plus house works and time with family. What about vacation and laundry? These two remain the most challenging for me.

Vacations take a lot of days off my studio time, because home in Taiwan is a long way to go for just a week. Careful advanced planning is crucial. As of laundry, we can blame that on the immoral neighbors who like to leave their clothes in the washers for 4 hours and don't pull them out...

要錢要命要時間?

錢可以買知識,但不能換成時間;
藝術是命,但得有錢才能做;
時間無價,數量多少卻因人而異.

想辭掉薪俸微乎其微的工作已經一百多次了,
每次決定好要離職的那一天,
走進公司就突然有更多看似美好的機會發生,
讓我更加猶豫, 要走要留? 砵杯的結果也不會讓我甘心的啦!

賺了等於沒賺的錢, 還不如把時間拿來做創作, 賣掉一幅小畫就抵我兩個多禮拜的薪資, 這個世界真奇怪. 更不敢去比Disney的CEO那三千美元的時薪了!!
從沒想過要有一份全職的工作, 從小時候就一直是[全職藝術家], 非得是全職藝術家不可, 除非...
連除非這兩個字都沒想過.
我命好所以不用負擔家計, 如果命好還不把握時機, 豈不是枉費天意嗎? 先辭了在說吧! 不捨便永遠也無所得, 一道門關上自然就有另一扇開!

30 galleries in one night

There are average 30 art exhibit openings in Los Angeles every weekend. I am exhausted just visiting 5 of them in one night, not even talking about traveling from Downtown to westside on the poorly digested 10 freeway.
But Fette does most of the jobs for us who can't drive fast enough! She has tons, tons of images from her visiting galleries or shows. It may not be as good as seeing them live, but it sure helps keeping me posted of what's out there with my fellow artists.

http://www.the-flog.com/

and the award goes to:
Jason Hackenwerth!!
I went to the opening at Raid Project in the brewery. It was a "life altering" experience. May I crawl in your big balloon sculpture and live there, Jason?

美國的水果沒有子

美國的西瓜沒有子,我得開到半個小時車程遠的有機超市尋覓會生小西瓜的大西瓜. 美國的葡萄也沒有子; "有子的是拿來釀酒用的,"有個農夫曾這麼告訴我. 我心想: 亂說,我們在台灣吃的葡萄都有子. 美國大部份的橙橘類水果也沒有子. 沒有子的食物會不會讓吃的人類動物也沒有子? 難怪不孕症越來越多!

印度的原產米有兩千多種, 美國專門研發基因改造種子的MONSANTO把大部份的印度米拿來改良, 變成所向無敵, 不需農藥並成長迅速的霸王米, 然後申請專利. 許多農民因此無法向以前一樣, 保留上一季收成的種子以栽植下一季, 造成成本大增; 或因為原本稻作受新種花粉"污染"而被一狀告到侵害專利法庭,從此破產. 自殺的農民數量逐年急遽上升...

希望台灣的水果不會被美國大商吃下; 如果有一天全世界的水果都沒有了種子,我們要怎麼教小朋友種豆芽菜的成就感呢? 連在家裡種辣椒可能也會犯法喔!

小小動物園

陪我長大的趴皮 每天陪我玩的六趾Turbo
好心人救來的Romona 大姐的Alasabh教我不怕馬

Opening without wine

Welcome myself to the eBlogger!

I am creating a blog to communicate with virtual friends, talking about art in Ehglish and Chinese, sharing our passion for words. Some days in US, you may see exotic Chinese characters flying around my blog, sometime it'll do just fine in your old friendly English. Enjoy!

談談藝術,聊聊文字,不說英文的人也可以放心暢遊! 慶祝自己加入部落格的第一天! 希望朋友很快會出現!

Image copyrighted: Gummi Bear Chandelier/2005年的作品,甘貝熊做成的大吊燈