Tag Archives: japan

THE LONGEST BLOGPOST… EVER

Yesterday I managed to frighten one old lady and please another.

*****

First we went for sushi.
Next we went on the the Fukutoshin Line from Shinjuku-sanchome to Meiji-jingumae.
Then we walked to the Meji shrine.
When we got there we washed our hands from cups on long sticks. After that we listened to a gong ceremony before making a votive to plaque to wish you all a happy life.
Alyssa gave me a poem.
The next place we went to was called Roppongi.
I don’t know if you know art but there is a big spider statue called
Mother
that was made by a lady called Louise Bourgeoise.
It is good.
Then you go up a big tower.
After a while you get to an art gallery on the 52nd floor.
In the art gallery is the best ever exhibition…

*****

Lee Mingwei @Mori Art Museum. All about relationships.
We like art @thedogwhatblogs.
Apart from Alyssa and you lot it’s right up there on the list of best things.
And this was like the best art… Ever.

Yesterday I managed to frighten one old lady and please another.

…You see it was interactive.
But in a good way, not an annoying way.

1) Write a letter of forgiveness, apology or thanks to someone.
It could be you…

2) Open a parcel containing an item from the artists past.
This sounds rubbish but it wasn’t.

3) Have dinner with the artist.
No dogs.

4) Get your clothes mended by a nice lady.
I don’t wear clothes. I’m a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

5) Talk to other people there.
No thanks.

6) Be sung to.
Not you singing, Colin…. The pain.

7)

(7 is the best).

7) Pick a flower and give it to a stranger.

Yesterday I managed to frighten one old lady and please another.

*****

And this quote…

The artists first day at school…. A comforting sweater and some words that chimed for Colin.

“Just think of the fact that you are wearing something that Mom made for you, as if I were hugging you in my arms.”

Susan says to Colin when he goes to school, into the day, into the world in the mornings…

To imagine her arms are round him.

Touched a nerve.

So best art ever.

Now there’s a person who deserves a thousand thanks and apologies.

Cheers,

Martin xx

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HAIKU

Tokyo

Supermarket shrine
Where your walking is doing
Video game life.

Easy to lose you.
Twisting roads, no signs, no names
But here I found you.

Cheers,

Martin xx

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LIKE

It’s
Like a million Canary Wharfs packed together.
A million Times Squares/Piccadilly Circuses
Like a billion rush hours
Roads like roller coasters
Crossings like swarming hives
Like the biggest and best sushi.
Like pretending you’re Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson in the Lost in Translation bar.
52 floors up.
(But better looking)
Like, so many, shrines
Like nothing else

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MULTIVERSE

Hour 1: damp towel, bothering a tortoise, crossword, gin

Hour 2: nuts, the extraordinary cycle of wet and dry can begin again, twinges, beer

Hour 3: cheese, multiverses, wine, realising things don’t revolve around you, green tea

Hour 4: soreness, Audrey Hepburn, no Facebook, negotiating champagne, the mean reds

Hour 5: sleepish

Hour 6: sleepish

Hour 7: sweats, french,

Hour 8: french, turbulence

Hour 9: contemplation, birds eye view

Hour 10: Breakfast

Hour 11: Hooray

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THERE’S A LOT OF IT ABOUT

There’s a lot of it about.
Art from people on the margins.
There was some in another place we went and i think another place too.
In the wellcome collection there is an exhibition of art from people with various needs from various agencies in Japan and there is a lot of it thats truly great.
Some of the pots. Bit suspect.
But in the humble (ha!) opinion of @thedogwhatblogs the paintings and drawings are compelling in an i-could-look-at-that-for-bloody-ages kinda way or striking in an oo-thats-big-blocks-of-red-and-black kinda way.
Oh yes I’m back.
Woof.

love,

Harley xx

toysoldiers

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IS A JAPANESE BOY

Its not just a catchy title ohhhh no.

Today me and the boy wonder @albiestar have been having a Japanese day.

A triumphant return to the world of origami @oliverscafe fired a spark in his head and thus begun our oriental adventures.

Perhaps we’re #overegging this.

Like we do with marriages and pretentious art exhibitions.

So post-folding we sashayed over to the @serpentinegallery.

Shall we tell you why?

Yoko Ono.

Fuck me I dont know if anyones noticed but shes absolutely billybonkers.

On a scale of 1-10 where my owner is a good seven she’s a clear nine.

Some words: dirt, jigsaws, pubic hair, perspex, army hats, yes John Lennon, blurry things, magrittian apple business, notepads, bums, no frontal penises or fannys.

It was kind of a link with the imagine (ha!) exhibition I didnt write about.

Letting you be the artist blah blah blah.

Being lazy.

There was a wishing tree.

Not wanting to be racist but…

There’s a different set of priorities in the orient. And we dont mean Leyton (ha!).

Is that racist?

Im not sure staffordshire bull terriers can be racist so I will continue…

Don’t worry im nearly finished…

We went to @japancentre which contains all wonder of kooky merriment.

Some of it yummy.

There was a heated debate where a man who was being told off for dripping sushi on some saucy tomes.

It was very funny.

Love,

Harleyxx

http://www.oliversvillagecafe.com/

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/

http://www.japancentre.com/

 

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IMAGINED WORLDS

Sometimes one might think they are all around us.

Perhaps they are spoken by other people.

Perhaps you were once married to them…

I digress.

I am here to enthuse about a japanese chap called Masakatsu Kondo who is hung in All Visual Arts.

The boy wonder @albiestar told me to make a joke here around the word ‘hung’ but I will not, will not lower myself to his level…

Some words: boats, trees, colours, no cock, butterflies, big, mirrors, ruins, school text books, NO BOOBS, dreams, comics, birds, NO FANNY.

Anyway if u like mews-based escapism while thinking ‘hmmmmmmm’ then this is it.

Sorry im in danger of becoming flippant again… It’s really very good…

Let me cut and paste from the leaflet…

”Whenever I am silent’ is a meditation on the artifice of nature, exploring the space between the percieved and the real in a series of compelling landscapes.”

Satisfied?

But I repeat… No fanny.

Love,

Harleyxx

 

 

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