Wednesday 30 May 2007

Is SuperDeluxe really that super deluxe or just kind of deluxe?

superdeluxe last night was smoky. but overall the artwork was fresh. i liked the second half of pecha kucha was better than the first. i really enjoyed the time lapse light drawings. dermot (i think) showed us a short online video of that last year, but it was only the dog walking across the parking lot and few others. but i felt that the video was really done well and was a nice presentation of the incredible work. the editing and music was on point and was an energetic and fun piece. the performance artist with the projectors was funny, and i liked the product designer who had all those lights. i surprisingly really liked that australian guide leader's photos. she had gorgeous work. peace.

Tuesday 29 May 2007

Poetry

Here are some of the accounts i recorded when i was at the dock. i have yet to write about the morning or sunset at the bay. i will leave the language colorful. open to criticism/ suggestions.

night
There are no dockworkers around. Some rest soundly in their ships, gently being rocked to sleep by the rhythmic sea. some have left after the day's work in their car, scooter, or shuttle bus that ships employees out from the dock by way of dry land. the orange glow from the lamps blanket the dock. They provide comforting safety to the sleeping barges like a night light in the hallway outside a child's room. The snore of the behemoth ships as they move on the water and creak against the dock is the only sound heard out on the dock over the water.
The monorail glides into sight as it patrols the sky above the dock's perimeter. cars and trucks run laps right under the monorail. The sound of the tires on the highway attempts to imitate the voice of the sea.
nearby a young couple sits on a curb getting wasted in the deserted area. The silo rests it's eyes before another day at work. a ship tries to enter the bay but is stopped by the guard ship. The antics of the ferris wheel across the bay.

Monday 28 May 2007

Sunset to Sunrise

i did the time and investigated the dock throughout the night. i went down in the afternoon and saw some of the men there moving the barges, and unhooking this long tube that was rigged from the large silo across the street. i took pictures of some the guys, they were very friendly. i ended up talking to one man who spoke a little english. he told me that they were filling the ship with 8.5 tons of concrete to be shipped.
not much was going on at night. i left and went to a cafe for 2 hours and went back to the dock. it was quiet. i spent some time there and then left again. it was a cold night and colder by the water. i tried to see if i could find a capsule hotel for the experience but there were none in the area. i went into a 24 hour diner type place, took out a couple books ordered a little food and stayed there for about 3 hours. i don't think the guys working there were pleased, but it was too cold outside.
i left right before sunrise and when i got to the dock i took pictures and saw the sunrise over tokyo bay. i'm very thankful for that, it was beautiful. not too long after the sun came up the dock started to buzz, one by one, with ship engines. i saw the guys i met the afternoon before and saw them leave to bring the concrete they loaded the day before to it's destination.
then i came back to school, found a couch and slept for a few hours.

Recording Sound

i went down to my dock to record sound, take pictures, and see the activity of the dock at sunset. my eyes were peeled but i didn't see what was happening other than a few guard ships docking. i got some good pictures and recorded some sound. the noises of the dock is really unique and interesting. i'm hoping that the sound works well in a website.

LV

The readings from a lateral view were interesting, but i'm not sure how relevant they were to my dock. Donald Richie gives creative analysis of aspects of the city that i think don't apply to the shipyard where i am focusing. it is funny that Richie mentions the constant construction of tokyo and many of the ships that i have seen transport tons of concrete by sea. i feel that my dock is closely interwoven with that cycle of rebuilding.

Monday 21 May 2007

It's a start

I drafted up a loose layout for my web page. i see many problems with the design and there will be a lot of constructive criticism to help me out. i basically have a template for a page that the site will follow. i am thankful that i have this as a foundation because, hopefully, it will allow me to go along with my project, pushing for the most challenge possible but allow me not to get stuck if something is too much for me to do.
the content that i plan to bring into my project might alter my site layout. now that i have a rough base to begin, i need to finalize my content. i want to research a little on the history of the bay's development. i also need to go back to my block during different times of the day and if anything changes my direction, i have the flexibility to roll with it.

*i tried posting jpegs of my layout but the blog was reversing the colors... oh well time for kabuki. IMAGES COMING SOON*

Sunday 20 May 2007

Got a Block

I knew that i wanted to select a block in the bay. After touring the upscale commercial areas for a week i looked to focus on an area less polished. I was told that i could find such a neighborhood near water. On the third expedition to find an interesting block in the bay i ended up in an area lined with industrial warehouses. Last night i saw a shadow blanketed dock lined with men tending to boats. Across the water was the twinkling skyline of the metropolitan sprawl. The scene was just what i wanted. The area was tucked under a giant loop on the monorail.
I can only imagine what this place is like during the crack of dawn or at sunset.