DaveO Postcards on offer at Rural Caprine Farm, Okayama, Japan
DaveO postcards for sale / Yep, I’ve hit the big time, art available at goat farms and displayed on refrigerators around the world. Note the promotional photo with Ichiro on my back.
Haiku postbox at Rural Caprine Farm, Okayama, painted Nov 2020
The “other side of the Post box“ ~ you’ve seen this before but ya know, the other side with yes, another haiku 5-7-5 (as is the tradition established by Kobayashi Issa) at Rural Caprine (goat) Farm, in Okayama Japan run by Mac Kobayashi.
+ Postbox Haiku Exhibit at the Goat Farm: In which I combine love of poetry, painting and postal mail and recaps an exhibit at buddy Mac’s goat farm.
So happy to share my mixed media project with a new audience at a very special place
Gist: Produced by dDesign to promote Okayama design, tourist and culture, the campaign included a painting in Shibuya as well as paintings of post boxes and office in: The Vatican; Kathmandu, Nepal; Olympia, Greece; and, Muscat, Oman as well as a new haiku on a postbox about “nonconfidential postcards” along with a book of paintings, a book of postboxes, and postcards of well… postboxes with poetry – both painted and functional.
DaveO at Goat Farm with postbox haiku, both sides now sport a custom poemTransported the paintings in a velvety suitcase (notice the key for keeping them imaginary safe)The paintings of postboxes had custom postcards with shodo ink by Junko Fujita and decorated up with appropriate postal and inky stamps by me
Rocking a plaid track suit, Dave catches up about an exhibit of postbox haiku and paintings at pal Mac Kobayashi’s goat farm and in Shibuya by dDesign and shares the story of the post box haiku and painting plus details of: Kathmandu, Nepal; Muscat Oman; The Vatican, and Olympia, Greece (including accompanying postcards of course) and riffs about importance of personal archeology and making things for future generations while drinking including coffee and jamu and digression about persimmon chutney.
Special ahoys to Gary, Beth, Arild, Jared, Erin, Sandra, Lance and especially you.
Postbox haiku exhibit corner at Rural Caprine Farm (more to come)
Often, a poem comes out fully-formed, fiddling and remixing only dulls the knife, sometimes however, variations are eager to come out to shine light in another corner: Lonely, Joyful, Melancholy, Mysterious.
In this case, (my) familiar themes of un-confidential love letters on postcards mailed from foreign places and glanced by – or maybe sadly not glanced – by personnel along the way who (may) add their pathos to the journey.
One version of this (do you care to guess which?) will go on the reverse of the post box at Farmer Mac’s goat farm – Perhaps another painting will follow… and then a postcard a photograph of the painting mailed to the post box and so on. Always be remixing.
No pardons for redundancies, variations on a theme require riffs on the same blues.
My postbox haiku painting in Shibuya as part of Okayama Design exhibit with Rural Caprine Farm
+ Provincial Poetry, Wine and Goats in Shibuya, Tokyo +
Very proud to see my haiku postbox painting supporting sempei Mac Kobayashi’s display. If you are in Tokyo area, please consider stopping by to dig it all and tell yer pals (and maybe i’ll send you a postcard print of it #hint).
* Session: Friday, September 18, 2020-Monday, November 30, 2020 * Time: 12: 00-20: 00 (Last Admission 19:30) / Closed on Wednesday * Place: d47 MUSEUM (03-6427-2301) 渋谷2-21-1 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 150-8510 * Fee: Free admission + Advance application: Unnecessary
As part of Mac Kobayashi’s Rural Caprine Farm exhibit at “d Design Travel Okayama Exhibition” in Shibuya, Tokyo (right near the famous scramble intersection), visitors can see my painting “Postbox Haiku (blue)”.
Hope folks can see the display for inspiration to visit the goats (and see more of my paintings).
Details: 会 期 2020年9月18日（金） – 2020年11月30日（月） 時 間 12:00〜20:00（最終入館／Last Admission19:30）／水曜休 Closed on Wednesday 場 所 d47 MUSEUM（03-6427-2301） 料 金 入場無料／Free Admission 事前申込 不要 渋谷2-21-1 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 150-8510
+ Tour the Farm (with Postbox and Paintings +
Take a tour of Rural Caprine Farm in Okayama in this video by d design travel 編集部 / starting at 5:34. See the “actual postbox” which goes with the painting of the postbox (which came first?) and hear Mac Kobayashi’s friendly voice at my favourite place.
The exhibit book is really nice and my postbox appears 4 times! You can purchase the catalog at Mac’s farm or by emailing dDesign folks (note to self: add email address here).
History: The painting was “just the postbox”, then i found a matching mailbox and installed at the farm, wrote the haiku onto the postbox, and then added to the painting to complete the meta circle. oh then made postcard prints and a book and mailed to the postbox…
haiku on a postbox, and a painting of a postbox with a haiku / which came first?
the original is unfaithful to the translation.
Today – a Letter! Written as you ate a peach In last weekend’s SUN
My painting of a haiku on a postbox is representing Okayama design and culture at an exhibit in Shibuya (Tokyo), ergo:
Detail of the exhibit catalog and the stand ( No. 14) for Rural Caprine Farm & Market
My *post box painting* is featured in the physical exhibit in Shibuya, while the *painted post box* is featured no less than three times in the magazine, including on one of the introduction pages.
Note: The painting and the post box feature a traditional 5-7-5 syllable Japanese haiku poem in English. Deposit box accepts usual mail daily.
I share space with the remarkable Ohara museum filled with post/impressionist art, a coffee roaster housed in the 90-year-old former post office, a couple of brothers bringing youthful energy into the historic denim industry in the Bikan area of Kurashiki, swordsmith, fibre weavers and so on. Plus unique regional restaurants from Setouchi to Hiruzen to add to wishlist.(The magazine features most text in translation to English for your convenience.)
Additionally,.. t he catalog for the dDesign Travel exhibition sharing unique design and culture from my home Prefecture was released in glorious four-color bleed, mixed-paper goodness.
Features so many interesting artists, museums, artisan businesses & unique accommodations (& curious stats about school uniform + riffs about Momotaro legend) plus, you can do a “stamp rally” meaning collect a stamp from each of the locations featured on the map.
Sponsors include my beloved Uno Bus & Ryobi Group.
Hoping to share more of my poetic postal paintings with these institutions & more. Ideas for collaboration or exhibits? Let’s talk. My thanks to Sempei Mac Kobayashi (in the magazine wearing a black sabbath T-shirt ;)) at the 4th generation Rural Caprine Farm for this chance to contribute to local culture/economy (and, really, life in general).
Really, do you go visit this pleasant hangout (let me know if you have any questions) where you can see more of my paintings amongst other delightful foods and goats.
Grateful to be part of HERE. Let’s enjoy.
Me and the exhibit magazine/map/catalog at Rural Caprine Farm
Artifacts from the Okayama design and travel exhibition in Shibuya featuring Mac Kobayashi’s magical goat farm & my postbox haiku / painting.
In this case: first snapshots (by the farmer himself) of the exhibit’s catalog (or is it a “mook = magazine/book?) with pictures of the aforementioned farmer (shockingly) wearing a black sabbath rather than usual Grateful Dead T-shirt.
Nevertheless, the haiku post box looks splendid and, I am working on the right words for the opposite side. Stay aware.
Photos by Mac the goat farmer.
Update: now have the words for the other side of the post box… follow along for amusement
