Tag Archives: van gogh

Japan Cottage Musings

Royal Gratitude for #UW53 Birthday Greetz #trying

Video
oh just me talking with my hands with some great John Ferrie paintings behind

A fumbly stumbly but well-intentioned message of gratitude for sending fond wishes for a birthday and whatnot.

Post-BC-trip for various reasons, been feeling a little bit mentally unwell, struggling, so I’ve been laying low while I try to pick up the pieces and figure out what comes next //

So – conciseness/brevity not being my strong point, I say something about “hooray for the trip, my brain will eventually be all right (everything is wonderful except for a few things) and something about typhoons and how I sent out a lot of cards but never seems to be quite enough.”

Then – more to that point – talk about going to an {underwhelming} van Gogh exhibit by bus and eating venison and blueberries with Ryoko & Mac-san + the incredible Ichiro Stanley.

It’s all a long clumsy way of saying “I am very grateful for you and you being part of my life and not forgetting about me”

Fondly, dvo/uw

Field Notes, Japan Life/Travel, Libraries / Museums / Archives

Museum / Exhibit: Hokusai, print master / Nagano, Japan, 2019 (w/ minor notes)

Gallery

Blurb: On our meandering adventure of a honeymoon in May-June 2019, we travelled by many means of convenience including a wide variety of trains, rental cars, occasional coach buses and what not. See the whole Shinkonryoko Scrapbook for a mixed-media ephemera overview and a list of places visited for the curious.

Primary aims were to visit friends, stay at all manner of accommodations and see loads of museums, especially, spontaneous, small-ish and quirky if possible.

1 and only 1, snippet of Hokusai museum

As such, in the town of Obuse, Nagano-ken, we made a stop at a museum for the famous print block artist, Hokusai. His name may not be as recognizable as his work (yup, that big wave from the “37 views of Mt Fuji” series) the museum (current exhibit anyhow) didn’t really pack in the well-know pieces but rather focused on his work making soerta pre-cursors to manga comics with endless “clip art” doodles, characters and life shape studies.

The museum wasn’t “photo friendly” (that’s fine) but including a few atmospheric snaps to recall that “yes, we went here”. As usual loaded up at the gift shop (so many postcards and books!). Pardons for underwhelming post (we did get tasty dessert afterwards nearby)

no photos in galleries but evidence we were “there”

Hokusai-kan museum (map): https://goo.gl/maps/cSDGgaN4j2Q4WHpFA

Tip: apparently there is a discount if you are rocking traditional Japanese kimono or jinbei, great!

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Healing Ramble

Healing: Attempting amusement at the hospital

Attempted amusement while killing time at (yet another) hospital visit.

Nothing to see except for van Gogh tie – which matches wife’s outfit (and the usual #Fluevogs for a little bit more swagger while dealing with all of this) #mecfs #pwme / Rough patch but alive (& loved).

Back home in bed in cool dark room, medicating, meditating & trying not to spiral.

Hard cause so much life out there + so many things want to do but remind myself “patience and time are my allies” (also audiobooks, podcasts & lavender eyemasks) / Should be easier but…

Anyway, just keeping track of all this so when I’m older and wiser and healthier I can remember the steps along the journey. Carry-on.

Libraries / Museums / Archives

Inspiration from Japan – Van Gogh Museum

Notes / excerpts:

Vincent adopted these Japanese visual inventions in his own work. He liked the unusual spatial effects, the expanses of strong colour, the everyday objects and the attention to details from nature. And, of course, the exotic and joyful atmosphere.

Vincent did more than simply copy Japanese prints. He was influenced in part by his artist friend Émile Bernard, who developed new ideas about the direction of modern art. Taking Japanese prints as his example, Bernard stylised his own paintings. He used large areas of simple colours and bold outlines.

Inspired by Bernard, Vincent began to suppress the illusion of depth in favour of a flat surface. He combined this pursuit of flatness, however, with his characteristic swirling brushwork.

“After some time your vision changes, you see with a more Japanese eye, you feel colour differently. I’m also convinced that it’s precisely through a long stay here that I’ll bring out my personality.”

Vincent to his brother Theo from Arles, 5 June 1888

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“All my work is based to some extent on Japanese art…”

Vincent to his brother Theo from Arles, 15 July 1888

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Vincent bought his first stack of Japanese woodcuts in Antwerp and pinned them to the wall of his room. He described the city to his brother with these exotic images in mind.

My studio’s quite tolerable, mainly because I’ve pinned a set of Japanese prints on the walls that I find very diverting. You know, those little female figures in gardens or on the shore, horsemen, flowers, gnarled thorn branches.

Vincent to his brother Theo from Antwerp, 28 November 1885

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And we wouldn’t be able to study Japanese art, it seems to me, without becoming much happier and more cheerful, and it makes us return to nature, despite our education and our work in a world of convention.

Vincent to his brother Theo, 23 or 24 September 1888

Source: Inspiration from Japan – Van Gogh Museum

Writing Life

Support Wandering Artists, who wander well

Aside

A reminder to support the pursuits of your local wandering artists. Oft quoted, “Not all who wander are lost…” {but some of us are, intentionally}.

Ergo: Not running away from something but strolling towards something, maybe noted upon finding. Maybe not. Wander on, document, create, share. Good shoes are a bonus, but don’t let them fool you into stopping. Beware imposters, the self-proclaimed et al. #drifton

Looking for a Direction

Vincent at the age of nineteen

Schoolboy, junior clerk at an art firm, teacher, bookseller, student and preacher: Vincent van Gogh was all of these before he decided at the age of 27 to become an artist. That decision would change the history of art forever.

‘I heard from Pa that you’ve already been sending me money without my knowing it, and in doing so are effectively helping me to get along. For this accept my heartfelt thanks.’

Vincent to Theo, Brussels, 2 April 1881

Portraits of the Artiste

Disguise: Vincent van Gogh (various)

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Van Gogh: daveo disguised
Vincent van Gogh, 1

The myths about Vincent van Gogh and his ear incident vary widely and no doubt are all untrue. As such, I crawled into the heart of the legendary artist to learn his true motivations on that night in Arles, France with his blustering painter pal Paul Gauguin.

The results are held secret amongst the Black velvet painting clad walls of the Waldorf Hotel.

While I am no Daniel Day Lewis, I do go “method” when needed… Specifically, when absinthe-spiked hot toddys are needed to crawl into hearts of darkness to discover the lust for life of Vincent van Gogh. The eyes hold all the secrets.

Halloween, Vancouver, circa 2011?

Some photos by Jeffrey, Phillip (i think) others by… ?
 
Vincent van Gogh, 2

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Wordcamps x 2

“Art Technology Are Old Pals” Talk Transcription (Wordcamp Vancouver 2010)

Transcription of a talk called “Art and Tech are Old Pal” at Wordcamp Vancouver in 2010. Video no longer exists (thanks to blip.tv) but audio exists, as does a “round-up” of photos, tweets, artifacts, and so on. See “Consider Perusing” below.

Dave: I bet you’ve had a lot of knowledge today, so you’re probably pretty exhausted.  I’m pretty wiped out but that’s mostly from the speaker’s dinner last night.  Thanks to the organizers for bludgeoning us the night before.  I really went there.  This will be fine.  I’m just going to pop in for just an hour or so.  It turned out to be longest bus ride of my life on the way home.  Overall, we’re good.  So, Mr. John Biehler on keyboard. [applause]

So, I do my best thinking in the bath because you can’t do anything else.  When you’re in the bath, there’s really nothing else you can do.  You certainly can’t use your iPhone unless you put it in a little Ziploc bag.  You shouldn’t be using your laptop.  That’s just dangerous.  I can’t use my vaporizer because I’d be electrocuted.  So really, all that’s left to do in the bath is thinking.

Recently, I was in the hospital.  Hit me the slide there, John.  While I was recovering and having my scrambled eggs and stuff like that, I got to thinking about what a strange conundrum.  What a strange piece of place of history that we live in with this tool.  I was thinking about coming to talk to you guys.  I had to have something because I really couldn’t think about it because I really couldn’t do much of anything.

I started thinking about how weird it is that all of a sudden art and technology were seeing these fruitions of time where all of a sudden a lot of you are making tools, writing codes, I went and sat in some of the things, and John’s talking about Map and all the new innovations of WordPress 3.0., I use the free WordPress.com, so I’m just letting you guys figured out how to build the tools.

But, all of a sudden, we’re replacing time that guys are making tools.  You’re also expected or in some way producing content for these things.  All of a sudden, you have this new publishing platform in front of you.  I started thinking, because I’ve always been caught in space between art and technology as evidenced here with my King Tut exhibit there, that was pretty good and that’s the important part of taking risks, just proof and point about when you make art, you got to take some risks.  

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Northern Voice x 11

“Fck Stats, Make Art” Talk Transcription (Northern Voice 2008)

Dave Olsen Reads Rousseau

What follows is transcription of a talk called “Fck Stats, Make Art” at Northern Voice, 2008 in Vancouver, BC. Original audio (record by Jay Stewart who is identified as Speaker 1 below) exists, as does a “round-up” of photos, tweets, artifacts, and so on. See “Consider Perusing” below.

Speaker 1: We’re at Northern Voice 2008 in Vancouver BC at the University of British Columbia Forestry Science Center and I’m about to record Dave O’s presentation.  What is the name of the presentation?

Speaker 2: Fuck Stats Make Art.

Speaker 1: Fuck Stats Make Art.  It’s going to be a little bit controversial because he’s going to give a call to up the ante on quality of stuff people are posting.  He’s like, “It doesn’t matter if people are looking, it matters if it’s good content, that’s more important.”

Speaker 2: Certainly good content comes first and then you really [inaudible 00:01:06].

Speaker 1: I don’t need to know when people’s cats are going to the bathroom.  I see a lot of that on Twitter and other sites and stuff, you know?

Announcer: So, it’s my pleasure to introduce one of my best friends here Dave Olson.  He also works with me at Raincity Studios and I’m really excited that you guys get to hear him talk today.  I think this talk would be quite a bit different from everything else that you hear at Northern Voice.

I dragged, Dave, kicking and screaming in the world of Google Analytics and I just didn’t get it, just like every moment I spent either looking at my viewers or attracting new ones is one less moment I’m writing or doing something else that I love.  So, I always respected that about him.

He’s a poet, a filmmaker, an author, photographer and many other awesome things.  Anyway, I’ll leave it up to him to go with the rest.  So, welcome to Fuck Stats Make Art.  

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Wordcamps x 2

“Are You Worthy / Greeks to Geeks” talk transcription (Wordcamp Whistler, 2009)

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What follow is a transcription of a talk called “Are You Worthy – Publishing from Greeks to Geeks” at Wordcamp Whistler in 2009. Video and audio exists, as does a “round-up” of photos, tweets, artifacts, and so on. See “Consider Perusing” below.

Speaker: We really hoped you enjoyed today and I think you’re going to enjoy this last session.  I’ve been looking forward to it since we started planning this.  So with that I’m going to turn over to Dave Olson, he’s going to ask you, “Are you Worthy?”     

Dave: So, it’s the end of the day, my brain is a little stretched — a lot of input, a lot of stuff.  So, if you feel a little antsy, because frankly taking notes — I don’t know if I’m going to say anything that’s really worth taking notes.  

I’m just putting this out there, if you want to come and sit down here or you want to pull your chair over, I’m an old hippie, so I was on dead tour.  It’s all right you can come and sit down if you want.  No big deal by the way.   I’ll give you a moment to do that.  

My ulterior motive for asking you to do that is that I didn’t bring anything to put on the projector.  But I have lots of little odds and ends here.  So, you’ll get a better view if you come and sit up front.  That’s the way I like it — special shout-out to the ladies right back there.       

I almost said I didn’t make any slides but I did make two slides here because people are always telling me that, “Dave, we really like your presentations, but damn it, would you give us a bulleted list?”  

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