What is your relationship with water? Part III

Several people purchased these sheets at the opening for Weathering Art exhibition. I was really excited.

This was one of the questions that I wanted to ask people in the questionnaire and gather their responses. When I told my friend, Gregg about my idea, he had another thought and told me this;

“The questions you poised in your form might be good for you to ask yourself as a precursor to forming the work. Come up with 20 more questions about water. Is water alive? Why is it clear and blue? How do we learn to swim? Why is there so much water? Etc.”

He also said, “If you are going to challenge the viewer, might as well go ahead and challenge yourself too. Take a risk, go out on a limb. Jump in feet first. Action Goat!” (I am a goat, born in the year of sheep, but he calls me goat.)

So, I took his advice literally first, and started typing this simple question to ask myself as a starting point. Then, I found a well of water that was flowing at the bottom of it if there was such a thing in the question.

I realized that this is not a kind of question that I would find an answer or two and quickly move on, nor it’s something that I would just get my feet wet, hop out and shaking it off, and done. No, I would have to put myself deep in that well. (But don’t sink!) And I have to wait and see what I would find in there.

These typed sheets are for sale for fundraising.
At the Weathering Art opening.

It is such a simple question, indeed.

I am a bit nervous about showing this work in public at such an early stage. 

Just as what Gregg said, “Jump in feet first.”  So I do, and hopefully I'll slowly soak my body in this simple question and see what happens.

Snow day in the studio

Blizzard outside. Snow day in the studio - staining Japanese papers with tea and coffee, painting and typing.

I'm being more playful with staining action, but I can't help thinking about the flood I had about a year ago when I see the sheets of wet papers on the floor. I like the edges of the stain on the paper. I see lots of ripples and terrains. 

I started applying mineral pigment on the sheets when they're dry. Sometimes I drip or splash the pigment. 

Being playful. 

Typing the same question helps me to meditate on the meaning, thinking about what it means to have a good relationship with water. And clearly, flood is not one of those good relationships. And polluting and contaminating water is an abusive relationship. 

Outside I see lots of snow. And I think about the glaciers, and think about all the snow up on the mountains. And I think about the arrival of spring though it does seem far away right now, but it will come eventually - snow melting, and water running through the streams from mountains. 

What is your relationship with water? Part II

For "Weathering Art" exhibition, I will have these typed sheets available for purchase for $10 each. Opening is today, and I'll be there with lots of these typed sheets. All proceeds go to the Climate Science Watch, which was founded by late Rick S. Piltz. 

In 2011, I met Rick at the Blue Mountain Center, a residency program for artists, writers, musicians and activists. Rick was a whistleblower on federal climate policy and climate change advocate. He exposed the White House tampering climate science. He was inspiring, genuine, courageous and just such a gentle human being. One morning, I took a photo of him standing on the dock looking at the lake contemplating. Sadly, Rick passed away on October 18^th, 2014. He was 71.

“In the spring of 2005, Rick resigned from his position with the Coordination Office of the U.S. Global Change Research Program to protest the Bush Administration’s political interference with climate change communication. He did so at considerable personal cost and risk. His departure also demonstrated a great level of integrity, authenticity and commitment to the science community and the American public. He soon established Climate Science Watch and over the last decade continued to be a strong, independent and eloquent voice on climate science and policy.” (Taken from Climate Science Watch website)

If you’re interested in purchasing one of these sheets (unframed), please email me at: naoe@naoesuzuki.com.

WEATHERING ART: Creative expression in the era of climate change

January 25 - February 28, 2015

Reception: Sunday, January 25, 4-6pm

Collapse: video by Lydia Eccles, Saturday, February 28 at 7pm

The water is rising... Weathering Art brings together visual artists exploring what it means to be facing environmental catastrophe on local and global levels. Using traditional, innovative and experimental media the collected artists in this iteration of Weathering Art each convey an acute awareness of our precarious relationship with the planet.

Featuring the art of Lydia Eccles, Lisa Lunskaya Gordon, K. Gretchen Greene, Denise Manseau, Patrick Gentry Pierce, Anna Shapiro, Andy Siegel, sam smiley, Naoe Suzuki, Michal Truelsen, Ellen Young.

Curated by Mary Ann Kearns, Lisa Lunskaya Gordon and Curator Emeritus, Dan Osterman.

BrickbottomGallery

1 Fitchburg Street, Somerville, MA 02143

617-776-3410

Gallery Hours: Thursday - Saturday, 12 - 5pm

What is your relationship with water? Part I

I type this same question on rice papers that were soaked and stained in tea/coffee and water. I type this phrase over and over to meditate on the question. It is an ongoing activity that I have just begun last month.

I use a vintage manual typewriter. I like typing on a manual typewriter, but I also like it because it slows me down a bit to ponder what I’m typing. It gives you a whole different space in your mind. To me, it becomes meditation on the question.

The first answer I came up was simply, "We need water." And I realized that we're in a dependency relationship with water, yet we're a very abusive partner. Instead of respecting and protecting, we keep abusing water, the most vital and essential source for our own survival. Without water, we simply perish after three to five days the most. I remember the quote from W.H. Auden. "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."

See work in progress.

Meet my new typewriter, Royal Aristocrat

I had a great time at Cambridge Typewriter today. I’ve been meaning to drop off my old Royal typewriter for service, and I finally did it today. I also needed a new ribbon. I knew this shop would be a dangerous place for me. Of course, it proved to be a far more dangerous store than any jewelry stores or shoe stores for me. I dropped off my old one and walked out with a "new" old Royal. Meet my new beautiful portable typewriter, Royal Aristocrat here.

My new typewriter, Royal Aristocrat

Tom, the owner, was so generous and he let me type on several different typewriters. Oh, so many beauties. He kept bringing me one after another. I had specific ideas for what I wanted to use and what kind of papers and size, and so on, so I brought my papers. I decided that I would need a couple of more typewriters for my upcoming solo show in the fall. And I wanted a good working typewriter for my new project.

Underwood typewriter - another beautiful typewriter

I tried Royal Quiet DeLuxe, Royal Aristocrat, Underwood, Adler, Olympia, and some other models. Like I said, so many beautiful ones. I felt in love with Underwood, but in the end, I chose this one, because I felt like my fingers were gliding when typing, and felt so smooth. I also liked slightly larger typeface. It’s perfect.

I walked out with this beautiful typewriter in a case, feeling really happy. (I tried not to look for other beauties, but there was one red Royal which had just came in, and Tom hadn’t had a chance to service yet….. I wonder if it’ll be still there when I go back to the store next weekend to pick up my old one…..)

I don’t own an iPhone, any other type of smart phone, iPad or even GPS. But I spent a couple of hundred dollars easily on this Royal Aristocrat. As I said, a typewriter shop is a dangerous place for me.

I’m really excited about my new portable typewriter. I typed some when I got home. The type looks great, and I love the feel. I'm just in love.

… and so many other interesting typewriters! 

I wonder if this one will be there when I go back to the store?
Do I have a chance to see this one again? 

Indeed, this one is a special one. I love the orange!

Check out Tom's blog, Life in a Typewriter Shop. You can read about his busy typewriter shop and learn more about many beautiful old typewriters.

Skin like water

When I’m swimming, especially in the lake or pond, I sometimes imagine that my body is a part of the lake’s ecosystem. And my body, skin, and everything else starts to dissolve and becomes another living organisms in the lake, just floating. It gives me a tremendous release to imagine this way. All the weight that my “body” was carrying is gone including ego, sometimes. I’m literally spread thin but go far in the water, stretching, interacting, dissolving and connecting with other living organisms. My skin no longer exists to hold any of my “inside.” My skin becomes water.

“Skin like water”

My yoga teacher has been saying this many times in the class. I’m curious. I know what she means, but where did she get this phrase?

Move body with a flow, like water, on the skin level instead of muscle, and not forcing or trying too hard. Surrender is important in yoga. When you surrender, all of the sudden, hard moves become easier. Letting go and surrender.

When I am swimming, I think I do both; working hard and surrender. I’m not a really strong swimmer, like my friend Henri who is a natural fish in the water. I work too hard at first, and I think I do that in almost everything else in my life. In the water, working too hard exhausts you and you won’t last too long. I try to relax my muscle as much as possible and try to let go of my habit of working too hard. My body becomes lighter as soon as I do that, and I can breathe easier. And I can swim longer.

The same goes for just about anything, I think. Not just for swimming, yoga or art, but for all aspects of life. But surrender is sometimes extremely difficult.

You don’t tell your brain to make a command to “surrender.” It’s not the same, and it doesn't work.

Water helps me to get a bit closer to the place of surrender.

Skin like water.