from clementi to clementi

giacometti 

i never knew my method of quick sketching would be acceptable as giacometti's.  when i saw his lithos today... i got reminded of the sketches i rejected in foundation level because i couldn't make anything out of them.  

Seeing. Feeling. Being: Alberto Giacometti

1 May to 15 June 2008

Known for his unique vision and forms of the human figure, Alberto Giacometti has been helmed alongside Picasso and Matisse as masters of European modernism in the history of art. Looking at the gaunt beauty and the brooding isolation of Giacometti’s figures, we can see his frequent investigation of the complexities of the human condition as well as his powerful interpretations and representations in his art-making.  The Singapore Art Museum is proud to present Giacometti in Asia, which will showcase Giacometti sculptures, lithographs and rare photographs of Swiss sculptor and painter.

In Seeing.Feeling.Being , we explore Giacometti’s unique gaze and representations of man and his world in postwar Europe and enter the artist’s world of the contraries of reality as witnessed and experienced, amidst the ambition and anxiety for the absolute.

i found his sculptures very interesting.  so slender and different.  they are so tall and thin.  his response in the video 

sometimes a runny nose doesn't mean a cold caught. it might very well mean a crying heart.

i didnt wanna go near the circus ground's pool today. not with mean people like the lawaman and the unpredictable noddy. the pair's mean acid tongues hurt badly. and i know i am not petty.

i was glad to be out helping out at the acid room. i was surprised that it was their first time at hand with the task of destroying the image on the nicely etched plate. till now i have to admit that i have no idea what etching is all about. i need to do more experimentation. and today's was quite cool. they just poured acid at random parts of the plate and waited for it to bite, then etched it again with ink covered at again random parts. then coated some shelsoll to see the effect......................

usually we are told to handle the copper plate with extra care, and not to damage the surface by spilling exvess acid and to prevent it from being over etched. but this time, the challenge is to just not care about the plate AT ALL and just do the reverse.

i actually find it quite weird that the ringmaster never says anything about his workers leaving before finishing their task. And interns have to finish it up for them after hours. and if there were no interns nor printers around, then who will?

wood stuff

here's one of the stabilized structures made from wood models.  

At the end of the day, after 7 hours of mind boggling energy consuming construction and installing, we called it a day.  

these are some pics of the apartment i am sharing with wanita tonight. (pictures are unavailable) 

this is the view from my "bed" for tonight

 when wanita pushed open the door, i was awed at the facilities and the furnishing of our place... it was WOW!   

i had thought that the floor would be just tiled and two beds will be just there, but we're in for a great deal man!  we've got a fridge, internet, tv, a stove and a telephone too!  i love it ! it's like a chalet or a hotel room man!   this is more than what i expected.  i can't believe this is happening in my life. 

we've just got home from clarke quay-boat quay-city hall-brasbasah-bugis-bras basah-city hall-mika building-boat quay-clarke quay-robertson quay.  The opening of singapore arts fest is a must go maan.  we only managed to catch the last part of the show featuring the fireworks closure and it was great already !   imagine what we missed maan... 

we then proceeded to bugis because i wanted to get sth to eat and went past these cute and fluffy rodents !   
bugis has really changed alot.  bugis junction i mean.  the shops at the basement level were all so brand new and modern. with new stalls that have sprung, it definitely look similar to vivo and ps already.  

on the way back, we stopped by the extreme swing n bungy at clarke quay.  it was quite thrilling.  as it swung past us i almost wanted to duct even though its quite a distance away.  wooooooosh! 

i do not have supportive parents.

"don't  talk rubbish"

for every action, there is an equal reaction, and this is what i live by everyday. i believe that everything happens for a reason, and that karma exists. 

i came to Hell today.  usually when i enter Hell, the emperor and empress of hell would have turned in already, leaving me with some sense of freedom.  However, today's different.  everyone in hell was up.  the emperor had just stepped into Hell right after i slammed the door shut.  I heard the empress say something in dialect , " you buy so much also no use, as if you will get a chance to eat it"

that implied that i will eat everything he bought before he even eats one of the thing they were talking about.  

usually i forbid myself from talking in hell. talking is taboo-your tongue will get chopped off personally by the empress and your head beheaded by the emperor.  

but i needed to inform one of the royal highnesses about my plans for the weekend and the emperor happened to walk past, and i just blurted out, 'i'm going to stay at STPI on sat and sun" 

"what is STPI"

"the place that i work at...."

"why everywhere you also want to stay, school also stay now there also stay..."

"because the indian artist is here in singapore and she's living in the apartment there, so we are attached to her for the weekend, its a good opportunity"

"who is going with you, girl or boy"

"girl la"

then the empress went "what what tell me wait what tell me, why everyday so late"

"i went for exhibiton"

"why exhibition two days also must go..."

"tell u also no use u dun understand"

and the empress got all angry.  but first, check out what she had said to him before i started to talk this way.  she had insulted me a glutton. she doesnt understand.  she never will and it is true.  

when i got out from the bathroom she was yelling and saying that i am useless, even after being educated i talk like this,  and the emperor went on further to say that he provides me with money but it all ends up with me being like this.  

i needed to defend myself.  and i lectured the empress.  i questioned her if she ever realised what triggered me to react this way.  i told her that she had just commented to the emperor that i was greedy and would wipe out all the food he bought which was very unecessary, and of course it got me angry.  and she said it was true.  but i told her many times before that it happens because she keeps saying that i do not eat rice and athis and that which triggers me as a cool and calm person to become unstable, and i end up eating more and more and then puke.  and i told her that she never tries to understand.  i also questioned her if she was ever interested in what i was doing. an obvious no.  since young, i told her, she has never been supportive of my artistic career.  and i Screamed at  her if she was supportive she'd allow me to attend all these exhibitions and all with no qualms. and they said i should have called home.  but i told them cant they see that i am so engrossed that i forget to call, that i want to be there so badly i just forgo and forget everything else.  i told them they didnt understand.  he told me not to talk rubbish.  i told her if she was supportive i would have told her everything she'd wanna know, and that we'd be close.  we are not close because she has never been supportive in anything i did.  and she said she didnt care if we are close or not, telling me i always escape from doing the housework and i told her its not that i don't wanna help out but i need to more time with art first and if she was supportive she'd let me get the exposure i needed to be successful in my artistic career.  

it was like this back and forth back and forth back and forth.

then he said wait till u go out and work see what your boss say.  and i told him, i am working what.  and he told me to shut up and not to talk rubbish.  and i told him u see u dun understand.  

i am now in the dark , in my room, on the bed.  

they never understand, and when i try to explain they are never interested, or if they ever listen, they mock my ideas.  its a waste of energy and it hurts me badly. 

like last week with the fish prints, the empress had got the world to know that her daughter is a weirdo who buys fish from Sheng Siong to bring to work for art.  And mocks me and go in a fit of laughter with everyone else smirking, even my relatives.  i had to explain to them that it was a gyotaku print that the japanese used to practice and they turn away with a smile on their faces, and i know what they are thinking.  They just don't know how to appreciate art.  they fail to see the details of the scales and the beauty of it all.  It makes me sad.  

If you had people around you who treat you like this, ain't it very negative and you'd tire after trying to make them understand throught out your whole life already?  

dear emperor and empress of hell.  it is not that i dont communicate.  when i try you guys put me down, and anything i felt honour or sucess, i fail to tell you, i don't even want you to know.  because after it all i know you will never understand, and you pull me deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, and drown me in the process.  And when i start to grow stronger due to withstanding the ocean currents as you place me there, i paddle one foot up for you guys to pull me back down again.  

Eventually i drown.  And i bet you still won't ever understand.  

do i even know you? 

i wish i didn't. 

i never wanted to anyway.

you have never looked at me and smiled before.  

and if you did now i'd puke, all over your freshly pressed sheets. 

and i don't ever want you to touch me.  

because  i do not know you

and you do not know me.  

you don't even want to know me.  

because we are not related afterall.  

we are not related.  

we do not know each other. 

not at all.

do i even know you ? 

tomautogirl's solo exhibition 

shocking news from mr.big abt the first batch of singapore circus crew. 

lugas syllabus's dust

plans for blood relations

cheney pulp and 8M pulp.these were what started the day going.

Esplanade Presents
The Protection Paintings - Of Sensations and Superscriptions

Jeremy Sharma
Singapore
23 May - 29 Jun 08, Fri - Sun,
Jendela

With The Protection Paintings – Of Sensations and Superscriptions, visual artist Jeremy Sharma explores the notion of protection as a means of ensuring human existence in various aspects, from the basic ensuring of survival to the sustenance of human relationships.

This exhibition attempts to translate those ideas visually through an interplay between images (sensations) and text (superscriptions).

(Visual Arts Space by Cristal Caritas Trust)

dearest Noddy, 

these would have answered the questions you posed today.  

Q.what direction does the water in your sink go when it is drained?

from http://www2.abc.net.au/science/k2/stn/november1999/posts/topic8390.shtm

From: steve(primus)	18/11/99 13:25:08
Subject: re: Water Direction	post id: 8417
f water, when going down a drain, goes in an anti clockwise direction in one hemisphere and clockwise in the other hemisphere - what happens at a) the equator? b) the poles? Water goes down a drain in either hemisphere whichever way it wants to. The Coriolis effect, which is zero at the equator and strongest at the poles, is caused by the rotation of the earth which has a rotational speed of one revolution per day. Water going down a plughole is revolving faster than that so there are other forces involved. The currents in the water due to the water temperature, the shape of the bath/tank, the currents you set up by removing the plug or getting out of the bath all have an effect, and these override the very weak effect of Coriolis. water spirals down drains at the poles and on the equator just as it does anywhere else - and the direction is determined by a number of factors. However, if you had a tank large enough and the water in it still enough so there were no other influences on the spiral direction, then, yes, coriolis would come into play but for general purposes, it has no effect at all.

This forum is un-moderated. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual poster and not the ABC. The ABC reserves the right to remove offensive or inappropriate messages.

from http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Question271805.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpb0XLUDGag
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html

also check out 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/nov/13/research.science

Q. why does paper yellow over time? Does it become more acidic or alkaline as it ages?

Lignin is the main source of color in pulp due to the presence of a variety of chromophores naturally present in the wood or created in the pulp mill.

Paper is made from wood, which is made up mainly of white cellulose. Wood also has a lot of a dark substance in it called lignin, which ends up in the paper, too, along with the cellulose. The exposure of lignin to air and sunlight is what turns paper yellow.

Lignin eventually turns paper yellow because of oxidation. That is, the lignin molecules, when exposed to oxygen in the air, begin to change and become less stable. The lignin will absorb more light, giving off a darker color.

Mechanical pulps retain most of the lignin present in the wood used to make the pulp and thus contain almost as much lignin as they do cellulose and hemicellulose. It would be impractical to remove this much lignin by bleaching, and undesirable since one of the big advantages of mechanical pulp is the high yield of pulp based on wood used. Therefore the objective of bleaching mechanical pulp (also referred to as brightening) is to remove only the chromophores (color-causing groups). This is possible because the structures responsible for color are also more susceptible to oxidation or reduction.
Alkaline hydrogen peroxide is the most commonly used bleaching agent for mechanical pulp. The amount of base such as sodium hydroxide is less than that used in bleaching chemical pulps and the temperatures are lower. These conditions allow alkaline peroxide to selectively oxidize non-aromatic conjugated groups responsible for absorbing visible light. The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is catalyzed by transition metals, and iron, manganese and copper are of particular importance in pulp bleaching. The use of chelating agents like EDTA to remove some of these metal ions from the pulp prior to adding peroxide allows the peroxide to be used more efficiently. Magnesium salts and sodium silicate are also added to improve bleaching with alkaline peroxide[5]
Sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4), also known as sodium hydrosulfite, is the other main reagent used to brighten mechanical pulps. In contrast to hydrogen peroxide, which oxidizes the chromophores, dithionite reduces these color-causing groups. Dithionite reacts with oxygen, so efficient use of dithionite requires that oxygen exposure be minimized during its use.[2]
Chelating agents can contribute to brightness gain by sequestering iron ions, for example as EDTA complexes, which are less colored than the complexes formed between iron and lignin[2].
The brightness gains achieved in bleaching mechanical pulps are temporary since almost all of the lignin present in the wood is still present in the pulp. Exposure to air and light can produce new chromophores from this residual lignin.[6] This is why newspaper yellows as it ages.


Archival paper is lignin-free and acid-free (between pH 6.0 and 8 is considered acid-free, between pH 7.1 and 8.0 is called alkaline buffered, this delays the gradual deterioration of the sheet).



1. An alkaline pulping process for chips of lignocellulosic material which comprises cooking said lignocellulosic material at 140°-210° C. for 250 minutes with a solution containing sodium sulfite at a pH of 10-13.5 in the presence of sodium aluminate as a buffering agent in the amount of 2% to 8% as NaOH based on the dry weight of the chips of lignocellulosic material, and 0.2% anthraquinone, wherein said cooking is carried out to produce a pulp of high viscosity, high strength and good yield.


FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the formation of the paper web using neutral pH forming conditions and wherein calcium carbonate is used as the principal filler.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is known to manufacture paper by supplying the papermaking stock to the forming section of a paper machine under acid, neutral or alkaline conditions. Alkaline conditions are primarily used with a wood free fiber and at a pH in the range ofabout 8 whereas in acid papermaking from wood containing stock, the pH is generally well below 7 and normally in the order of 4 to 6. Neutral papermaking is usually carried out at pH of about 6.8 to 7.5.

One of the major advantages of alkaline papermaking is that it permits the use of calcium carbonate which is a relatively inexpensive filler in relatively large quantities in the paper. Calcium carbonate is generally less expensive than woodfiber and has a relatively high brightness which thus facilitates the production of low cost priming papers.

Attempts have been made to utilize calcium carbonate filler with acid papermaking and/or neutral papermaking by means of specific acid tolerant carbonates which are specially prepared, for example, by the addition of phosphorus compounds to thesurface of the carbonate to stabilize the carbonate under acid conditions. It is also known when using such acid tolerant carbonates to operate the paper machine at pH generally below 7 (i.e. mild acid conditions) and to use phosphoric acid to maintainthe pH of the stock.

Chalk has been used as a filler in paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for making paper under neutral papermaking conditions while incorporating natural calcium carbonate filler into the furnish.

Broadly, the present invention relates to a method of making paper from a furnish containing predominantly mechanical pulp under substantially neutral conditions comprising adding natural calcium carbonate to a mechanical pulp stock being fed toa headbox of a forming section of a paper machine, adding bentonite and a suitable polymer to said stock, controllably adding a pH reducing and buffering agent to said stock being fed to said headbox to maintain the pH of said pulp stock in said headboxwithin the range of 6.7 and 7.5, forming a sheet by separating white water containing calcium carbonate from the pulp stock in said forming section, recirculating said white water containing calcium carbonate to said headbox with said pulp stock.

Preferably said polymer comprises a polyacrylamide polymer

Preferably said pH reducing and buffering agent will comprise phosphoric acid.

Preferably, the form of said natural calcium carbonate will be chalk.

Preferably, the pH of said stock in the headbox will be sensed and addition of phosphoric acid to maintain said pH in said range of 6.7 to 7.5 controlled based on said pH sensed in said headbox.

Preferably said pH range will be 6.9 to 7.4

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, objects and advantages will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which;

FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram for a paper machine incorporating the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The term calcium carbonate has been used in relation to the present to describe natural calcium carbonate as opposed to and to distinguish from precipitated calcium carbonate which has not been found to be satisfactory for practising the presentinvention.
.............



Acid-Free: Materials with a pH of 7.0 or higher are considered acid-free. Acid-free materials can be either buffered or unbuffered. Buffering agents typically raise the pH of a material to 8.0 or higher. Unbuffered materials can become acidic over time by the absorbtion of acids from the environment.

Archival (Archival Quality): This non-technical term suggests that a material is safe for long term storage and does not contain any chemicals that could adversely affect a collection. The phrase is not quantifiable or standardized, and therefore should not be considered, independently, as a guarantee of acceptable storage criteria.

Archival Polyester: Mylar D, long recognized as the premier brand of clear polyester for preservation purposes, was recently discontinued by the manufacturer. A variety of additional brands of polyester of equal quality remain available. The AstuteCollector.Com uses only the highest grades of polyester in creating it's variety of polyester enclosures.

Buffering: Paper and paperboard products are divided between buffered and unbuffered. Calcium carbonate is the preferred buffering agent of preservation professionals. The buffering agent helps neutralize acids in the environment and help to prevent those acids from attacking your collections. Because of concerns over the affect of buffering agents on certain animal bye products such as wool, leather and silk, unbuffered paper and paperboards are often preferred for storing these materials as well as certain rare photographic collections. Note: Unbuffered materials can absorb acids from the environment and can, eventually become acidic themselves.

Calcium Carbonate: The preferred buffering agent of preservation professionals, Calcium Carbonate is added to paper pulp during the paper making process in order to neutralize acids. It's prescence in folders, boxes, and other enclosures helps ensure that acids in the environment are neutralized.

Lignin (Lignin-Free): Lignin is a naturally occuring substance found in plants and wood pulp. Lignin is thought to contribute to the early degradation of paper and is often removed during the pulping process to create higher grade paper.

PAT (Photo Activity Test): The PAT is an accelerated aging test that predicts the interaction between enclosures and photographic images and can be used to determine possible photographic activity caused by components of those enclosures including adhesives, inks, etc.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): This is a plastic that can emit damaging hydrochloric acids as it degrades, causing damage to materials stored within. PVC often emits a strong odor such as that given off by a new plastic shower curtain.

Caliper: Caliper points, or simply points, is a unit for measuring the thickness of paper. One caliper point is equal to one one-thousandth of an inch.

Grain: The orientation of fibers in paper. Paper has a natural tendency to bend "with the grain", usually making it easy to determine what grain you're working with. Grain can be either short or long, depending on whether it's going on the long or short side of the paper dimensions.

Stock: A term referring to bulk paper or board materials.

Basis Weight: The weight of one ream (500 sheets) of paper, expressed in pounds.

What is buffering?
A. Buffered material has an alkaline reserve of at least 2 percent calcium carbonate and resists the effects of acid in the environment or in memorabilia

Why is buffering important in paper products?
A. The addition of a buffering agent to paper products helps neutralise acids that come in direct contact with the paper. A buffering agent also prevents acids from migrating to other areas of the page or onto photographs. Acids that come in direct contact with your photographs could accelerate the natural aging process and cause them to discolour or fade.

http://www.archivalsuppliers.com/testimonials.asp

http://www.creativememories.com.au/MainMenu/Our-products-and-services/FAQs/Detail?folder=PAPER
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleaching_of_wood_pulp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_deacidification
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question463.htm
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4384921.html
http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/5505819.html

Ferret Out & Vociferate: The Blue Planet

i am watching The Blue Planet : Seasonal Seas and i found it really interesting.  i love watching documentaries and i can't remember the last time i actually sat down to watch one.  Sea creatures are just so weird lookin' , like aliens in fact, with membranes that float in the waters as they move.  

Pictures from this site http://www.nicerweb.com/sketches/video/BBC-BluePlanet/3.5_SeasonalSeas/index.html

from the site : "Great scenes in this portrait of the seas through the seasons include huge swarms of jellyfish, a Herring bait ball being hunted to the last individual in a feeding frenzy from several predator species, and the hilarious Handfish. The Sea Slug chase scene shows clearly how Navanax follows the slime trail left by Janulus. The only weak segments are the Sea Otter and the Pacific Salmon (which species?), which should go a bit more in depth on the ecology of these animals."

the jellyfish,

jellyfish medusae! so cUTE!

sea nettle jellyfish weigh about 30 kgs!

janulus ad hooded sea slug are the ultimate.  And i thought the one day old lobster and crab 

baby crab eating sea lettuce!

looked really cute.  i was also fascinated and awed at how long a jellyfish's tentacles are-8m! like that of a giant kite flying in the sky, and the hand fish,

the handfish have specially

modified fins that look like

paws to aid their walk 

amongstthe seabed where 

the kelps grow.

 and kelp forests that grow one metre a day................

there are so many wonders of the world we are missing everyday, as we work, play and converse, we fail to see these that happen all at the same time.  i wish i had the ability to multitask or teleport to capture and document all of these.

oh, and the australian squids are up on tv now.  they are so cute!   one day old cuttlefishes.....

australian squid babies!

 the egg cases they emerged from looked like fully filled condoms all tied together in a bunch of thirty...

nature, i love nature.

KELP

Kelp forests occur in cold, nutrient-rich water and are among the most beautiful and biologically productive habitats in the marine environment. They are found throughout the world in shallow open coastal waters, and the larger forests are restricted to temperatures less than 20ºC, extending to both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. A dependence upon light for photosynthesis restricts them to clear shallow water and they are rarely much deeper than 15-40m. The kelps have in common a capacity for some of the most remarkable growth rates in the plant kingdom. In southern California, the Macrocystis can grow 30 cm per day.

The Overwhelmed Tomato

"you definitely are a Milk Coffee maker"

"can i ask you a question?

what is your ethnic group, are you local?

then why do you work so hard?! usualy people down here take life easy....your parents have definitely brought you up well and with very good family ethics to be what you are today......and i thought that the next generation was eecck!(giving the cut throat gesture)....

how old are you?

i have a daughter who is 21 too and all she wants to do is party.  she is a .........."

"i have to put a chop on her that says 'Milk Coffee maker'"

"you are definitely Circus standard."

i am so damn overwhelmed by mr.big's comments. Like what wanita says, it is truly an honour.  Yes, an honour to be recognised.  An artist has to be recognised in order to suceed and build a rapport to take herself one step higher. 

On the other hand, i have been questioned and made fun of for working the best i can.  Sminthaye told me when we are in the working world, everything is different.  So does it mean i throw away my morals, virtues, and habits in order to survive.  It's sad but she said yes.  Sometimes working makes nonsense out of sense.  And clowns just wanna make me the comic relief.

 

Scoop: One Nation Under Lee... Slucker's back again.

i am not interested in LKY nor am i an activist or someone who is really interested about happenings in singapore or the way it's being run.  As long as i am able to survive here i'm fine.  But i kind of admire this Slucker's guts to do such things to provoke the political parties to do sth about the things he do.  And he's back.  Just heard the news from wanita today.  Here's and article:

Government officials disrupt private screening of film on LKY

Read full reports at -

TOC

Singapore Rebel

SDP

watch the video at:

http://sheepcitytv.com/

Officials from the Media Development Authority (MDA) barged in on a private screening of a film entitled One Nation Under Lee and demanded that the organisers hand over the DVD.

The 45-minute movie is critical narration of how Mr Lee Kuan Yew rode to power championing democracy and then using it to consolidate his power by crush his opponents and the media.

Halfway through the screening which took place at the Peninsula-Excelsior Hotel this afternoon, three officers from the MDA burst in and said that the screening was an offence.

A group of activists then asked them on what authority did they have to insist on stopping the screening as it was a private event, not unlike, for example, a wedding where videos of the betrothed are played for guests.

The gatecrashers, comprising of assistant director Mr Tan Chiu Kee, Mr Ahmad Kasbari and Ms Padmamuthu, cited the Films Act which states that "it is an offence to have in your possession or to exhibit or distribute any film without a valid certificate." This would make almost all Singaporeans violators of the Act.

After a lengthy exchange the Master of Ceremonies, Mr Chia Ti Lik, allowed the three into the hall. The crowd burst into sacrcastic applause and the officers responded with sheepish smiles. The police at one stage arrived but left whithout doing much.

"Please hand over the film," Mr Tan demanded.

"Please come up to the front, introduce yourselves and you can have it," the MC invited.

With the DVD in hand the officers left. The event continued with Mr Martyn See and Mr Seelan Palay offering their views on the Films Act.
"If it is an offence to screen such a film, then everyone with a birthday or wedding video would be criminalised," Mr See said, adding that artists and writers must not be afraid to document and write when they see and hear.

He said that the film would be a "fantastic learning tool" for students and anybody who is interested in learning about Singapore should watch it.

Mr Seelan added that as an artist, he cannot care so much about laws. "Otherwise, art cannot take place. I need to make films about what I see and sometimes laws don't allow that."

At this juncture, the MDA officers came back and demanded that the LCD projector used for the screening be handed over as well.

"No, you can't have it," insisted Mr Chia Ti Lik. "You are exceeding your powers and you have no right to take it."

Ms Chee Siok Chin made it clear that the officers were already given the DVD and had no right to the LCD projector.

Some members of the audienced weighed in and told the officials that they were rude by intruding in on a private function. "You already have the video, what more do you want?" one of the attendees pointed out.

Sensing that the organisers were not going to back down, the officials retreated and left.

How the authorities received word about the function is anyone's guess but admission was restricted to those who had purchased a ticket.

The film contained interviews with Messrs Francis Seow, Said Zahari and J B Jeyaretnam as well as musical clips critising Ministers' salaries and the GIC. The film had both educational and inspirational qualities. Perhaps this is why the MDA was particularly anxious to get its hands on it.

Witnessing the entire incident were two US embassy officials who were among the invited guessts.

Another group of media activists had also conducted a similar screening of videos at an art gallery at Rowell Road. The films were about the SDP's election rallies in 2006 and the WB-IMF protests at Hong Lim Park in September 2006. That screening took place without incident.

Vociferate: the Air-Con Guy

Can you see who air-con guy's love

is?  She's here and her name is 

Wanita!!! We walked from UE sq

past Mika building and then stopped

at the fire station opposite simlim 

because i had such a laugh i couldn't 

walk straight.  HAHAHA!(by the way, 

blappy was sitting on the kerb whilst

this happened. i love blappy!)

The air-con guy seems to be very interested in wanita today.  well in fact, alot of people are!!! how can you not like a gentle petite soft girl like wanita wuzzz??? hehehe but it sure is freaky to be stalked and given pepsi and curry puff by the chinese air-con guy. 

i love my job.  i'm into the second week of my internship at the circus  and I'm lovin it! I LOVE MY JOB! 

TOday i am glad i didn't have to be rebellious and run away from the glass tank without permission, because from this week on, i'll be stationed AT THE CIRCUS GROUNDS!!!!!! YAYNESS!!! i love work being given to me and tasks fore me to do and so many things happening at the same time for me to observe and balancing acts to pick up.  

i finally know which paper is which- the kozu was the one i didn't mount last week, and today's is ga------ paper( dunno how to spell it)- because Mr Big told me so!  Noddy ran up to me as i was doing the mounting of the kozu and asked me if i knew which was which and i told him a great big YES!!! and he smiled and ran back to what he was doing.  These people... only know how to disturb... 

Anyway, it was really ... intimidating's not the word, but you know when two people are watching you cut paper as accurately as possible... its not uncomfortable too but argh ok forget about the word.  I just don't like it that people sort of inspect what you are doing whilst you are at it you know... and two grown men doing that as they slack... then Lawa-man didnt want to help but just stood by and helped to adjust the rule whilst Noddy commented that i had to improve on my cutting skills... HAIYO!

I saw the process of registration of printed material, scaled about maybe 100x.  Noddy's been at it since last week and oh well, it's quite tought maaaan.

What Sminthaye and Mumae were doing with the copper plates with the silhouette of the ladies was so interesting.  With a single plate, they did both an intaglio and relief print at once- Mumae inked the etched areas and removed the excess on the excess with one colour, and then passed it to Sminthaye who used a litho roller to ink the surface of the plate with another colour.  And when the copper plate went into the press( i almost forgot that the press was fully automated) and appeared on the other side, woah! the result was splendid!  i've never seen it done before!   i should try it with my drypoints yea? 

Betty and i were engaged in a conversation and she kinda shut my mouth up with a short lecture.  

You see, i've always been thinking about what's fair and not in the artistic industry. How is an artist's work justified if he or she hires people to execute his ideas for him and then sign it as his own?  Its like Damien Hirst and his employment of workers to help him with his works(insert here) and Eric Chan employing starving artists like Slucker to prime his canvases. 

I questioned Betty, as she was doing research and development and experimentation with Ameh's exhibition works and prints, if in this case, would she consider Ameh a lazy artist as she tells them her ideas and they execute the preparation and experimentation whilst she does other stuff and thinking, and planning, and waking up late.  

Betty questioned me back, asking if Picasso or Matisse did really print all their works on their own, and if the Renaissance masters painted their oil paintings themselves?  She then explained that masters always had apprentices who learn as they painted part of their masters works( as she said it, i pictured Vercruccio's works being partly painted by rembrandt) and artists have to realise their strengths and weaknesses as well as be aware of their limits.  Sometimes completion of a final work is more realistic if more hands were put into the process, rather than going solo( that's why i never finish my work in time all the time).  

Betty also said that if i were to call artists who employ workers to complete their work for them despicable, then people who buy canvases from art friend  as well as those who buy ready made pigments from straits commercial are despicable too.  Why?  because both the despicables have not done their masterpieces solely on their own.  But it does not make sense does it, if i wove my own canvas, chopped my own wood for the frame, and then finally stretched my own canvase with staples i created on my own whenever i wanted to paint?  And i collected my own minerals and pounded them on my own, then create my very own acrylic mediums as well as churn up my very own concoction of photo emulsion just to create a photosilkscreen?

These really make sense does it.  In this time and age, everything is demanded at tip top speed and time is a factor.  Thus, convenience kicks in and it would be absolutely ridiculous as an artist or even a student to weave canvases on our own, unless it is a very special kind or if there's a concept behind it or if you are a specialist in canvas making. Sometimes it's best to leave it to someone who is specialised to do the job for you if you know ur limits and know your works can be ten times better with help from someone else.  Superman can't always save the day.  He has his weaknesses too. 

Betty is wise indeed, and despite her young looks, she is 27.  Well, i've underestimated her. 

Mr ori asked me for help with the cutting of some japanese paper.  The smooth side is the printing side, whilst the rough side's the back.  ( man oh man i've got this all wrong maan... i've always thought the other way round!!!) and i had to cut them to pieces for UKIyO-E prints!!!

This is the first time i saw a real woodcut in the traditional ukiyoe style.  Oh man... the contours of the face was crazily fine and WOOOAH I SAW mr ori doing the printing on the floor with the block placed on a raised surface like a real Japanese man... the result was SSSUPERBBBB!!!  fantastic man!  It's just like how it'll look if you silkscreened it.  fantastic. Sminth told me that the fine lines were created using special tools made specially for ukiyoe.

I am so gonna try it when i return to school.  Daiso's fine fine super duper fine carving tools are sold out so i've gotta wait. 

Then Sminthaye told me that PeelPeel was getting on her nerves as arrogance emerged, and told me other stories about mr LHIC.  maan... he's actually malaysian and holds a french PR and speaks french with his family............................. that's like so cool la!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was astonished at the news... 

Sminthaye is an interesting character and i am glad to have met her.

Since there was time before Wanita knocked off(this week's her gallery week, therefore she ends work at 6pm) i followed Sminthaye to the dark room and witnessed the coating of another two screens with the photo emulsion.  I have yet to coat mine with the new knowledge gained from both Aye and Sminth.

And we've come the the funniest part of the day, that left me controlling my laughter at the very thought of it when it happened, right after it happened, when i was telling wanita about what happened, at the train station alone, at home..........................Recalling it even hurts my tummy so much hahahhaha 

After one week and a day, i've been known as the"violent" one, even by mr.big.  haha right after mr.big told lawa-man that i was violent(coz i sort of slammed the huge larger than a0 size acrylic on the floor) in the circus pool.  Then as Mr.big and lawa-man were stacking the handmade paper onto the platform before loading it into the dryer, Noddy and i stood by with the pieces of white blankets to be laid over each piece of paper.  

Noddy and i had to fluff out all the dust and dirt on the blanket, so we each took an end and i started to shake my end too hard and early that it caught Noddy in his unawares and his end left his hand and as a reflex action he took a huge leg's-width leap and stretched his hand with all his might to the piece that fell out of his hand and landed, like a huge horse-like frog leaping with one foot over the pole of a high jump.   You should've seen the look on his face maaaaan..................... He looked shocked-surprised-scared-embarassed-freaked-astonished-halfpaiseh--------------- anjkfhlkeianwehahahhahahahhahahahahahaha right in front of Mr.big who, according to Noddy was trying very hard not to look.  hahahaahhahaahha 

Then when Mr.Big left the mill, we all burst into laughter and oh man......................................

 IT WAS SO FUNNYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

aweiooifjoa hahahha 

i'll end off with an achievement and a good comment from Mr.big.

Mr.big had been really really serious the whole of today.  He never let a little hint of a grin escape the side of his lips.  It was as if the frown was going to be fixed forever with nails hammered deep into his skull.  However, whilst Lawa-man and himself  were making paper together, and i was controlling the buttons as the button girl, Mr.big halted everything to tell him that he appreciate me being here and helping with the paper making.  He also said that my enthusiasm in everything about the workshop shows and that i'm the kind of person that he would want to hire in the future.  and i smiled my widest in appreciation to his comment.  IT really made my day.  He further elaborated that my peformance on friday was (i forgot the word he used) ... that i wanted to remove the deckle, lock it , prepare stuff for paper making.... i was just interested in everything about what was going on, which really shows my attitude in my work.  Well i love my job what... i have to start believing in myself.  even Mada told me before i can work in he circus already as a printer i guess.  

Tomato is happy today.  

Vociferate: i can't understand these things

eeyer i dunno why blogger puclished my draft in turquoise... the colour still remains a khaki-sort-of colour...... hmmph! i'm off skippin now...

Devoir & Vociferate: draft 2

it's amazing how many books i've bound already since i learnt the art of book binding. i just finished another before Orangeshoes called me at 12 midnight to ask if i took up any internship recommended by school via email. He told me he went for the interview but the peeps there told him his portfolio was too fine-arty... it's weird that he called. Well i'm happy i'm employed and at the circus!

HAZaye called to ask me if i was able to go to yishun this sunday because i requested to work at trasnah on both sats and suns during this hols. Sats would be the usual but suns would be different now... i'll be with Robert at Mandai Zoo! the experience would be quite cool, but i hate that i might not be able to get there by train... which would cost a toll on my ka-ching ka-ching!

Ooh i am so excited about work later. Soo excited!

and yar, i've just sent Jeannip what i've edited today to what we've planned on friday.

Vociferate: Planning my proposals

ppl might think that i am a little crazy to think about lvl 2's self proposal but i am planning for it now and i think it would be very wise to think of as many ways as possible to deal with the abject as well as symbolic items to use to represent stuff related to my theme.  

i was walking around serangoon north avenue 1 and 2 this afternoon after class and i realised that i like to check out shops selling joss paper and other offerings.  

i checked out the designs on the paper money and thought they looked really good.  thick bold lines with minimal colours on them like that of the art nouveau movement in Alphonse Mucha's time.  the style is different but the use of thick bold lines in floral patterns infusing chinese elements like the lotus and chinese lettering on the paper money was actually very stylised and pleasant to look at.  upon closer inspection about the shop, i realised that everything about the shops interested me. Especially the paper cars, slippers, shirts... they all looked so realistic and for a moment, i imagined using litho to print these designs onto the thin pieces of joss paper in the past.  or woodcut, or even lino...

and another idea sparked. 

final proposal could be a whole set up of hand printed paper money and i could develop my own stylized designs on cars, slippers, purses for the dead.  

I am catholic(by birth i have no choice but i hate being one) but why do up a whole set about another religion?  this would definitely spark some controversy as i use sarcasm to question the existence of another world- the netherworld, hell.  Tie in religion and i could merge variations of hell from the prespectives from the hindu religion too as well as from the viewpoint of the muslims. How sure are we about this other world?  and the possibility of it causes a void. Then existentialism could be torn into the topic as i broaden it and incorporate other elements to create my own hardcore set.  

And i still want to plaster cast my body, put my head away, paint it...................... live my dream of being a mortician and pathologist, and being an artist at the same time.  the void exists here.  Being an artist, in time there could be a chance that i become a mortician or pathologist or whatever i want and that void makes people think, fear, and feel mixed emotions.  There is also a possibility that i wake from the dead and come alive again because GOD says its not time yet..................................

The living and the dead.... so much i can explore and develop.   

i need to believe in myself and get down to planning hardcore stuff.

Ferret Out : craftzine-plasticbagcrafts

wanita loves these stuffs and gave me this site just

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2007/08/plastic_bag_crafts.html

we were discussing about collaborating in a zine production about our initialexhibition theme GRAND-DADDY , and we really need  to sell stuff in nxt open house man... gotta start creating stuff soon n  keep building up stock.

Vociferate: Wanita not here , get well

i am loving my job so much!  in just four hours i definitely learnt alot, and it didnt matter whether i was at the gallery or not!  

I clocked in at eight and joined everyone in the meeti

ng and helping out with s......

i saw sminthaye and Aye going into the dark room and i kpo-ed and learnt how to coat screen!  there's a certain angle to hold the thing to coat and the opposite angle to scoop the excess emulsion back into the thing.......

i helped noddy with screen printing and i learnt alot man.  le

arnt how to mount kozu paper first then screen printed it.  before screen printing we flooded the mesh first with double sided tape at one end .......

then we carried this long piece of metal used for registration(it needed two ppl) to the table ......

fire alarm triggered after the aunty tried hard to tell mr eitch that there was this burning smell, and he told her that he will keep at look out for it.  i didnt ex

pect the alarm to trigger and everyone really stopped 

all work and ran to the door and gathere

d at the assembly venue(the tree).  but wanita was nowhere to be foun.....................

when 

noddy left and never came back so instead of waiting fo

r nothing i helped betty with clay slip r&d.........

lunchtime was quite alrite without wanita around, i feel more secure with her around but there's this interesting Sminthaye here to talk to about horoscopes and gossip about which horoscopes we dislike the most.... kind of an uncanny topic but oh wells i enjoyed bitchin about the people i dislike in those horoscopes ... 

Sminth had no idea what photobooth was about

but after she understood...she had fast reflexes 

as i adjusted the cam to show mr ori behind us 

taking his usual afterlunch nap.  even the cirus 

cleaning officer was fascinated and asked where 

it was.

and i took my chances whilst Noddy

was getting all stressed up with the bills?

He's always in the pantry looking at all

these documents and sprawling all

over the table....

 

i worked with Lizzie and sonny with the removal of emulsion on part of the copperplates using the paint remover again and then Lawa-man told them that he needed me in the circus pool, operating the tightropes.....

helped betty with cutting the papers........

Ferret out :Kozyndan

i'm checking this out now 

 

http://kozyndan.livejournal.com

Its blog name caught my eye and i tried to pronounce it, and it's only after i've checked out the blog that i realised that its a combination of their names- husband-and-wife illustration duos who are really active in the arts scene.  

i love their works!  it's really nice to have an artist husband and be successful together.

Ferret Out : Mark Justiani & Chang Jinchao

We checked out Chang Jin Chao's animation installation along with his signature mural as we passed it along the way to far east to find a bag suitable for wanita

i look really funny in these pics 

coz i always never manage to get

 into  position in time before the 

camera snaps  

before that we went to substation after work to check out filipino artist, Mark Justiniani's exhibition.

  

this is my favourite piece from the entire colle

ction, entitled, Yonder.  It is the subject's eyes 

that attracted me to it, following the glass 

eyes, it lead me to the tears collecting on the

 bottom lid, which lead me right back again to

 the pupil-not a solid round one, but in the 

shape of an atomic bomb instead.  That got me 

thinking.  It is sad.  the painting is sad.  It made 

me think sad thoughts.  Then i looked at the kites 

in the background.  The sky is filled with kites, 

beautiful colourful ones, as well as those that 

were greyed.  The contrast provoked a surge of 

sadness as i imagined happiness slowly faded

 into the world without colours, then i 

imagined the desaturated kite disappear 

from the sky.

Leap

Oil on canvas

5x4ft

Launch

oil on canvas

51x72inches

i love the way this guy renders his subject's

hands and feet. It might not be impactful

enough when you see it here on screen, but 

in real life, it's wonderful.  i observed his

paintings and realised that some parts were 

mixed with a high gloss finish, especially those

colours that were muted with white.  It was

probably the white paint i guess?  well i am 

not a painter, i don't know what that is, but i 

didn't like that effect.  Too much light was 

reflected off the surface of the painting which

made it difficult for me to see it close up.  

CATAPULT

Featuring new works of young contemporary artist

MARK JUSTINIANI

May 11 to 20, 2008
Substation Gallery, Home for the Arts
SINGAPORE

Social-realism in art often entails dark images depicting the harsh realities in society. Filipino visual artist Mark Justiniani, however, has found a way to provoke discussions on social issues while infusing what he describes as “a children's book-like quality” to his artworks. In his world, reality and fantasy need not collide.

Proof of that unique combination is his upcoming exhibition at Substation Gallery, Home for the Arts, Singapore from May 11 to 20, 2008.

Entitled “Catapult,” the 1st Solo Exhibition of Mark Justiniani in Singaporeorganized by www.ArtSentralAsia.com explores the idea of being on the verge – being tossed in the air leaving viewers to wonder whether the figures are going up or already coming down.

“The working theme is about platforms, transporting and catapult. It is about these structures that places people in various heights. It's actually very political with the catapult representing the structures in society and the platform like a stage where characters play roles,” Justiniani shared.

One artwork features an inverted figure holding a cane with legs spread wide open. He is suspended in mid-air and it is unclear whether a greater height is yet to be achieved or if gravity has already taken hold and the figure is being pulled back to the ground.

“My works are open-ended though still guided by the other visual cues that I include in the painting. When people look at my art, I want them to find more questions rather than answers. I want it to be a ongoing dialogue,” he explained.

Another artwork features a katipunero (a 19th century Filipino freedom fighter) standing in a giant hand. And though only until the wrist can be seen, one can surmise that it is the hand of a modern day businessman. The katipunero is holding on to the handle of his half-drawn itak (a local blade) though it is unclear if he is drawing it out or placing it back into the scabbard. Along the edges of the piece are scribbles from the text of McKinley's letter on the benevolent assimilation.

“It appears as though something is about to happen. Like a moment is on the verge of exploding. But we don't know what it is. So it encourages a discussion and hopefully, people will talk about what they think is about to take place,” Justiniani said.

A multi-awarded artist, Justiniani hails from the province of Negros Occidental which influenced the development of his style. He recalls two paintings in his mother's house which left a lasting impression on the young artist.

At an early age, he recognized that his artworks are seen by everyone, including children. Not wanting to traumatize young minds but still determined to express his beliefs, he combined the soft quality of children's illustrations with the realities of society, creating a unique style that is effectively thought-provoking.

Justiniani completed his art education at the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. His first solo exhibition was in 1993 and has had 10 more since then. He also regularly participates in various group shows both locally and internationally. His works have been exhibited in the United States, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Denmark, and Malaysia. A consistent prize-holder in many local and international art competitions, he was awarded the 13 Artists Award by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a young artist.

source:artsentralasia.com/docs/exhibits/catapult.html  

Artist Talk: Hema Upadhyay

it was inspiring looking at her hardcore works.  yes i am talking about the current indian artist in residence at the circus 

Vociferate: time to get busyaye

here's sonny and i folding white rags.  

wanita was scratching off excess pixellated spots off a printed transparency filled with silhouettes of women in different poses using a scapel and i ran off to help sonny with the folding coz i didnt like doing the scratching.  

I was so happy i accomplished the brochure's contents layout and showed it to them as well as snapped this.  i stopped only coz sonny kept saying that they can sue me.  oh what the hey... anyways, he got pulled away so i continued.  i was happy.  very happy in fact.  i love doing work and keeping myself occupied.  i love it i love it i am starting to love the rebellion.  and i find that there makes no difference whether i am there or not actually.  laleelaaa. 

Then Sminthaye asked me to help with the cleaning of the aluminium plate again.  It was about a1 size i guess.  then she actually commented that i wore "so nice" so dun want me to help... eh excuse me i came prepared to get dirty okays.  no such thing as wear so nice or not nice help means help lar i wanna help i love helping yay! 

Then it was lunchtime and i ate my witch's brew.  Wanita thought it looked like paper pulp hehhehehe. chatted with wanita and Sminthaye.  i love these chats during lunchbreak.  and today's lunchbreak had the pantry filled with ex lasalle pupils talking about la salle ( me wanita sminthaye aye and noddy. laleelaaaaaaaaaa

Its after lunch now and  i felt i needed to be responsible so  i am back at my seat in the glass tank checking mail but noth from jeannip, its kinda making me fed up , so its time to learn more stuff and go down to the circus to keep myself busy busy busy! 

Schtick: Rebellion on my own

my rebellion came in 3/4 force today.

instead of coming to work at 9.15-9.30, i clocked in at 8 am.  And  i wasn't late, and i had time to put my bag in the locker in the pantry, and i was punctual for the usual morning meetings.

News sure travels fast.  Mr. big announced to everyone someone nearly got locked inside the circus last night and you know who that person is.  oh well i am so not used to the system whereby when it is after work, you go home.  i like to hang around and do work at my own sweet time and after i am done, then call it a day.  well it's not the practice here i guess.

after meeting, i helped out with curating the papers with the expensive artist tape, got distracted with how Aye coated a really really huge screen with photo emulsion plus troubleshooting, checked out Lizzie preparing copper plate for photo etching  till about 9

.  

Then i went to the glass tank and quietly did my designing for the contents of the brochure.  

I did it asap so as to allow myself to leave for BREAK!!! break is helping out with stuff at the circus and learning stuff as i pass the various crew members doing their thing.  i love doing that.  it's better than stoning up here.

And i am done with photoshopping! YAYNESS! just sent this to jeannip.  

I have been waiting for Jeannip's reply via sms or via mail... but to no avail.  no point sitting here waiting and waiting doing nothing since my designing is done.  she didnt even give me enough info to complete the brochure... so i have NOTHING much to do... really... might as well HELP OUT YAY!

Devoir: circus brochure draft final 1

just sent this to jeannip.  i feel really lazy to do the insides... but what to do ?!!

it's my job now, still and for two more days till next week! 

Devoir: Witch's brew

just finished packing my lunches for the next 4 days.  i am gonna call it the witch's brew.

Schtick: After skiving and still skiving

can you see sonny,lizzie and noddy

on the huge litho offset press?! I WANNA

DO THAT TOO MAN... nvm NEXT WEEk

man, PRESSES HERE I COME!

Mr Free told me to go down to the workshop again to catch the next printing! YEAH MAN!!!!!!!!! gonna do some designing for a while and then head down.  I hate vectorising images... it sux. SUX BADLY!

 i'm stuck at vectorising this logo now...

one of the reasons why I DUN LIKE COM D! but still, i've gotta do it arghhh.  and it SUX that jeannip knows what "vectorised" and "graphic" is.

Lawa-man reminded me not to keep it unattended coz i left it in the guest workshop so i brought it down with me.  

I was helping Wanita with removing dust and dirt from paper and she was curating the papers using expensive artist tape(one roll $20!) YAY at least i learn sth.  i love to learn sth.  was about to walk over to sonny's litho station when he went off to the sink to wash his hands... OH MAN... and Mr Free , i was talking to him halfway, and he stopped talking to me as Ori-man came by and he stopped work too so NOTHING TO OBSERVE ARGH.