DOUBLE DOUBLE
Writings/ Photographs/ Poetry/ Archives
A Holly Lee and Lee Ka-sing online magazine. Published on Fridays.
李家昇黃楚喬網上雜誌，逢星期五出版
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CURRENT WORK (1)
Sushi Grass in Paradise (A story)
written by Holly Lee
with photographs by Lee Ka-sing
(19) The Pockmarked Wife
A panoramic lake and city view. George and Wandy's apartment overlooks east, sweeping a wide, nearly 270 degrees to the south-west of Lake Ontario, which guarantees spectacular scenes of sunrise and sunset. They know what they've got - a million dollar view. But somehow, they still feel overwhelmed by the generous supply of natural light - banks of windows that practically embracing the flat from ceiling to floor, like a solarium not to exaggerate. The light is very welcoming in the Winter months, it's much weaker and the day is short. In the Summer, when the couple returns from hot and humid Hong Kong to dryer and cooler Toronto, their sleep is often disturbed in early morning hours, streaks of strong lights seeping in from small openings and hairline cracks through the blackout curtains. Regardless of this bit of 'discomfort', their friends always admire the light-filled condo and the openness of the view from a high point. This evening Mr. and Mrs. Bento are dinning with George and Wandy in their flat, sharing wonderful home-prepared food, getting dazzled in this magic hour by the gorgeously painted sky.
"Hmm this is so delicious George, smells wonderful and tastes so yummy. Did you spend the whole afternoon making it?" Mrs. Bento raves about the lotus root pancake George made for their supper. George is a vegetarian. Both Bentos love vegetarian food and for tonight Mrs. Bento brought over aloo gobi - an Indian veggie dish made with potatoes, cauliflower and Indian spices. She knows this is one of George's favourites. Wandy loves Chinese food and she has made mapo tofu. She always gets freshly made tofu from Korean town because it has better texture and taste.
"This tofu is fabulous!" exclaimed Mr. Bento. Mrs. Bento nods with her mouth full, analyzing the different layers of favours, the pungent, sharp and fiery gravy sunk deep into chunks of white, soft and silken, jello-like tofu. Next comes numbness in her tongue.
"How did you make this Mapo tofu? Did some expert share with you the secret to cook?" Mr. Bento asks Wandy as she walks over to the open kitchen fetching more steamed rice.
"My teacher is not a chef, he's YouTube." Wandy replies smilingly.
Mapo Tofu is a traditional Sichuan Cuisine Dish, named after the pockmarked (ma) wife (po) who supposedly invented it at her husband's restaurant. The main ingredient is bean curd. But it is the spicy sauce that sets it apart from any other way of cooking this seemingly plain and tasteless food. The fiery sauce is made of douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans). To add texture Wandy substituted the minced pork with mock meat - a form of wheat gluten. While the soft white cubes tangoing with the oily red suspension in the wok, she kicked in the final ingredients - sprinkling handfuls of freshly cracked Sichuan peppercorn and diced green scallions - Bam bam bam!
"I love the stir-fry baby bok choy, fresh and in season. The diced garlic adds so much aroma and taste Wandy" George said.
"Oh yes, I'm using only organic ginger and garlic now. It was hard to find them before but now they are everywhere. You have to know what organic really looks like to avoid buying something that's not. It's funny when you think of it - natural grown food becoming special grown food."
"And we're not far from eating computer printed food!" said Mr. Bento, "At the moment manufacturers are still using edible ingredients. For tomorrow, when technology comes up with even cheaper sources and easier methods of preparing, most food ingredients may be just synthetic, and the meat - probably lab-grown."
"Well I can't imagine the food we have to eat in the future, I mean if we run out of the types of food we are eating now. I heard that people have been preparing to survive on insects and worms, and burbling about their nutrition and protein." A shiver runs down Mrs. Bento's spine as she speaks. Blame it on her imaginative association with flying cockroaches, which are not uncommon in Hong Kong.
"Ah well, let's enjoy the wonderful food we have for now. After dinner I'll brew some vintage pu-erh tea, then more on the members of the photo museum. I imagine you already have some candidates in mind Bento?" asks George as he casually picks up some potatoes from the aloo gobi.
"Vintage pu-erh! These days could fetch up to thousands of dollars! This is a crazy world, crazy standards crazy value. By the way, would you agree to shorten the name photo museum to PMuseum? Hmm maybe not, it sounds too much like pee museum, which might well be, another museum. What about Pho Museum? No no no, not noodle museum! But photo museum is so generic. Light Museum? Photon Museum? Look Museum? Unfortunately all these names seem to refer to something else." Mr. Bento's voice tones down a notch as he ponders the question.
"Sushi Grass in Paradise" is an on-going story. To read the full length version with previous chapters, please visit- https://oceanpounds.com/blogs/sushi-grass-in-paradise
CURRENT WORK (2)
Lee Ka-sing
Selection from DUET series (work year 2019)
Photographs from DUET series are available in BIBLIOTHEKA Prints - 6.25x13 inches, with BIBLIOTHEKA blind-stamp, signed on verso.
Citylogue 1
Citylogue 2
Citylogue 3
Citylogue 4
PAPER TALK
My Image of Hong Kong
Holly Lee
Mirror Mirror East meets West. Her name Carol Gordon, Flash Gordon. Got married the year before, I met Jenny Lewis, wore her violet fly butterflies fly cheongsam in my wedding. Gordon, hair by Dean Morris, boom boom Afro hairstyle, slithering silky white worms. An Australian, or Englishman, he' the one, yes, the one first introduced us electronic mail. Was that your image, Hong Kong? Boldness and awkwardness, confident yet hesitant. Hey year, was that what you really look like? Hey 1982, was that your image, or mine?
This was the image I submitted to the exhibition My Image of Hong Kong, Poster Invitational 1982. It was organized and exhibited in the Hong Kong Arts Centre.
5"x8" c-type print.
Photographed with a SINAR 5x7 view camera.
OP EDITIONS
Alfred Ko
Shamshuipo, Hong Kong (#95P0123)
8"x10", gelatin silver photograph
(printed in 1995)
OP Edition, with "OP editions" blind-stamp
Edition 13/20, signed, numbered on front
Featured in the OP EDITIONS catalogue, issue 9503 in 1995
OP editions are limited edition photographs from the OP Print Program we organized since 1995. After we moved to Toronto, the Program was still in operation for the first five years. Over hundreds of artists have been included, with photographs released as small format limited editions, in 8”x10” fibre-based black and white or chromogenic colour photographs. We plan to publish here, a selection from the collection on a weekly basis. Some of the photographs from OP EDITIONS are available at OCEAN POUNDS online shop.
BOOKSCAPE
Sotheby’s Gallery approached me for the possibility of showing my collection of Yau Leung’s vintage photographs, for that reason, that leaded to the realization of the exhibition “VISION OF HONG KONG FROM TWO GENERATIONS, Yau Leung / Lee Ka Sing”, that held in Hong Kong, 6th to 25th in June, 2019.
Sotheby’s published a 108 pages catalogue, that covers all exhibits, include 52 photographs of Yau Leung. 32 photographs from me as well as the large format artist book “HONG KONG, TWO VISITS. 2016, 2017”.
Contributing to the catalogue, I wrote an article, in Chinese, about our friendship, and the background of helping Yau to organize the folio of his limited edition photographs.
VISION OF HONG KONG FROM TWO GENERATIONS
Yau Leung / Lee Ka Sing
Exhibition catalogue published by Sotheby's (2019)
8.5x8.5 inches, 108 pages
Exhibition at SOTHEBY'S S|2 Gallery
6-25, June 2019, Hong Kong
邱良與我
李家昇
照片與影像是兩回不同的事情。影像好像是依附在媒體上的符號或數據，照片郤是一件實在物。香港的攝影師拍下了不少不錯的影像，可惜那些影像都沒有成為照片完成品，又或者偶然因為甚麼用途而製成照片，然後又流失煙沒。在八十年代到九十年代之間，一些策展人來香港想看一些本地攝影師的作品，都因上述原因，望門而不得其入。
1995年間，我們開始了OP，一項以限量照片為媒體的計劃，主要是梳理同代人的攝影作品。所謂OP，即英文Original Photograph的縮寫，原作照片也。我們挑選攝影師，並挑選其作品，所挑選通常都是對是個原作者有一定代表性。也即是説包含著策展的性質。發行的照片都是八乘十吋，所有黑白照片均採用纖維紙基銀鹽相紙。限量20版，有编號及原作者簽名。幾年間發行了近百個攝影師的作品，香港當代攝影在九十年代的發展，宛如在這批八乘十吋照片中保留了一面縮影。九十年代，並不如現在，具存著一個照片市場，當時主要是本著興趣及熱誠，以及個人有限資源作為開發基礎。是項計劃獲得了良好反應。
我們是在這個基礎之上，開始為前一輩的攝影師如邱良，顏震東，麥烽等人整理作品，簽約代理及發行他們的照片。
在人選方面，其實都有一個共同點—他們與我們都是有著很好的朋友關係。換句話說，那一代其實還有不少同樣地好的攝影師，只是我們未及開發，他們的作品未及廣為人知。開發和整理，除了需要知識及觀點之外，在那個零環境的年代，還需要多方面專業的資源和大家高度的互信，這也是為何我們只可以從熟絡的朋友而同時又是優秀的攝影師開始。由於過往大家對照片的不重視，尢其是香港人普遍地對於照片的知識貧乏，隨著歲月轉移，照片流失煙沒，要搜集真正屬於那個年代的銀鹽相紙照片已越來越困難。
認識邱良是在八十年代。我為他的雜誌「攝影藝術」撰寫專欄。及後又在他的雜誌編輯附刊了一份異常前衛，以國際數位影像創作人為基礎的刊物「秩智DIGI」。1993年我在香港藝術中心舉行個展，他又為我出版了一本近百頁的照片冊。有一段時期，我們每週總有一兩天在灣仔的百樂門午飯，這些聚會傾談，孕育了他最初的兩本個人攝影集：「爐峯故事」（1992），「飛越童真」（1994)。這兩冊攝影集也成為了我們合作時所挑選照片的藍本。
2017年有團體辦了一個關於香港過往輝煌事物的展覽（VERY HONG KONG），大會邀請我作為攝影一項的顧問。其中關於近年對攝影貢獻的一欄，我建議一是出版教育書的劉先生，他斥資出版了一系列精緻的香港攝影師作品冊；此外，我也建議了邱良。大會接納了我關於這二人的建議，可惜只是展出了我借出的邱良原作照片而完全忽略了他的建樹。
邱良正是黙黙從事將老一代攝影與新一代攝影銜接的一人。每當新一代人攝影展覽開幕的場合總見邱的身影，在港幾乎每一個當代攝影師都是邱的朋友。當然，從作品及觀點邱都不是屬於當代攝影的範疇。他的照片，從取材，美學到採光均屬老一代，我意思是說他有著老一代的優美傳統。在香港，有著老一代的優美傳統的攝影師不少，可是大部分對現代攝影都是抱著輕視及鄙視的態度。相對，邱良出版的刊物「攝影藝術」對現代攝影的推介，所起著的正是橋樑作用。
邱良的攝影承接著西方五、六十年代的風格。除了抓拍，街拍等與其他攝影師有著共同點之外，他的童真童趣是個特色，是故可以編來一冊「飛越童真」攝影集。
前面提到梳理同代人的攝影作品的計劃如果比喻作「縱」，整理邱良等老一輩的攝影師作品的方式便可稱作「橫」。前者每人所選作品不多，但卻集中整個年代的表述；後者為專注一個人而廣泛地挑選其作品。每人選入了近百或過百張作品，每作品標示做50版或100版不等。不過，這個標示，只是表示它的可能最大值。試想100個作品，如果每要全做100張，物料使用也是龐大的資源。其實有些作品只做過一至兩張，很多作品也只是在十版之內。我們的運作方式是，每挑選發行的作品攝影師先做第一版，照片屬運作組織所有，照片用作展覧，或所有宣傳品，目録冊等製版之用。假若展覽期間有藏家要購買照片，攝影師會如數按編號製作。這個運作的好處是我們不需要囤積大量照片，攝影師也不需要在時間物料方面動用太大的資源。這個也有不足的地方，例如邱良因為意外突然離世，市場上便幾乎完全沒有他的照片，甚至，有人已訂下他作品的，也不能如願以償。
我們所代理老一輩的攝影師，正如上面所述，發行以是八乘十吋照片為主，其中有小部分選出發行十六乘二十吋，都是劃一發行20版。後來發覺有展覽需要，開始發行十一乘十四吋。香港當時的環境，和外國的很不一樣，基本上是不存在一個照片市場。我們一方面引人照片收藏的概念，一方面也要顧及本地當時客觀環境因素。原意是建立一種模式可以長期的發展下去，也是這個原因，攝影師要求從原先設定的50版到後來挑選的代之為100版。假若不是一個極致的市場，照片的起點價格較低，攝影師不能以稀有為唯一考量因素。這點我們完全同意。況且，整個計劃都是以開發、保存、推廣為考慮。
照片的價值，與其他的藝術品一樣，往往自從它本身成為完成物之後，隨著原作者本身的發展，歷史的因素，甚至社會的遷異而産生變化。一張在五十年代在紐約只值二十五元的照片，在今天來說，在市場上它的時值可能是萬倍之巨。1954年，Robert Frank的照片在紐約第一個攝影藝廊LIMELIGHT展出時的價位。也許這是一個較極端的例子；也有些照片，保持著它原來的功能，依然附在物主的家庭照片冊內，提供它的後人不斷產生綿綿懷愐。我也見過一些照片，原是原作者的創作物，一度叱咤，後來卻流落街頭雜貨攤子乏人問津。
邱良在香港攝影發展時空的歷史定位，某程度上也會為他的照片作品產生附加值。
在幾乎零照片市場的香港九十年代，邱良等人的照片有良好反應主要是因為1997的歷史時空。正要離開或眼見景異的人今天買下一葉過去留作將來無限追憶。邱良於1997年意外離世，再無照片可提供，我也是於該年舉家移民多倫多。剛轉移新環境要照顧的事也著實不少，香港的照片也是在原來地才能產生最大的効應。及後，顏震東、麥烽等也相繼離世。雖然，在我後來設立在多倫多的畫廊曾多次展出他們的作品，但也只是作純展覽的非賣品。在前述合作的模式中留下來的照片，除了是友誼的追憶之外，更希望與異域的同好者分享他們的過去。
在靈光消逝之前短暫的一刻，在傳統物料如纖維紙基銀鹽相紙被打印媒體代取之前，這批保留下來較完整的照片本應該由香港的博物館等法團保存或展覽。多年來都未見有關的與我們聯絡。去年，我們決定停止多倫多畫廊的營運，未來集中在整理過去的物件，包括我們在九十年代所辦的攝影出版，梳理同代及上代攝影師照片的計劃。剛好蘇富比的黃傑瑜先生聯絡我們問及展出邱良照片的可能性。我們經過多次來回討論，決定以兩個先後展覽，以我們過去所辦的限量照片計劃基礎下，先展出六、七十年代邱良的一批照片，另一展覽以九七前環繞變幻時空的現代作品為脈絡。這兩個前後的部分，將會成為香港攝影在九十年代發展路上的一個印記。
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DOUBLE DOUBLE
Issue 0614-2019
A Holly Lee and Lee Ka-sing online magazine. Published on Fridays.
Published by Ocean and Pounds and archived at oceanpounds.com
All rights Reserved.
Selective items in this publication are available at the OCEAN POUNDS online shop. For items featured in CURRENT WORK, VINTAGE, ARTIFACT, PUBLICATION, OBJECT, BOOKSCAPE and COLLECTION, please send a request to: mail@oceanpounds.com.
If you are a researcher or writer and want to use the material, please write us in advance. Some of the materials might have different level of copyrights involved.
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DOUBLE DOUBLE previous issues were archived at -
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leekasing.com is a portal website for current and earlier works. Apart from exhibitions, Holly and Ka-sing use extensively web platforms to display photography and writing projects. Contact us for a detail list of links.
Holly and Ka-sing currently live in Toronto with their daughter Iris, and their cat Sukimoto.
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