0920-2019

0920-2019

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

Sushi Grass in Paradise (A story)

written by Holly Lee
with photographs by Lee Ka-sing

(33) A General Survey of Photo Museums of the World

Another month has gone by since the HOSOP team met. HOSOP - an acronym for "House of Something on Photography" they've started to use, is a shorter form to remember, an easier name to read. They have also decided to drop "The Little" from HOSOP to avoid the clumsy length. In today's meeting at the Bentos, George brought over a small Peepal tree, a stem cutting which he obtained from Fo Guang Shan, a buddhist temple in Mississauga. Both Bentos were very pleased, especially Mrs. Bento, who heard about the apple tree story George told them two years ago. During his Winter stay in Hong Kong, George grew the plant from a single apple seed. "All things start small, so is our HOSOP." she quietly thought.

Yoji and Bill arrived on time, George said Wandy hurt her ankle the day before so needed to rest. Mr. Bento had prepared a pot of genmaicha, a green tea combined with roasted brown rice usually served cold in the Summer. Mr. Bento prefers hot tea, and he's extremely happy with the new ceramic tea pot he bought at Marshalls - Japanese designed and Chinese made. He can boil tea directly on the electric stove top and the reheat is easy. He poured everyone a small cup and returned to the kitchen with the tea pot to boil more water.

"I've done a bit of research on the photo museums of the world," Bill said. He pulled out a pile of paper from his satchel and distributed to the team. The papers consisted of a lineup of photo museums of the world, listed alphabetically by country, about thirty four of them.

Austria Salzburg
Fotohof (1981)

Belgium Antwerp
Fotomuseum Antwerpen (1986)

Canada Ottawa
Canadian Photography Institute (1985, renamed 2016)

China Beijing
Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (2007)

France Paris
Jeu de Paume (1900s/2004)

Paris
Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (1996)

Boulogne-Billancourt
Albert Khan Museum (1990)

Bievres
French Museum of Photography (1960)

Paris
Galerie de Photographies at Centre Pompidou (2014)

Iceland
The Museum of Photography (1981)

Japan Tokyo
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (1995)

Hokuto
Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts (1995)

Nara
Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City (1992)

Korea
The Museum of Photography, Seoul (2002)

Lebanon Beirut
Arab Image Foundation (1997)

Netherlands Rotterdam
Netherlands Photo Museum (1989)

Poland Krakow
Museum of History of Photography (1986)

Portugal Braga
Image Museum (1999)

Porto
The Portuguese Center of Photography (1997)

Russia Moscow
The Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography (2010)

Switzerland
Fotomuseum Winterthur (1993)

UK London
The photographers' Gallery (1971)

Bradford
Impressions Gallery (1972)

USA New York
International Center of Photography ICP (1974)

Rochester
George Eastman Museum (1947)

Syracuse
Light Work (1973)

Staten Island
Alice Austen House (2016)

Chicago
Museum of contemporary photography (1976)

Los Angeles
The Annenberg Space For Photography (2009)

Tucson Arizona
Center for Creative Photography (1975)

USA San Francisco
Pier 24 Photography (2010)

Riverside
California Museum of photography (1973/2010)

Washington
National Geographic Museum (1963)

San Diego
Museum of Photographic Arts (1974)

West Palm Beach
Palm Beach Photographic Centre (1986)

"Vow, USA listed last but they have the largest number of photo museums in the world," exclaimed Mrs. Bento.

"Also the earliest - George Eastman Museum in 1947!" added Yoji.

"But Jeu de Paume - literally palm game in French, the famous rectangular building built in mid-17th century under the order of Napoleon III, which later was used to store Nazi Plunder, had held, in as early as 1909 the exhibition of One hundred portraits of women from the 18th-century English and French schools". Bill looked at the list and pointed out. "By 1991 it has become an archive and photography exhibition venue, and in 2004 it has developed into an important centre for photography and new media. An usual and long history."

"And I've found another institution, London's Royal Photographic Society, who had actually held the first ever exhibition of photographs in a museum - the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1858. RPS started to collect photography and it's technological devices formally from the mid-twenties. Since 2017…” Mr. Bento's index finger surfed swiftly on his newly acquired 13" Ipad as he spoke, "the huge collection has been transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum, forming the now V&A Photography Centre. We’ve gotta to go there when we visit London next time…I can’t believe it, it must have been more than thirty years ago!” Using a red ball pen, he added V&A under UK in the museum list.

“And we ought to visit Palm Game too, since it’s only in Paris - one stone to kill two birds!” Mrs. Bento remarked. The Bentos had visited London and Paris in 1987, at that time they took an one-and-a-half hour night ferry across the English Channel. This time they would definitely use the Eurotunnel, which finished construction in 1994, just seven years after their crossing. The tunnel cuts short traveling time by an hour. Even though as little as an hour, Mrs. Bento thought it an important gain. They need to gather all these little gains to keep the candle burning longer, and brighter for their advancing years.


"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

 

 

VINTAGE WORK

City at the end of time (work year 1992)
Photograph by Lee Ka-sing


The photograph was originally created in 1992, for the book cover of City At The End of Time (A collection of poems by Leung Ping-kwan, published by Twilight Books, in association with Department of Comparative Literature University of Hong Kong, 1992. 186 pages. 5.5x8.25 inches. ISBN 962-7495-04-2)

 


City at the End of Time (1992), printed in 1992
C-type photograph, 40x60 inch, mounted on wood panel, with steel frame. Collection of M+ Museum.

Featured at the promotional matter of the exhibition ASIAN VIEW, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, 1996

City at the End of Time (work year1992), printed in 1993
C-type photograph, 48x80 inch, wood frame,
Collection of Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

 

City at the End of Time (work year 1992), printed in 1998
Digital output C-type photograph, 50x58 inches (image 36x48)

Printed for the exhibition The New Face of Hong Kong (1998, Haus der Kulturen der Welt / Asian Fine Arts Factory, Berlin)

 

 

在時間盡頭的城市

「在時間盡頭的城市」是在1992年為也斯中英本詩集封面所作的照片。照片的題目沿用該書的英文書名直譯本。詩集原來的中文書名為《形象香港》。這個照片,曾經在多個地方發表及展出,不只是一次,也斯總喜歡把我的照片題目𧬸正成為「形象香港」。這點我曾在一篇文字談過,也許,對於香港這個城市的態度,也斯的總是樂觀,而我卻是帶著淡淡的哀傷。詩集《在時間盡頭的城市》,1992年由香港大學比較文學學系出版,Ackbar Abbas寫了一個序文,Gordon T. Osing負責詩的英譯,書末還附錄了一篇Osing與也斯的訪問對談。

這個作品完成後不久,剛巧是香港專業攝影師公會的會員展覽,我便以這個作為展品,照片40乘60吋,裝裱在木板,配以厚手鐵框,經過流光歲月,鐵框已斑滿銹漬。當然,這個効果也是在預料之內。它保留了我成長時期對現代手感的取向,以及在工作範圍的邊緣如何挑戰既有空間的態度。這個「1992年版本」,如今成了M+美術館的藏品。

1993年我在香港藝術中心的個展「Thirty-one Photographs」,也包括了這個作品,照片48乘80吋,裝裱在黑色木框,記錄上的方便,且稱之為「1993年版本」。這個照片展覽之後,我安排重新裝裱在柚木畫框,掛在我們當時影室近門之牆。這個影室也即是我與楚喬離港後,轉換成為OP照片畫廊的空間。1993年的展覽,邱良的影藝出版為我出版了一冊影集《李家昇照片冊》,收選了所展出的全部31張作品。

1996年,日本的東京都寫真美術館辦了一個關於亞洲當代攝影的展覽「Asian View」,包括中國,香港,韓國,台灣等地區當時活躍的攝影創作。美術館的策展人關次和子來香港挑選作品,她選了我在93年個展的四張大幅照片,包括了1993年版的「在時間盡頭的城市」。展覽結束之後,四張照片也成了他們的館藏。不過程序上的安排也費了一點周章,由於日本的美術館購藏作品都要經日本的畫廊或機構進行。後來,我還是經一日本朋友的公司完成了交收的程序。是個展覽,美術館出版了一冊近200頁的作品冊。書末並附錄了一個中國,香港,台灣,韓國攝影史年表(1895-1995),前三個地區由吳嘉寶(台)編輯,韓國部分由陸命心(韓)撰寫。

上面提到的兩枚vintage照片,都是使用傳統方式的c-type彩色照相紙。早年的照片通常製作量極少,常常都是因為有展覽才作安排。1998年,在德國柏林Haus der Kulturen der Welt 及 Asian Fine Arts Factory 的展覽 「The New Face of Hong Kong 香港新貌」,展出了九位香港當代藝術工作者。我的參展作品包括彩色及黑白兩組共十多張照片,「在時間盡頭的城市」也是其中展品之一。照片50乘58吋(影像36乘48吋), 數位輸出c-type彩色照片,無裝裱,且稱之為「1998年版本」。

1995年,這個作品還入選及展出於SIGGRAPH。在今天來說,電子影像這個名詞已無甚意義,大部分照片或多或少都會經過數碼的程序。「在時間盡頭的城市」,創作時使用的工具或方式都是前數碼年代的傳統行當,只有作品完成後的掃瞄才是真正的數碼部分。當時參展也著實有點開個玩笑的挑戰想法。經過時光的洗禮,今天在媒體上的討論,只有數位輸出的照片以及傳統照片的分野。

「在時間盡頭的城市」,主要使用了兩個現成物影像元素合成:一張從高空拍攝的香港舊機場跑道的舊檔案,另一張是觀音送子的遠年年畫。當時社會正廣泛地討論著遷拆舊機場,面對著舊物的消失,新的也還未有成型。新臨,別離與相送。直奔向港灣的跑道也許即是城中不少人他日回家愐懷憶舊的切點。觀音送子也矇糊地楺合了天姫送子的民間故事。典故與隱寓不也就是攝影箇中的隱隱文學性?

 

OP EDITIONS


Wong Wo Bik
Over 100 years old bronze spiral staircase imported from France: Man descending from staircase, 1991 (#970309)
8"x10", c-type photograph
(printed in 1997)
OP Edition, with "OP editions" blind-stamp
Edition 7/20, signed, titled and numbered on verso
Featured in the OP EDITIONS catalogue, issue 9702 in 1997

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.

 

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DOUBLE DOUBLE
Issue 0920-2019

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.

Not to miss a single issue, please subscribe to DOUBLE DOUBLE Release Notification. Visit - http://doubledouble.org

DOUBLE DOUBLE previous issues were archived at -
https://oceanpounds.com/blogs/doubledouble

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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