Sunday, Aug 19, 2007 4:21AM /
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2.AM Happy Hour in Macau!
Come join me in Macau for the 2.AM Happy Hour where I will be selling and signing my photography book 'The Asian Male - 2.AM'
Thursday, 23 August 2007
8 - 11pm Happy Hour, party and dancing till late....
Performance by James Gannaban (2.AM model extraordinaire) and music by DJ Jomel (HK)
Sponsors: Tagus Beer (Yeah!)
Models and photographer in attendance for signing
Bex Cafe, Cultural Center, MACAU
First
10 that buy a copy of the book 2.AM will receive a FREE copy of Macau's
very own
Io Lap Wang Hom's new
Violin Live Selection.
For more info, please call ROSH EVENTS: +853 66288577 or +853 28300696
For the sake of it....this event JUST SORT OF HAPPENED....and I'm so
pleased that there are so many interested people out there to help on
this...especially, since Macau has hardly heard much about me. So if
you or anyone you know lives there, they are MOST WELCOME to come and
join on the festivities.
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Friday, Jul 27, 2007 11:29AM /
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below is an email i received from another photographer in melbourne who would like to see my photography shown in an exhibition he is curating. following that is my response...
>>>
dear norm,
i'd love to see you shoot a model at night, perhaps after clubing,
looking like they are just on their way home. shirt off back allys.
look for places that dont' have a lot of people late at night and
are well lit. This sort of work could elevate you into the art world.
the art world i interested in biography (of which yours in interesting)
and doing something which has not been done before. stylised documentry,
don't change the way you shoot change where you shoot.
In our discussions in HK you were interested in using your photography
to elevate the position of Asian men in the world pop culture. to add
more
to the 'given-to-be-seen' of images that people see. I'm very
interested in
your work, my feeling is that you need to find a vocabulary that is
yours.
that when people see ur photos they say "that's a norm yip." we should
really
have this conversation in person, so i can make sure i don't cause any
offence.
as my friend would say, i'm pushing you, not letting you rest, making
for a
more interesting body of work.
just a thought.
cheers
garrie
> my response back
hi garrie,
on the comment about 'that's a norm yip', i believe there are such
remarks already...so i would disagree with you on that point. many do
see a signature style that is developing...and people here in hk (at
least) are trying to copy it. and besides...i don't think that it's
necessarily a good thing when people say that...
my reasons for studio is one: to focus on the human body and form and to
leave extraneous elements out of it, while also wanting natural
expression from the model. i think i've done well capturing that in a
variety of ways without the use of props and makeup/hair stylists. my
second reason is, as i've mentioned, privacy.
as for the move to do more documentary style, that is a definite
direction for me to pursue. but we'll see what happens with this, as
much depend on people here in hk and elsewhere.
i'm rather particular with the guys i like to shoot; it's hard finding
the right guy to work with. some guys have the body but no face...and
vice versa. then there are ones that have it all, but don't want to
allow their photos to be shown on my website nor book (they just want it
for themselves to keep..of course, then i say, 'it'll cost you so and
so...').
if you do come to having a certain theme in mind for the exhibition,
then do let me know. I believe curatorial work can be very challenging,
as i've done it before. always trying to be innovative and exciting. i'm
open at this time to ideas as i've said, but not at the expense of
artistic and personal integrity. if i think what i did sucked, i wouldn''t
want to show it.
norm
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Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007 12:29AM /
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Last night, I decided to update my newsletter email list by adding Collected Emails from my Thunderbird to my email marketing database server. By accident, there was one contact that I forgot to delete from the list. This particular person, who I business correspondence with him (and hence the reason why his email appears on my Collected Emails) happens to work at Giorgio Armani, had asked not be included in the newsletters/database. As a result, this morning, I got back the nastiest email I had ever received to date indicating that he had no interest in anything I do, not my photography, not my newsletter.... and then threatened me by say he was going to send the authorities for spamming him. The latter portion of his email was written in large caps and plenty of exclamation marks, indicating he was screaming at me, loudly. I was rather taken back, in a very disheartened fashion. I quickly sent an email to him indicating it was never my intention to cause him harm nor grieve. Nevertheless, the morning message from this guy sent this wave of darkness into my chest. I pondered over his vile words that permeated through me like a knife. This felt very personal, and I don't know why. Perhaps, it was because he really, really despised me...no, hated me for making his life miserable with that opt-in mailer. I think I'll just crawl back to bed...
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Friday, Jul 20, 2007 9:35PM /
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I have been trying to think about what it is about Hong Kong that I like so much. The heat and humidity is nearly unbearable, the streets have cockroaches, the people generally rude, fake and obnoxious, people butt ahead in cues, and the mentality of most are oriented to money, self-gain and image. People judge you on your looks and what you wear, where you live and if you're sporting the latest technotronic gadget. To survive here is probably one of the hardest and toughest of cities in the world. It is not forgiving. My cousin had a secret bet that when I moved here from Canada, that I wouldn't make it past one year. As of this year, I have been in Hong Kong for 13 years. I still find this city one of the most energetic and exciting places to live and work as an artist. No, I don't have a harbour view out of my flat and I don't earn the big bucks (that I'd like). I took a major drop in revenue after making the shift from architect to artist-photographer. What's more, I started working as a bar-tender and did Tarot readings on the side-line. Do I have any regrets? and did Hong Kong let me down? The answer of course is no. Hong Kong in fact gave the opportunity to do things I never would have done if I were in any city. So long as you're willing to give it a shot? and do your best, people will give you chance at nearly anything. I tell this to anyone I meet now that has a passion for something. But here is the underlying problem with many people I meet: they don't have a clue as to what they are passionate about. They ponder the street and wonder why they can't find a job. I don't know if it's because of lack of ambition, or no need for money. But it is true, I know some people who do not have any need for money because their taken care for. Perhaps that is the clincher. For me, and here I digress a bit. One of the primary reasons I create what I create and photograph what I do is because I see the VALUE of what I'm doing not just from a creative point of view, but also from a financial point of view. I see my work as also a dollar sign. Without the drive to see it's inherent returns, I don't think I would be doing it. I'd be pursuing other avenues to create things for money. The main difference in what I create however, is that I find personal reward from the creation of the photograph, drawing or painting. And in addition, I fine personal satisfaction when I see that someone who has purchased my work, happiness and elation. I recall my first sale of a graphite drawing when a man came up to me and asked for permission to have my drawing. It was the most strange request. I said, do you mean, buy it? He nodded. It was no ordinary purchase, from no ordinary man, and no ordinary drawing. The drawing was entitled ONE, and remains the most pivotal piece of artwork to date. It was pure unequivocal Spirit. So where, where does this creative energy surface from? True, it does come from within, in my mind, my Spirit, my energy, but it also derives its energy from the surroundings, from the people, from the mountains and waters that flow in the Fragrant Harbour, from Hong Kong. The energy is not quiet, and it demands release and attention. The city can vivify or it can suck it from you, leaving you dry and vacuous.
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Friday, Jul 6, 2007 11:05PM /
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Most of the time, I find myself meeting very optimistic people in Hong Kong, whether they be locals or foreigners. But today, I bumped into a couple of guys, brothers actually, near my Sheung Wan pad when I went out for some food. We decided to have dinner together and headed to the nearest food market nearby. What puzzled and annoyed me was the dinner conversation. The two of them were complaining about the legal system and about how the police harass everyone, and without right/due cause. Frankly, this was my 4th or 5th time seeing the one brother, and each time, he was in trouble with the law/police. And it appeared that he was not at fault for anything, but that he antagonized the police. He simple loved to argue against authority. Loud and obnoxioius, the guy was phased by how I was being accepting of the fact that the police could request my ID and question me on my whereabouts. Personally, yes, I have been stopped by the police here on a number of occasions. I admit to being rather perturbed by the entire process and feeling like a criminal when being interrogated on the streets. But I just answer and they let me go. Harmless. But for these two guys at the dinner table, they just went on and on about what is fair and unfair. I give it to them for being so 'just' in their thinking, but it dawned on me that these guys are really just loud and obnoxious individuals that need to listen to themselves talk. Bad energy in a major way. I said to one of them, that it would be better to leave it be, and to move onto doing something constructive and creative, than to harp on something that was rather insignificant. At least in Hong Kong, the streets are safer than most other cities, just because of the police enforcement. I'm not saying they are perfect either, but they do pretty good for a city of 6-7million inhabitants.
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