{"id":62093,"date":"2017-08-09T20:50:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-10T03:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=62093"},"modified":"2017-08-09T21:09:53","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T04:09:53","slug":"saigon-diary-iv-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/09\/saigon-diary-iv-2\/","title":{"rendered":"SAIGON DIARY IV: Moving to Kyoto For 1 Month"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cindy.
Cindy. Saigon. 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the Saigon airport, enjoying a (strong) Vietnamese coffee, slightly hung over… and about to head to Kyoto. Some life meditations the last 2 months in Saigon.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Spirit of play and experimentation<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Playing by Cindy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been having fun experimenting with art, ideas, and life. Cindy has taught me that we should just treat life like a lab… like a crazy scientist. To have fun. To just \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fux with it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\n TO ALL THE MISFITS<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been studying all art. Salvador Dali, Picasso, and a lot of Avedon recently. Adding more knowledge to my LEARN FROM THE MASTERS<\/a> series. Doing lots of sketches on the iPad, and traces. Trying to understand what makes art… good, or worthwhile.<\/p>\n

2. Lessons on visual sociology<\/h2>\n
\"Building.
Building. Saigon, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ok, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned that I get a LOT OF JOY just studying, and observing. This is the joy of observation in street photography. To enjoy just looking, studying, and analyzing other people. Cindy and I love to go to coffee shops or restaurants, and just observe, analyze, and often judge the people inside, or the social milieu.<\/p>\n

To me, this has given me a second wind in studying Sociology\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the study of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153science\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of society. Of people.<\/p>\n

The word Sociology is based on Latin, for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153socius\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which means COMPANION. So to me, humanity is all about companionship.<\/p>\n

\"Misfit
My life partner, companion, and fellow misfit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m lucky to have Cindy as my life companion. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad to have close friends as companions. Same with my workshop students, or other strangers I meet in the streets.<\/p>\n

So through street photography, I am analyzing and creating meaning about living as a human being in society with my lens. With creating images… which help me find more meaning, understanding, or knowledge about humanity.<\/p>\n

SOCIOLOGY x STREET PHOTOGRAPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Why make art?<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Hanoi, 2017. Shot at a coffee shop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Been reading a lot of Nietzsche, his books \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The joyful wisdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and The Will to Power.<\/p>\n

My lessons:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. To make meaning in life, make art. Art can be anything. Photos, dance, theater, sculpture, paintings (digital or analogue), poetry, prose, whatever. <\/li>\n
  2. No such thing as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfection.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Just make art that you have fun with. <\/li>\n
  3. To be happier and more joyful, be more productive. Productive as PRODUCING MORE ART, not answering emails. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    4. Never stop growing<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    I like to think of human beings like a tree. Dig deep roots. Grow tall. Have strong bark, and shed off your old bark, when growing.<\/p>\n

    Avoid insects and pests which are parasites, and stop your growth.<\/p>\n

    Grow in multifarious directions, meaning, grow not just vertically, but horizontally.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    For example, to grow as an artist, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just study photos. Study painting. Classical literature. Poetry. Philosophy. Architecture, fashion. Generally the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153old school\u00e2\u20ac\u009d stuff is better than the new.<\/p>\n

    Observe how trees grow in a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fractal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d pattern. Meaning, a tree starts from a trunk. Then grows to branches. Which turn to stems, and little leaves. And the branches grow into other branches, into more little branches.<\/p>\n

    Treat these additional branches, like branches of your knowledge. What new things can you continue to learn, and add to your tree of wisdom?<\/p>\n

    Now What?<\/h2>\n
    \"\"
    Kyoto, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Off to Kyoto. Only a spots left for my KYOTO ZEN PHOTO EXPERIENCE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    We are gonna be in Kyoto for a month with our two sisters, giving them a HAPTICLABS<\/a> internship. To encourage them to experiment, and also create new HAPTIC<\/a> products.<\/p>\n

    \"STREET
    STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION<\/a> x RICOH GR II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m excited to study more design, fashion, photography, portraiture, architecture, interior design, and the zen aesthetics of Kyoto. It is seriously like my spiritual home and city.<\/p>\n

    Why HAPTICLABS?<\/h2>\n

    Ok, so we have a bunch of money, just sitting around in a bank account. Instead of just letting that money rot, why not INVEST that money, into real people… aka our own family?<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Vitruvian Camera<\/a> by ANNETTE KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    My younger sister ANNETTE KIM<\/a> has been making lots of great designs. She actually went to OTIS art school for fashion for a semester, and she is damn skilled.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    My sister Annette.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    TOKYO by ANNETTE X ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    by ANNETTE KIM x HAPTICPRESS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    by ANNETTE KIM x HAPTICPRESS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    heART by ANNETTE KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    RICOH MAFIA by Annette Kim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Memento
    Memento Mori by Annette Kim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s younger sister JENNIFER is also a talented artist, writer, and political activist. Very excited to see what she builds and makes.<\/p>\n

    Gotta fly<\/h2>\n

    Oops gotta go, th gate is open. Thanks for always being my companion in this crazy journey of life together.<\/p>\n

    More stuff to come.<\/p>\n

    BE STRONG,
    \nERIC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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