■When is the party?

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

■ What time is the party?
16：00 ～ 20：00

(Doors open at 15:45)

■ Where is the party?
Roppongi Izumi Garden Residence 1F
1-5-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

⇒ Click here to see the map

- Roppongi-Itchome Stn. Nanboku Line (entrance in building)

- Kamiyacho Stn.-Hibiya Line (6-min. walk)

■ Things you will enjoy at this party：

Senegalese Cuisine

Pies by The Pie Guy

Live painting by Michael Lindow

Jewelry by R.wy

and much more in support of disaster relief !

■ How much?
1500 yen, including 1 drink sponsored by Zubrowka

*A  portion of the event proceeds will benefit the Japanese Red Cross!

If you still haven’t made up your mind about joining us then take a very good look at the photos below and find out all the fun that you missed out in the last party!

Soft wood. Latex. A few nuts and bolts. It sounds like a shopping list for something far simpler than the complex and highly interactive works that San Francisco, California based artist Bernie Lubell ends up creating. For the past 28 years, Lubell’s wooden machines have been installed in gallery spaces both in the U.S. and abroad, and have fostered connections between good friends, complete strangers, and the odd gallery security guard. His installations somehow manage to to bring up issues as heavy as the origins of life, yet still create an atmosphere filled with smiles, surprises, and wonderment.

10ten Magazine: I’m going to start off by taking it back. You helped set up a rather quirky San Francisco tour in the early 90′s called You are Here (You Think) which took people to out of the way neighborhoods not usually frequented by tourists. What was the idea behind this?

Bernie Lubell: I was an artist in residence at Headlands Center for the Arts and Lydia Matthew was in charge of putting together the cultural programming. There were also a couple of cultural critical theorists, Dean MacCannell and Juliet MacCannell, kind of Marxist tourism experts, (laughs). We’d gotten somewhat friendly and this idea was proposed to run a tour of the city.

At that moment, on a map of San Francisco that you would get from AAA (tourist map), the Mission District had no streets. You know a “you don’t want to go there” kind of thing, and Hunter’s Point, are you kidding? There were vast areas that were just not on the map, the places that were too dangerous for tourists. Although the Tenderloin, because it’s so close to the hotels, that was still mapped out, and that was probably even more dangerous!

So for the tour, we avoided all the places you would normally go, we put in mostly things that were kind of odd and offbeat, and out of the way. We wanted to kind of tell the understory.

Now as luck would have it, they were earthquake-proofing the Palace of the Legion of Honor at the time, and they happened to discover all these dead bodies underneath because when the Palace had originally been built, there was a graveyard there and the contractor just kicked over the headstones and built on it. So on the tour, we talked about the question of development taking precedence over everything else.

A good conversation piece for the tour…

Yeah, but shortly thereafter the city covered up the site and the evidence. In fact, today if you go to the Palace of Legion of Honor and you eat in the café, there is a big retaining wall that is still backfilled with bones— human bones. They just took a bulldozer and dumped them.

Have you always created your artwork in this way, huge installations and all?

Well I was a psychology major in college and then a graduate student in the 70s. I was actually doing sculpture, but by the early 80s I had moved on to making room-sized constructions.

You tend to use very simple materials in your constructions, wood, bolts, and good amount of latex, but you end up making some very complex machines.

All of the materials have a similar organic quality. With the latex, I make pneumatic systems and I suppose I could use something like urethane, but nothing stretches like latex…. and nothing feels as much like flesh as latex. I like that. Latex, however, has a fairly limited lifespan, although I’ve managed to keep some of the parts going for many years. And then I have to replace the latex on them. So it’s not permanent, but I like the fact that it’s not permanent because one of my points is that nothing is permanent. You may think artwork is forever, but it’s not, so I like to make things out of something that isn’t going to last.

Like those grave sites…

Yeah, even there. You think your burial is sacred in some way (laughs) but not if you’re in the path of development.

There’s the teamwork thing going on in some of your recent works, and then there’s also an exploration of relationships between people.

Cooperation is a fundamental aspect of innovation. Big surprise, right? But it is a big surprise in a way because you know, for a decade scientists had been ignoring this possibility.

I also like hiding the effects of cooperation. So it’s sort of an ‘I’ll do it for you if you’ll do it for me’ situation, which is cooperative but only at the most minimal of levels. In fact, the first piece that did this was actually a big discovery. I wanted to do a piece about the origins of life and the idea was, if everything has a cause then how can you ever have anything new. You know? This is the question.

With this piece The Second Story: a Twice Failed Tale I actually kind of discovered the answer.

The way the piece was done, all of the causes were on one side and all the effects were on the other side of the wall. I figured people would have to deconstruct and reconstruct the thing and figure out how it worked. But that isn’t what people did at all. People would find another person, or they would go into the gallery office and say, ‘Hey I need some help here. I can’t see what this is doing when it’s working. Could you work it for me so I could see what it’s doing?’

So, this is my answer to the origins of life mystery. If you have a closed system where really everything does have a cause, then you can’t really have anything new; but there are no closed systems, only occasionally we can maybe, almost, get a fully closed system in a laboratory but in the universe there are no closed systems. So what you have is multiple factors feeding into everything and when you have multiple things going on — more than one person in the case of interactive artwork — you’ve got all sorts of possibilities.

And lots of opportunity for things to go right and wrong?

Well, I also discovered that if your piece is broken and people say ‘well what does it do?’ And I say ‘well it’s broken right now’ They say ‘uh huh’ and they just walk away. They could examine the whole thing, but if it’s supposed to do something and it’s not doing it then they’re not interested.

I found if you put an out of order sign on (your broken artwork) then you get them interested again. It becomes a commentary on things breaking (laughs).

Teamwork is important in your works, but you approach the aspect in a kind of unique way.

Even before I had things that were getting people to work with each other, I was making things people had to touch or I wanted them to touch. I wanted people to play with things and make things happen, make things work. But I hope I never get to the point where I’m getting people focusing on how they’re playing with each other. I want them to just be playing with each other and let that unfold as it will.

Can you call that a central theme of most of your work?

Yeah, I’d say that’s one of the central themes. But it came about kind of by accident.

The piece Twice Failed Tales is the first piece where I discovered that people had to cooperate to get the construction to work. They wanted it to work so they created their own little system to get it moving. I thought, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’

So when I did the heart piece (Etiology of Innocence) which is pretty much the same idea, one person works the construction and the other people can see the product of the work.

The guards at the museum there also happened to love it because instead of having to say, ‘Don’t’ touch that! Stand back!’ all day, they got to say ‘Not only can you play with it, let me show you some of the things it does.’

Unfortunately, at some point, the museum decided that the guards were usurping their territory and they prohibited the guards from touching the pieces. The public could touch them, but the guards weren’t permitted to. It’s kind of an interesting story about power. Here I am trying to create this piece that’s ostensibly democratic, and Yerba Buena Gardens is a relatively democratic institution, but it’s like the Greeks and the slaves I guess… The slaves were important to keep the economy running so the Greeks could spend their time voting.

We have a slightly different system here, but it has a lot of similarities.

So in the end, do you really just want people to interact and have fun?

I do want people to have fun. I want people to touch things. I like people playing, I like people having fun, but I also like the sense of discovery. It’s not as if I’m trying to manifest this particular thing in my work, it is mostly me stumbling around and making discoveries myself, and if I’m lucky the discoveries are really good (laughs).

The people who interact with the artworks are creating a little temporary relationship with the pieces while they do this, and they have this discovery. But there’s a great irony in that because I build everything by myself, and yet it’s all about people cooperating.

There is importance in having a personal vision and seeing it through.

I don’t know if I have so much in the way of a personal vision, for me I have to be stupid to make the discovery, I really have to beat my head against the wrong wall first; until I turn around and then walk into the right wall and that bruise becomes the good one.

Sometimes the answer runs into you without you looking for it.

Well, I’m fairly good at creating a theatre for accidents (laughs), someplace where things can go wrong in the right way. I often end up fighting with the thing that eventually becomes the whole point of the piece. I’m fighting against it usually for a significant period of time before I recognize that this was the whole point of it all along.

But I think that struggle adds something to the pieces that wouldn’t be there otherwise, they pretty much are the record of everything that’s happened to them. I don’t start over again. I kind of cut that piece off, drill new holes, patch this thing up. There’s a full record of all the vestigial organs left hanging there, or little parts of them.

You’ve lived and worked in San Francisco, what are some of your favorite spots in the Bay Area?

Oh, well, underneath the old Palace Legion (laughs)

I often go up to the Marin Headlands. I like how you’ve got the old forts crumbling and you’ve got nature encroaching upon all of that. Most of the gun emplacements have fallen off the cliff or been hauled away now, and you don’t get that juxtaposition anymore. I like that whole question of permanence, and I like the fact that in a ruin you’ll have people using the site and the materials sometimes for something completely different because they have a new use; but somehow the old ruin is still partially there.

I used to enjoy Mission Rock, but the ramp has gotten kind of slicked up a bit. You’re walled off now from the boatyard. You used to be in the boatyard, having your drink, while guys are scraping their hulls down and stuff. Everything has shifted towards this kind of cleaned up, homogenized thing. Now, of course, I wouldn’t want to live in a ruin. I like having a nice house with a roof that doesn’t leak, and all this sort of stuff.

My girlfriend lives out on in Sunset in Chinatown #2, and they’re not far from Chinatown #3, which is not far from Chinatown #4. They’re also mixed in with old Russian immigrant pockets, so there’s some interesting diversity there, great restaurants—Sunrise Deli is a pretty good falafel place, there are about a million Chinese restaurants, and ten thousand Chinese dessert places, all these little stores that are selling weird plastic stuff for your kitchen for a dollar, cheap toilet paper, and rice cookers.

One place that’s a good story is the DNA Lounge. I met this young guy at a party a while back and we were talking. I said, ‘So what do you do?”

He said, “Well, I just started a nightclub.’

I said, ‘What is it?’ and he replied, ‘DNA Lounge.’

I said, ‘Oh, like nucleic acid? You mean like, genetics and inheritance, sex and things like that?’

And he said, ‘No, man. It’s D.N.A.—dance not art.” (laughs).

They wouldn’t let me in one time I tried to go. I didn’t look cool enough I think.

Do you ever visit museums when you’re traveling?

When we travel, my girlfriend always says ‘I’m with an artist, we’ll go to Paris, we’ll look at the Dorset and the Louvre.’ But no, I don’t want to go to any of those places; I want to go to things like the medical museum and the social work museum.

The interesting museums…

Yeah, I’m always looking for this slightly odd kind of thing, especially science oriented. In Europe, you’ve got all this science from the 15th century and earlier.

The only thing you can get here (in the U.S.) that has anything close to the same sensibility is the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, which is a great place, but of course David Wilson the founder gets many of his ideas from going to these other places where the truth is stranger than fiction. He creates these things that are sort of on the borderline between truth and fiction, so they have this slight fictional quality. It’s great ambiguity.

Any other spots in Los Angeles?

I don’t know. I don’t physically like LA that much. The distances are just too immense. You want to look at art in Pasadena but you’ll never make it to say, Santa Monica on the same day. I mean it’s just like two ends of the universe with 10 billion cars in between, trying to kill you along the way.

Do you like observing people when they are interacting with your work?

When people start playing with them at the opening it’s like a revelation to me. I’m actually seeing the piece for the first time. And it’s great. I’m always a little anxious because I’m worried they’re going to break it before it’s had a chance to really do much, and that does happen.

In many ways, whenever you finish making a work of art, it isn’t yours anymore. People are playing with my piece, they’re taking it over, they’re making something happen, sometimes something I never even imagined. People frequently discover flaws, things I hadn’t counted on.

Some of your pieces create what would be sort of an awkward situation between two people…

Yeah, the Point of Inflection, especially I think does that, and I don’t know that I was intending it to be awkward, but of course as soon as I was making it I was thinking that well, you know, it is kind of sexy, the piece. You’re kind of touching another person through latex, what could be more like sex than touching other people through latex—safe sex.

But I decided I kind of liked that, but it wasn’t an intention. It was just another little discovery that it wound up having that kind of quality. But not everyone feels that way.

Surely some people embrace it…

Yeah, some people just go for it. There was a huge lipstick smack on it. Someone had left their bright red lipstick on it at some point. I liked it because it created a situation where you have to communicate with your partner in some way, either verbally or not. I like that little tension that’s there.

Interview and Photography: Patrick Lydon
English Editing:Cylinda Marquart
Japanese Editing & Translation: Kyoko Koda & Natsuki Yamada

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Bernie Lubell is showing his latest interactive sculpture Conservation of Intimacy at venues in the U.S. and Europe. For more information on Bernie’s work, visit his website at http://bernielubell.com/

10ten Magazine: What is the idea behind “One Second” and how do you show motion in your photographs?

Yukinori Tokoro: When I started shooting Shibuya, I chose the early morning because I thought  I could capture the city more clearly without the crowds, but I came to realize that Shibuya wasn’t the same place without its people. I began to think of ways to photograph the city during the day but without getting in anyone’s way. While I was wandering around one day thinking, I noticed something… Whenever I stop walking and stand somewhere, whether it be in front of the Hachiko statue or a TSUTAYA rental shop, people keep passing right in front of me but somehow their faces look blurry and unrecognizable. I couldn’t get a sense of the individuality of any of these people. It was a unique feeling. I was able to visually see individual people, but I couldn’t really distinguish them from the other faces. I thought that this sensation might be interesting to show in my photos. I decided to include people in my photographs as sort of accessories of the city-maintaining the city itself as the main character. To make the accessories more interesting, I thought, “What if I caught the sense of motion by making the people blurry ?”

Ah, so that’s why the people in your photos are blurry. But what about the “One Second” concept, why did you decide on one second as the period of time you wanted to express?

To show time or motion is usually left up to the movies, not photos. At first I didn’t think it was possible to show one second in a single photo. Then I thought maybe I could combine three shots to express the past, present and future and show it in one photo by releasing the shutter 3 times in 1 second. I chose one second because I thought of one second being the simplest time frame to show in a photograph. Around that time I also began to think about the role of photography in art and expression. There is this idea that photography is meant to “be the tool to cut out a certain moment in time.” But what is a “moment,” really? It sounds like we can cut out one particular fragment of time, but we really can’t. Because even if I release the shutter at 1/125 of a second, you can still divide that into smaller pieces, the possibilities of division are unending. As there’s no standardized way to define the idea of a “moment,” I went ahead and decided on my own time frame, and try to show what can happen in the frame of one second. Conceptually I thought that “one second” would be easier for more people to grasp.

Out of all the cities you have been to and worked in, why did you choose Shibuya as the main focus ?

I feel like home there. And to be honest, there are no other photographers that can show such an intimate understanding of Shibuya in their photographs. If I name the cities I like, I say Paris, NYC, et cetera, but there are a bunch of other photographers taking pictures of those cities, but not Shibuya. Right now, I feel that I’m the only one who can do this job. Sure, I take photos of Paris, NYC and Shanghai, but Shibuya has to come first for me.

【One Second Project】Capturing the Shibuya Crossing ＆ QFRONT, from Hachiko Place

In your Shibuya photos, you seem to pick places where there used to be buildings that were important to you. When you see the city change and the old buildings disappear: do you feel sad, or do you take the changes in the city positively?

My feelings are really mixed. I feel a certain kind of nostalgia for the old city, but I have expectations and a sense of excitement for its future as well.

The fact that you are taking these photos in black and white is significant, especially since you used to take lots of very colorful photos for fashion publications and commercials. Why are you taking photos in black and white now?

Well, long story short, I wanted to start my career over, a sort of “reset”. Before 2007 I call myself “my dead brother,” and separate that part of my life from my current career. There were just so many things that made me want to leave commercial photography. So, in order to “reset” my career, I wanted to do something totally different from before. I shifted from people to scenery, color to black and white. My career sort of had a rebirth after 2007.

Interesting. Since the pictures from those two eras are so different, I suspect that some people were surprised?

Actually, there was this one time that I was thought to be “another” Yukinori Tokoro! When I had my first individual exhibition (in my second era), I hand carried my work to the Asahi Camera Gallery and the person in charge there said, “Your photos are all so interesting. And it’s funny, because I know another photographer whose name is Yukinori Tokoro as well…but his taste is totally different from yours!” I guess they looked that different, huh? But there also are some very loyal fans of mine who still recognize my photos from the second era. They say that for both eras, my works carry the same kind of dreamy atmosphere.

From the 70s to the 80s, you primarily took high-fashion photos. Was fashion your original photographic interest?

Not, exactly. It’s just that in the 70s, fashion was the most interesting scene to take pictures among all the others. Afterwards, it moved on to music, then to sports. I just worked in the field that was the most interesting at the time.

I can see that your works during those times were very colorful and bubbly. Do you think there was any connection or influence from the Japanese bubble economy? You know, everything was so bright and extravagant…

Probably, there must have been some connection between my work and the era. All my works were pretty bright, as you’ve mentioned. Techniques I was developing at the time were pretty different from other photographers who were just relying on color printers to show color and mood. My process was much more involved. I took pictures using an 8 x 10 camera, printed them, airbrushed the prints and then took another picture of the photos I’d touched up. The photos were very colorful and I used this technique for a lot of magazine covers. The “brightness” of my pictures really stood out from the rest.

Most of your work during that period was for magazines and commercials, because you were hired to do a creative thing (take photos) there is both a business aspect as well as a creative one. Did you ever feel any conflict reconciling the business side of things to your artistic side?

From my point of view, I have always been an artist, no matter what I was taking pictures of or for whom. I create my art using my cameras, and it so happened that there are a certain number of people who have liked my art enough that I’ve been able to make a living from taking pictures. Like I said before, especially in the first era of my career, my photos stood out from the others at the time very much; I got lots of calls from people in advertising, and so on. I guess I was pretty lucky that I actually got to choose what I wanted to do.

You are very lucky. I’ve never met anybody able to work in this way!

Actually, me neither. (laughs) I know I’m very lucky.

You have a rather long career so far and you’ve taken most of your photos with color. Now that you take black and white photos, does anything about the difference surprise you? When you look through your camera’s viewfinder, you see things in color, but when you make your prints they come out black and white. Do the photos ever reveal something you didn’t plan?

Not really, no. I have so much experience that whenever I release a shutter, I have a completed image in my head that I’m trying to replicate. Color or black and white, doesn’t really matter. I think that I’m really good at showing different qualities of shade, so color pictures I’ve taken before would look good even if you print them in black and white.

Out of my curiosity, has anything weird ever happened to you because of your fame? (laughs)

Yes, I had a stalker! For three days, night and day an odd woman stood in front of my house and just stared at it. After a while, she came and rang the doorbell. I opened the door with the security chains hooked, but she tried to squeeze in and kept on saying, “Please open the door! Let me in!” It was so scary, even to remember it now! (laughs) Luckily on the fourth day, she was gone.

Wow, that it scary. But I would expect that some good things happen too because of your fame?

That’s true. I think it’s easier for me to meet or work with the people I want to, I think. For example, years before, I was thinking, “This year, I want to shoot Ryuichi Sakamoto, Shinji Takeda, and Etsushi Toyokoawa,” and I was actually saying this around to people I worked with- in three months I got to shoot all three of them!

You’ve worked with so many amazing people and you’ve also had the opportunity to work all over the world. In the future, which country or city will be the center of your work and life?

I’d say, whichever place needs me the most! After all, I take a picture for just one person who wants it. Art can be art only when there’s someone who recognizes it as it is. So my job is to make those people who like my art happy. That’s why I place a great importance on communicating with my fans through mixi, Facebook and Twitter.

I see. I heard you began using Facebook and Twitter just recently. Is that because you want to communicate with you fans outside of Japan?

Yes. I used to be pretty committed to mixi, but to communicate with people internationally, Facebook is much better. I introduce my work there as well, it can sort of work as my portfolio, too.

Could you tell us 10 things / places you like about Shibuya?

1) Shibuya is convenient: There’s an Apple Store nearby that I can go to whenever I have some trouble with my iPhone, and I can find all my favorite clothes stores here, too. Good access by train and subway to places in Tokyo like Daikanyama, Harajuku or Roppongi. There’s also a bus going to Narita or Haneda airport, as well. Transportation is so good and plentiful that my car just may die out of lack of use.

2) It’s a melting pot of people: There are a bunch of amazingly fashionable people walking around in Shibuya, along with those who don’t care a thing about fashion, and there are lots of artists, too. From kids to grown-ups, this city has so many unique people. And different groups of people gather on different days or even times of the day-it’s pretty interesting.

3) There are lots of good ethnic restaurants (Balinese, Vietnamese, or Nepalese): Mainly around the Sakuragaoka area.

4) QFRONT, one of my favorite places: I like to lean on the glass wall of the building, and watch people walk by. So much information enters directly into my brain, but I can still manage not to get in anybody’s way if I’m leaning up against the building. It relaxes me, too.

5) Pedestrian bridges: Especially the one near Shibuya police station. I like to just stand on it and stare at the city.

6) My atelier: I have everything I need for my creation, and I have this sofa that I had made exclusively for me. I’ve been using it for 23 years. It’s so comfy and relaxing.

7) In the spring, I like Sakurazaka; the street is full of cherry blossoms. It’s so beautiful that I lose interest in going anywhere else for hanami.

8） My favorite pizzeria, whose name I can’t reveal: Not to mention that their pizzas are great, but I love their antipasto! Also the owner there is very nice.

9) Shibuya Tokyu and Shibuya Station as a group: Tokyu is connected to the station, so you can’t really recognize the greatness of the architecture if you are too close to it. But if you go across the street and look at them as a whole, you can see that the architecture is absolutely wonderful. That Tokyu has been there for more than 50 years amazes me! I’d love it if they choose it to be a World Heritage site. I recommend that you look at it around 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning from under the Yamanote Line area, or from three 3:00 to 5:00 pm from Hachiko or the Moyai monument. From these two places you can actually feel the greatness of the building.

10) To be in the crowd of the city; it’s so bustling that you can lose yourself in it: It’s almost like you are meditating or something. You hear so many words flying around, and when they all come into my brain, they gather and make one picture like a puzzle. Words become reoriented into new words, new sentences, it’s such a unique feeling. I guess I can get this feeling in Yurakucho or Ginza’s crowded area too, but since I have lived in Shibuya for a long time, the reoriented words or sentences fit me the best, I think. I have lived in this city for like 60 % of my life!

Thank you very much and we wish your success with your project and art work!

Thank you too!

●Interview & Writing: Natsuki Yamada, Cylinda Marquart
●Editing & Proofreading: Hideaki Komesu
● Photography: Yuki Fuse

More About Yukinori Tokoro:
If you liked his photographs here, Tokoro would be happy to accept your friend request on Facebook. Please make sure you mention that you read his article in 10.

● Official Website: http://tokoroyukinori.com/
● Twitter: http://twitter.com/TOKOROyuki
● Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yukinori.tokoro

10ten Magazine: When did you start playing music? And when did you decide to make music your profession?

YUGO: I can’t remember a certain age that I became attracted to music but it was just a part of me. I guess I am sort of a hybrid, a combination of an intellectual, anarchist father and a mother that sang in the choir. Music sort of came to me naturally, but I wouldn’t say that our family was very musical. My first instruments were the guitar and then on to the mandolin. I started playing with the guitar because my uncle had left his laying around the house. I didn’t get much support from my parents, but only from my brother, a harmonica player who moved to Tokyo about the same time that I did at age 18. I used the excuse of studying at university as my reason to leave Monbetsu, but really, I wanted to play music. I had decided early on, at twelve years old that I wanted to be a professional musician. Coincidently, I started smoking at the same time.

Where are you from?

I grew up in the town of Monbetsu, in Hokkaido. It’s a small town that is famous for crab and it’s close proximity to Russia. My great-great grandfather had been a samurai in Shikoku that had gone to the Great North as part of the group of settlers that were promised free land by the Meiji government to settle Hokkaido. He was a gambler and a tonden hei (militiamen farmer). Monbetsu is like no other place in Japan, there were always Russian traders sailor and local fisherman, and in very small pockets of the area you can find Ainu people. Much like the Native Americans of the United States, used to have their own language and customs some of the Ainu still maintain their traditions, but most have assimilated with the mainland Japanese.

Tell us about your master…

I met him when I was 15 years old. He was a harmonica player, ranked number two in the world at the time and living in Monbetsu off of his retirement pension. I met him when he was looking for a student and I studied with him until I left for Tokyo. At that time I didn’t consider him my master, but thought of him as just a ‘much older friend’. One of the reasons I admired him was his dedication to living the life of a ‘real musician’; he had quit his job earlier in life to pursue music. He wasn’t rich by material standards, but lived his life with integrity. He passed away soon after I had moved to Tokyo and he left me with three lessons, things he didn’t explicitly tell me, but I learned from seeing his life:

1. A musician has to be able to do everything for themselves; to not rely on anyone else. They must control every aspect of their craft. At the same time, if you are a one-man band, you’ll always be on the bottom rung of the industry, a gypsy of sorts.
2. You must love what you do, live for your music.
3. You can’t follow the same path as your master. And as much as I respected him, he was sort of an example of how not to live.

The path your master lined out sounds very solitary, or perhaps a more positive way to describe it would be independent, is this why you are so fond of pirates?

A true musician is all alone, fighting 100 enemies; pirates live for
themselves, and everything else is ‘just konbu’ (seaweed). They don’t care about others, but just ignore them.

Are pirates like samurai?

Probably more like the Green Berets. One fights for a 100. (laughs)

The pirate life also sounds a bit selfish. Would you say that you are selfish?

That’s what my wife says, sometimes. (laughs)

But doesn’t the individualistic pirate way of life go against the basic Japanese idea of harmony?

Harmony can be the greatest enemy of Art. I think music is a way of expressing our feelings and spirit, basically, you either find a way to show yourself or you die. But seriously, as a pirate, I am a country and also a history. When I meet other people I respect them as their own countries with their own histories. If you can recognize that, you won’t have problem with other people. The best way to live easily is with difficulty. I’ve been doing what I want to do for ½ of my life. That may be why I seem young.

You’re a bluesman, how did you find yourself attracted to this kind of music?

Probably in some ways through my father. He was an English teacher and when I was about nine or ten he sat me down to watch the American mini-series, Roots; the story of African slaves in the U.S. had a strong impact on me. He also talked a lot about the civil rights movement. I think from that early exposure to the black American experience I naturally gravitated towards the blues. There is a certain feeling of a sustained struggle that you can feel in the blues, and I guess that appeals to my belief that the musical journey must be a difficult one, full of challenges.

It sounds like from your point of view, a ‘real musician’ is one that will have to continually suffer through unending hardships. What do you think of bands that achieve commercial success and become wealthy celebrities, perhaps a group like the Rolling Stones?

I don’t know if I think like that, but there was a time that I was really fond of the Rolling Stones. In their earlier work you can see and feel their wild struggle and push to get better and challenge themselves. However, once they ‘made it’ they seem to have stopped changing and bettering themselves. Musicians must always be pushing their limits. When life is too easy, there is no reason to improve. If so, we lose the meaning of life as creators.

You had mentioned that you feel at home in New Orleans, and the American South…

That’s right. I spent time touring both in New York and New Orleans. In New York there were much more career opportunities—with shows every night and people actively scouting new talent. But in New Orleans, the music, the atmosphere, the people, and the food had much more soul and felt more authentic. All over the tourist areas of New Orleans you can hear any kind of music, but once you get to the backstreets, away from Bourbon Street, you can find ‘real music’. At places like Esplanade Avenue, the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street, and Frenchmen Street, I heard ancient sounding Cajun bands, it was like they were singing and playing in a different language. And I loved the gumbo in New Orleans—reminded my of a Japanese rice soup.

Around that time I was getting tired of life in the big city, so the slow, easy going mood in the South, and the spirit of valuing freedom in the states really comforted me. That experience has become a very important part of me, even now.

Mostly you play as a Travelling One Man Band, but you also form a duo with your wife, what’s it like being married to a musician?

I never thought that I’d get married. There is this image that musicians are out of touch with marriage, but when I met my wife the chemistry was powerful. She’s a jazz singer and djembe player and she sings in a salsa band now, too. We met at “What the Dicken’s” in Ebisu. Honestly, I don’t often see female performers who are both beautiful and talented—she is both.

Ah, so is that why she is able to get you to do the housework?

Ha, ha. She’s quite headstrong. But I guess thirty-six was a lucky year for me. I had just returned from the U.S., and I met her. And yes, I do some of the housework but that’s only because of our schedules. She’s pretty busy.

What kind of things do you argue about?

Mostly about musical and creative differences. We’ve got different opinions about which musicians we think are truly great. I prefer more innovative work while she is a bit more classic in her tastes. I always say, ‘use your brain’ when it comes to music.

Wait, you don’t tell your wife to ‘use your brain’ do you?

No, no, I say that to the other musicians around me. I don’t say that to my wife, because I know what would happen to me if I said that to her. I ain’t no fool.

Any important milestones or memorable performances you can share with us?

When I was living in the states I was able to visit the grave of (one of the greatest blues artists of all time) Robert Johnson in Morgan City, Mississippi. It was raining a little and chilly. I sat in front of his grave with my guitar my arms, and as soon as I started singing, the clouds in the sky started moving and the light came down on me and the grave. And when I finished singing, the clouds were back again, and started raining… I felt like it was some kind of message from Robert.

As for performances, in Japan, for the most part, I play in Tokyo, but a few years back I was invited to play at a friend’s wedding in Shimane. The people in the countryside reacted so strongly to my music, it was as if they were hungry for entertainment and everyone danced wildly and I was really taken aback by their passion and energy.

Playing mostly in Tokyo, what’s your take on the Tokyo scene?

Being a musician in Japan is, as well as any other cities in the world — hard, and to be honest I’ve never cared about the Tokyo scene. There is no scene here, so somebody needs to create it. I try to play my guitar everyday, and perform on the weekends at places that don’t have a cover charge, and ask around for money.

How do you feel when you are on stage?

I’m just trying to do my best and hope to entertain the crowd. I hope that people can feel something from my music.

Can you give us 10 words that describe Cyberblues?

BLUES
ART
ENTERTAINMENT
INVENTION
JUNKYARD
LONELINESS
FREEDOM
LOVE
MY MASTER
STUPIDITY

Interview: Cylinda Marquart
Edit & Translate: Ikumi Mochida, Natsuki Yamada and Cylinda Marquart
Photography: Ikumi Mochida

Hiroshi Shafer, said to be Quentin Tarantino’s favorite artist, is based in Brooklyn, New York. Shafer was born in  Tokyo. Hiroshi’s current exhibition at Hakusen Gallery – titled “Good Part of You, Bad Part of Love” - is from the ongoing project “Future Camera, Maybe Not.” This project is organized around two videos, “Hide Your Ordinary Face and Open Your Flower” and “God of LOVE,” which document performance art workshops that Hiroshi ran in NY and Prague.

●Official Website: http://hiroshishafer.com
●Twitter: http://twitter.com/hiroshishafer

1.
10. What would you be if you weren’t an artist?

A housewife, shufu.

2.
10. Please tell us about the theme of your present exhibition.
The theme is “doing art as a way to communicate with people.” I regularly meet people and think that I only have art as a way to become friends with them. Essentially, if I can have people get hands-on with my art projects, then through them we can soon form a friendship.

3.
10. What is the title of this exhibition?
“Good Part of You, Bad Part of Love.” The title represents me. I thought it would be fun to question whether the positive parts of the self function as positive elements in a relationship.

4.
10. Please explain this exhibit.
The theme of the exhibit is that people wearing masks say things that they normally can’t say. I initially made masks because I embarrass easily.

5.
10. Hiroshi, you are succeeding as an artist in New York, but what is attractive about the city to you?
New York’s a difficult place. Nothing goes well, nothing. Tokyo is comfortable, so it’s boring.

6.
10. If you compare Tokyo’s art scene with New York’s, what kind of things are different?
I feel Tokyo is passive. In Tokyo, you simply can attract or mobilize people using graphic design advertisements. Another difference is that foreigners with a reputation abroad come to Tokyo and people say, “Wow, cool, a foreigner.” But in NY I feel it’s different; artists working within the NY scene can get by.

7.
10. What was the reason you started producing photographs and video?

I love television to death. When I was a kid, I’d watch about ten hours a day. I thought that someday I’d like to produce my own TV show. When I graduated college, I worked at a TV production company for six years. Then I began to hate it and stopped. For a while, after becoming an artist, I didn’t want to do video. But, among all the mediums of expression, I’m most suited for video… I took it up this year.

8.
10. Has there been a turning point in your work?
The turning point was a solo show in 2008, at which I exhibited only sculpture. From then on, I began producing photos using sculpture, as well as sculpture with absolutely no pictures. The reason for this was my divorce. Until then, I basically felt it wasn’t scrupulous to use naked models and whatnot, but after divorcing, I felt I could do anything.

9.
10. What are your future work plans?
I’ll take a short break. This year I’ve pushed myself to the limit. So when I return to New York, I’m thinking of making clothing for a bit.

10.
Top 10 Favorite Films & Television Shows

Sleeper (Woody Allen, 1973)
Joe’s Apartment (John Payson, 1996)
Flesh Gordon (Michael Benveniste and Howard Ziehm, 1974)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Garth Jennings, 2005)
Painter (Paul McCarthy, 1995)
“The Mr. Bill Show” (Walter Williams’ Saturday Night Live skit, 1976-80)
Tobe! Songokū (Tokyo Broadcasting System Television TV series, 1977-79)
Dobu (Kaneto Shindō, 1954)
Play Misty for Me（Clint Eastwood, 1971）
Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)

Hiroshi’s current exhibit runs until October 31st at Hakusen: http://hakusen.jp/
1-36-14, Minami-Asagaya, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0004

interview & translation: Matthew Chozick

Hiroshi Shafer

amber gris
Visual Kei band started in February 2009 with five members: Temari on vocals, guitarists kaname and wayne, Koto on bass and Yuma on drums. They have released two singles on CD and one mini album, all of which are available on their official website (http://www.amber-gris.com/pcshop.html). amber gris will be performing their first live show at Takadanobaba AREA on Sunday, October 17th.

10ten Magazine: I think for Visual Kei bands your image is very much tied into your makeup and clothing, but you guys came with no makeup and regular clothes. Did you hesitate to be here today without that image?

Temari: First of all, the actual Visual Kei boom ended like 10 years ago, and now that the boom is long over, Visual Kei occupies its own place in the music scene. For those who’ve never been interested in this kind of music they may only see the outrageous costumes and over-the-top makeup; they probably see us as a pretty narcissistic group of people. But Visual Kei is a culture-in-itself. This interview gives us a good opportunity to talk to the non Visual Kei media and really be ourselves while we talk about “what Visual-Kei is really about” and “what kind of band amber gris is.”

Koto: I didn’t really feel hesitant or awkward, either. For Visual Kei specialized magazines, it might be too early to show our ‘naked’ side, but for 10ten Magazine, I think it’s fine.

So, tell us. How does amber gris define Visual-Kei?

Temari: Visual-Kei is a kind of music that uses both visual and sound elements to express our world as artists. Most musicians just focus on their sound for shows and recordings, but for Visual Kei bands, we have the visual element to add in as well. As artists, we think that having this visual element puts us at an advantage artistically. We’ve been influenced by lots of different genres of music, but for the creativity allowed to us by the visual side of Visual Kei, we’ve decided to stick to this.

wayne: For me, Visual-Kei is the coolest genre. The current music scene in Japan is kind of boring because it’s just mimicking the Visual Kei sound of ten years ago.

So you’re saying that musicians in other genres may also have roots in Visual Kei?

Koto: I would think so. There must be some kind of influence for those who grew up listening to Visual Kei music. So from our perspective, there isn’t a distinct line between our sound and that of other bands.

kaname: The clear difference is that they don’t want to wear makeup! (All members laugh.)

wayne: Unfortunately, there are only a few people like us who are pursuing the actual style of Visual Kei. So that’s why they sometimes refer us as different, unique, or even unorthodox.

Temari: We think what we do is pretty simple and natural, but in the current music scene, it’s unconventional—, they treat us like some rare species.

Why, though? How are you guys different from other Visual Kei bands?

Temari: The easy example is that we don’t play-up to our audience.(laughs) These days, Visual-Kei bands tend to be too close with their audience, as if they were friends or something. This can really take the professionalism out of performing.

What do you mean by “too close to the audience”?

kaname: This might be hard to imagine if you’ve never seen a Visual Kei band perform live, but some bands have these choreographed gestures they do with the audience: like if we raise our right hands, the audience does, too.

Temari: That kind of thing is popular among other rock bands, as well. They sort of make the audience do what they want them to do. But the bands start to think of themselves as idols or cheerleaders because of all the audience participation and shouts. It really lacks in professionalism. We’d rather cut all that out of our show and put on a performance for our audiences. We think that all Visual-Kei artists should do so. By doing that, we stay true to the spirit of “what Visual-Kei is really about” as well as show the audience that there are still artists like us who can create an alternate world. Hopefully we can open people’s eyes to Visual Kei and let them enjoy the fantasy.

Have you guys always shared the same concept or vision? When your band was coming together, did you talk about a vision?

Temari: We never really talked about it but naturally developed our concept by playing music together. When we’re in the studio, I talk to our group about my vision of the world and how I want to express that through song— like with scenery, flowers or characters I see in the song. Each member translates those images in their own way into music, and eventually we have a song. We enjoy this process and put importance on having fun when formulating our style, so not too much talking or discussing the topic of concepts and so on.

Isn’t it difficult to have a concrete concept to stick to? You know, things can go all over the place.

wayne: Well, we actually want to be open to those kinds of changes. “Without a concept”, is kind of our concept; we generate our music in our own way.

So amber gris is always growing or evolving?

wayne: Sure.

Koto: It actually happens a lot when we make a new song—we go, “Wow, that’s new! But, cool!”

wayne: Yeah, “new” is like the best thing someone can say to me. (laughs)

kaname: If the image of amber gris is too concrete, it’s like we got all answers and it’s no fun. Because we never stick to one concept, we’ve been able to become what we are now.

Temari: So in other words, for music fans who want to have a defined image towards their favorite bands, they tend not to like us. But that’s just how things are with amber gris, and whether they like our music or not, we appreciate that they would even take the time to form an opinion on us.

Now for something a bit basic; for each of you, why do you create music?

Temari: I was raised in a pretty regular family. But for as long as I can remember, I have always had the feeling that something was missing. I wondered about the meaning of my own life or had an urge to find something special about myself., I kept questioning myself about this while I was growing up. I was a crafty kid, so I drew and made things and won prizes at school and stuff. Gradually started to see that creating something could be a way to express myself. Then, at the right time, a friend of mine asked me, “Hey, wanna start a band with me?” It just happened like that. So, if he had said, “wanna make ceramics with me?” I might have had turned out to be a ceramic artist. (laughs) Either way, I think I’d be lost without music, because I’d lose the means to express myself. Making music can be tough and even painful sometimes, but it also makes me feel my very existence.

wayne: As for me, music was the only thing I was ever actually interested in. At first, I was just a fan of the famous guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei, and started playing the guitar. But then I started to write my own songs, and this one time when I was on a stage with my band, I felt this strong release of emotions; it was like I cleansed or purged something deep inside of me. I believe that those who put serious energy into their music probably understand this – it’s not about the applause by the audience or anything, but you really get caught at the moment of what you’re playing… I think it’s the kind of emotion that you have to be really lucky to be able to experience. One of the reasons I keep playing is because I know that it’s out there and I might be able to experience that feeling again.

Koto: I have this artist who influenced me in various ways, but then, he died. I learned so much from him, and somehow his death made me think that I should do something like he did for me for younger generations. So, that’s how it was for me. I’d be glad if someone could learn or experience something out of what I do… Also, on another level, I think I want people to know and remember my existence in some way, you know, so that I will be here even when I’m dead.

kaname: I started playing guitar because of my father and brother. I just thought it would be cool at first, but one day I wrote my own song, and I was like, “Wow, I can write songs!” As a kid, I kind of felt like I didn’t really know myself, but every time I wrote a song, I learned something new about myself. Now, it’s become one of the ways I can understand and learn about myself. For me it was the guitar, but if there’s anything else that can be used to help me know myself better, then I’d like to try.

Yuma: For me, playing drums was the only thing (amongst everything in my life) that has lasted until now. I used to read magazines about some guitarist or someone who was saying, “So far, guitar is the only thing that has lasted all my life,” and all I thought of was, “Yeah, right.” But here I am, saying playing drums is the only thing that’s stuck with me. (laughs) I had always liked Visual Kei music, but I wasn’t a very outgoing type so I never thought I’d be up there playing it. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I fit into the life of having a normal job at some company, getting married and raising kids, you know. I’d rather be with different people every day and fill my life with excitement. And to add to this, a friend of mine who used to be in a band with me died, and I owe him to continue doing this. And of course, I owe my family for supporting me, too.

You all have very different reasons and motivations, but for all of you, music is “the thing” you do for yourselves. What are your plans for the future?

Temari: One thing we aren’t aiming for is to make a big hit or anything like that. I think that what we get from our music or the satisfaction is something we get from just playing. At the same time though, we’re not doing this just for fun either, so we are eager to know how far we can go. That’s about all we want, really. To sum it up, I think we are just really lucky we’ve found music – there must be lots more talented and better musicians out there who simply don’t find the satisfaction on the process.

kaname: If I were shown this (picking up their album Child Forest) when I am old, I wouldn’t believe it. I just make music, and put it into the format of amber gris and send it out to the universe. So being popular or big doesn’t really matter to me.

Let me ask you something from a different angle. You don’t belong to any agency and do everything on your own. Why did you choose to represent yourself?

Temari: We used to be in different bands (separately) that belonged to agencies. I was really young back then, and for me especially, they took care of everything…

wayne: Meaning you were a spoiled kid! (members laugh)

Temari: Anyway, they took care of everything but I couldn’t really find any success in that; I felt helpless. I kind of want to show them what I am now, sort of as a return for what they’ve done for me. Also, I love the process of us working together and having to make sure that we are all on good terms with each other. The process of managing our relationships ourselves and sharing ideas improves our music.

I heard you guys made your own homepage, as well. From designing to programming, and even the artwork on your CDs—everything is done with your own hands?

Koto: Yup. I do the programming, and wayne and kaname are in charge of design.

wayne: I never even knew what Photoshop was before. (laughs) But I’ve always questioned letting others handle the artwork of your own CDs.

Temari: Especially for Visual Kei bands, they should do it themselves! (laughs)

I’ve also heard you rarely spend money on your promotion?

Temari: Yes, and that’s very rare for Visual Kei bands, nowadays. (laughs) If we have an agency to rely on, we could get exposure in magazines every month, but we don’t. And buying a page in a magazine is pretty expensive—we can’t afford that. We’ve always been concerned with the lack of originality in Visual Kei ads, too. They are all about headshots, and there’s no creativity there. Fans expect you to be in magazines every month, and when you aren’t there, they think you must have disappeared.

wayne: It’s sort of like on-screen talents. If you don’t see them every day on TV, you think they’re done. I mean, we get that everyone has their own style, so no we don’t judge though.

Koto: Personally, I’d like people to know about us more through word of mouth and come and see our shows that way. We are a rock band at the end of the day. Of course, I’d be glad if anyone is interested in us from magazines, I think it would only be about our appearance.

So on a promotional level, you just do live shows, exclusively?

wayne: We do sometimes get exposure through interviews and stuff through people we know; each of us have friends with magazine contacts. We really appreciate this network of people around us that support us.

Temari: I think this support network is sort of ‘the fruit of our efforts’, and we are really thankful for it.

kaname: Or, they simply pity us for not being “Ikemen” (good looking)! Sort of like a charity cause… (They all laugh)

Temari: When we make appearance in magazines, we don’t just do headshots but wear our own clothes and create the atmosphere on our own. For a Visual Kei band, once again, the artwork is very important.

Koto: And I think not belonging to any agency enable us to do so. If an agency comes in, we just have to do what they think is the best for us, meaning, for us to be successful.

wayne: I agree. And in terms of business, that’s what they have got to do.

Temari: I hope people understand that we don’t just sit back and relax, make no effort. We tend to be thought as a free-spirited group of people who don’t think and do what ever we want to do.

kaname: Well, I see some true in there though… (laughs)

Temari: But especially for Visual Kei bands, we always get, “They say they are busy with their work, but I bet they are just hanging out with girls.” (laughs)

Ok, so these days, I hear that Visual Kei bands are worldwide attention. What do you think of that?

Koto: I’d be interested in playing overseas, too.

Temari: Well, it’s good news, but I think we should be successful in Japan before going out there and get international attention. I think foreign people could be open to what we do and listen to us without any prejudice. I’d like to know what kind of response we’d get.

wayne: I’m curious what they see in us though? To get all this attention… I’d like to ask that someday.

The last question—Can you express amber gris in 10 words?

amber gris: Here is our essence in 10 thoughs: 1) To live, 2) To die, 3) You, 4) Me, 5) Pain, 6) To lose something, 7) To gain something, 8） To love, 9) To enjoy, 10) To be happy.

Thank you for today!

Amber gris: You too!!

Interview: Hideaki Komesu
Edit & Translate: Natsuki Yamada and Cylinda Marquart
Photography: Ikumi Mochida

・amber gris official web site: http://www.amber-gris.com/
・amber gris My Space: http://www.myspace.com/ambergrisjapan

●CD infomation

　1st Mini Album 2010.09.15.Release
Child Forest
　2,300 yen （tax incl.）
1. sadness hides in golden sand hill
2. over flow girl’s sick
3. Amazing world
4. See breeze, rain, and the last letter
5. snoozy and roll
6. Dark green Loreley
Selling Agency: an griffon　/ Distribution source: ONG DISTRIBUTION / Product Number: AGR-003

Available in CD stores all around Japan, or online:
　●amber gris official web site（shop）
　●Amazon.co.jp

●Live Schedule

amber gris 1st One Band Live
A girl in a Heart Wrecked Forest

October 17 Sun @ AREA Takadanobaba
OPEN: 18:30 / START: 19:00
Advance ticket: 2,800 yen / On the day ticket: 3,300 yen

**Tickets are available at:
– Like an Edison Tokyo No. 001-100
– Lawson Tickets (L Code: 76833)　No.101-450

Born in 1985, in Miyagi prefecture. In 2005, while in college, together with a friend he started a service called “Tadacopy”, which eventually became Oceanize Inc. Ota announced this January that he was leaving his company to start the Samurai Backpacker Project.

10ten Magazine: I was a bit surprised when I heard that you were leaving your company for a round-the-world trip, especially given that your company is such a success. Why now?

Hideki Ota: I’ve always wanted to go out and see the world. It became an actual plan when I turned twenty-five and made a “5-year-career plan.” If I wanted to be the person I pictured myself at thirty, then this would be the time for me to learn about business and life outside of Japan, and also learn to speak English.

A 5-year-career plan! So you pictured yourself at thirty? What is this guy going to be like?

Nothing is concrete yet, but I’ve always wanted to be a globally competitive businessperson that could set up a new service or business on an international scale. To reach that dream I need to see the world and learn how to communicate with people outside of Japan, as well as to speak English. So this coming year or so will be my training period.

So that’s why this project is named Samurai Backpacker Project! A samurai is very much like a competitive businessperson. Can you tell us more about the project?

Sure. I’ll start my travels out in the States, South & Central America, then on to Africa, Europe, and finally to Asia. It’s going to take a year to a year and a half. The main purpose of this trip is to interview Japanese “samurai entrepreneurs” working in different countries and introduce them to young Japanese people through my website. I hope it will give people in Japan an opportunity to learn about successful Japanese overseas.

It sounds quite different from what we imagine from the words, “round-the-world trip”.

Right, that’s actually another thing I’m trying to do. I’d like to bring a new meaning to the idea of round-the-world trip. It can also be for practical reasons that will eventually prove good for your career, not just fun, you know. It’s such a shame that those who want to go out and explore the world and learn new things hesitate to do so because they are afraid of “time gaps” in their careers. In Japanese society, it’s all about “keeping up with your career and never straying from the path you set,” having time gaps on your resume always seems to be bad for your career. So, if both eager businesspeople and those who are in the hiring position could share the idea that travelling abroad was a good career move in the long term, it could open up a lot of windows.

That’s brilliant. If that kind of notion became more commonplace, a lot more people would be able to say, “I’ll go to three countries to see how advertising businesses are run in each country,” without having to worry about their career.

Exactly, but it’s important that people have a clear purpose in their travels, not just a desire to ‘see the world’. Having a purpose is most important.

So you say your project is targeting younger generations. What ages would they be?

Current college students to professionals in their twenties. When these people choose their first jobs or change jobs, I want them to have the ability to widen their choices and include the entire world.

When did you start having an interest in global business?

At first it was more like I felt global business was a threat or something; I got to know this business consultant a few years ago and I was shocked to realize how little I knew about doing business outside of Japan. Then it happened again when I went to Hong Kong on business, the feeling of shock. This time I realized that my lack of English abilities left me feeling helpless… At business dinners I just sat there and did nothing! So these two incidents always stuck in my mind and I knew I had to do something, sometime. I was only waiting for the right time, and that time happens to be now!

Why do you think younger generations are less eager to leave Japan? We are already in the era of internationalization, right?

Actually, I don’t think that they aren’t interested; they just haven’t had many opportunities to explore internationalization. They read and are told that internationalization is coming but until they see it literally in front of them, it’s not really a part of their reality. I think what people need is a message that shows the positive side, instead of just warnings and threats.

For example, if you play sports, you have Ichiro for baseball or Nakata for football/soccer to look up to as examples. Sure, not all athletes can be like them, but at least people are aware of a potential future. But if you are just a businessperson working in Japan, you don’t really have the chance to know of any “Business Samurai” doing amazing things on a global scale. That’s where my Samurai BP comes in ? for me to meet those samurai in the world ? possibly from all kinds of different fields ? and introduce them to Japan!

Great! But it must be hard to find interviewees in so many different places. How are you expanding your network?

Right now, I’m only going through people I know. I have some people to interview in the US, but I definitely need some interviewees in South and Central America. If 10. Magazine readers could post any information on our website, that would be great.

And the interviews are going to be on your blog?

Yes, mainly on my blog. And I have some online media offering to post my articles on their sites too.

What are the goals for Samurai B.P.?

If someone, somehow, becomes motivated by this project to take a new step?that would be wonderful. They don’t necessarily have to leave Japan but maybe start with something like taking conversation lessons. As for myself, my first goal is to acquire a decent level of English speaking skills and come back from my journey with enough resources to start something new in Japan.

I see! You already are a samurai who can inspire the young crowd in Japan! I heard you just came back from the Philippines after three months of English study before the official start of your project. Why did you pick the Philippines?

The main reason was financial. In Japan most people who study English abroad go to the States or the U.K., but in Korea and China, the Philippines is their first choice. For a month with room and board, plus six hours of private lessons a day, costs only something like 100,000 yen!

100,000 yen for a month. That’s amazing! If you think about the high rent in Tokyo…

I know! And there are already hundreds of English schools there, too. The fact that Filipinos speak English isn’t well known in Japan, yet. But I think in the next few years studying abroad in the Philippines is going to be very popular and common in Japan.

So you were in the Philippines for three months, but doesn’t it scare you at all that you are going to be by yourself travelling around the world for more than a year?

Well, not really. (laughs) I mean, I’m kind of worried about if I will be able to find enough interviewees or not. But other than that I’m more excited than scared. I’ll tell you this? when I took a mental stress test at my previous company, I had the strongest tolerance level against stress. Even when something bothers me a lot, I sleep for one night and the stress is reduced by fifty-percent!

That’s something! (laughs) Where does your mental strength or courage to start your own business come from? Do you have anyone who deeply influenced you or that you admire as a role model?

I have been asked this question before, but I can’t say anyone in particular. I respect every person for some aspect, but a role model? Not really. If I had to choose one person though, I’d have to say my grandfather. He started his own gardening shop and nursery and he still works regularly at the age of eighty. He’s very young-spirited, open-minded and not afraid of taking on the challenge of new things. I don’t know if he had any direct influence on me, but I admire him.

I see. A very powerful eighty-year-old grandfather! I can kind of see him in you. But besides that, you seem like you always have your own things going on, like you are living by your own philosophy. If possible, could you share 10 aspects of “Ota’s Philosophy” with us?

My own philosophy? Let’s see… I think I can but they may be a bit ‘heavy’. I hope you are ready! (laughs)

1) Have a free mind, not free time: being free is not about having lots of free time, but to have a free mind and be able to do what you really want to do. So I’d like to be free in this way and I’d recommend this to the people around me, too.

2) Never settle with “whatever”: when I need to make a choice, I never want to settle with just “whatever” without comparing all of my options. “Whatever” means that “I’m not thinking.” I want to always be conscientious with my thinking and make my own choices.

3) Being “topnotch” at something is about creating your own work: whatever you do, I think a person can only be topnotch if they create something themselves. In business, you have to take a big picture view about your work, think for yourself, and create your own opportunities.

4) Feel the fate in everyone you encounter: treasure every chance you have to meet someone and always think, “what can I do for them,” as well as “what can I learn from them.” I think this kind of thinking can really help us enrich our lives.

5) Life is like relaying a baton: whenever you receive something good from someone, you pass that along to someone else and don’t worry about getting something passed back to you; it’s like a baton in a relay race. This idea was shared with me by a very helpful person.

6) Don’t kill your own possibilities: in a lot of cases, the matter of “possible or impossible” is just a matter of trying or not. Especially while we are young, we should believe in ourselves and try whatever we want, so that we don’t end up “killing” our own possibilities.

7) When you are explaining something, don’t just speak at people but talk to their hearts: to get people to agree with you or accept your ideas, you have to be sure that what you meant (your message) was correctly received. In cases where you have to tell your employees something that isn’t going to be well received, you really have to speak honestly and persuade them with the earnestness of your heart.

8） Blame yourself before anybody else: never blame someone else without first looking at yourself and how you handled your own responsibilities. It’s always easier to find blame in someone else.

9) Judge and decide: in a lot of cases, we can judge important matters by comparing them to decisions we’ve made and the results we were given in the past. But there are times that you simply can’t find similar elements for comparison and can’t really judge, but just have to decide. The important thing here is that to make sure your decision was a good one, you’re going to have to work your ass off to make your decision “the right one”.

10) Walls are doors: when you feel that there’s a limit or boundary in front of you, don’t just run away before trying anything. What might look like really tall walls blocking your way can often turn out to be doors that lead to lots of opportunities. You have to at least see if the walls are really walls, or if they are doors.

Wow, 10 very serious answers! Very you! (laughs)

Yes, I know! I’m tired from just thinking about them, too. But in all honesty, I kind of like thinking about things like this…

Well, it was so much fun and very inspiring interviewing you today! Thank you very much and please take good care of yourself while you’re on your travels!

Thank you, too! Here I am, going off to see the world!

interview: Natsuki Yamada
photography: Ikumi Mochida

More about Hideki Ota

Ota began his trip on September 15th, and is now in the US (West Coast). If you have any information about potential Japanese entrepreneurial samurai overseas that can be interviewed, please post them on the official website of the Samurai Backpacker Project. (The website will get an English version soon).

His project is also featured on Asiajin. Read his interview from here.

●Hideki Ota on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MOHIDEKI

Interview coducted at:
■ Shop Name: LIFE Kitasando ■ Address: 3-30-9-101 Sendagaya Shibuya (google MAP)
■ Phone Number： 03-5474-8204
■ Open: Lunch 11am-4:00pm / Dinner 4pm-11pm (closed on Sunday and National Holidays)
■ HP: http://www.life-kitasando.com ■ Twitter： http://twitter.com/lifekitasando

Years in Tokyo: 8 in total
Job: Astrologer
Favorite Place in Japan: Shikoku near the Shimanami-Kaido bridge. Dramatic whirlpools swirling around in a beautiful turquoise sea.
Recommended Night Spot: All the tiny oyaji bars around Shin-bashi.
Favorite Japanese food: kushi-yaki

What exactly is Astrology?

It’s the notion that the planets in our solar system represent archetypes, that they’re alive in a certain sense, and that we humans are deeply and mysteriously connected to them in some way. It’s a return to an ancient way of perceiving the universe and our place in it – “as above, so below”.  Central to astrology is the concept of an archetype – that is, the concept of universal principles or instincts or forces that structure human experience. Saturn, for example, represents the saturnine archetype of restriction, limitation, old age, authority, wisdom, hardship and structure. It’s associated with the Greek God of Cronus who was the father of Zeus and is often thought of as a stern father figure.

Most of us believe in some sort of mind-body connection. Astrology takes it a step further by believing in a mind-body-cosmos-consciousness connection. It’s related to the notion first popularized by Carl Jung that there is such a thing as meaningful coincidence – the concept of synchronicity. In these modern times where a mechanistic and materialistic view of the universe is a prerequisite to being considered educated or intelligent, it’s the hardest thing to talk to people about the existence of a cosmic soul or consciousness.  It’s important to note we don’t think the planets “cause” events or generate particular personality types. It’s about the mysterious correlation between events / personalities with planetary alignments. It’s a correlation that’s rooted in a deep interconnectedness with human consciousness and material reality.

Well, I could go on but maybe answering your other questions will help to clarify these ideas. But let me just add that it’s not about fortune telling as commonly understood or other such silliness.

What is your background and what made you decide to pursue Astrology as more than just a hobby?

After graduating from college, I held a variety of jobs in academic and business settings including in the technology industry. After leaving the busy life of a salaryman, I naturally drifted back to a couple of persistent interests one of which was metaphysics and spirituality. I went back and reread one of Gauquelin’s books and discovered Richard Tarnas. And of course, I have to mention the midlife tumultuous influence of the Neptune square and the Uranus opposition that I was undergoing at that time. Pluto and Saturn were mixed up in that combo as well. Basically it meant that I had to become really honest about what my true interests in life were and what my life’s mission was. Was I always going to keep one of major interests in life hidden or was it safe to come out of the closet? Well, I came out of the closet…but it wasn’t quite safe but it was strangely liberating. And the friendships that developed are things I’ll always treasure.

What is your connection to Japan?

Well, I’m Japanese…sort of. My parents are Japanese but I was raised in California and became a San Franciscan. About 10 years ago, I felt a yearning to discover the mother country and moved here to begin a new phase of my life.

When you or another professional astrologer gives a reading, what do you do?

When you call up an astrologer, you’ll first be asked to provide your birth date, birth time, and location. For example, January 23, 1971, 7:20pm in Seattle, WA. I often ask how confident they are of the birth times as this is often based memory and can be faulty. One additional question I ask is whether they know their birth was artificially induced via either drugs or through a C-section. The reason I ask this is that there’s fascinating evidence that the fetus knows when to be born and artificially speeding up the birth time can lead to an inaccurate birth chart. You’ll also typically be asked if there are areas in life you’d like to focus on such as relationships or career.

Then there’s the reading, which if it’s your first time will typically be about 1 to 1.5 hours. You’ll be given a copy of your natal chart (hopefully an aesthetically pleasing one with many colors) and the astrologer will provide an overview of the chart and its major symbols. The astrologer will explain the most prominent archetypes present in your chart and which life area – career, relationships, home, etc. – they will most likely be expressed. Natal chart interpretation is more art than science. It’s closer to music criticism than analyzing sound waves. And while we’re on this subject of aesthetics, I’d like to point out that astrologers, like poets or mystics, view the world not in a material way but in an imaginal way that’s informed by myth, by imagination, by archetypes. For example, at one level, the planet Jupiter is a giant ball of helium and hydrogen that’s millions of miles away from earth. But this isn’t as interesting as the mythological symbolism of an enormous planet that’s the archetype of expansion and benevolence. Or to take another example, the sun and moon are vastly different in size in material reality. But for us, what’s more crucial is that they both appear to be exactly the same size when viewed from the earth suggesting an equality between the male and female principles – the traditional mythological symbolism of the sun and moon.

What’s a natal chart? And what are transits?

A natal chart is a map of the heavens at the exact moment of one’s birth. It shows the position of the planets in the various zodiacal signs and the geometric relations among the planets. Transits happen when planets move into various meaningful positions in relation to the planets in the natal chart. For example, let’s say Saturn is in 10 degrees Pisces when you’re born in your natal chart. In about 15 or so years, Saturn will be around the opposite point in the heavens, in about 10 degrees Virgo. So this is called a transit of Saturn on one’s natal Saturn. Some transits last several years and have a long-lasting impact while others last only a few hours and have a short-term impact.

What do you think of horoscopes printed in newspapers, online and in magazines?

I think I speak for most serious astrologers when I say that most of this kind of stuff is just for entertainment purposes. They’re simply based on the zodiacal sign the Sun was in when one was born and this is a vast oversimplification of this ancient discipline. One astrologer said that newspaper astrology is to real astrology as snake oil medicine is to modern medicine. That about sums it up.

Often people think of astrology as not having any scientific basis and being purely a form of entertainment, what do you say to these people to convince them otherwise?

Wow. I have to keep my answers short, right? Well, first, I would say that the astrological community needs to mature to the point where we don’t feel the need to be “scientific” or to prove things. Like an adolescent seeking approval from an adult. And then I’d mention that astrology deals with the most complex phenomenon out there: people and their consciousness. It’s extremely difficult to design statistical tests to “prove” that a certain archetypal principle (Saturn, let’s say) expresses itself more often during Saturn influenced periods / persons than other times when there are so many different expressions of the Saturnine archetype. Asking statistics to prove astrology is a bit like asking it to prove that one artist’s work is superior to another’s. It just isn’t easily quantifiable.

Having said this, there are have been some extremely intriguing statistical experiments the most famous of which are the extensive analyses of the French statistician – Michel Gauquelin. Like myself, this guy had the astrology bug as a child and pursued it incessantly. But during his later teens, he began to have some doubts. So he set out to see if any of this astrology stuff is true via statistical experiments. First, he looked at zodiacal signs and didn’t find any meaningful correlations beyond mere chance. He looked at several other astrological elements but couldn’t find anything meaningful. Then he studied the positions of the planets in a person’s horoscope (whether the planet was rising in the east or reaching its highest point in the sky) and he hit a jackpot. He found that Mars was more often rising in the east for prominent athletes than for other people, and that the Moon was more often rising in the east for writers, etc. And these correlations matched the classic archetypal meaning of the planets (Mars for war, physical strength, and Saturn for scientists, etc.). To this day, Gauquelin’s experiments have stood the test of time and have puzzled the scientific skeptics. Even the super-scientific psychologist, Hans Eysenck, had to admit there was something in the Gauquelin evidence worth exploring.

But as I mentioned before, statistics isn’t really suited to “test” astrology so we should view Gauquelin’s work as providing simply a tantalizing glimpse. As for non-statistical evidence, I’d refer you to Tarnas’ 2005 book – Cosmos & Psyche. It was written by somebody who was part of the mainstream academic philosophy community and whose prior book – The Passion of the Western Mind – was a commonly used textbook in philosophy courses in many universities but who also, it turns out, was compiling evidence correlating the archetypal nature of historical events with the archetypal nature of the planets. One of my favorite books on the subject.

And though it smacks of the insecurity I mentioned earlier, I’ve been guilty of throwing out names of mainstream intellectually respectable people with a serious interest in astrology such as Carl Jung, Kary Mullis (1993 winner of the Nobel chemistry prize), James Hillman, Johannes Kepler, and Richard Tarnas, whom I just mentioned.

What about astrology and free-will? Does astrology mean that we’re all governed by destiny with no free will?

Philosophers, scientists, psychologists, theologians, biologists, etc. have grappled with the concept of free-will for the longest time and will probably continue to debate this deepest of human issues. The short answer is that the majority of modern astrologers are strong believers in our capacity to steer our own course and influence our situation. We believe that understanding our archetypal situation via astrology can be a deeply liberating experience. It’s like the belief shared by depth psychologists who believe that making unconscious forces conscious is to be less controlled by them. With an understanding of the major archetypal forces in our lives as expressed in the natal chart and how they might be triggered during planetary transits is to be better prepared to participate in these forces rather than be tossed around like a tiny boat in rough waters.

Any interesting astrological profiles you can share with us?

A natal chart? Well, one of my favorite ones is the one proposed to be that of Jesus Christ. It was theorized that the Eastern Star the Magi followed to Bethlehem was really the conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter that happened in the summer of 7 BC. Based on this and other research, one of the most accomplished astrologers of the last century, John Addey, proposed a birth date / time for Christ  of Aug 22^nd, 7 BC in the evening. What’s fascinating about this chart is that all the personal planets are in the signs of their rulership. So the Sun is in Leo, the Moon in Cancer, Mercury in Virgo, etc. What a powerful chart! All the archetypal forces are able to fully express their nature in such a chart. This chart has lingered in my memory for the past 25 years.

Any astrological predictions for the future?

It’d be hard to talk about the future without mentioning the massively powerful T-square combination of Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter now forming in the skies. The last time we had something similar was during the 1930s and I think many of us agree that there’s an eerie resemblance between these current times with those of the early 30s. The stock market crash, the breakdown of institutions, the sense of anxiety, etc. We even have the archetypal equivalent of the dust bowl of the 30s – the oil leak in the gulf.

At a higher level, we’re in the early stages of a deeply transformative time in history where more and more people are becoming conscious of the interconnectedness of all nature. And that maybe, just maybe, there’s consciousness and design and purpose out there in the cosmos where mechanistically minded people see only inanimate matter. That we humans aren’t the only source of intelligence and meaning and purpose in the universe. I believe this awakening will correlate with the Uranus – Pluto stressful alignment that is now underway and will continue exert its influence for a number of years.

So where do you go from here?

I’ll be studying counseling psychology with a spiritual bent at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where I hope to integrate mainstream psychological counseling methods with spiritual traditions such as astrology and eastern philosophy. I feel it’s part of my life’s mission to expand my understanding of such things and to help others do the same. It’s a real shame that a once revered field of knowledge such as astrology has been reduced to a parlor game and serious discussion of it has fallen by the wayside.  Like many others, I believe we’re in the early stages of a shift in consciousness in which there’ll be a renewed openness to various spiritual studies and metaphysics. So while I have a normal dose of anxiety about the challenges ahead, I also feel tremendous excitement about the great leap forward in humankind’s sense of unity with the cosmos and with other human beings and with recognizing that there really is order and meaning in this seemingly chaotic universe.

interview: Cy Marquart
photography: Michael Beaty
translation: Takeshi Kobie, Natsuki Yamada

]]> http://10tenmag.com/2010/09/26/ken-hirano-astrologer/feed/ 5 http://10tenmag.com/2010/09/17/david-yano-2/ http://10tenmag.com/2010/09/17/david-yano-2/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 03:43:59 +0000 Natsuki http://10tenmag.com/?p=1465 Being a half Ghanaian, half Japanese actor and singer, David Yano is not only building his career , but also taking steps to ensure future relations for Ghana and Japan. While working for film, TV and on the stage, he has established a charity organization for Ghana called ENIJE’. With eyes that sparkle like a little boy, he shares stories of his career and music alongside his thoughts on identity and the serious business of running a charity like ENIJE’.

● David Yano
Ghanaian and Japanese actor, model, and TV talent, affiliated with the Remix Corporation. Also organizes his own charity work through an organization called ENIJE’. David has appeared in the film, Chanko, the TV series Minami’s Girlfriend（「南君の恋人」）, Heartbroken Relationships (「キズだらけの恋人」), and TV commercials for Intel, KONICA MINOLTA Japan, SONY, and NTT Docomo. Currently he stars in an independently produced documentary called, Hafu, which is still in production.

―I know this must be a routine question for you, but you are of Japanese and Ghanaian origins, correct?

Yup. My father is Japanese, my mother is Ghanaian and my nationality is Japanese.
I have lived in Japan since I was 6, and even though I had lived in Ghana before that, my Ghanaian is on a daily conversational level. My native language is Japanese and I definitely feel very Japanese. (laugh)

― Ok, well, just to be clear! (laugh) I met you at a party a few years ago where you were singing. I loved your voice so much that I went to talk to you immediately, but these days you are doing a lot more than just music…

Actually I’ve been modeling since I was in college as well as songwriting and performing, so music has never really been the only thing for me. But at that time you met me, I think I was more into music than anything else. Right now, I work more for TV shows and commercials.

― Among all those, I would like to ask you about Hafu. I’ve read that it’s a documentary about racially mixed Japanese living in Japan. How did you become involved?

It started a few years ago, and it wasn’t originally a film back then. A friend of mine was going to university in Britain, and he said to me, “There is this friend at my school who’s interested in interviewing lots of half Japanese people as her project. She wants to learn about their issues of identity and more. It might be interesting for you too, so I want you to meet her!” After the project was completed, a half Japanese American girl and a half Japanese Spanish girl saw the project and decided to create a film about half Japanese people.

― Wow, it expanded like that! It’s like a network of half Japanese people all around the world that gathered up in Tokyo. That’s cool.

It is! Japan is unique and different in so many ways and I think the original project was unusual, and meaningful at the same time. The project covered a number of interviews, but I was just proud to be one of them, you know. Then, the documentary started and I was featured with the 4 other main characters. It’s such an honor to be one of them, too!

― I know the film is still in the shooting stage, but I can’t wait for it to come out! Is it difficult working as a ‘half Japanese’ in the television industry?

Of course it is from time to time. It’s not just about being on TV though, as a child I’ve always had a complex about how I look, being different from the other Japanese around me. I hated al the stares and never wanted to go to popular places where a lot of people gathered. The other kids could be quite cruel; I always felt left out. Trying to rebel against those feelings, I became a bit of a delinquent, too. But, on a positive note, throughout my elementary , junior high and high school years, I met a variety of people who supported and inspired me. I gradually changed. It’s the same here in the so-called “showbiz world”. There can be tough times, but then I get “saved” by new people I meet.

― What are your future career plans? Actor, singer, model, TV talent… which one is going to be the one for you?

Hmm… I’m not sure, but I know that I definitely want to continue my singing career.

― Please do! In my humble opinion, you really do have an exceptional voice and I want you to keep singing. Speaking of which, I would like to know about your feelings towards your music.

Thank you! I do have special feelings towards music. I would never want music to be out of my life. Actually there was this one time in college that I almost lost my faith in music… but even then I kept on singing at clubs and stuff. Then, about 5 years ago I met some people at a music session, and we ended up starting a band called, “Dede”. It was so much fun! All of us got along really well, played at a lot of places and met so many people. It really restored my faith and love in music. I think the experience assured me that I could never really leave music.

― But music isn’t the only thing you are going to focus on?

To be honest, I am not sure yet. I do want to put my energy and passion towards my music, but… Like last year I was in this play called “Grey Gardens” by Amon Miyamoto. It was extraordinary! Not only did I learn a lot, I actually felt myself growing inside, if you know what I mean. So, if there is a chance of being in a play like that again, I’d definitely take it. So I guess, I can’t really narrow my career down to just one thing.

― I see. A “David, with no strings attached” kind of thing going on, right? That’s cool, too.

Well in both good ways and bad ways. (laugh) Everyone, including my agent, gives me such freedom of choice that I sometimes feel like they could attach me to some strings. (laugh)

― (laugh) Part of doing more than just one thing, is ENIJE’, your charity project for Ghana? What brought you to this project?

Oh you know ENIJE’! Great!, Thank you. Well, this one has no relation to either music or television. When I went to Ghana 3 years ago, a boy of about 6 or so started begging me for money; I said “no” instantly… but then I looked at his face and he looked exactly like me when I was his age. It shook me to my core. I sank deep down in my thoughts for the next few minutes. 2 boys, both born in Ghana and looking so much alike, but one is begging for money in Ghana, and the other lives in one of the most privileged countries in the world and has the ability to pursue anything he dreams. I thought, “What makes us so different, divides us?”

In fact, I still haven’t found the answer to that question, yet. But the only thing I was sure of was that there must be some reason for it. And that at least, I have a way of connecting Japan and Ghana somehow.

― And the connection came to you as ENIJE’. How long did it take to start the project after your return to Japan?

Almost right away. I mean, what everyone needs is a friend, always. I came back with just the feeling of “I want to do something,” right? Then I spoke to a friend about it, and she suggested, “You should do something with your music, like events!” Instantly, I was like, “That’s it!” And went on to think that if I were to do it, I wanted it to be more than just a typical charity where people feel sorry and bad for whatever cause the charity is supporting. I wanted it to be the kind of organization that people can enjoy and take away a good feeling from the event.

― That’s where the name ENIJE’ comes from… It means “Joy” right?

That’s right. So at ENIJE’ events, there are performances of Ghanaian traditional music and instruments, my performance, and much more. They really are for the audience to have fun. I would want them to have positive feelings towards the event, therefore, for Ghana as well. I am not really in to charities that just give away money or food. And by organizing ENIJE’, I truly feel that I am learning something and have been given much more than I’ve offered the Ghanaian people. It even makes me feel like I want to somehow “pay them back” for what they’ve given me.

― You are a very unexpected person, (in a good way) David. One minute you are just like a little boy persuing your dreams and wants, and the next you turn in to “Mr. I’ve-Seen-Everything at the age of 29″!

You know, that’s actually what I’ve been told by “spiritual” people. They say, “you are just like a newborn baby,” or “you’ve probably already experienced 3 lives before this one.” It’s always one or the other.

―How unusual and special. And you have such beautiful eyes- they sparkle like those of an innocent child or something! People must never have a bad first impression of you.

That’s super! Thank you! Oh, and I thank my father and mother! (laugh)

― Throughout this interview, I’ve felt that you value the circle of people you’ve meet. For the last question, can you tell us the 10 most influential people in your life?

Only 10? Not nearly enough! (laugh) Ok, let me try.

1) The nurse who took care of me during elementary school: we still write to each other and I truly think that she knows more about me than anybody else in the whole world. She’s like my mentor for life.

2) My homeroom teacher during 5th and 6th grade in elementary school: I was bullied by my classmates at the time and she was the first one to teach me that I should take action, too. A half year after her advice, I was already able to become good friends with everyone.

3) My gym teacher when I was in my last year of Junior High: He told me that “those who believe will be saved,” and when I really did believe in myself, I became a triple crown winner at our school’s Sports Day event. I won the 50 meter race, cross-country, and the high jump. I was the first to do so in the school’s 50 year history.

4) My soccer club coach in high school: “Whether you aim at 5 meters away or 50 meters away, kick the ball with the same level of concentration,” was the first thing he told us. “If your ball is off 5cm for a 5 meter kick, can you imagine how big the mistake will be by the time it gets to 50 meters away? Our life works the same way, and I want you to remember that.” His words were illuminating and so truthful. He’s given me many more influential words to live by.

5) The bar owner I used to work for during my college years: He used to be an interior designer and was very successful. He taught me how to enjoy my life and stuff, and a lot more.

6) This adjunct teacher at my college: She really believed in the good in people. She taught at many different colleges but never judged people by their university affiliations or how they appeared on the surface. She really valued what was inside of me.

7) A visiting American professor from another college: When I was struggling with my career in music, I was very, very down. She took a notice of that and talked to me with the warmest of words: “Even if things don’t work out now, I know you will have another chance coming right at you, a big chance comes along with your big smile!” It really encouraged me and helped me keep my chin up.

8） An older friend who took me out a lot in my early 20s: I used to be very logical – almost too much. But this guy taught me that I should sometimes “feel first then think.” Now that I think back, I think it was an important and influential lesson for me.

9) A photographer I met at a random bar: There was this time when my career was going very well and I became a bit of a snob. He drew me out of it in a good way. He was very caring and he took me out for drinks and stuff, and then told me that I should never pay him back, but instead should carry on his example to the next generation.

10) The boy I met in Ghana 3 years ago: If he’s still alive and well, I think he must be about 10 now. To be honest, when I’m organizing ENIJE’, there are tough times that could really destroy my enthusiasm for the project. But then his face pops up in my head, and it encourages me.

― Wow, 10 people and all such powerful images! (laugh) Really, you do seem to have so many good encounters with people. I’m almost jealous!

Yeah, I do think that I’m really lucky to have meet all these incredible people. I mean, 10 is not nearly enough for me!

― I’ll have to hear more about it next time, maybe with a few glasses of sake in our hands! I wish you the best for your career and thank you very much for today.

Thank you, too!

interview: Natsuki Yamada
photography: Ikumi Mochida
 
 

●Official Home Page of ENIJE’:
For ENIJE’ events, hear David Yano’s own music live and Ghanaian traditional music and more. The latest information is on his official homepage.

●Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/devid/　(Japanese)

courtesy: R. Lasser

Having been a student of Robin while pursuing my degree at San Jose State University, the initial perception I had of this woman was dominated by the seemingly endless sphere of energy that surrounded her. Her work, both in terms of her own art and her teaching career, is characterized by a quirky mix of passion and humor that captivates audiences and pushes them to interact, smile, and question. Today, upon interviewing Robin and learning more of both her artistic and family life, my initial perception of her as this ‘sphere of energy’ still holds true.

1. When did you make the decision to be an artist? Or, was it a decision at all?

I can remember thinking about this way back when I was 17. I noticed that when I was creating things, time passed so quickly. It was the only endeavor where I experienced that feeling, so I knew I was on to something. I did my undergraduate in photography at UCLA and had a very influential instructor, Judith Golden. That’s when I decided I wanted to create art, and teach for the rest of my life and well, I’m doing it!

–How about your choice of using photography and installations for your art?

I’ve always had a connection to lenticular devices so to speak, whether they be time based (video) or a momentary encapsulation (photo). But I’ve never really felt satisfied just doing that. I remember a project I did when I was about 19 years old. I set up a dinner party in the bottom of an empty swimming pool, it was performed and built to be photographed. Ever since that time, I’ve worked in this way. (Ed. note: Lenticular devices are objects that incorporate a lens.)

2. How does your family view your job as an artist?

For me, being able to share some of the process with my family has been rewarding. My son sees me working many nights on projects and gives me his ‘critique’, which, often is right on! Sometimes he’ll actually tell me ‘mom, I think you really need to reconsider this aspect’. For me, a big part of my work is being able to share my love, passion, and how I choose to spend my life. I hope that my son will feel his own path of interest and be inspired to find a career that is fulfilling, rather than one that provides only economic security.

–So if your son decides to be an artist?

Oh no, of course not! Then I’ll tell him to go back to law school (laughs). My son is actually interested in becoming a marine biologist at the moment.

­–And your husband?

Jim, traditionally speaking, is more of the ‘domestic’ one in the family. He’s actually cooking me dinner right now, we smell the onions as we speak. He has had a huge part in the upbringing of Alex, our son and has been super supportive. As an artist and teacher, I get up early, come home at midnight, and work till 3am. If I didn’t have Jim in the household, there would be no one to look after that other part of our lives. I suppose another way to put, in terms of family, is that I have a whole lot of people who are willing to put up with me and provide me with that type of inspiration. Well, and then there’s Gabby, my dog, who comes around at night and eats all of my bad art! (laughs)

3. Some of the pieces in the “Dress Tent” installation series, which you did with artist Adrienne Pao, seem very confrontational and imposing to come upon. Is this intentional?

One of the dress tents “Mrs. Homeland Security” plays the part of a seductress, a powerful dominatrix character. She does this as a way of confronting the viewers wherever she is installed, anywhere from the U.S. border between California and Mexico, to a public gathering space, to an art museum. She changes her role a little bit to adapt to these locations, so as she is interacting with people who are just walking by, and maybe not expecting to be confronted with a piece of living, breathing artwork, it can be a bit scary! She’s addressing issues of fear and how fear is created, sometimes to control. In that sense there certainly have been confrontational exchanges with the dress tents and tense moments between the public and the artwork, but that’s often part of the job.

courtesy: R. Lasser

(laughs) You mean to say you haven’t seen anyone walking around Japan in a 15-foot dress? Honestly, I do think that we place them in that arena. We think of them as highlighting a fashion of place, considering it a bit of commentary on the fashion industry. Adrienne and I find the fashion industry to be very interesting because fashion is so topical, always changing, always ephemeral, always moving on. The one thing we do critique (winks) about the fashion industry is the notion of how, historically, women are often portrayed in the media. If you look at the picnic dress tent, it’s the good housewife from the 1950’s in the USA, and regardless of whether we think it is appropriate or not, this woman was, and still is, only a fantasy. All of the dress tents play on female myths or fantasies and provide a shelter to contemplate those ideas and the politics of the place where they are installed.

4. Have there been any negative or, hostile response to these installations?

I did a project called “Precious and Precarious”, it was a giant word made of flowers, literally planted into the landscape in a greenbelt area. The words could be read for miles away. The idea behind it was that anything, which is precious, is also inevitably in a precarious situation. However, these large words also happened to be right in people’s backyards so to speak. The local news tasted conflict and ran a televised news story with reactions from some of the neighbors, who, upon reading this giant word “precarious” were a little bit upset because they thought it may lower the value of their homes. At the end of the season, however, when the flowers slowly changed to read “precious” most of them were delighted.

–Still, much of your art also has a ‘humorous’ side

I think when you are working on something you can choose to cry about it or laugh about it. I prefer to encourage people to laugh about it! My work often comes across as a social or political commentary, but using humor as a bridge to connect the viewers with the themes that we are investigating.

5. What inspired you to do your latest project, Floating World?

This piece is commissioned by the San Jose Public Arts Program in collaboration with ZER01 Biennial in San Jose, California (01SJ Biennial). It is created in collaboration with Marguerite Perret, who is the other lead artist, as well as with partners: Bruce Scherting, James Stone, Anthony Teixeira, Keay Edwards and Sasha Vermer. So many people are involved. Marguerite and I have been working with the issue of water for many years, and have been dealing with projects that address the phenomena of our water waste system. We are very excited to work on site, over the Guadalupe River flood basin, and under a major freeway, California State Route 87. I thought, wow, this is an incredible location that would allow us to deal with water systems such as the river, along with the exhaust fumes and noise-pollution overhead and around that riparian environment. With cars and trucks whizzing overhead, we wanted to tie it in with climate change, emphasizing that, as the climate changes, our weather patterns change; you get storms with more water power to them, and therefore a lot of flooding and displacement of people and animals. This location provides a way to tie all of that together.

courtesy: R. Lasser

–And the birdhouse looking encampments?

In terms of execution, we wanted to deal with the displacement that occurs during weather disasters and the tent villages that are often set up for disaster relief. Rather than humans, however, we wanted to talk about birds because, as it turns out, bird diversity is an indication of a healthy watershed. The other interesting thing about birds, is that some of these little guys, and big ones too, adapt their songs to noise pollution, changing how they sing in order to be heard by potential mates, and as we know, if their mates can’t hear them, there’s no good sex going on, and that means no little baby birds flying around! So the bird populations tend to shrink. There happens to be so much noise pollution in this particular installation area, both above and around the river, we wanted to do a piece that speaks to a tent city, but that also highlights displacement with song.

–So they sing to you as well!?

Of course! These encampments, which span 100 feet along the bridge, house little sound systems. As you walk by, the tents notice you, and they sing or talk to you. So as you’re walking around, you might hear an interview on climate change that I did with scientist Bill Collins – a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Price along with former Vice President, Al Gore – and in the background would be a soundscape we’ve created. In the next encampment you might hear all the riparian birds within a composition. There are also microphones that pick up ambient sounds around the encampments so that the birds voices are actually shifted according to the surroundings, mimicking what is currently happening in nature.

6. Floating World is part of the 01SJ Biennial in San Jose, CA, can you explain a bit about 01SJ?
The 01SJ Biennial is an international gathering of art and technology, specifically focusing on people’s ability to build and participate in a desirable future in the face of things like global climate change, this current economic situation, political instability, cultural divisiveness, and other elements that might seem like a hindrance to our progress in this area. The whole thing is based on the notion we, as humans, can dictate what the world is and what it will be. It kind of provides a place for us to come together, to be inspired, to propose ideas, and then collaborate with each other in order to accomplish something positive.

7. You’re also currently a professor of Art at San Jose State University, do you find teaching as a completely separate entity from your own artwork, or do things intermix between the two?

I try to combine them, so there really isn’t a division. I consider teaching as part of my art practice, and often work collaboratively with students so we are actually partnering in the process of creating art. As a teacher, I also feel that I’m in an eternal state of learning, from students, as well as offering something back. It becomes part of a cycle. I have very little separation between my art and my life, much to my family’s annoyance sometimes. (Laughs as her husband is heard agreeing in the background)

8. Do you have a big passion, outside of art?

I love walking. I walk almost every morning at about 6am with my friends, and it’s a great time to talk, which is my second favorite passion. Everyday we’re guaranteed to communicate with each other about just about everything, and in movement is when I feel I get my best ideas. It’s about the only time that I have where I can regularly be social with people outside of the art and teaching environment.

9. At some point in the day, you have to be a businessperson. How does an installation artist make it work financially?

One reason is that I do have a salary, so I don’t have to think about sales, and how that relates to the work I’m producing. Also, luckily, lately I’ve been commissioned to do a lot of the work that I do. Because the projects are fairly large in scale it can become a little costly, and that’s something I don’t think I could do on my salary. Between grants and commissions, the work is pretty much funded these days, but it obviously hasn’t always been that way. I spent many years without those things; often all of my salary went to creating art and not really selling much. Again, I haven’t really ever thought of art as a means to making money directly. I feel very lucky in that respect. There’s always a kind of value system to what we do, but I place a value in impermanence, temporary sculptures and pieces, because I think it’s analogous to life. To me, it’s really important to work in the public space, so although I show in galleries and museums, it’s important for the work to have a voice where it can be experienced by people who may not necessarily enter a museum of gallery space.

10. Are there any tips you might have for aspiring artists who want to make this their “profession” so to speak?

I hate the word “talent”. I think some people think, “I don’t have any talent, I can’t be a musician or a visual artist”. I think “tenacity” is a word that is really more important, and if young artists have a passion and have something to say and to contribute, and they are willing to go the extra mile, to put in the work it really takes to produce art consistently, then I would encourage that. To me, I have so much respect for anyone who is willing to put their thoughts and their life out there on the line, for artists who are trying to make a difference, art for social change. One of my greatest joys in life is to go, look, and see what other people are doing; it’s a gift to others that I think is incredible

Another thing is that some artists think that they can’t make a difference. A lot of them feel disenfranchised, that they are only speaking to a choir that is already interested in art. But what I discovered when I was working on a project called Eating Disorders in a Disordered Culture, (in collaboration with Kathryn Sylva), when we put up a large billboard, our assembly woman Helen Thompson saw it and contacted us. We began a relationship and she said that our project was very influential in her decision to add eating disorders on a mental health bill which was then passed into law. I was very proud to have been a part of a project that could be influential enough to, perhaps, change legislation, which in the long and short run may help save people’s lives.

In the end, I think these types of things show that art can make a difference, and it can be a very powerful tool.

interview: Patrick Lydon
photography: Mary Cheung
translation: Natsuki Yamada, Hideaki Komesu

Robin Lasser’s work is featured as part of the 01SJ Biennial, which takes place over four days, from September 16-19, 2010. The event brings tens of thousands of visitors, and hundreds of artworks, performances, events, and artist talks to San Jose’s downtown, the Silicon Valley and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area. After the Biennial, the work will continue to be active until the end of November, 2010.

Robin Lasser: http://www.robinlasser.com
01SJ Biennial: http://01sj.org/