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Archive for April, 2010 
Hullo Adventurers. Welcome to the first edition of Artventure: your weekly blog for everything Art and Adventure. Whilst working at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, I am always assured to be surrounded by two things. The first is fellow Asians. The second is art. I like to think of it graphically:
Currently, the SAAM has a fantastic exhibition titled Fleeting Beauty. As an astounding collection of Ukiyo-e, or Japanese woodblock prints, this exhibition embodies the most iconic images of the ‘floating world’ between the 18th and 19th centuries.
Ukiyo-e prints became popular in the cosmopolitan era of the Edo period because of their affordable and relatable nature. The subject matter was often of urban life, particularly depicting scenes of prominent social figures. As a social commentary, woodblock prints often hinted at the ephemerality of the Japanese entertainment world using a masterful balance of delicate ink lines with evocatively rich blocks of colour. Whether the subject be geishas captured demonstrating the art of the fan, or Kabuki actors gracing the stage in drag (as denoted by a purple cap), Ukiyo-e often illustrated a lifestyle divorced from the mundane realism of ordinary life. As a medium, a master copy was first inked by legendary artists such as Hiroshige or Utamaro, and then passed down a line of production where assistants would skillfully craft woodblocks from the original to mass produce prints. The economic and social accessibility of this medium cemented Ukiyo-e as the standard in Japanese aesthetics up until the Meiji period in the 20th century.
With one exception: Steve Bialik. A cartoonist, Bialik has produced a series of Ukiyo-e inspired prints titled ‘Samurai Wars’ that depicts the cast of Star Wars through the guise of Japanese folk monsters. As a modern day re-interpretation of the Ukiyo-e aesthetic, Bialik has cleverly situated contemporary popular figures with a commentary on what we today designate as culturally relevant.
Find more of the eight part Samurai Wars series here, or more information on the Fleeting Beauty Exhibition here.
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This week’s Profile is a two-for-one! Meet the Mariani brothers of Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California: two magnetic young men who are hard at work, with the help of good friends, establishing their own little Eden within Northern California’s food and wine community. Keep an eye out for more on our visit there in our posting on Wednesday! You can also download Adam’s Adventure Profile here: Adventurer Profile: Adam Mariani.
Andrew’s Adventurer Profile: 1. What skill do you want to learn? Rap Skillz 2. Food & drink you can’t live without? Pinot Noir 3. Scariest thing you can think of? Furious ants 4. Favorite party supply? A farmer cum DJ 5. Favorite book at the moment? Blood Meridian 6. Dream party place? An abandoned hacienda 7. What is the evil version of you like? What is the good version of me like? 8. What gives you confidence? My beard 9. Four essentials of a good party? Girls, boys, wine, tunes 10. What do you appreciate most about a good party host? Good lighting 11. Favorite adventure supply? Sunglasses 12. Best party you’ve ever attended? Today’s party 13. Hotel room or campsite? A tipi, either inside or outside 14. Do you have a style icon? Emiliano Zapata 15. Where is your next adventure destination? The other side of Rogue Ridge 16. If you could teach a class about anything in the world, ever, what would you teach? Competitive falconry 17. What is your motto? Action is character 18. What is your spirit animal? A young wolf on the back of an eagle
Adam’s Adventurer Profile: 1. What skill do you want to learn? To be an Edomae chef. 2. Food and drink you WANT want to live without? All those things people mistakenly call “food”. And Robitussin cough syrup. 3. The scariest thing you can think of? The only thing left yo eat are all those ‘things’ people mistakenly call “food”, and Robitussin cough syrup. 4. Your favorite party supply? See answers 6 and 9. 5. Your favorite book at the moment? Liquid Memory by Jonathan Nossiter (especially its Introduction). This was a gift from my brother. 6. Describe your dream party place. Anywhere I can be the/a host. 7. What is the evil version of your like? When I cannot get anything accomplished that I want to get accomplished. 8. What gives your confidence? Not having a ‘big ego’, but having a ‘strong ego’. I like to think it’s the latter. 9. Name four essential elements of a good party. Scribe wine, Scribe Hacienda, Andrew Mariani, Art. [Adam inserted some great photos of these things, which you can see if you download his profile from the link above.] 10. What do you appreciate most about a good party host? They do not let any clean-up happen until everyone has left. 11. Favorite adventure supply? My Rhodesian Ridgeback, Señor. 12. Describe the best party you ever attended. Notorious BIG was rapping over the xx, it was a full moon and in Zanzibar. 13. Hotel room or campsite? This question is taking me too long to decide on… 14. Do you have a style icon? Emiliano Zapata Salazar (I hope my brother did not say him also, because I’m pretty sure I stole this answer from him.) 15. Where is your next adventure destination? Try to find my way onto the sailboat, Plastiki. 16. If you could teach a class about anything in the world, ever, what would you teach? About the immense value of eating good food and reading good books. 17. Your motto? Try to say ‘Yes’ often. 18. What is your spirit animal? The Fava Bean. It is incredibly easy to grow, itʼs beans are delicious, itʼs leaves are delicious, and it is very nutritious for the soil.
velocity dance center: the greatest move on earth from Patrick Richardson Wright on Vimeo.
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