Experiments with process. The Khmer Legacy

In the days of Polaroid I used to enjoy playing with emulsion lifts and transfers. So, this is the first in a series of experimental pieces where I am using an acrylic gel to transfer photographic prints from their paper base to different surfaces (here it is an aluminium sheet... although one cannot really tell by looking at this photograph) and then further manipulate the image.

In this case the photograph is of skulls of the victims of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, which I took during a recent visit. After transfering the photo to the aluminium plate and carefully removing the photograph's paper substrate, I am starting to investigate how the new surface responds to marks/drawing using pencil and chalk pastel. This is my very first attempt and its early days but I think that eventually I may be able to do something interesting with it. The next phase will be to see how well it responds to using colour, maybe Copic marking pens or a water colour wash. Will keep you posted...

Exploring Tsukiji seafood market

The Tsukiji Seafood Market located near Ginza in central Tokyo, is the largest wholesale fish and seafood market on the planet, moving an estimated 2400 tons of seafood every day, so naturally a visit was in order. It has become famous for its 5am Tuna auction where the prized maguro can sell for more than US$10,000 each but because of its popularity with tourists, the auction is restricted to two shifts of a 120 visitors who watch the auction from a gallery. It’s first come first served and the line to be part of the spectator group starts as early as 4am. Bugger that… we decided to sleep in and after a leisurely breakfast made our trip across town to the market at a much more respectable hour, arriving just before the ‘Seafood Intermediate Wholesalers Area’ opened to the public at 9am. 

 
The market is divided into an inner and outer market. Tourists are encouraged to visit the outer market, which consists of a few blocks of small retail shops and restaurants crowded along narrow lanes. Here you can find all sorts of food related goods, knives and fresh seafood and produce for sale in smaller (than wholesale) portions. A cursory inspection of this section indicated that things would be a lot more interesting at the inner market, which apart from the aforementioned wholesalers area is closed off to the public.

According to an article I read in The Guardian newspaper, one in ten fish is eaten in Japan and seafood is part of the cultural makeup of the Japanese. For centuries fish was the chief source of protein for the Japanese, because until 1872 it was illegal in Japan, and against Buddhist principle, to eat any four-legged animal. And old habits are hard to change. 
  

So, with a society so seafood crazy I was expecting to find lots to see and photograph in the worlds biggest fish market. Even at this relatively late hour in the morning, the market area was a frenetic hive of activity. Boxes upon Styrofoam boxes are laid out, containing some of the most bizarre looking sea creatures that I have ever seen outside of National Geographic documentaries. There is some evidence that as the world’s fish stocks are slowly being depleted fishermen are starting to harvest deeper seas and species that were previously ignored are now being seen as a food source. To my uneducated eye, some of the weird creatures packed on ice definitely seemed to corroborate this. 

 

Even if you’re not interested in fish, Tsukiji Market is a fascinating place to visit. It’s a working market and it is quite easy to get caught up in watching the preparation, buying and selling of all the produce. There’s lots more than just fish to see and I was quite happy to wander around for a couple of hours snapping away with my iPhone until the urge for coffee and breakfast overcame me. If you get the chance to visit, go! For more information about the market and how to get there, click on the market’s official website link here

 

Mitama Matsuri

 

Given my interest in military history and memorabilia it was only natural that my trip to Japan would include a visit to the controversial Yushukan, a military museum established in 1882 and dedicated to Japan’s war dead. Located within the grounds of the Yasukuni Jinja shrine, I planned to visit on a Sunday to take advantage of the flea market that was also held within the temple complex. 

When we arrived, just before lunch, the shrine was already filling up with people and it was obvious that something else was happening. Coincidentally, we had arrived on the first day of the annual Mitama Matsuri festival and there would be no flea market scavenging today, so after spending a few hours exploring the museum and contemplating it’s revisionist version of Japanese war history we ventured back out onto the grounds of Yasakuni to check out the spectacle. 

Yasakuni Jinja whose name means “for the peace of the country” was founded in 1869 to worship supporters of the emperor killed in the lead up to the Meji Restoration. Since then it has expanded to become a memorial to Japan’s 2.5million war dead. Every July around 300,000 people flock to the shrine during its annual Mitama Matsuri, one of Tokyo's biggest Obon festivals commemorating the dead. The paths leading to the shrine are lined with 300 000 lanterns and the whole area takes on a carnival like atmosphere complete with food and drink pavilions and a sideshow alley full of games and entertainment. 

Cyano Time II

 

I was clearing out my darkroom storage area this morning when I found some Cyanotype paper which I had prepared about 6 weeks ago, so before throwing it out I thought I'd do a couple of quick test prints as the sun was out. These are the results of a sixteen minute exposure under our winter sun, then tea toned immediately after washing.