Monthly Archives: July 2017

Listening Through the Lens

July 31, 2017 2017年7月31日

Hai Thanh is a photographer based in Hanoi, Vietnam. His photography is a visual diary of his daily life, showing the people he comes across and the environments they live in. A graduate of the graphic design department at the University of Industrial Fine Arts in Hanoi, Thanh went on to pursue his passion for photography full-time, working as a photojournalist for both domestic and online news outlets.

Hai Thanh是来自越南河内的一名摄影师。他用摄影来记录自己的日常生活，展现他所遇到的人和他们生活的环境。从河内工业美术大学平面设计系毕业后，他选择了自己热爱的摄影事业，成为了一名全职摄影师，为越南国内媒体及在线新闻媒体工作。

Thanh’s personal philosophy is that photography is an art form that goes beyond any categorizations of genre. He says, “I consider myself as a photographer, not a street photographer, documentary photographer, or photojournalist. These are just names. Sometimes I use photography a method of self-expression, and other times I try to tell stories about the people I care about.”

他的个人哲学是，摄影是一种个人的艺术形式，超越任何形式的分类。他说： “我觉得自己就是一名摄影师，不是街头摄影师，也不是纪录片摄影师或是摄影记者。这些都只是头衔。有时，我用摄影来表达自己，有时，我用摄影来给我关心的人讲故事。”

As street photography becomes more popular in Vietnam, Thanh strives to maintain an honest approach to his work on the street and his relationship to his subjects. He says, “When I’m doing street photography, I don’t try to find dramatic situations, and I’m not a big fan of ‘decisive moments.’ I take photos as naturally and simply as I can. I love photographing the emotional connection between people… I don’t think much about whether or not I can get ‘good pictures.’ I care about the connection between myself and the people I photograph. The process of photography is not only about taking pictures but also about talking and understanding.”

随着街头摄影在越南越来越流行，Thanh 在街头拍摄时也会努力保持贴近现实，在与摄影对象的关系中保持真诚的态度。他说：“当我在进行街头摄影时，我不会试图去寻找戏剧性的场面，也不会特别热衷于‘决定性时刻’这类风格的摄影。我按照尽可能自然和简单的方式来拍摄。我喜欢记录人们之间的情感联系……我不会考虑太多能不能拍到‘好照片’的问题。我关心的是我和拍摄对象之间的联系。摄影的过程不仅是拍照，更是沟通和理解。”

Thanh is currently working as a freelance editorial and documentary photographer focused mostly on social issues. In addition, he is also working on a personal project on autistic children in Vietnam. He shares his knowledge with other photographers by hosting workshops on street photography and visual storytelling across the country. As he deals with the responsibilities of raising a family, he continues his dedication to photography and offers us his thoughts on his changing relationship with the artform. “I heard this said before by another photographer – ‘photography is more and more about being on your own as you get older.’ Your pictures are talking about yourself. Photography means a lot to me – it’s my way of thinking, speaking, and listening.”

业的编辑和纪录片摄影师，作品主要围绕当今的社会问题，同时也在进行一个关于越南自闭症儿童的个人项目。他在全国各地举办街头摄影和视觉叙事的研讨会，和其他摄影师分享自己的知识。当他有了自己的家庭后，他继续献身于摄影，和我们分享他对于自己和艺术形式之间不断变化的关系的一些想法。“我之前曾听过另一位摄影师说，随着年龄变大，摄影会越来越像是一件属于你自己的事情。你的照片讲述的就是你自己。摄影对我来说意义重大，它是我思考、说话和倾听的方式。”

Tumblr: haithanhptw.tumblr.com
Instagram: @haithanhptw

 

Contributor: George Zhi Zhao

Tumblr: haithanhptw.tumblr.com
Instagram: @haithanhptw

 

供稿人: George Zhi Zhao

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Sculpting with Time

July 28, 2017 2017年7月28日

 

无法观看？前往优酷

Ding Hao is a sculpture artist based in Beijing, China. His works are inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, landscape paintings, and modern society. Born in Zhucheng, Shandong Province, Ding completed his undergraduate studies at the Shandong University of Arts, and his master’s studies in sculpture at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. After holding a teaching position at the Wuhan Institute of Technology from 2015 to 2017, he is now pursuing his doctorate at the Chinese National Academy of Arts. His critically acclaimed sculptures have been exhibited across China and the world.

中国雕塑艺术家丁浩现居于北京。他的作品主要以中国传统建筑，山水画与现代社会为灵感创作。丁浩出生于山东省诸城，在山东艺术学院完成了本科学业后，他又进入中央美术学院雕塑系，获得硕士学位。在 2015 年至 2017 年期间，他在武汉工程大学任教。现在，他又进入了中国艺术研究院攻读博士学位。他所创作的雕塑作品广受好评，曾全中国乃至世界各地展出。

Ding seeks to express the sublime through his non-traditional approach to sculpting form, structure, and space. He is currently working on a series of works that are inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, but at the same time, the series will also incorporate modern architecture into the design. He tells us, “Each artist will have a purpose in mind when selecting a theme for his works, but he will naturally also be influenced by the features of his surrounding environment. For example, if you’re an artist in modern China, you will definitely be influenced by the unceasing, frenetic construction. The endless urban expansion, this is what I’ll incorporate into my works.”

丁浩试图通过非传统的雕塑形式，结构和空间方式，来表达升华的主题。他目前正在创作的一系列作品，以中国传统建筑为灵感设计，同时融入了现代建筑的元素。他告诉我们：“每个艺术家选择一个元素的时候有针对性，但是他在创作的时候必然会掺杂他当下所处的生活环境所赋予的特殊含义。比方说，你在当下的中国你创作肯定会受这种建设狂潮的影响。无休止地扩张那种元素，我就把这个东西添加在作品里面。”

Although he draws primarily from his own experience to create his sculptures, Ding is also quick to point out other notable artists whom he admires. He tell us, “In my creative process, I won’t purposely search out or borrow from the works of others. My work comes entirely from my own interests, personal growth and experiences, or my surrounding environment. From that, I’ll slowly find my way. So I don’t study the works of other artists on purpose. But I do like the works of M. C. Escher. My works might have some commonalities with his images, with his surrealist approach to architecture and the impossible worlds he creates.” Another artist whom Ding admires is Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki. “I feel like his films are suitable for all ages,” he says. “They’re not just for children. He has a deep understanding of human nature and society, which are universal topics. So I like his works a lot. They’re quite inspirational. ”

虽然他在创作雕塑作品时，主要都是从自己的生活经验中寻找灵感，但他也很直接地说出了一些他特别欣赏的著名艺术家。他说：“我在做创作的时候没有说刻意地去追寻或者借鉴什么东西，就是完全是由自己的兴趣点，然后根据自己的成长，自己的阅历，或者环境的影响，去慢慢地走出一条线来。所以说，没有刻意地学习哪个艺术家。但是我是比较喜欢M.C.埃舍尔的作品。他画的那种感觉可能跟我有点类似，这种房屋的建筑的超现实主义的，或者说这种逆向世界有点相似。” 丁浩尤其钦佩的另一位艺术家是日本动画导演宫崎骏，他说：“我觉得他的作品是老少皆宜的，不是单纯给小孩子看。因为他的作品的深度，人文情怀，关注社会，关注环境，都是世界范围那些话题嘛，所以对他的作品非常喜欢，从这儿会受到很多启发。

As an artist, Ding is conscious of the historical context of sculpture as a human art form. He explains, “If we consider the origins of sculpture, the most ancient sculptures all had to do with religion. They had to do with offering sacrifices, memorials, or commemorations. Sculptures had a strong ceremonial and religious connotation. It would gradually change as it evolved, from sculpting gods to sculpting famous people and ordinary people, which brings us to now, where sculpture includes all kinds of non-human forms and objects.” From an informed awareness of the philosophical implications of sculpture, Ding creates works that are timeless, thoughtful, and universal.

作为一名艺术家，丁浩会格外留意雕塑作为一种人为的艺术形式的历史背景。他解释说：“从古代的雕塑来说的话，其实最原始的古代雕塑是具有宗教意义的。它是因为祭祀啊，或者说是纪念啊，或者说是表彰。它具有很强的仪式感，宗教感。然后后来逐渐逐渐了演化成平民化，从塑造神，塑造名人，到后来塑造的人，到现在的塑造各种各样的非人物的各种物像。” 带着他意识到的雕塑哲学意义，丁浩创作出了永恒的，全面的和具有普世价值的雕塑作品。

Contributor & Videographer: George Zhi Zhao
Images Courtesy of Ding Hao

视频摄影师与供稿人: George Zhi Zhao
图片由丁浩提供

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Me & Me

July 27, 2017 2017年7月27日

Me and Me is a photography project from Wenjun Chen and Yanmei Jiang that documents the changing relationship and growth of the two artists. In their own words, “[after] meeting each other in 2007, we started to record each other’s daily lives unconsciously, treating the other one as a photographic experiment. It came to a turning point in 2014, when we tried to make a change in our life and work. We tended to shoot each other consciously, with self-portraits and group photos, exploring and understanding ourselves in this relationship.”

《我与我》（Me and Me）是陈文俊与江演媚共同创作的摄影项目，记录这两位艺术家之间的关系变化和成长。正如他们的解释：“从2007年相识开始，我们便无意识地记录对方的日常生活，并将对方作为摄影实验的模特。2014年是个转折点，在生活和创作上，我们尝试作出改变，进行自我探索，开始有意识地互拍、自拍和一起自拍，希望去了解自己，并在这段关系里认识自己。”

The two eventually compiled the photographs into a handmade book project consisting of four parts. The first part contains self-portraits, portraits of one another, and photos of the two together. The second part contains two books, entitled Wenjun Chen In My Eyes and Yanmei Jiang In My Eyes, each compiled by their counterpart. The third part narrates the story of the artists in the form of letters from two perspectives. The fourth part contains topics and conversations between the two artists on social media.

两人最终把这些照片整理成一个手工书籍项目，分为四个部分。第一部分为主书，由互拍和自拍的作品组成。第二部分包含两本书，《我眼中的陈文俊》（Wenjun Chen In My Eyes）与《我眼中的江演媚》（Yanmei Jiang In My Eyes）。第三部分以书信形式，讲述两⼈人之间的故事。第四部分为两位艺术家在社交媒体上的互动和对话。

Chen and Jiang are currently based in Guangzhou, where they run their studio, Me and Me Photo Studio. They regularly hold talks and workshops on how to self-publish books across China. Their award-winning work has been featured in exhibitions across the world, including Taiwan, Japan, UK, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Croatia, Portugal, Denmark, and Slovakia.

他们目前在广州生活，在那里成立了自己的工作室——Me and Me摄影工作室。他们会定期在中国各地举办独立出版书籍工作坊、讲座和策展，其获奖作品曾在中国、台湾、日本、英国、德国、意大利、爱尔兰、挪威、克罗地亚、葡萄牙、丹麦和斯洛伐克展出。

Websites:
chenwenjun.net
jiangyanmei.com

 

Contributor: George Zhi Zhao

网站:
chenwenjun.net
jiangyanmei.com

 

供稿人: George Zhi Zhao

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Myeongdong Cat Café

July 26, 2017 2017年7月26日

 

无法观看？前往优酷

Hidden deep within a meandering maze of boutique shops and restaurants in Seoul’s busiest shopping district, the Myeongdong Cat Café is a place where people can go to enjoy a coffee or tea, while playing with a wide variety of adorable kitties.

明洞猫咪咖啡厅位于首尔最繁华的购物区中，坐落于蜿蜒林立的精品店和餐厅之中，在这里，人们可以一边喝咖啡或喝茶，一边逗逗各种可爱的猫咪。

The café houses about 40 cats, from more than 10 different breeds, that all roam freely alongside café-goers. If you are a cat lover but are unable to have a cat as a pet or don’t want the responsibility of caring for one at home, then this is the place for you.

这家猫咖啡馆里大约有40只猫，共有10多种不同的品种，它们自由地漫步于咖啡馆的客人身边。如果你也爱猫，但又不能或者不想在家养猫，那么这里绝对是你的理想之地。

Upon entering the café on the fourth floor, visitors are asked to kindly remove their shoes, put on slippers, pay a door fee, and to refrain from overfeeding the kitties. Inside, the café looks like a cat’s playground filled with toys, cushions, and cardboard houses.

踏入这家位于第四层楼的咖啡馆时，顾客会被要求脱掉鞋子，穿上拖鞋，交入场费，同时被提醒不要给猫喂太多吃的。咖啡馆里面看起来就像一个猫的游乐场，摆满了各式玩具、垫子和纸板屋。

There are all sorts of cats roaming around the café: Burmese cats, orange Tabby cats, black cats, playful cats, little kittens, shy anti-social cats, sleeping cats, cats wearing costumes, and fat cats. Which kind is your favorite?

各种各样的猫在咖啡馆里悠闲地走来走去: 缅甸猫、橙斑猫、黑猫、调皮活泼的猫、小猫咪、比较害羞的猫、爱睡觉的猫、穿着衣服的猫、还有胖胖的猫。你最喜欢哪一种呢？

The most popular cat at the café is a rarely seen, hairless breed, called the Sphynx cat. For many visitors, this is usually the first time they will have ever encountered this kind of unique cat. Bald, wrinkled, and a bit fat, this highly social cat draws a lot of attention wherever she goes.

咖啡厅最受欢迎的猫是一种很少见的，无毛的品种，叫做斯芬克斯猫。对于大多数客人来说，这通常是他们第一次遇到这种独特的猫。秃头，起皱，有点肥胖，这种极富有社交天赋的猫在任何地方都会引起很多的关注。

After a busy day of shopping or a Korean BBQ dinner in Myeongdong, be sure to head straight over to the cat café for a relaxing time playing with some cute kitties. But if the cats aren’t enough to satisfy your needs, Seoul is also home to a number of dog cafés, sheep cafés, and raccoon cafés. Amazing!

逛了一天街，或者是在明洞吃完韩国烤肉晚餐后，记得去这家猫咖啡馆好好放松，跟这些可爱的小猫咪玩一下。但是，如果单是和小猫玩还不能满足你，首尔其实还有许多宠物咖啡馆，包括狗狗咖啡馆、绵羊咖啡馆和浣熊咖啡馆。是不是很赞!

Address:
37-14, Chungmuro 2-ga, Jung-gu
Seoul, South Korea

 

Facebook: ~/catplayground

 

Contributor, Photographer & Videographer: Leon Yan

地址:
韩国首尔
中区
37-14 忠武路2街

脸书: ~/catplayground

 

视频摄影师与图片摄影师: Leon Yan

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What Time Is It There?

July 25, 2017 2017年7月25日

Back in 2011, photographer Sean Marc Lee officially moved to Taiwan from the US, setting up camp in the city of Taipei. Despite his family’s Asian roots, he grew up with a fully Westernized upbringing in California. Needless to say, Lee felt rather out of place upon first arriving. Having to readjust to a new region, where a completely different set of cultural values and social etiquettes are in place, naturally takes time. But Lee says that even today, he still hasn’t felt like he’s fully assimilated. “It certainly feels like home now because of where my life is at,” he comments. “Yet, I still feel very much a chameleon pretending to somewhat fit in because I look the part but I’m not.”

2011年, 摄影师李子仁正式从美国搬到台湾，定居台北。尽管他身上有着亚洲血统，但他第一次到达台湾时还是会感觉很陌生。其实这并不奇怪，毕竟他是在西方文化的熏陶下长大的。重新适应一个新的地方，适应一种完全不同的文化价值观和社交礼仪，自然需要时间，但子仁说，即使到了今天，他也不觉得自己完全融入了这个社会。他说：“当然，现在这里感觉就像我的家，因为我的生活就在这里，但我仍然觉得自己只是表面上看上去融入了这个社会，实质上并没有，就像一只变色龙一样，假装着混入了这个社会。”

Perhaps, subconsciously, this notion of identity is offered an outlet in his photo series What Time Is It There? (A title inspired by both his friends back in the US – who often began every conversation with this question after he moved – and the same-titled movie from Chinese Malaysian director Tsai Ming-liang). The ongoing series documents Lee’s observations of strange and quirky moments in the streets of Taiwan, and one of the reoccurring elements in the series is the often obscuring of faces. When considering his impressive portfolio, which is chock-full of strong portrait work, it might be strange to see this different approach on this personal project. “I think faces can distract the viewer from the formal elements of the situation and ‘story’ sometimes,” Lee says, explaining this approach. “For instance, a pretty girl will draw most of the attention to the girl itself, and then, the subject makes the photo, rather than all the surrounding elements of it. When you keep people anonymous, the viewer can use their imagination a bit and concoct their own story in all its mysteries.” He describes his decision to omit faces as creating “blank moments,” which is meant to instill a cinematic quality in his work, helping to establish mood and context in his visual narrative.

也许，在他的摄影作品系列《What Time Is It There?》中，他潜意识里也是为自己的这种身份认同寻找发泄的出口。《What Time Is It There?》的名字起因，不单是自从他搬到台湾后，每次和美国的朋友们聊天时的第一句话，还因为受到台湾导演蔡明亮的电影《你那边几点》的启发。在这个还在进行中的摄影系列里，子仁用镜头捕捉住自己在台湾街头上观察到的各种奇怪和独特的时刻。整个系列中有一个明显的特点：不露出被拍摄者的脸。考虑到他平常拍摄的那些大量令人印象深刻的人像作品，这个个人摄影项目的风格就显得尤其特别了。他解释道：”我认为，面孔会分散观众的注意力，让他们忽略照片中的重要元素，当下的场景和其中的‘故事’。例如，一个漂亮的女孩会吸引掉大部分的关注，那么，这张照片的主角就成了这个女孩，而不是周围所有的元素。当你隐藏掉人们的脸时，观众可以利用他们的想象力，编造自己的故事。”他指出，决定省略掉面孔是为了创造出 “空白的片刻”，让照片增加一点电影风格，营造特定的氛围和背景，加强作品的视觉叙事。

Like his daddy_lee photo series, humor is a prevalent part of What Time Is It There? It’s not surprising when taking into account Lee’s own jovial and easygoing personality; he’s hardly the type to take himself too seriously. Inquiring about the repeated appearances of duality in the series – which come in a variety of forms, such as two painted dalmatians on the side of a bus, two kids in matching outfits glued to a television screen, or a pair of riders on a moped with matching helmets – Lee chuckles, saying, “This might be a boring response, but it’s just a visual motif I started noticing and I went from there. Most of the time, I’m not conscious of it. When I was pulling the series together, I just built upon this theme here and there. Perhaps I can respond with something like, ‘Oh, the concept of duality comes from me feeling like I have a home in Taiwan and in the US.’ But alas, nope!”

一如他的《daddy_lee》写真系列, 《What Time Is It There?》中也充满了幽默的风格，考虑到子仁自己的性格本来就很开朗随和，所以这也并不令人惊讶。他不是那种对待生活特别严肃的人。在这个系列中，多次出现了各种形式出现的二元性元素，譬如巴士外层上印着的两只斑点狗，两个穿着相同衣服的小孩专注地盯着电视机，或是摩托车上带着相同头盔的两个人。子仁笑了笑，解释道：“这可能只是一种无聊的反应，但它只是我注意到的一种视觉主题，引发我想要拍摄创作的元素。但大多数时候， 我自己甚至都没有意识到这一点。我在创作这个系列的过程中，会不断加强这个或那个主题。当然，我也可以这样回答 ‘哦，二元性的概念源自于我自己在台湾和美国有两个家的经历。’但事实并不是这样。”

For many photographers, staying in one place for an extended period of time can lead to creative slumps and a loss of motivation. Even though Lee has lived in Taipei for over six years now, he’s still able to self-motivate and find interesting moments in the familiarity of day-to-day life. This is a talent that’s lost on many young photographers today, especially many of the newcomers who are only after mass-appeal imagery that can quickly rake up thousands of likes on social media. “I definitely shot more in the earlier years because everything was fresh and new, but I still get genuinely excited when I stumble upon moments that I feel are worth catching,” he shares. “When it comes to portraits of people, the highlight is finding that connection between me and the person I am shooting, to make it feel less like work and more like hanging out and getting to know each other. With personal projects, it’s a bit different mentality, and I think I’ve mentioned this in previous interviews, but it just comes down to love. Whether it’s my father, my girlfriend Carina, or my cats, it just comes down to my personal relationships with them and that’s what motivates me.” Scroll down to see more of Taiwan through the lens of Sean Marc Lee.

对于许多摄影师来说，长期呆在一个地方会丧失创意和创作动力。虽然子仁在台北已经住了六年多了， 但他仍然充满创作灵感，在日常生活的熟悉场景中发现有趣的时刻。这种能力是如今许多年轻摄影师所缺乏的，尤其是那些新摄影师，他们之所以拍照，只不过是想拍摄出吸引主流观众的作品，那些能够在社交媒体上获得成千上万个点赞的照片。他说: “我在前几年肯定拍得更多，因为当时一切对于我来说都是新鲜的，但是，现在当我偶然发现一些值得拍摄的时刻时，我还是会感到由衷的兴奋。至于拍摄人像，最重要的就是发现我和拍摄对象之间的联系，让拍摄过程不那么像是在工作，而是更像是两个人在闲逛和互相了解。至于个人项目，我会用不同的心态来创作，我在上面也提到过了，但说到底就是爱。无论是我的父亲、我的女朋友Carina、或者是我的猫，归根到底就是我与他们之间的关系，这是激发我创作的动力。”下面一起随李子仁的镜头逛游台湾的街头吧。

Website: seanmarclee.com
Facebook: ~/sean-marc-lee
Instagram: @seanmarclee

 

Contributor: David Yen

网站: seanmarclee.com
脸书: ~/sean-marc-lee
Instagram: @seanmarclee

 

供稿人: David Yen

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New Japan Rising

July 24, 2017 2017年7月24日

Hulk Hogan. Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock. John Cena. These are the names that most people associate with professional wrestling, but that’s all about to change. Soon, there’s a good chance that names like Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, and Tetsuya Naito will be first on everyone’s lips. Over the past decade, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has risen from its lowest point like a phoenix from the ashes. Having re-conquered Japan, after a disastrous spell of mismanagement, NJPW dared to venture where no Japanese wrestling promotion ever has – the American market, long dominated by the multibillion-dollar monopoly World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

一说到职业摔角，大多数人可能会首先想到胡克·霍根，“冷石”史蒂夫·奥斯丁、“巨石”道恩·强森、约翰·塞纳这些名字。但他们称霸职业摔角的情况即将被改写，可能用不了多久，Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega和Tetsuya Naito这些名字就会取代他们的位置。在过去十年里，NJPW（新日本摔角联盟）如凤凰涅槃般，从低谷中重回巅峰，并大胆进军日本摔角之前未曾进入过的空白市场——美国。在美国，价值数亿美元的WWE一直垄断了美国市场。

Last year, Takaaki Kidani, who bought NJPW in 2012, made a statement of intent: “We are entering a phase where you are either with WWE or against them. WWE has a lot of weaknesses and time is not on their side.” Even if this assertion was slightly premature, New Japan’s G1 Special in USA this month was long overdue. The occasion marked the company’s first-ever independent tour of the US and the launch of its new United States Heavyweight Championship. Tickets sold out within hours, and the show boasted a rare champion versus champion bout, with the Ring of Honor World Champion, Cody Rhodes, taking on New Japan’s IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada. Rhodes believes the event, televised live on the American AXS TV network, will have “massive ramifications” for the entire industry. He says a “boom” is underway, but unlike the booms of the 80s and 90s, driven by the WWE and now-defunct WCW. “It’s happening elsewhere – it’s happened in these independents.”

2012 年，Takaaki Kidani买下了NJPW。而在去年，他曾经说过：”我们现在的处境是，你要么是站在WWE一方，要么就是他们的对手。WWE 存在很多问题，随着时间推移，情况也越来越糟糕。“ 即使这种说法有点太早下定论，但经过漫长的等待，NJPW的G1 Special in USA大赛也总算正式举办了。这场比赛标志着该公司第一次独立进军美国，是他们推出自己在美国的新重量级冠军的尝试。数小时内，门票就卖光了。这是一场很少有的冠军和冠军之间的比赛——由荣誉之戒（Ring of Honor）的世界冠军Cody Rhodes对阵NJPW IWGP重量级冠军 Kazuchika Okada。Cody 认为，这场由美国 AXS 电视网络实况转播的比赛，可能会对整个行业产生”巨大影响”。他说，新的摔角”热潮”正酝酿着爆发，但这与 WWE 和现已解散的 WCW 在80 年代和 90 年代推动的“热潮”不同，“这一次会发生在其它地方，由那些独立的摔角团体推动。”

In recent years, struggling to produce its own home-grown superstars, WWE has used its unparalleled revenue and exposure to poach talent from smaller promotions. While it succeeded in luring two of NJPW’s biggest stars, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, there was one it could not seduce: the newly crowned United States Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega. Over the past two years, the Canadian has transformed himself from goofy anime character to international superstar, becoming the first foreigner to win the company’s annual month-long G1 Climax tournament, earning himself a shot at the prodigal Kazuchika Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In January, he presented Okada’s greatest threat yet, on NJPW’s largest stage – the annual Wrestle Kingdom show – at the auspicious Tokyo Dome. The pair produced a 47-minute master class of technical wrestling and storytelling, seemingly beating each other half to death. Dave Meltzer, author of the weekly Wrestling Observer Newsletter, rated the match six out of five stars, adding: “Omega and Okada may have put on the greatest match in wrestling history.”

近年来，为了努力培养出自己的本土摔角巨星，WWE 利用自己令人难以企及的收入和知名度，从其它较小的机构中挖掘人才。它成功地将两名 NJPW 中最耀眼的摔角明星Shinsuke Nakamurat 和AJ Styles收揽旗下，但还有一名摔角明星拒绝了他们，他就是新任的美国重量级冠军Kenny Omega。在过去的两年间，这名来自加拿大的摔角选手完成了从搞笑的动漫人物到国际巨星的转变，成为这家公司中，第一个在为期一个月的年度G1 Climax 锦标赛赢得冠军的外国选手，获得与 Kazuchika Okada 争夺 IWGP 重量级冠军的机会。今年 1 月，在NJPW最大的舞台——在Tokyo Dome 举办的一年一度的 Wrestle Kingdom 比赛上，他成为了Kazuchika Okada 目前最大的威胁。在这场47分钟的比赛中，两位摔角选手给观众展示了一场大师级的激烈比赛，双方几乎要对手打到半死。资深的《摔角观察家周刊》（Wrestling Observer Newsletter）作者Dave Meltzer为这场比赛给出了 5 颗星的评分（满分6颗星），并写道：“Omega和Okada的这场比赛可能是摔角历史上最伟大的一场比赛。

What’s unique about NJPW is its “strong style” philosophy. Inoki, who founded the company in 1972, identified “strong style” as a combination of hard-hitting attacks, athletic prowess, and grappling. He declared the NJPW to be the “king of sports” and contended against athletes from different disciplines – even taking on Muhammad Ali, in a sensational, though farcical, MMA bout. In the ensuing decades, he was the chief architect of both NJPW’s success and its demise. As MMA was popularized in Japan, Inoki became obsessed with it, hiring cage fighters like Bas Rutten to compete in NJPW, and forcing New Japan talents to compete in MMA bouts. Wrestlers like Yuji Nagata, who won the 2001 G1 Climax tournament, were knocked out in seconds, humiliating and undermining not just them, but pro wrestling as a whole. 

NJPW独特之处在于它“强烈风格”（strong style）的理念。1972 年，Inoki 创立NJPW公司，并将“强烈风格”定义为有力的攻击、运动员般的身手和格斗技巧的组合。他宣称 NJPW 是“体育界的王者”，对不同领域的运动员发起挑战，甚至包括拳王阿里(Muhammad Ali)，虽然那场比赛有点滑稽，但仍然是轰动一时的一场MMA比赛。在随后的几十年里，他既成就了 NJPW 的成功，也一手让它陷入低谷。随着MMA在日本推广开来，Inoki越来越痴迷于它，找来像 Bas Rutten 这样的笼斗战士（cage fighter）加入 NJPW比赛，并强迫NJPW的摔角手参加 MMA 比赛。但是，即使是像Yuji Nagata这样赢得过 2001 年G1 Climax 锦标赛的选手，也在几秒钟内就被淘汰，那不仅是选手，更是对整个职业摔角界的侮辱和伤害。

By 2004, Meltzer had branded NJPW the worst promotion in the world. Live attendances had halved, stars had deserted and the company was haemorrhaging money. In 2005, Japanese game developer Yuke’s bought up Inoki’s controlling interest and pushed him out of the company. The mantle then fell to wrestler Hiroshi Tanahashi, who, together with the company’s new bookers Gedo and Jado, threw MMA out the window and began developing stronger characters and stories, complete with compelling wrestling. In 2012, a cocky, 24-year-old Okada emerged from nowhere and challenged the now-legendary Tanahashi. The two battled for four years, before Okada emerged the new, beloved “Ace” – the number one. While today Okada embodies the ideal “strong style” wrestler, New Japan boasts a variety of other strong performers – from technical wizard Zack Sabre Jr. to high-flyers like Will Ospreay and Ricochet.

到 2004 年，Meltzer将 NJPW 品牌评为世界上最糟糕的摔角公司。观众减少了一半，摔角明星纷纷离开，公司资金大量流失。2005 年，日本游戏开发商Yuke’s买下了Inoki的控股权，并将他赶出了公司。公司的权力落到了摔角手Hiroshi Tanahashi手上，他和公司两位新“登记人”（booker）Gedo和Jado一起管理公司，他们放弃了 MMA比赛，开始发展更强大的人物和故事，招用更有说服力的摔角手。2012 年，骄傲自大的 24 岁Okada 突然冒了出来，挑战传奇选手Tanahashi。这两位选手苦战了四年，最终Okada获得胜利，成为最受欢迎的“Ace”选手。虽然今天的Okada也体现了理想的“强烈风格”的摔角手，但NJPW还拥有各种各样风格的选手，譬如拥有过人技术的 Zack Sabre Jr ，以及像Will Ospreay和Ricochet那样的高飞型摔角手（high-flyers）。

Despite their stylistic differences, many talented wrestlers have found a home in New Japan, where the craft is king. There are no gimmicks, no screwy finishes, no reality TV melodrama – just pure wrestling. Where WWE is blockbuster, NJPW is arthouse. NJPW’s promos feel more like boxing promos than soap opera segments, with few cuts to backstage or interference in matches. Japanese fans don’t respond well to the unfair finishes popular in WWE. They like to see which warrior is stronger, and, more importantly, who has the greatest “fighting spirit,” a nod to historic Samurai values. It’s a sentiment echoed by Omega, who calls the IWGP Heavyweight Championship “the most prestigious wrestling prize in all of professional wrestling.” On the contrary, he says WWE’s belt means nothing to him. “They pass around that belt like a hot potato. I probably have a neighbor on my block who held that belt at one point. There is no prestige to that belt whatsoever.”

尽管他们的风格各不相同，但他们都在NJPW找到自己的落脚点，在这里，技术是最重要的。没有噱头，没有奇怪的结局，没有真人秀那样的电视情节剧，只是纯粹的摔角运动。如果说WWE是商业大片，那么NJPW 就是一部艺术片。NJPW 的比赛更像是拳击比赛，而不是肥皂剧，很少会有后台镜头，也很少会在比赛期间出意外。日本观众不太喜欢 WWE 那种不公平的比赛结果。他们喜欢看到底哪个摔角手更强大，以及更重要的是，谁更有“战斗精神”，这一点受到了由来已久的日本武士价值观。Omega对这种观念深表赞同，他将 IWGP 重量级冠军称为“所有职业摔角比赛中最负盛名的奖项”。与此相反，他说 WWE 的冠军腰带对他毫无意义。“他们把那冠军腰带传来传去，仿佛那是烫手山芋一样。说不定，在我家附近的某位邻居曾经也拿到过这条冠军腰带。那条腰带现在已经没有任何威望。”

In the past six years, only four people have held the IWGP Heavyweight title. Rhodes, who failed in his attempt to take the belt from Okada, says it has the aura of “a Stanley Cup”. The title is only as strong as its holder, and Okada has held it for over a year, defeating all the company’s top talents, in varied and brilliant matches. While New Japan’s belts become more prestigious by the day, WWE CEO Vince McMahon seems to have gone the way of Inoki and lost touch with his audience. Belts and storylines are dropped on a whim with little regard for narrative. One such example is Jinder Mahal, who was considered a “jobber”’ – someone who loses all their matches – before he unexpectedly nabbed the WWE Championship. Widely seen as an attempt to appeal to the Indian market, the storyline left most viewers alienated. Meanwhile, WWE’s Brock Lesnar has yet to defend the Universal Championship title he secured in April. Okada, on the other hand, has fought to defend his title four times since then. In May, WWE’s flagship show, Raw, had its second-lowest rating ever and its biggest stars are starting to speak out. Veteran wrestler Big Show recently stated: “You sit around all day for some frickin’ idea that absolutely sucks.”

在过去的六年中，只有四人曾获得过 IWGP 重量级冠军的头衔。Rhodes曾试图从Okada争夺 IWGP 重量级冠军，但失败了，他认为这个冠军头衔相当于国家冰球联盟的最高奖项——史丹利盃（Stanley Cup）。这个冠军头衔和它的获得者的能力一样有份量，Okada保持 IWGP 重量级冠军的头衔已经一年多，在多场精彩比赛中，击败了公司里的其它顶尖人才。当NJPW的冠军头衔变得越来越有威望时，WWE 总裁Vince McMahon却似乎在重蹈Inoki当年的覆辙，并且离他的观众越来越远。冠军腰带的获得者和比赛的故事似乎都是心血来潮的决定，几乎不会考虑故事情节是否合理。譬如，Jinder Mahal之前一直被认为是“jobber”（指那结输掉所有比赛的人），但是他竟然突然就抢到 WWE 的冠军。大多数人认为这个结果是在讨好印度市场，但却让大多数观众感到难以理解。此外，WWE 的 Brock Lesnar 还没有进行过比赛，去捍卫他在 4 月夺得的环球冠军赛（Universal Championship）的冠军头衔。而另一方面，Okada 已经打了四场比赛，来捍卫他的冠军头衔。今年五月，WWE的主打节目《Raw》 获得了史上倒数第二低的评分，其最大的明星也开始抱怨。摔角手Big Show最近指出：“你整天坐在那里，就只想了一些糟透了的想法。”

New Japan may still have some way to go before reaching the 60,000-plus attendance and sold-out shows of its early-90s heyday, but its popularity is rising and its commercial appeal is broadening. This year, Wrestle Kingdom drew 26,000 people, a steady improvement on the 2007 low point of 18,000. Since 2012, revenue has quadrupled, and it is once again Japan’s largest promotion. Few would have imagined that New Japan’s first independent foray into the US, which sold more than 4,500 tickets, would become a social media sensation, trending first in both the US and UK. AXS TV, which broadcast the special live, first began airing replays of the Okada-Tanahashi rivalry in 2015 to test the waters. NJPW claims these shows were watched by 200,000 people, which would make it the second-most watched wrestling promotion in the US. AXS ordered more episodes in the lead up to this month’s live broadcast. With New Japan expecting to pull in $40 million next year, it seems that by rebuilding from the bottom up, the company has found itself in its most stable position ever. With increased income and exposure, the company will be better able to retain its talent going forward – especially if, like Rhodes, they prosper far more outside the WWE – financially or artistically. Though it would be best to avoid a head-on collision, NJPW may soon find itself the go-to promotion not just for talent who are fed up with WWE, but fans too. It might not win over everybody, but with the most prestigious belt, a gritty edge, and the best matches in the world, it won’t be long before hardcore wrestling fans flock over. Strong style is back, and it’s here to stay.

如果NJPW想要重回 90 年代全盛时期6 万多张门票的巅峰，可能还有一些路要走，但其受欢迎程度正在不断上升，它的商业吸引力也越来越大。今年，Wrestle Kingdom 吸引了 26000 名观众，对比于2007年的低谷 18000名观众已经在稳步提高。2012 年以来，这家公司的收入翻了两番，并再一次成为了日本最大的摔角组织。很少有人会想象NJPW首次独立进军美国会成为媒体的焦点，这场比赛卖出了超过 4500 张门票，快要成为美国和英国的第一名。直播这场比赛的AXS 电视台先是重播了2015年 Okada对阵Tanahashi的比赛，看看观众的反应。NJPW 宣称这场比赛吸引了20万人观看,这意味着它成为了美国排名第二吸引最多观众收看的摔角比赛。这个月的比赛直播之前，AXS计划重播放更多场比赛。NJPW 预计明年可以获得4000 万美元的收入。从低谷中逐步回升，可以说，现在这家公司已经到达了其历史上发展最为稳定的阶段。随着收入和曝光的增加，这家公司在将来应该能够更好地留住人才，特别是像Rhodes这样的选手，无论是在财政上或专业上，他们在WWE 之外都会有更好的发展。虽然最好能避免正面竞争，但NJPW可能很快吸引的就不仅是那些受够了WWE的摔角选手，还有观众。虽然它不太可能抢走所有的观众，但是凭借最负盛名的冠军腰带、激烈的风格以及世界上最精彩的比赛，过不了多久，那些铁杆摔角迷就会蜂拥而来。NJPW 的“强烈风格”会再次回归，并将获得成功。

Website: njpw1972.com
Facebook: ~/newjapaneng
Instagram: @njpw1972

 

Contributor: Hareth Al Bustani
Images Courtesy of New Japan Pro-Wrestling

网站: njpw1972.com
脸书: ~/newjapaneng
Instagram: @njpw1972

 

供稿人: Hareth Al Bustani
图片由New Japan Pro-Wrestling提供

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I Wish You Be Cooler

July 21, 2017 2017年7月21日

 

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Whether he’s rocking an oversized sweatshirt or an orange sportswear set, one thing’s for certain – this little boy’s got style. At first glance, you might think he’s some celebrity child or the heir to a fashion empire, but in reality, he’s just an ordinary five-year-old boy from Hangzhou named yoyo. His mother tells us about him being a fashion icon: “Children grow up so quickly, so we just wanted to document more of yoyo’s life as he matures. It all started when I randomly dressed him up in my shirt and his father’s pants. Because the pants were way too big, I used shoelaces as a belt, and the outfit came out looking unexpectedly great. yoyo’s father thought it was cute too, so we snapped a photo of it.”

完美驾驭秀场大热的超长袖上衣、亮橙色的韩风运动套装，这位酷酷的时尚界新鲜血液不是什么星二代，也没什么时髦的出生，只是一个生活在杭州的普通五岁小男孩，名叫yoyo。关于时髦icon养成记，yo妈却这样告诉我们，“小孩子长大得太快，我们只是希望能在yoyo成长的过程中帮他记录多一些东西。有次偶然的机会我给yoyo穿上了我的上衣和爸爸的裤子，因为大人的裤子太大了我就用鞋带当作腰带给yoyo捆在腰上，出来的效果却意外地和谐。yo爸觉得这画面好看又好玩，就拍了下来。”

In the beginning, yoyo’s parents would post pictures of their child on social media just like any ordinary parents, but yoyo’s unique style and charm quickly attracted a large following. Neocha recently had the opportunity to shoot a video with this young fashion icon. On the day of the shoot, yoyo’s mother styled him with a tape measure for a belt and a pair of large adult men’s jeans. She tells us, “Sometimes yoyo feels like the clothes aren’t comfortable, so he’ll take them off himself, but most of the time he loves wearing oversized stuff.” yoyo’s parents describe their family’s fashion situation as so: if they buy a large-sized item, all of them can wear it. The item will fit perfectly on yoyo’s father, it will be a relaxed, casual fit on yoyo’s mother, and a super-oversized fit on yoyo. For them, this kind of arrangement is both economical and environmental.

最初只是普通的社交网络晒娃，但yoyo独特的穿衣风格和超强镜头感立即吸引了大批粉丝。最近，Neocha去到杭州会见这位小潮神，视频拍摄日当天，更是见证Yo妈用一条皮尺当成腰带为yoyo穿上了一件成人大号男士牛仔裤。“有时yoyo觉得衣服不舒服，他就会自己脱掉，但是大部分时间yoyo还是很享受穿上这些oversize服装的。” yoyo爸妈和我们分享的时尚经是：我们买一件L号的衣服可以三个人穿，yo爸穿正好，yo妈穿是宽松休闲风，yoyo穿上就是现在大热的超级oversize超长袖风格，这种方法环保又经济。

When people see yoyo’s photographs, they’ll often assume that there’s an entire production team working to create these images. But the reality is that everything is produced by yoyo’s father, who set up a makeshift photo studio in their rented apartment (with just a stand to hold up a colored backdrop). Sometimes they’ll do a photoshoot outside when they take yoyo out to play on the weekends. They won’t use any professional equipment – all they use is a phone or a simple digital camera. yoyo’s father works as a designer, so he likes to add different graphic elements to yoyo’s photographs in post-production. The unique, vintage feel of the photographs caught the attention of German fashion magazine Coeval, which introduced yoyo to new fans outside of China.

很多人看到yoyo的“杂志大片”，可能会以为他有个强劲的幕后团队，而现实是，这些相片几乎都是yo爸在他们的出租房客厅搭建了一个非常简易的摄影棚（其实就是用个用架子固定住彩色的背景布），或者周末和yoyo外出放风的时候，用非常土炮的方式拍摄的。没有专业的摄影设备，也没什么灯光设计，只是用手机或普通的数码相机拍摄。yo爸是一位平面设计师，他会把自己喜欢的设计元素在后期制作中加到yoyo的照片上。复古玩味的相片风格还被德国潮流杂志《Coeval》相中，带yoyo进攻国际市场，积累了一批跨国迷妹。

yoyo’s wardrobe is handled by his mother, who never had any formal fashion training. Instead, she follows her intuitive fashion sense to put together yoyo’s outfits. But one unexpected member of yoyo’s team is his grandmother. “Sometimes we’ll see a clothing item in a magazine that we like, but we won’t know where to buy it, or we don’t want to spend too much money, so sometimes yoyo’s grandmother will just make it for us.” For example, the orange sportswear set was tailored by yoyo’s grandmother. Although the handiwork might not be up to the standard of a professional tailor, one thing’s for sure – each of yoyo’s outfits is definitely made with lots of love.

yoyo的造型则由妈妈负责，yo妈并没有学过服装搭配，只是根据自己的灵感和喜好把衣服穿到yoyo身上，不会经过太多的设计和思考。而打造时髦yoyo背后的另一位大功臣就是yoyo的奶奶。“有时候我们在杂志看到喜欢的衣服不知道去哪里买，也不想花太多钱，奶奶就会帮yoyo做出来。” 像是那套经典的橙色运动套装，就是奶奶为yoyo量身定制的mini版潮服，虽说做工可能不如专业裁缝般精细，但yoyo的每套搭配背后都可以说是充满了家人满分的爱。

Besides being impressed by the fashion sense of yoyo’s entire household, another thing I was struck by during our shoot was the family’s laid-back attitude towards parenting. Both parents were never overbearing or overprotective – when snacks fell on the floor and yoyo ate them, they wouldn’t make a big fuss; if yoyo wanted to pick out his own outfit, they wouldn’t interfere (even if the grownups didn’t understand his sense of style); or when yoyo wanted to play and roll around on the dusty floor, they would let him. We always hear parents telling their children that if you aren’t obedient, I won’t buy you this or that or take you out to play. But yoyo’s mother has a different mindset – she hopes that yoyo won’t be too obedient, that he can still be a little rascal from time to time, as long as he’s happy and healthy. Perhaps it’s this free and unrestrained style of parenting that has allowed yoyo to become the cute and lovable child that you see in front of the lens today.

除了一家子藏不住的时髦细胞之外，拍摄时对yoyo家庭的另一印象就是：他们不会去压抑yoyo小朋友的天性，也不会对他有过分的关爱和保护，例如掉在地上的零食直接捡起来塞进yoyo嘴里、任他挑选自己喜欢穿的衣服（即使那是成人无法理解的搭配）、任由yoyo抱着喜欢的道具在并不是那么干净的地面打滚。经常听到有父母会对孩子说：你再不听话就不给你买玩具，不带你出去玩儿。yo妈却希望yoyo不要太懂事，太听话。偶尔捣蛋，不时赖皮，哭笑都发自内心，只要他快乐善良健康，就是爸妈的好孩子。可能正是因为这样培养孩子的方式，才能在镜头下记录到这样一个自由自然可爱的yoyo吧。

Weibo: ~/yoyoiscool
Instagram: @munayoyoo

 

Videographer & Contributor: Ye Zi
Images Courtesy of @无敌宥先生

微博: ~/yoyoiscool
Instagram: @munayoyoo

 

视频摄影师与供稿人: Ye Zi
图片由@无敌宥先生提供

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Moon Mad

July 20, 2017 2017年7月20日

Back in 2011, ChaCha felt her calling to the world of music while studying on an exchange program in Europe. Soon, she began experimenting with the possibilities of the human voice, eventually wielding it as a musical instrument. This approach helped her turn music into something shapeless and fluid, making it a medium that accommodates the ways she expresses herself. The Shanghai-based independent musician’s memories of travel and the mundane moments in her everyday life both make their way into her music in the form of field recordings, which she manipulates using a combination of hardware and software, a process that transforms them into dreamy, collage-like soundscapes. Earlier this summer, under the alter ego of Faded Ghost, she released Moon Mad, an ambitious conceptual debut album that pulls listeners into a dark and atmospheric world filled with shamanistic energy.

Faded Ghost 是独立音乐人ChaCha的一个分身，2011年她在欧洲交流学习期间受到启发，开始了这个以个人音乐实验为目的的项目. 在这个项目的实验中，她尝试将人声以乐器的方式运用，音乐也不再有固定的形式和表达方式。她偏爱那些从生活和旅行中采集的声音切片，在硬件探索和软件加工中将其重塑，用自己的方式为听众呈现出充满场景感的声音拼贴画。今年夏天，Faded Ghost于上海厂牌SVBKVLT发行了她的新专辑《Moon Mad》，这是一张充斥着仪式感、黑暗氛围的概念专辑。

Listen to select tracks from the new album below:

Faded Ghost – Full Moon Ceremony

Faded Ghost – Lonely Alice

Faded Ghost – Little India

点击下方链接试听新专辑的精选曲目：

Faded Ghost – Full Moon Ceremony

Faded Ghost – Lonely Alice

Faded Ghost – Little India

Last month, Faded Ghost held a live debut of Moon Mad in Shanghai. The show presented the album as an audiovisual experience to help introduce the sense of space of different dimensions that she’s crafted with sound. During the show, the constant samples of chanting and bells evoked imagery of religious rituals. That, along with the ethereal feel of the rest of the album, turned the performance into a mind-blowing experience that blurred the boundaries of reality and fantasy.

前不久，我们去到Faded Ghost在上海举办的《Moon Mad》首发演出现场，提前领略了新专辑带来的独特视听体验。在这张专辑中，Faded Ghost大量使用了具有空间感的音色设置、充满宗教意味的经文吟咏与钟声。模糊了真实与幻想的界限。

Describing Moon Mad, Faded Ghost says, “The album explores feelings and experiences of the sun and moon at different latitudes around the globe and the collisions of sound, culture, and technology in these regions. Using and reshaping sound samples collected over five years, and observing the connection that language, culture and religion play on the sounds of a location, Moon Mad looks at the power of tidal fluctuations caused by the position of the moon and the effect this has on language, the calendar, art, and mythology, as well as the weather and seasons, and the effect this has on the mood and intrinsic energy of an individual as well as a group.”

“人类在最初的时候，崇拜太阳也崇拜月亮，他们研究星辰解读动物和植物，心怀对大自然的好奇和敬畏，认为万物皆有灵魂。他们相信灵魂之间的对话，这种对话包括与自我的，也包括与宇宙万物的。他们通过绳结和舞蹈，图画和文字，水和火，泥土和空气，光谱和声波，磁场和引力，宗教和巫术，杀戮和救赎来解读这些对话。这回响迄今仍在空气中震动，一如月相变化引起的潮汐涨落，影响着我们的语言，历法，艺术和神话，直至四季和温度，情绪和内在能量的变化。”

Nini Sum of Idlebeats, who was responsible for the cover art of Faded Ghost’s first album, is also the artist behind the cover art of the new release. In addition to the album art, Sum also created eleven additional artworks that accompany every track on the album, which has been compiled and released as a limited-edition risograph zine. Each zine has a unique, non-expiring download code for the Moon Mad album and is meant to replace traditional CDs while still being a tangible vessel for the digital release. This unique collaboration is the result of two highly talented artists who are both working to redefine the role of their artistic mediums and reinvent the possibilities of collaborative projects, resulting in this union of visual arts and music. The Moon Mad zine can be ordered from the IdleBeats website and on the IdleBeats Taobao store.

操刀制作了Faded Ghost首张专辑封面的艺术家Nini Sum，这次也为《Moon Mad》创作了封面及每首作品对应的11幅画作，印制成具有收藏价值的Riso画册限量发售，开创音乐与独立出版的新形式。不同以往的是，这次的专辑并没有实体CD贩售，而是在每本Zine中包含一个独一无二的专辑下载码，这永不过期的链接使欣赏音乐脱离了实体播放器的限制。这个项目也是两名艺术家在多年合作和探索后，对于视觉+音乐跨界发行新媒介的思考及实验之作。现在，你可以通过Idlebeats的网站或Idlebeats淘宝店购买《Moon Mad》Zine。

Weibo: ~/xhaxha
Soundcloud: ~/chachachina
虾米: ~/chacha

 

Contributor & Photographer: Ye Zi
Additional Images Courtesy of Faded Ghost

微博: ~/xhaxha
虾米: ~/chacha
Soundcloud: ~/chachachina

 

供稿人与摄影师: Ye Zi
附加图片由Faded Ghost提供

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What Makes a Selfie “Good”?

July 19, 2017 2017年7月19日

No clever camera angles, no flawless porcelain-like skin, and not even a hint of a smile, Izumi Miyazaki‘s selfies aren’t particularly flattering—she’s often void of expression, or perhaps a bit drowsy. Her ascent to internet stardom was nothing like your typical internet influencer. Her devoted online following and feature in TIME magazine are the result of the surreal approach with which she shoots and edits her self-portraits.

Born in 1994, the Musashino Art University graduate uses Photoshop to bend the possibilities of reality, creating outlandish scenes with sprinkled black humor. These playful images touch on heavy subjects, such as death, loneliness, and identity. “The tomato sauce coming out of my decapitated head represent my feelings towards mortality,” Miyazaki explains of the above image. “The imagery is meant to present a positive attitude towards death. It’s the same with the photo of my head being cut in half with a fish; I wanted to share my feelings in a comical way.”

Scroll down to check out some more of Miyazaki’s self-portraits.

没有黄金45度仰拍，没有无暇的蛋壳肌，甚至连一丝笑容都没有，她总以一副严肃甚至有点呆滞的表情出现在镜头前。日本少女 Izumi Miyazak i就是以她与众不同的超现实自拍照走红于网络，甚至登上了美国《时代周刊》。Izumi Miyazaki 于 1994 年出生于日本山梨县，就读于武藏野美术大学。她利用 Photoshop 放大了现实世界的可能性，营造出古怪荒诞的个人世界，用冷幽默的画面去传达她对孤独、死亡和身份认同等话题的理解。“脑袋里流出的番茄酱是我对于死亡的态度，这种意象有点乐观又有点滑稽。”在介绍自己作品的时候 Izumi Miyazaki 这样讲到，“被劈开的生鱼和脑袋也是这样，我想用喜剧的方式去呈现死亡。” 下面一起看看 Izumi Miyazak i的更多“迷之自拍“。

Website: izumimiyazaki.tumblr.com

 

Contributor: Ye Zi

网站: izumimiyazaki.tumblr.com

 

供稿人: Ye Zi

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When Comic Books Depict Reality

July 18, 2017 2017年7月18日

As a medium, comic books fall somewhere between literature and film – it can have the depth of well-written literary works but stir emotions like powerful works of cinema. Despite the versatility of comics, the comic book scene in China still remains largely underdeveloped. But even in the stagnant state of affairs, Chinese comics still possess their own unique characteristics, especially independent productions. “For any comic book, being interesting is key,” says Newliu, a Sichuan-based independent comic book artist. But how do you define “interesting”? For every person you ask, you’ll most likely end up with a different explanation. But a crucial part of making a story “interesting” might begin with having full control of the creation and publishing process, a perk of being an independent comic artist. This allows for more experimental works, a sense of intimacy, and creative freedom. This freedom is partly what has allowed Newliu to create his highly compelling stories.

“漫画，有趣是最重要的。”可是“有趣”的标准是什么？一百个人就有一百种说法。漫画的表现方式介于文学与电影之间，既可以有文学作品的内涵又可以像电影般直指人心。虽说现在中国漫画的发展并不乐观，但也不乏一些有着自己特色的作品，特别是独立漫画。独立的含义是指漫画家独自创作甚至发行，这样创作出的作品往往更具实验性和私密性。同时，独立漫画往往也能带给创作者更多的空间。而这种空间，也正是漫画家Newliu能产出这么多好作品的其中一个重要原因。

Newliu’s comics often combine his vivid imagination with personal memories. His storytelling is highly influenced by cinema, and he has sourced inspiration from black-and-white silent films, arthouse films, and cult classics. But, to date, the movies that have influenced Newliu the most are the works of Takeshi Kitano. Quite similar to Kitano’s approach, many of Newliu’s messages are veiled and implicit. In addition, his narrative structure is also quite similar – he begins with a slow-progressing storyline that builds momentum before reaching an explosive climax, followed up with a wind-down period that brings the story to a calming conclusion.

Newliu的漫画大多出自他自己的回忆，再加上一些有趣的奇幻元素组合而成。他的作品深受电影的影响，比如黑色幽默电影或是文艺片和cult片。对他影响最深的是北野武的电影。Newliu的作品内容都很含蓄，就如北野武的电影一般，慢慢地进行着故事的推演，再将积蓄的能量一次性喷发出来，最后又缓缓地结束故事，很温柔也很安静。

In China, many comics illustrators who want to make livable wages while still creating must make compromises. They’ll work as teachers or take on commercial illustration gigs. There are very few comics artists who are full-time illustrators in the country. After all, due to the avant-garde and non-mainstream nature of independent comics, they only appeal to a niche readership. Newliu says that he himself is thinking about taking on a teaching job, stating that he sees it as simply a means of making money to support his drawing habits.

目前国内的独立漫画也处于一个较为尴尬的位置，漫画家为了生活必须向很多方面妥协，有的选择画商业插画有的选择做教师，只有少数漫画家坚持着全职漫画。毕竟独立漫画由于其实验性和他的特殊，并没有太多的读者。当Newliu说到这点时，他也表示自己正在考虑从事一些教师工作，称其为“挣钱养画”。

Undeterred by the challenges he faces, Newliu says that even if there’s only one person reading his comics, he’ll still give it his all. His first-ever independently released comic, Angry David, received a highly positive reception. It took him four years to put together the story, but such is the cost of creating a quality story. The unfortunate thing is that there is far less to gain for artists producing a well thought-out piece of work when compared with churning out fast, commercial works.

面对这些困难和挑战，Newliu也没想过要放弃。“就算有只有1名读者，我也要全力以赴。” Newliu的第一本单行本漫画《愤怒的大卫》评价颇高，这样一本优秀漫画的绘制就花费了4年时间，可是如此优秀的作品相较于其他商业漫画的回报来说实在是太少了，着实令人惋惜。

So considering the unfavorable situation for comic book artists in China, perhaps the melancholy that forms the foundation of Newliu’s stories is justified. His comics often revolve around a humble protagonist who puts in a great deal of effort towards his goal but still ends up failing; it’s a conclusion that won’t be satisfying for most readers, but it’s a realistic depiction of life and the challenges that people face in it. “Tragedy is life,” Newliu comments. And just maybe, seeing a story where the main character does all the right things but still faces failure is far more interesting than the overly optimistic, unrealistic drivel that dominates the mainstream. Newliu shares that his upcoming work, Lee and I, will be an equally bleak story. The comic will revolve around the starting of a business and all the failures and compromises along the way. Despite the depressing nature of Newliu’s comics, it feels normal to laugh at certain moments of his story. Perhaps this is confirmation of the saying: “Tragedy plus time equals comedy.”

或许正是受到中国漫画行业低落气氛的影响，Newliu的作品主题总是带着悲伤凄凉的情绪。卑微的主人翁拼尽全力最终失败——这样的情节的确不容易讨好读者，但人生不就这样吗？Newliu回答说“ 悲剧是人生的主旋律。”在失败中拼尽全力在我看来比市面上伟光正的主旋律可是要光面不少了。他还向我透露了一些关于他的新作品——《我和Lee》的细节，这是一个关于创业与失败和妥协的故事，还是那么的悲伤，放眼望去是一片片蓝色，可是不知怎么的，看他的作品我总能笑出声来，也许正应验了那句话：“最好的喜剧，他的内核注定是悲剧的吧。”

Weibo: ~/newliugou

 

Contributor: Sonic Yuan

微博: ~/newliugou

 

供稿人: Sonic Yuan

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