Carol Tagawa

Non Related: Single ladies

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:46:50 +0000

I haven’t made a post in a while and thus, no one is looking.

I ran into this and thought it was hilariously awesome.

If you like it, you should put a ring on it. If not, someone else will.

Photos: b&w film, fish eye

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:20:14 +0000

Thanks to the lomo that has made the trip from Hawaii to Seattle. This was the last roll on it from Hawaii. He sits nicely on my desk waiting.

Art: Isangmahal Arts Kollective @ Theater off Jackson

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:36:23 +0000

Literally, Theater off Jackson is off Jackson street on 7th in the ID.

When I arrived there was a group of poets hanging out in the front, through the front door we walked down a set to stairs into the hallway where refreshments were served and art was displayed. Enter thru the double doors on your left and it’s staduim style seating for about 145 people.

There was a backstage area with a kid named Nico watching me eat sushi and stage set up with a dj and a couple of mics.

Since there hasn’t been a show in I hear, about seven years, there was a reunion reconnection kind of vibe. I heard poetry different from what I hear at the slams in Hawaii, I saw hella homies that night and was surprise at how nicely organized the show was (I mean there was a stage manager! Go GRACE!)

I was a little nervous since I had heard so many great things, I knew great people were going to be there, my last live art doing in Hawaii had been a couple if months and it was my first time doing any art in front of people in Seattle. I prepped and sketched all day enough to make a pretty large mound of eraser shavings in the office to sweep up. I prepped four pieces but only actually finished one ans started on a 2nd.

The thing the got to me most: was EVERYONE was there to listen and be present. There was no one standing up on the walls spitting game nor were there drinks being bought round by round. It was truly a performance.

Check it out yourself at my dude, Holytorres.com. Thanks Seattle. That was HELLA DOPE! Oh, and…I like you.

Art: Inspiration

admin — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 03:13:45 +0000

When I was back in California I found an volume series of art books that my father owned and something tickled my memory. A faint visual of climbing up the bookshelf and taking one of these books down and accidentally tearing one of the pages came rushing back to me. I then recalled going through the color plates and words I couldn’t read and picking my favorite pieces. Strangely, I recollect being really fond of the collection of naked women, probably in the volume about Flemish and Dutch art. I could be wrong. I will let you know when I find out because I can still kind of remember what they looked like.

I couldn’t fit much into my suitcase, so I picked one out of the 10 volumes. Volume Nine: Chinese and Japanese Art.

The first chapter really struck my interest. It stated that he comparisons of art is Asian cannot be compared to one another unless the difference between Western and Eastern art are established. (At least to a certain degree) The thinking and direct comparisons were something that never really occurred to me until I read them in a comprehensive manner. This came at the perfect time since I had just started my bamboo sumi-e practices. And working on my admissions essay into Cornish. Which, jahjesus, I haven’t written in essay in forever.

My hunger to study more just grew. I’ve been bashed in the head repetitively by the Western standards of art and art aesthetics. Not like western standards of female beauty was not enough!

As a result I have come to conclusions to keep learning, so when the time comes to study in Asia, I can go in with both sides of the spectrum, as which I told one of my students recently who ended up getting a totally different perspective on the social issue she had chosen to make a presentation on.

Which then led me to much excitement and practically at a loss of words when I stumbled across Vincent Van Gogh and Ando Hiroshige’s pieces. I always had known about Van Gogh’s inspiration of Japanese ukiyo-e prints that started to spread across Europe but I didn’t know about his direct try with Hiroshige’s One Hundred View Famous View of Edo Series. He tried to replicate two woodblock prints from the series with oils on canvas adding western elements and interestingly enough Hiroshige was known for adding western elements into his prints.

I could get really into it. But it’s being saved for my essay. And just check them out. They’re dope and make me feel all good inside and stuff.

ART: Seattle

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:42:35 +0000

In being settled here, I have never been so hungry and diligent about working on somesort of art. I feel like Hawaii was not serious play. Maybe it’s the people, the little pieces or the art tucked away at every corner, or the clouds. What’s changed? Besides everything? Maybe all was needed was a move to open those eyes and brain a little more.

The Isangmahal Arts Kollective (and this is the part I take from the myspace page I googled) “…was formed in Seattle, WA in 1997 to create a safe space for Filipino and Asian Pacific American artists. The kollective features spoken word poets, dancers, visual artists, MCs, DJs and community organizers/educators. The group has released 2 CDs, chapbooks from the kollective and from individual poets, and has been featured in various publications throughout the nation, online and offline. Recently, the kollective was featured in the book, “The Beginner’s Guide to Community Based Arts”…”

I have heard nothing but amazing things and know some pretty dope people that were apart of this. And that people are completely stoked for this night. I feel honored and super excited to be apart of it and around some of Seattle’s best especially as a new 206-er. Also to experience what this kollective is all about. I will report accordingly.

Sumi-e painting has been a recent practice for me. Been trying to put in at least an hour a day. Watercolor has been sparking my interest for the first time in a while and I have been reading about sumi-e and the history of Asian art, so it’s been making me hella extra nerd out and think doing something completely different to what I am use to doing on stage at Pipeline or Fresh Cafe in Honolulu. I don’t know why, or if it’s even gonna work out. But take me as I am Seattle!

Gonna say it again: Man, Seattle. This is what I’m talkin about!!

Life: Aloha Hawaii Part Six [March 2010-The Last Month]

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:01:45 +0000

This is the last one.

Thanks for checking out the last days of Hawaii series. And even more so if you were apart of it, even it was just a glimpse of a great memory.

It also was great to share while I got settled into Seattle since I wasn’t producing anything but photos and crappy sketches waiting for my supplies to be mailed in. New art coming!

Thank you….Aloha Hawaii.

Life: Aloha Hawaii Part Five [Jan/Feb 2010]

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:26:47 +0000

‘09 was a crazy year. The welcome of 2010 was filled with friends and family. And this was the crazy rush that went by way faster then you can imagine as the countdown of weeks and days left in Hawaii started.

I always thought my last days in Hawaii were going to be paradise. But leaving anywhere, even moving down the block, is insane! Thanks to the homies that hella helped us out. And made the effort to see us one last time.

Life:Aloha Hawaii Part Four [Nov/Dec 2009]

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:13:23 +0000

The holiday during this time was really heartfelt for me because I was really anticipating to be alone and slightly melancholy due to the events of ‘09 and other significant days of that year but it ended up being SO beautiful and memorable. Even more so being the last holiday in Hawaii as residents. I ended up in the hospital the Monday before Xmas day and we were so busy getting to all the different family homes that week, I was slightly tired/haggered the whole time but it was the folks that was my medicine.

My photography class had popped off in September, meaning not only were there better pictures of everything during this time, but also photo excavations.

Thanks for the holidays! And in case all ya’ll didn’t know, all the thumbnails open into galleries you can navigate thru. Just click on a thumbnail and click right side of photo to ascend or left side of photo to descend. [See other galleries of Aloha Hawaii here1, here2 and here3]

Life: Aloha Hawaii Part Three [Sept/Oct 2009]

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:04:24 +0000

I think in September especially, there were so many people visiting Hawaii that there ended up being lots of pictures of people.

There was going to be a day where I would move away from Hawaii and hear about people getting all stoked going on trips to Hawaii and that time is now.

The weather has been beautiful here in Washington. I went on a hike that reminded me of Manoa today. This life’s waters are changing rapidly again and the time is flying. All of this seems so far away now while making myself into this person in this city I now love and am so proud to call home.

Thank you again to the folks and fam that made a memory in that chapter and especially for this entry, the ones that don’t live in Hawaii but were the ones that came to visit that got us all excited every time. [Part one and two]

I love and miss…you…

Life: Aloha Hawaii Part Two [June/July/Aug 2009]

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:25:22 +0000

It’s been one month and two days of 206 living.

Same thing I said last time: Aloha Hawaii (click here if you missed it last time because it still applies) thanks for everyone who made these memories memories. I have learned so much about how people work and what that means to me. My final conclusion especially thinking about people I really want to see again that are now far away to the people I could care less about is- everyone values their own actions, tradition and relationships differently. Never expect someone to act they way you would or think is most respectful to you. I am learning to take people as they are, and the very best parts of them I admire and try to incorporate on how to be a person similar, sometimes, the return is disguised differently because that’s how that person measures their action and values in action. Even taking parts that just aren’t and recognizing that you never would want to be that. Sometimes friendships are moments in passed time that you can remember and admire forever. One act of realization to you to change you.

Thanks for the lessons. Thanks for the fun. Thanks for the memories. I hope this strikes something special to take you back to when…