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I took a over night trip with my parents to Awaji island which locates off the coast of Kobe.  The world’s longest suspension bridge connects Awaji and Kobe (main island), and it was my first time to drive on it.  My parents wanted to go to Awaji to eat “Hamo” fish which is in season right now.  I really love small fishing villages in Japan.  They have depressing looking in general, which give me some kind of nostalgia and leave good amount of bitterness in my mouth.

Fising village

Kani

We walked around and found a crab on a step of stairs to a shrine.  He was so mad at us (since my dad was poking him with stick) and made hissing noise with bubbles coming out of his mouth.  We played with him for a while.  Next day after the feast of Hamo fish ( we nibbled everything even bones and heads…. good..), we drove around the island.  Here is the real “bridge to nowhere” which I found on the island.

Bridge to nowhere

We also visited a temple designed by Architect Tadao Ando. I heard so much about this temple  but it was cooler than I expected.  I guess something happened to the old original temple (fire, earthquake or some kind of damage?), and they built a new contemporary one underneath a water pond.  I do like Ando’s architecture and was very curiouse how he did it to spiritual institution.   I couldn’t take any pictures inside, but it was really amazing experience.  If you do ever go to Awaji, go here.

Honpuku-ji

I finally came back to my hometown, Nara, to visit my family after spending a year and half in Roswell.   Coming back to Japan is always more shocking to me than going back to America.  I already know what to expect since I lived here for twenty some years.   However, time spent in America always  screws up my sense.  Especially coming back from Roswell (the huge desert land with nothing to block the sight),  Japan seemed a miniature fairy land to me.  Everything is tiny and all the building stand ridiculously close to each other.  It seems like there is no rules in town about building code and everyone seems to do whatever they want to do to their buildings.  They have their own aesthetics to decorate their house, which conflict with one with the neighbors.  Everything looks very cluttered and lacks harmony as whole.  I used to hate it, but now I am actually enjoying looking at it and liking it.

I left Roswell on May 10th for San Antonio Texas to install my new work, One Afternoon, at Artpace San Antonio for WindowWork exhibition. Artpace has 3 windows around 71″ x 76″ and two smaller windows on both end, which are facing toward north main street. I decided to use 3 windows in the middle for window film installation.

Installing "one afternoon"

The material was much easier to work than I imagined. The film I used was frosted window films which were common for window displays. In order to install, you have to peel the backing from the film to expose the sticky side, spray soapy water both on films and window, put the film on the window, move around the film to position on the window and squeeze water with squeegee.

"One Afternoon" installed on windows

I am very happy with the result. If you are interested in, please come by to Artpace. It will be up until September 20th.

Roswell, New Mexico…. I was there for about 15 months since Feburary 2008. It was an incredible time at Roswell Artist in Residency Program. My friend Renee told me that I was the only Japanese woman she knew who truly loved desert…. I really did feel like I was from that climate. Especially working with Hubbits project, I got to know the area and nature around Roswell so much. I knew every single dirt road in Roswell area. I knew where I can go to find particular plants and minerals… I knew where I could find dead cows….seriously. I felt like I owned the whole land… I do and will miss the landscape.

Here is the view from my back porch.

Thank you for everyone I met during my residency. It was such a great time and I will miss you all!! I have no idea where this experience leads me to, but I am looking forward to what I will make in the future. Roswell, please take care of Hubbits… they are still out there living secretly.

Finally empty studio

Gila mountain view

Jimmy and I took a little trip to Gila National Forest. I went there in March last year and fell in love with the scenery. It locates in West of New Mexico and has a lot of strange rock formation.  There are many hot springs there too so maybe the land is volcanic formation…??  Last March when I was there, my friends and I tried to find a hot spring by a river bank.  We got a direction to hot spring at ranger station and it was like this.  “Take trail #38 by the river.  Do 2 river crossing by following the trail. After the second river crossing, find a strange rock formation and dig under the rock.  You will find a hot spring there”.  Usually hot springs are right under the rock already been dug up, but we went there right after the flood and everything was gone.  So we dug up the hot spring.  The hole was too tiny for us to get in but it felt good on my feet.

Another attraction in Gila is a cliff dwelling.  Just amazing human history.

Jimmy and dwelling

After leaving cliff dwelling, we find a goat that had just gave a birth to baby goat. Placenta is still hanging.

afterbirth

The show has just came down three days ago, but here is the report from the exhibition What isn’t it at Texas State University,

It was a three person show with Minako Inaoka, Japanese artist from San Fransico, Alyson Fox from Austin Texas and myself, and  it had a theme through the entire show which was bluring the line between reality and fiction.   The works from three artists were all mixed in the space, and it was a very nice installations of works.

I also had a chance to catch up old friends from UTSA, George Zupp and Derrick Durham.

Chicken George and Derrick Durham

Also George Krause stopped by. It was very nice catching up with everyone. Thank you, Texas State, for good time.

Furgie ( I am not sure how to spell her name) is a cat owned by the director of the residency, Steven.  She roams around the compound to make sure if everything is in place, checks everyone’s window and always talks to us.  Yes, she talks a lot in loud voice….  She also like to hang on window screen to check inside of house…

She is more like a dog than a cat and always follow steven for walk.  She is so cute…. but it was a big mistake that I fed her….  She never leave me alone since then…

Furgie the cat

Since December, this is the fist post in 2009….  I will try to get better…

So back in February, I and Jimmy visited Bonita lake in Capitan where I heard so much about its beauty.  We packed lunch, drink, snacks, and books.  We were so ready for fun picnic.

First, I forgot that was in February since Roswell winter is so mild.  Well, we went up to mountain….with snow…We were not ready for this wintery weather.  Second, we forgot how windy New Mexico can get…. yes, it was blowing.   Third, the lake was a bit unfriendly.  There were many signs that said, “No swimming, No surfing, No camping, No picnicking.”  No picnicking???   Well, thank you, Bonita lake.  Although you are bery beautiful, I don’t think I will be back there again.

Bonita Lake

I am still working at oil pump location.  I have been checking the weather forecast, but you can never trust it since New Mexico weather is unpredictable.  It changes so quickly.  This time I was hopeing to shoot a couple of figures but the sun never came up.  It turned out to be a cloudy day.  It is not so much fun getting up around 5:00am, but I have seen the most beautiful sunrise in my life.  Also by doing this project, I have learned so much about the sun and area around Roswell.  Hopefully I can get this project done before leaving Roswell.

before sunrise at photo location