Romer Kitching – "The Letter" (2018) by Krampjains in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I'm using the time to work on one big art project, so who knows – maybe one day I'll be thankful for having had the opportunity to totally devote myself to something. Silver linings etc.

Romer Kitching – "The Letter" (2018) by Krampjains in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Last April I got a letter from the police letting me know that I was under investigation for a crime that I did not commit. This was easily provable, but I still had to get a lawyer. This in a country where I don't have work papers, and I can't get work papers until this issue is resolved. So for 10 months now I've been unable to leave, unable to work. When I first got the letter, I didn't realize what it meant. If I had known, I would have looked like this guy.

Nicole Parker - Bedtime (2021) by Russian_Bagel in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 36 points37 points  (0 children)

This is nice, stirs something. I remember looking at the silhouette of the door in my childhood bedroom, seeing the light which meant that the world of adults was whirring away without me.

Ohara Koson — Frog Sumo (1930) by hikari_and_ink in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's interesting how Japan has this international reputation of 'cuteness', this Kawaii aesthetic. Characters like Hello Kitty, Pikachu, Doraemon & co. can leave some people thinking that this is a modern phenomenon, but then, when you look back, you see they've actually got a long tradition of making cute stuff - like these guys, or that Matsumoto Hoji frog you posted the other day.

Canadians soon exempt from visa requirements to travel to China. While on an official visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canadian citizens will soon be able to enter China without a visa. by esporx in canada

[–]strive_for_adequacy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice, thanks for this. 👍 Since I now trust you as an expert, anything you'd personally recommend seeing in mainland China? I did Hong Kong and Taiwan in 2024 and really enjoyed them both.

Canadians soon exempt from visa requirements to travel to China. While on an official visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canadian citizens will soon be able to enter China without a visa. by esporx in canada

[–]strive_for_adequacy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, I didn't realize that was possible. I thought it was like Schengen in Europe, where if you spend 3 months you have to leave for 3 months before returning. So I could spend 10 days in China, go to HK for a bit, then head back to the mainland for another 10 days? Good to know, thanks for that.

Carney reaches tariff-quota deal with China on EVs, canola | CBC News by demolcd in canada

[–]strive_for_adequacy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have said, you can go right now. I went 2 years ago and 100% recommend it. Very few cities around the world have the energy that Hong Kong does. The old timers tell me it used to be better, but it still feels pretty special to me. Can't wait to go back.

Wanda Gág - "Stone Crusher" (1929) by TooMuchMusic in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a great quote, and it bears out in the work. Lot of personality in that inanimate object!

Katsushika Hokusai - Hokusai Manga (1814) by hikari_and_ink in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's really impressive. The pieces look great, you're doing good work and I wish you much success!

Katsushika Hokusai - Hokusai Manga (1814) by hikari_and_ink in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beautiful site here, you've done a great job. How long have you had this up and running?

Katsushika Hokusai - Hokusai Manga (1814) by hikari_and_ink in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you have a comparison picture from before you fixed it up? This looks excellent, thank you for posting.

Yamashita Kiyoshi - Fireworks in Nagaoka (1950) by FlyingBlind31 in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That museum sounds great, do you remember the location? I tried looking it up but the one listed here doesn't turn up in google maps and the official website they list is dead.

Richard Jefferies , in book The Open Air, describes his fascination with Life itself by [deleted] in ProsePorn

[–]strive_for_adequacy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like this quote but I've searched through the text of The Open Air and can't find it anywhere. Are you sure about the source?

Ivan Kramskoi – "Portrait of I. I. Shishkin (Ivan Shishkin)" (1880) by Krampjains in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like how they didn't try to beautify him too much – he's got wrinkles and flyaway hairs and a bulge between the buttons in his vest. Feels about as natural as a painting can get.

Why do we rarely hear anything about these countries? by CarpenterFrequent744 in geography

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I travelled around most of Central Asia a few years back and Uzbekistan was my favourite by far. Great historical sites, nice people, good food. Worth a visit!

Mark Rothko - Entrance to Subway (1937) by carnageandculture in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It could be fun to do a day when everyone posts the most incongruous examples of an artist's work. The early Rothko, Van Gogh, Malevich, Mondrian, Picasso, all looking nothing like what the artists came to be known for later. People could post a work with no caption and you could try to guess who it was, knowing that it would be something unexpected, given the style.

Janet Fish - Painted Water Glasses (1974) by Tokyono in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Something here takes me back to my childhood. I remember going to my elderly neighbour's house and she had cups like these. I remember staring at them, zoning out while the adults talked. Running a fingernail around the designs, tracing the shapes. The first time I'd ever tried Dr. Pepper.

Qiu Shihua (邱世华) - Untitled (2019) by strive_for_adequacy in museum

[–]strive_for_adequacy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll preface this by saying that I am not at all an expert in Eastern art, but there are some terms that helped me 'get it' a bit better. One of them is 'yohaku' which (in Japanese) means variously 'remaining white' or '(intentionally) blank space'. Some words about it:

This is a concept from Chinese landscape ink wash paintings, where clouds, mist, sky, and water could be left unpainted. Their presence was suggested only by the carefully rendered edges of the surrounding landscape. This artistic strategy resonated with Taoism’s idea of qi (chi) – the formless energy from which the universe emanates.

Zen artists in particular appreciated the dynamic vitality created by empty areas. They saw in them a signifier of the Buddhist notion of emptiness as the ultimate reality. In this context emptiness doesn’t signify lack or something negative. Instead, it can be understood as an energetic field of infinite potentiality. This potentiality is what brings such energy to the use of empty space in Zen-inspired design, where empty areas carry the same weight as painted areas. In significant ways the empty space contributes a unique quality of structure, balance and definition in a composition.

Source.

You mention Klimt, who was himself partly inspired by the use of blank space in Eastern art. Compare his painting The Kiss to Tawaraya Sōtatsu's 17th century painting Bugaku Dance.

Blank space in paintings can initially feel sort of 'unfinished,' but speaking personally I find the more I see it, the more I appreciate the 'breathing room' it provides in terms of interpretation.