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Sunday, March 02, 2003
Tears, tantrums, elation and joy, it's been a roller coaster, the last few days, a cliche I know but very fitting.
Emi-san's diva soundtrack
I'm back to shiroganadai and avoiding the huge task of packing my stuff - I have to empty the contents of a flat and a months stay into 1 case and 1 wee hand luggage bag, as well as not incur huge excess baggage. hmm a challenge.
I am realising I am hugely sentimental and have been trying to take a last look and say good bye to things. Bye to the 7-11, bye to the taxi road home etc, I've just had my last japanese bath - (bye to the japanese bath) and am just playing back the last few days. It truly has been an amazing journey, my first days here seem so long ago, but it's also gone really quickly.
The night before the exhibition opened I had no sleep and edited through the night, I'm getting too old for this and arrived in Roppongi very early so saw all the english and american men falling out of the clubs. Roppongi feels more like europe than anywhere else.
Yuko-san in the space
My trusty canon camera( prize from canon awards ) has had enough as well and my photos of the install have been lost in technical umbridge.
I sometimes wonder why I don't go back to painting, the installation of Home-maker and the 4 other projected pieces has been in short a nightmare. It's another episode in the ongoing saga that is pc v mac. Argh. It's so boring, I've always used mac and find them easy for me and can never be bothered in being dragged into which is better type discussions. Add to the pot that all the pc's are of course in Japanese meant that my katakana as well as patience has been pushed to it's absolute limit. I won't bore you massive detail but, in short the exhibition has 6 new pcs and new projectors to show the work. All pc's have quick time pro and show the films and vr onscreen, however the projectors will not show all of the video, although will on a mac, argh, so frustrating so after being awake and working for about 36 hours I was about ready to drop kick them into oblivion. I had a cry and went home to my hot carpet, bath and bed and felt very sorry for myself. After so much work it's a real disapointment when you can't show things because of technology fuck ups.
The Muse team and Monji-san
9 hours sleep later things felt a lot better. It had rained heavily all night and the air felt clear this morning as well as my head. Nao-chan has been on the case with the projectors so I think it will be ok. Anyway back to the space, both pieces working and my artists talk which I really enjoyed.
The space has been split into 2 rooms and I asked the audience to move from england to Japan as I explained the work. It's a lot easier to give a talk with translation as you have time to think between talking.
home-maker - 2 rooms
I met called Gome-san who is a Japanese graduate of NTU (nottingham) Contemporary arts MA (my course Ba) who is now back living in Tokyo and read about my visit on the You are here web site and read my blog. It was really nice to meet him, made me think the web is a wonderful thing and it was really good to speak to someone whose english is english, rather than american.
I'm really happy with my home-maker-nihon, it's been such a challenge, editing can be hard in english but it Japanese it's really difficult but it's done! The rooms also look amazing, today the first real chance I've had to look back at the work so I think it will be allright.
If you want to know when it's online please send me your email address and I will send you an email
Emi-san, Monji-san and aiko-san came along so they were able to see their room and liked them. Aiko-san no longer lives in her space and it reminded me that it's an important record of where she lived for 26 years.
japanese room
I had the hilarious experience of giving my autograph to 2 girls after they saw my work, I can't lie I was really flattered but didn't understand what they wanted for ages as an autograph didn't immediately spring to mind.
We went out for a gigantic meal, loads of sushi, noodles and nato - my favourite! I can't believe I'm going home. it's been an amazing experience, although I've really missed sheil it's been a good feeling to come so far on my own, like an adventure. I'm going to really miss all the girls at Muse Company. Toda-san was so sweet yesterday and cried when she said goodbye and she hates farewells, made me cry too, I'm such a softy.
My only regrets this trip have been not having more free time, everyone keeps saying next time as a foregone conclusion I'm coming back, so maybe, next time.
English homemaker from the catwalk
I've been thinking about what I'll miss - yuko-san, everyone at Muse, japanese hospitality and kindness, 7-11's and 24 hour convenience stores, walking in the sunshine, japanese baths, taxi, fantastic trains, neat trees. beckham-san obsession, food and so much more.
I'm looking forward to seeing sheil, annie fann and her bump, my friends and family, the pub, heat magazine and celeb gossip, drama on tv, jacket potatoes, my cats and house and central heating, shoes over the size of 5 and talking in full english.
thanks for reading, I've really enjoyed writing this while I've been here, it's been good to reflect and besides I like wanging on and showing my photos like a tiresome tourist!
see you in england, lots of love jeanie x
Me and Yuko-san (me scrouching, her stretching!)
posted by Jeanie Sunday, March 02, 2003
