Absurdity, Allegory and China

It has been awhile since I’ve blogged, though not because I’ve not wanted to. I just haven’t wanted too enough. Inertia is … addictive. The force that changed my direction was, as it has so often been, the CCTV HQ Building. On the evening of December 20, 2010, the folks at the CCTV Headquarters Building [...]

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I had written a long blog entry to go with these photos, explaining the National Holiday air quality issue, but I lost it. It happens. Though I’m not one who usually lets things go, there’s not much I can do about this one, so I’ve come to terms with the fact that it has been [...]

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“Go!” ________ On Thursday morning, September 30, 2010, I went to the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Huajiadi (Beijing, not far from IKEA) and visited the CAFA Art Museum, a building designed by Arata Isozaki that was opened in 2008. On this day I was more interested in seeing the space rather than [...]

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On the evening of September 27, 2010, Brendan O’Kane (@bokane) tweeted, “Tmw morning at 9: first ?? ceremony at the Beijing Confucius Temple since 1949. No info on whether or not it’s open to public, but will go.” I decided to go too. When I arrived at the Confucian Temple – one of my favorite [...]

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There is nothing quiet so dramatic as the seasonal journey of a lotus pond: the rising up from muck in the summer heat; the outrageous, near-brashness of the flowering, the floppy leaves like mainsails catching the least breeze; and the inevitable collapse in the low-angled light of autumn, adding a remarkable physicality to the season [...]

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Below are a few shots from this morning at Guomao, where the Dongsanhuan (East Third Ring Road) and Jianguomen Dajie entwine. It was another lovely, steamy, smoggy, summer morning in the capital city. It’s not always like this, though it is quite a lot. These photos are part of a larger set shot between 5:24 [...]

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I thought of naming this one Communist Jewelry, or possibly The Rebranding or Shanzhai Catholicism, but decided to stick with Chinese Construction Site Billboard. (Click for larger photo.) At Xingfucun Zhonglu, fifty meters west of Xindong Lu, near Sanlitun. –Beijing, CN September 5, 2010 12:24 PM

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The last two mornings have seen capital sunrises in the capital city, and below are a few photos of Beijing architecture from both mornings, shortly after sunrise. (Click on each photo for a larger version that opens in a lightbox.)

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Yesterday (August 11, 2010) morning I waded through the mess masquerading as Beijing air down to the CCTV Headquarters project to see if the rumors, via Weibo, of the demolition of the TVCC were true. Was the building about to be dismantled as the rumor hinted. I am happy to report that I still don’t [...]

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The Television Culture Centre, Beijing, CN August 11, 2010, 11:04 AM An extremely shitty air day in the business heart of the Kingdom. ________

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