Princess Haiku visits the Asian Art Museum

If you live near or are visiting San Francisco, the The Asian Art American Museum is having a fabulous new Show.

Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales: Woodblock Prints from Edo to Meiji
May 26–September 2, 2007
Hambrecht Gallery

Features a hundred prints by Taiso Yoshitoshi (1839–1892) dating from the turbulent last decades of Edo Japan to the westernizing Meiji era. The exhibition is built around two series that deal with the supernatural, one from the beginning of Yoshitoshi’s career, the other from the end—stylistically so different that they could be by different artists. Sometimes considered ancestors of modern manga (Japanese comics), woodblock prints were known as ukiyo-e, pictures of the “floating world” of entertainment, especially of actors and courtesans. Yoshitoshi preferred other subjects, including events from folklore and history, often bloody. Colors are intense, gestures histrionic. In his later designs Yoshitoshi moved beyond the swirl of momentous events to portray human emotions with great psychological subtlety, which is his most important contribution to ukiyo-e. Through his work, a picture emerges of traditional Japanese society moving at a breakneck speed into the modern world.

Japanese Tea Garden

Princess Haiku dreamed about the Japanese Tea Garden. Will you have some tea, the spirits of the Tea garden asked her?

Will you?

Murals Speak to the Heart of Living Community, says Princess Haiku

Murals speak to the heart of living communities and they spring up as vividly painted wildflowers in San Francisco; especially the Mission District that is home to over 1,000 murals. Yes, amazing isn't it?

Community murals are splashes of color, hope and vision, cropping up on concrete faces of abandoned buildings, beside asphalt terrains, near empty parking lots, above garbage cans as well as next to perfect lawns and impeccable hotels. In other words, they exist within the soul of a community. Benjamin Lerch conceptualizes mural as "A Painted Song."

San Francisco offers many tours of its murals and for more information contact: Patricia Rose, tour coordinator of "Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitor Center. Patricia Rose has painted vibrant murals of her own including one of the "Virgin of Guadalupe." When asked how she felt about the fact that they will fade in time, exposed as murals are to the elements, she responded "It's about the process, mural making is celebratory and about community." For more vivid images click here.

ODC Dance, SF

Dance-seadance- see the dance- dance sf- view dance-too dance- why dance- all kinds of dance is ODC San Francisco.

ODC Dance was founded by choreographer Brenda Way and has been based in San Francisco for over 30 years. ODC is an invaluable resource to the community. ODC offers over 180 dance classes a week beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at midnight. ODC has multiple components: dance theater, school, dance jam and an educational outreach that provides hundreds of San Francisco school-children the joy of dance.

In their own words:

ODC believes that art is a powerful educational tool and a generative element in personal growth and development. It is central to our mission to work with new audiences and young people to promote dance as a cultural expression of modern life, both on and off the stage. Our outreach in the community revolves around the work we perform and is focused on creativity and an investigation of artistic and social values. ODC can tailor imaginative partnership activities with under-resourced schools and social/cultural community centers.

Fog Horns for a Haunted Princess

Who turns on the fog horns in the San Francisco Bay, asked Princess Haiku; it certainly isn't me. Some dearly departed friends of mine suggest that they do, although I doubt this after watching a cbs5.com newscast in which key words such as fog density and computers were mentioned.

San Francisco Bans Plastic Bags: Furoshiki Rule

Yesterday, San Francisco became the first city in the U.S. to ban the use of bags made of petroleum products. Kudos to San Francisco for its environmental friendly legislation. The buzz now is what will be used in the place of plastic bags. Princess Haiku says, it's time to return to traditional Japanese FUROSHIKI.

The Japanese already know this and furoshiki are now the thing. A furoshiki is a square cloth made of durable cotton or recycled fabric that is folded into a bag of sundry shapes and sizes. Furoshiki are practical, useful, washable, beautiful and reusable. In other words, the perfect solution to polluting the environment with tons of garbage bags.

Follow the links for precise descriptions and pictures of Furoshiki.

Mitsuo Katsui a leading designer in Japan has created dazzling, contemporary designs for these cloths. Pingmag has featured several articles on Furoshiki including several of Katsui's designs.

The Land's End Labyrinth

JMG-Galleries - San Francisco Labyrinths by Jim M. Goldstein

I have discovered a stunning new labyrinth in the San Francisco Bay Area called "Land's End." In a few weeks when the earth has dried out from the winter rains I am going to visit. In the meantime, here is an interesting article about it.

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