a perfect life

Here are the photographs I took.  Thanks to everybody for creating A Perfect Life.

-Tobey

Thank you so much for coming to the performance, a perfect life—video, sound, text, drag, and dance—by Takao Kawaguchi, oto, Liviu Pasare (stoptime341), Chi Jang Yin and Michael Malarkey last night! It was a great success. I was surprised that we ran out of the 100 copies of the program so quickly. I wished I had made more. I myself enjoyed so much working on this project. We’ll upload photos and video clips to this diary soon.

I want to thank all the staff members at Lincoln Park Student Center for their support throughout the process. Using the Atrium was not an easy idea because it is not meant to be a stage. Becky Williams was always generous and patient and accommodated our requests within the limits of the regulations. Most of the staff that we met were students, and were so skilled, dedicated, and organized that Takao kept telling me how great they are and how lucky he is. Someone said to me that whenever she walks though the Atrium, the heart of DePaul’s student life, she would always remember what happened there last night. I believe that we were all able to experience a new facet of the space.

Miho Matsugu

Dear colleagues, students, friends:

Just a reminder of today’s performance of “A Perfect Life,” starting at 7pm at DePaul Student Center Atrium (2250 N. Sheffield). The group – mix of Japanese artists and DePaul students and faculty — has been hard at work on rehearsals this week, and it promises to be a really interesting show, with dance, video, sound, poetry and drag.

A video installation will be available for viewing staring at noon. And, of course, it’s all free.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the website: http://aperfectlife.kawaguchitakao.com.

Hope to see you there for this one-time event.

Miho Matsugu (Modern Languages, Japanese Studies Program, Asian American Studies Program)

Day 3, saturday, was to do a video shoot in the afternoon. First, i had a meeting with Liviu who does video installation. i again explained my idea for the third time, and it still seemed brilliant. Wow, i had never experienced that. Usually i get dillusioned when i talk to somebody about my performance ideas, or i realize those ideas are often not feasible or even interesting, but this time it’s different. Maybe there is not time for doubts now.

After the meeting, i went on shopping for running shorts for shotting. Bought two pairs at Amreican Apparrell: navy blue and yellow. i had brought a T-shirt and sneakers with me. At 3pm Ann and i with Zephyr (Ann’s black labrador mix) to the dog beach where we rondezvous-ed with Kiku and Aiko. We waited for Chi Jang to show up while Zephyr was jumping around, so anxous to get into the water. Chi Jang came, and we started shooting. i threw a tennis ball into the water, and Zephyr dashed to get the ball, splashing and swimming. She looked real happy. We got some beautiful images of the dog running and swimming. Later, i ran on the beach too but not into the water. Unlike Zephyr, i was tired and out of breath after only a few laps of about a hundred yards, running back and forth to and away frmo the camera. Kiku recorded my heavy breathing with his boom mike. Gosh i was exahusted, but the afternoon on the beach was very refreshing.

i got back home to Ann and Gu’s. Before the dinner, Gu and i went out again for more shopping to Beatnix. We bought a pair of white stiletto (4 inch heel, size 12)!!! i am still not sure if i could ever dance in them, but there is always a challenge in anything, everything. It was another long, and very productive day!

Click to enlarge photos.

-aiko

Friday was a long day.  It started with a meeting with Rick from the documentation department.  Rick and his coleague Brian are going to be with us during the whole week, following our activities with video cameras.  Excellent!  i visited Chikamatsu Sensei’s Japanese class for ten minutes, and talked to the students in Japanese.  It woudl have been a bit hard to talk in English with a hazy jet-lagged head.  i don’t remember what i talked about too well except about Gatzby, a Japanese brand of hair wax that i use to make my otherwise-straight-hair curl.  Elliott said his “American” hair would not curl…

Then i went to Northwestern Univ to do a lecture on Dumb Type’s work, showing video clips and explaining how the sceneography was integral with the concept.  The lunch they served (Turkey sandwich and latatuille pasta salad and pop) was exquisite.  i quickly returned to DePaul only to miss by a half an hour the meeting with Student Center management which was at 2:45pm.  The meeting was postponed. 

The Japanese Multimedia Week kick-off reception was to start at 5pm, so i quickly returned to my hotel and changed to my suits (costume for the performance).  i love my Dior-inspired suits which were tailored by my friend who is a costume designer back in Tokyo.  The reception turned out to be fun.  We were on the 2nd floor, with a buffet of grilled vegetables, cheeses, olives and soft drinks. Kiku-s music was very nice and stylish.  Downstairs was Queer Prom dance party in preparation.  There were balloons all over the dance floor.  Miho, Chikamatsu Sensei and Prof Laura ’s daughters found a heaven there, having fun playing with the ballons, so i went down to join them.  Ann had brought the chiar i was going to use in the peformance.  So, i tested it and did just a little bit of demonstration.  Me too had a huge fun with the little angels!

After the reception was over, Kiku and his partner Aiko and i went out for a glass of wine.  i then explained my ideas for the show.  Talking through your ideas helps heaps to clarify and better understand your ideas.  i was more confident now, and even more inpired by it.  Again, i was falling off my chair, so went home quickly, but by the time i took bath, checked email and went to bed, it was past 1am.  i had 3 to 4 hours before waking up early thanks to the jet lag.  i was going to suffer constant lack of sleep for some more days.

Time flies, it’s been a week already since i arrived in Chicago on Thursday last week, May 15.  The week has been busy but good, i have been enjoying so much although there isn’t much time for anything but preparing for the performance, but that’s what artists do, i guess, and i like it.  There is nothing like when you get all ready and start the show.

So, here is my week.

Day 1: Arrived at O’Hare at 3pm.  Miho the Producer awaited me at the hotel at 4pm with a bouque of red roses!  She had me over her place for dinner, i was really happy to see Ann and their daughter Mei-Mei.  There were Chi Jang and Akiyoshi-san for the dinner.  We had a very good talk about the project.  i explained my basic idea for the show, which, to my surprise, sounded brilliant.  Soon i was falling asleep at the table…  Here we go, the jet lag was setting in.  i borrowed Gu’s bicycle and went back to the hotel.  It was around midnight when i went to bed.

Click to enlarge photos.

-aiko and kiku

From the reception on Friday

-Tobey