Hard at work

Photos by Hong Hong Wu

My other job

 

Two dads--Cai and Tan Dun. Photo by Hong Hong Wu.

The Intern’s Weekly Report (Part 4)

隐形的艺术

当今社会中艺术无所不在。第四周的实习我体会到了隐形的艺术。剪接短片是艺术学院的基本课程，但学校的课程中学的是手段，在蔡工作室我学到的是利用工具排列出故事情节。剪接出一个容易理解并且画面精彩的短片本身就是艺术。每当看电影时我们常常会忽略每个镜头之间的联系，因为巧妙的手法，使我们忘记剪接的存在。影象，图片，音乐，谈话，节奏，悄悄地引导着观众从一个镜头走进令一个镜头。充满诱惑力的蒙太奇才能锁住观众的心。我通过剪接的机会摸索出了初步的窍门。作品四季之春的体型庞大，制作过程复杂，由16片木板组成，花了多余一天的时间制作。真的能把一天的每个步骤在5分钟内说完吗？ 可以的。细节，是的，将一个画面带到另一个画面靠的是细心的观察，剪错的后果展现的是如闪电般不友好的影象。该柔的地方溶明，溶暗，该刚的地方节奏紧凑。这种排列组合式的隐形艺术不只出现在剪接中，也出现在翻译的世界里。
翻译者本身是一种工具，但这工具必须具有可塑性强的功能。面对不同的作家，不同的主题需要随机应变。换为思考将自己融入其中，但此刻又必须忘我才能达到隐身的境界，成功地为作者表达出真实的心声。Bonnie 和我无意中聊起了翻译的动机。收入并不厚实却又需要花大量时间的工作为什么有那么多乐于其中的翻译家？我们共同走向一个结论。借别人的嘴巴说话，借别人的人生体会。这不是模仿，不是肢体的艺术。这是拷贝，是复印。将一种文化中的声音复印到另一种文化中，最难的地方是读者接收到信息后的反映，感受必须符合作家最原始的目的。这时的翻译已经不是简单的语言，而成为了文化转换器。这个转换器必须由人来担任，因为机器不具备人类的应变能力。在翻译一篇巴西精神分析学家写的关于爆破的论文时我不知不觉地爱上了语言中的排列组合。不同的排列带来不同的感觉，巧妙地将原始语言的排列转换成目标语言的排列，其中会带给翻译人一种快感，就像突然解决出一道难以理解的数学题。在乐趣中慢慢摸索言语的公式，创造出自己的原则，体验别人的心声，同时又链接文化，帮助人们，这种种理由构成了翻译背后的发动机。

Invisible Art
Everything is art in modern society.  I experienced invisible art during my fourth week at Cai Studio. Video editing is a foundation course for design students at Parsons. I learned the tool, but never had a chance to put it in use until Cai Studio. The editing process itself is a form of art, it tells a story. Most of us neglect the relationship in between frames when we watch a movie, and that is due to the distinctive techniques of an editor.  Sequences, images, melody, voice, tempo all come together to lead us from one frame to another. Proactive montage is the only way to grasp the hearts of the audiences. Through the opportunity to edit short demo films on the making of certain artworks, I was able to explore the possibilities in video editing. Piecing together the story and process behind a 16-panel gunpowder drawing on the topic of four seasons. From start to finish, incorporating every step of the making process in five minutes. Is it really possible to fit an entire day into five minutes? Oh yes, and I found a trick! Paying tremendous attention to details is crucial in the process of editing. Cutting at the wrong place lead to a lighting effect when frames are combined.  The process is almost mathematical, permutations, combinations and factoring out the unnecessary. This system also exists in the world of translators.
A translator is a machine trapped in a human body, the machine can only survive in a human body. This is because good translations demand flexibility. It is necessary to alter one’s personality when facing different writers in order to be fully engaged with the work. It’s the only way to be invisible and successfully relocate the voice of a writer.  Bonnie and I shared a conversation on the objective of translators. It is time consuming, definitely not well paid, and sometimes not respected. Why do people do it? We came to the conclusion of having the advantage to borrow one’s voice and personality is what makes translation pleasurable. It’s not imitation, it’s duplication. Duplicating the voice to fit into another culture. It’s not as simple as converting words of languages. It’s becoming a converter for cultures. This converter can never be a machine, machines lack of flexibility and vitality of human beings. I fell in love with the permutations, combinations of words when translating an essay on explosion by a Brazilian psychoanalyst. Having the ability and freedom to create and solve your own equations in languages catered to voices is almost orgasmic.

The Intern’s Weekly Report (Part 3)

如果说午餐在蔡工作室是一种文化那一点也不惟过。独自在纽约生活的工作人员们或许就只有在这短短的午餐时间能感受到家的感觉。家庭式的吃法是中国五千年文化的积淀，一直流传至今。穿梭于中美文化间的我更乐爱中国人强烈的家庭观念。每天的午餐围绕着一条长长的桌子，没有代沟的沟通给带给大家轻松的心情。
It’d be silly for me to call lunch a culture at Cai Studio, but the lunch-scape here at the studio is home to most team members. Family style way of eating is strictly Chinese, it is still the way modern Chinese eat.  Border-less conversations float along the long table.

午餐的泡泡：
Family Style Bubbles:

爱好听人聊天，讲故事的我有时会想到家，有时会想到建筑师弗兰克•劳埃德•赖特与他妻子欧格凡娜的学生们，但最多时候我想到的是蔡工作室团结的力量。五花八门的话题，多方位的思考形成了工作室无短板的工作形式。我自然乐于其中。＝）
Listening to others chat is a hobby of mine. Amidst the conversations I thought of home, I thought of Frank Lloyd Wright’s fellowship, but most of it all I thought of the joint forces of Cai Studio. Large varieties of topics convert to the foundation of bucket-effect-proof synergy. And of course, I am the happiest in middle of it all.

Studio Training: Fireworks Anatomy 101

Photos by I-Hua Lee, notes by Chinyan Wong, courtesy Cai Studio

A few weekends ago the Studio headed to the southern tip of Roosevelt Island for an introductory lesson in pyrotechnics. Our instructor, Phil Grucci of Fireworks by Grucci, lead us on a detailed walking tour of the fireworks setup for the Queensboro Bridge centennial celebration. He explained everything from electronic fuses to standard safety procedures and a few typical design challenges. The lesson was a good opportunity for our new staff to become familiar with technical terminology and equipment.

The leaves are a hint

 

Photos by I-Hua Lee, courtesy Cai Studio

Hidden from view in both these photos is Cai’s contribution to the Artstrong show, which opens July 16th at Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris. (Top photo, fourth from left, is intern Mona Chen.  Bottom photo, second from left, is new archives assistant Phoebe Ford.)

The Intern’s Weekly Report (Part 2)

我们一行人在堵车两个小时后从东村来到了长岛的Grucci 烟火公司. 农场式的空间很难想像这就是蔡的爆破基地。

           “轰！”没有心理准备的我先被吓得魂飞魄散！ 第一声后我适应了这奇特的创作工具。空气中弥漫着烟火的气息，眼睛闭上，感受到的是乡村的春节。眼睛张开后看到的是没有国界的当代艺术品。捕捉瞬间是我对这些炸出来的作品的理解。

         一颗颗大小不一的火药是蔡的颜料，像撒种子似的在8个屏风上撒下艺术的种子。在导火线的引导下开辟了一条狂欢的道路，呆板的纸皮盖不住喧哗的火花，但闪亮的光芒是短暂的，在纸上留下了瞬间的魅影。每件成品都讲述着那一秒钟的故事，瞬间的偶然加上人为的构图，形成了霸气的美。我沉浸在那劈里啪啦的瞬间，倾听着烟火的语言，渴望着下次重逢的来临。

晚上9：30整我们开始了部分作品的打包工作。 细心的 Chinyan 对待胶带她总是耐心地折起尾巴为下个开封的人着想。热爱助人的 Kelly 总是在别人最需要的时候伸出援助之手，屁股上的口袋永远插着剪刀，小刀和一把笔。或许我们需要的是她口袋里的东西，但我们更需要的是准备充分的她。 在我们小心翼翼地为作品盖上被子后我们回“家”了。

表情不一的作品都是火药性格的烙印。阳光明媚的礼拜六似乎在向火药们炫耀自己的美，以自我为中心的它决定以赌气面对一切。团结一致的它们变成了一盘散沙。蔡耐心地与它们谈判，进行了一番思想工作。最后为每粒种子留下自己发光的舞台。我梦想中激烈的重逢或许没有实现，但优雅的火花感动了我。从不知道原来火药能够如此温柔。

在回工作室的路上，有的面无表情地坐着，有的发起了呆，还有的陷入了深深的睡眠中。回到东村后，蔡第一个走进了工作室。他紧张的表情像个丢失百宝箱的小孩，“谁是礼拜五最后离开工作室的人？”他指着一扇在风中摇摆的玻璃们。五分钟后仍然没有确切的答案。他好不含糊地观察着工作室的每个角落，担心错过了陌生人留下的踪迹。细节决定成败是从我从小听到大的话。每个成功的人或企业背后都有一箩筐的细节。蔡的细心与他喜欢违反常规的艺术家性格似乎有点矛盾，但正因为这尴尬奇妙的组合决定了他的成功。

转眼间礼拜四到了，成功地完成了图书馆工程。我以咖啡犒劳了自己。站在充满田园气息的有机食品店里，我想到了做起步艺术家／设计师的艰难。许多创意类毕业生的前景是渺茫的，或许几个幸运的能成功的在竞争力超乎想像的毕业展览上展现自己的作品。有些保守的前辈会开始质疑艺术教育的成败，劝导我们走出梦幻，以糊口为目的而奋斗。但每当这个时刻我都会反驳，因为我相信有热情的教育，这是填满人类满足感的基本。

许多人认为一件成功的艺术品背后必定需要媒体的炒做。但我惊奇地发现蔡工作室里并没有公关。充满诱惑力的作品就是最好的公关。陷于其中 ，两个礼拜内我通过视觉上的仔细观察，以及认真地倾听收获到了千金难买的经历。我会继续努力的！也许我会为下次报告做些采访！下周末见！ 
 

                   Four new works by the Cai were realized on a recent trip to the Gruccis on Long Island.  The innovation of Cai’s drawings is directly related to his use of gunpowder as a medium.  As a neophyte witnessing the process by which Cai works; I was not prepared for the first “Bang!”  I quickly adapted to the process and indulged in the artist’s pyrotechnics with my eyes closed; smelled the scent of Spring Festival in a Village.  Upon opening my eyes, I saw nothing but a piece of contemporary art.  Capturing the moment is my interpretation of the work.  Various-sized blotches of gunpowder serve as Cai’s drawing tool.  He sowed the seeds of art onto eight equal-sized panels, lighting the way to a celebration of sparks.  Stiff cardboard could not fight the passion of fire, but the drama was short-lived, leaving a moment of the carnival on paper as evidence of the moment.  Man-made composition paired with unexpected moments objectified the pleasures of his passion.  I immersed myself in the frozen moment of “Bang!”  I listened closely to the language of explosion, desiring the arrival of the next reunion.

                   At precisely 9:30 PM on Friday evening, we packed up the first two finished works.  Chinyan, the project manager of Cai Studio, wowed me with her attention to detail.  She folded the end of each piece of tape, as I glimpsed discreetly at her actions.  Having the next users in mind as we packaged, I couldn’t help noticing the back pockets of Kelly’s black jeans.  Well prepared, she filled them with a pair of scissors, an X-acto knife and a sharpie.  She was always ready on the spot whenever anyone needed her or the contents of her back pockets.  We hurried back “home” to the Marriot after dinner around midnight.

                   The character of each of Cai’s works varies from the mood of the gunpowder.  It was clearly not in a good mood on the sunny day of Saturday.  Stubborn gunpowder required extra attention from Cai.  It refused to “Bang!” as a collective after numerous attempts to ignite it.  Cai patiently chattered with each one of the seeds and gave them their own stage on which to sparkle.  I did not encounter the dramatic reunion I was expecting, but the soft-spoken flings swept off my feet.  Never have I imagined fireworks could be so gentle.

                   On the way home on Saturday afternoon, everyone sat motionless.  Some showed a poker face, some stared impassively into space, and others fell into a deep sleep.  The studio door was quickly unlocked upon arrival.  Cai entered first.  He meandered through the studio until discovering an unlocked door.  Devastation spread over his face, like a child whose toy box is missing.  “Who was the last one to leave the office on Friday?” he shouted.  Five minutes later with no answer, he focused on inspecting every inch of the studio.  Attention to detail is a top-down culture at Cai studio.  He is the king of detail in this miniature art nation.  It is an essential factor in all successful organizations.

Thursday rapidly arrived.  Upon the completion of my library organization project, I enjoyed a coffee break.  Whole Foods Market is an emporium of fresh smells.  As I loaded upon on my daily intake of organic caffeine, I thought about how difficult it is to be an art/design student looking into the abyss of graduation.  Two or three of the lucky ones will find their spot at graduation exhibition, but the vast majority will find no immediate gratification.  Many conservatives of my parents’ generation think it depressing so few students will sustain themselves after graduating.  I respond with, “It is not sad at all!”  I believe in education for its own sake, because it is deeply humanizing.  It is about being more fulfilled as a human being. 

       Many people assume that extraordinary artwork requires some degree of media participation.  Surprisingly, I learned that Cai Studio has no official contact for public relations.  Sublime seduction of his work speaks for itself.  Placing myself in the context with two weeks of first-hand experience in the studio environment allowed me to learn through keen observation and attentive listening.  Maybe interviews will be part of my next report!  See you next week!  =)    


The Intern’s Weekly Report (Part 1)

We’re pleased to announce a new feature on our blog, namely a weekly report penned by our intern, Mona Shi Chen（陈诗） .   In the fall  Mona will be entering her senior year at Parsons.  Check out her bilingual skills:

蔡工作室处于纽约东村的十字路口边，寂静的第一街上错落着年代不一的各种建筑。从西往东走会意外地发现一扇大红色的门，鲜艳的色彩与古旧的建筑产生的强烈对比是我对工作室的第一印象。走进了那扇门似乎来到了世外桃源，诗意的中庭，高挑的屋顶，毫无遮掩的古老红砖将门外的强烈对比淡化了。我实习的第一件任务是整理工作室的小图书馆。学设计与传媒的我从没与图书馆学搭上钩。第一反映是先傻了，但在还没醒过来前我就已经沉浸在我热爱科目的书堆里了。以书窥人是我从小养成的坏习惯，一般人能以一个人的书籍判断一个人的性格，我通过了小图书馆模糊地看到了工作室的文化和历史。令我惊奇的是许多中文类的书籍竟然看似那么的熟悉。与我爸爸同辈，同样来自于闽南的蔡喜欢的风水哲学，建筑，民俗文化，甚至燕尾脊民居的书籍都与我厦门家里的书相似。舒适而亲切的工作环境给了原本就好学的我更多的动力。这六天的经历让我对蔡工作室有了初步的了解。

Bonnie, 我的图书馆学小老师，看似难沟通的人。 但我却从她毫不含糊装满了工作室数据的头脑里学到许多我在设计学院不能学到的东西。她的深厚的文化底蕴令我刮目相看。或许许多时候她散发出的感觉是盛气凌人，但她肯教人的心需要一个好事的实习生来挖掘出来。在她身上我学到的不仅是文档类的知识，还通过了她为我安排的任务学会了耐心，也享受到了耐心后的果实。

整理目录／文档／书，是许多崇尚时尚的人会认为枯燥，无聊的工作。但现在的我并不这么认为。嫁接蔡的喜好及逻辑和Bonnie的专业知识，在她的领导下我们成功地设计出了一个平衡的图书管理系统。我们首先以蔡的艺术生涯入手，色彩加上人性化的代号（例：SOL: solo, GRP:group)是 新系统的核心， 由内而外推理，以展览／事件年月日排列。设计标签是系统讨论完毕后的第一个任务，在工作室新又快的洁白手提电脑上我以蔡的CV为参考画出了所有个展与群展的标签。

3600（打印机）的声音从没这么悦耳过。3600的出口是两张完美又热腾腾的书本标签，刚出炉的标签不仅是蔡的目录们的身份证，也是满足我成就感的见证。100多本目录后，一本接着一本，我心怀满足地帖上了最后一个个展标签。无意中我记下了蔡艺术生涯中的个展。

这六天内穿插着文档，画画及搜索的工作。任务中的第一张草图是一棵树。这幅看似简单的画在没有大型构图经验的我的笔下显得毫无生气。蔡不但没有指责我，反而耐心地修改。他说每枝树枝都是有表情的，简单的一句话使我似乎更加地了解他的作品后的含义。有了树的教训我决定下副还是保守为秒，先用电脑构图再下笔。苏联的领袖们是我任务中的第二张草图上的主人公们。或许是第三天的原因，我不再那么安静，害羞。鼓足了勇气说出了我的想法。电脑构图后的效果把领袖们的胡子描绘得淋漓尽致。这是个极为有趣的任务，唤醒了我在共产党教育下的儿时记忆。高尔基，普西金，卓娅和舒拉，死魂灵，等都是我对俄国文化情有独中的原因。不过属于万金油式的我注定与专家，教授这类的职业无缘。学术类的人都是我的榜样，但我知道我是个大杂烩，兴趣爱好多得不能再多，或许我这样的性格真的与我在校做的未来职业测试一拍即合。策划与管理会是我的未来吗？面对我大学4年的专业设计技能我不知所措，为了成为一名设计师我从高中就没拐过方向勇往直前。迷茫的我在过程中学到的是如何利用我的中美文化背景处理微妙的社会关系。我是两牺动物，告诉鱼儿陆地的模样，告诉猴子水里的秘密。文化与文化，人与人之间的空白点是最合适我的地方。我想成为桥梁，通过艺术，设计，媒体，甚至隐形的才能来为人民服务！

       虽然目前我实习的目标，人生的目标并不明确，但我坚信努力者是最快乐的！

 

 

Cai Studio is located off an intersection in New York’s East Village, where eclectic architecture pervades First Street. Walk from West to East. It is hard to turn a head to a shiny red door glimmering against the aged tenement buildings. The contrasting façade was my first introduction to the studio. Upon entering through the door, the sense of contrast is lost, with everything perfectly balanced: a poetic center court, loft ceilings and exposed bricks fuse seamlessly fit together to form the blissful space.

I am a new intern at Cai Studio. Coming from a design and media studies background, library sciences was never on my “to-learn” list. My first assignment was to re-organize the studio’s mini library. Absence of such skills presented a mild setback, but I found myself in the midst of books that interested me. If judging a book by its cover is prohibited, then my obsession of judging a person by their books should be illegal. At first glance, the rows of books conveyed to me a brief history and culture of the studio. The Chinese books calmed me with a sense of familiarity. Feng Shui philosophy, architecture, folk culture, and even Swallowtail Minan architecture books are almost identical to books on my father’s bookshelf at home in Xiamen. Cai and my father’s Minan roots have common interests that come together to where I presently stand. A comfortable and friendly working environment drives me to succeed. This is only the beginning, six days into my internship at Cai Studio.

My first library of science teacher was Bonnie, head of archives. She tried to avoid communication as she circulated through the studio, but picking her brain was a new hobby that I developed within just a few days of interning at Cai Studio. Her tremendous knowledge of literature and impressive memory of the database of the studio put me in awe.  She may be eccentric to some, but fortunately I managed to convince her to put in an effort in coaching me.  I learned more than just archive related skills from her—I learned the beauty of patience and how to enjoy harvesting it.

Organizing documents and books may be boring to most interns, but this is not the case for me. Under Bonnie’s leadership, we successfully bonded Cai’s logic with her expertise and designed a balanced system for all. Our first task was to improve Cai’s solo shows, adding eye-popping colors to labels along with a humanized short symbol (example: SOL: solo, GRP: group). This was the core of the new system, to be put in the exhibition chronologically. Designing the labels was the first step to reality after our final decision. 3600’s voice had never been so sweet before. At the exit of 3600 (the printer) were two warm sheets of letter-sized labels ready to mark Cai’s legacy. More than 100 catalogues later, I subconsciously memorized Cai’s solo shows after giving each catalogue their own identification. The satisfaction I felt is beyond description!

These six days were interspersed with archives, drawing, and researching tasks. The first drawing assignment was to draft a tree. This simple tree gave me headaches that I did not foresee. With no experience in large-scale drawing compositions, the tree appears lifeless under my pen. Not only did Cai not get irritated, but he patiently corrected my mistakes. Cai said, “Each branch has their own facial expression.”  Such a simple sentence brought me closer to the meaning behind his works. Using the tree as my lesson, I decided to be conservative with the next task, digitalizing the final result before drawing it. Leaders of the Soviet Union are the main characters of the next drawing. After the third day, I no longer shied away from expressing my own thoughts. With the magic of Photoshop, the leaders’ beard and mustache came to life. Having spent my elementary school years in Communist China, this assignment held a special place to me. Gorky, Pushkin and Dead Souls are reasons of my fondness toward Russian culture. However, my “one size fits all” personality implies that I can never be an expert on anything. Countless interests make me a hodgepodge. Professor types are my role models. Perhaps this character of mine really does suit the career test I took in school perfectly. Am I meant to be a dean and never a professor? Could Project Planning and Management be my future direction?

      Having four years of professional design skills I acquired in school under my belt, I am lost. I still have not escaped the chaos. There is nothing quiet or harmonious about this style of living, being torn in the middle of cultural nodes of New York.  But as I look deeper into my surroundings, I begin to find myself within the loud juxtaposition. The East vs. West and the past vs. future all come together to where I am today, interfacing through art, design, media, cultures, and even invisible skills of mine. And I, possessing elements of both Chinese and American culture, feel somewhat at rest. Yes, I want to be a bridge, as I am happiest in middle of everything.

My life and internship goals are not clear now, but I know that I find pleasure when I excel and perform my best in everything that I do.