How I met Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario

It is Tokyo, 1993.
I am in the final hour of the opening party for my photography show. A friend who lives near the gallery has kindly allowed me the use of his apartment for the post-opening party.He calls to remind me to get the key from him before he leaves to go back to his hometown. This was expected.

At 11, Tsuda-san, the saint who runs Mole gallery closes the gallery and we head out into the night. There is a parade of us, a mixed dozen or so:males and females, Westerners and Japanese.
We buy more booze.
We walk through the maze of houses. The streets are small and I am worried about noise.We eventually snake through the last set of alleyways. MOST of the parade is quiet.
We get to the house. The house is dark. It is winter and everyone wants in. "My friend is gone" I say, "just give me a second to find the key."
I have no idea where the key is.

I look everywhere. Under the doormat, mailbox, underneath various pieces if wood...everywhere. As the crowd is getting loudly impatient, I desperately run my hands above a window-and find a key!
It is a rusty key, probably forgotten since the Meiji era.
I try it and it works and I usher everyone in as though there had been no problem at all.
A minute later I crack open a beer. The phone rings.
I answer it.

On the other end was People magazine who were calling to look for a photographer who used to live at the house but had since moved to Russia.....

Well... the next day I was on a bullet train to Kyoto, hungover, off to shoot Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who invented the Mario character-among other incredible gaming achievements.

The shoot went very well. People magazine used two shots and later the photos went into syndication.

Miyamotosan was a pleasure to shoot. We did some shots inside the Nintendo building, but the atmosphere just wasn't right. Fortunately, he had time.

Over a cup of tea he told me that he often went to a nearby temple to look at the garden there to clear his mind.
Off we went!
It was only about a 15 minute walk away. We sat for a moment to enjoy the view, then I posed him and Mario and back we went. In the yard of Nintendo, we did a few more, with Miyamoto-san playing his banjo while Mario looks on.
Miyamoto-san is a fantastic banjo player!

Since that time I have enjoyed that garden many times. No matter what season, there is something to see. I was very happy to return there in 2002 when I was shooting for Kazuko and Chihiro's Secrets of Sushi book.
I do not meanto turn this into an advertisement, but there is a full page shot of the temple in the book in which you can see the rock garden through the sliding shoji doors.

The photos you see here are prints that have been in a scrapbook. When I get back to my negatives, I will scan a shot or two of the whole garden.

Oh..and now you know why I have two banjo CDs in my collection. I traded with a friend to get them and thought I would send them with the published photos.
Later the writer told me she had already done that... and I still have the CDs.

National Library May 4: A Hundred Thousand Words

I am now in the process of compiling and creating works for my presentation at the Central Library on May 4.

I have worked with the following poets: Lee Williams(New York), Akiyoshi Kumiko(Japan), Cyril Wong and Koh Tsin Yen (Singapore). Arleen Schloss and I have worked together as well, though she is an "alphabetician", an artist who uses words to make art; especially their shapes and sounds.(Visit her site at: www.panix.com/~atel/) .

I will also show some work from the Chicago project, inspired by Carl Sandberg's poem...something I must finish soon!

The work will be projected and, just as there are music videos, these could be called poem videos. "Poem videos " sounds sexier than "audiovisual literary presentations" and less vague than "experimental videos"....

Painting With A Camera Workshop Details

Who: Stephen Black
What: Painting with a Camera, a series of photographic workshops
When; 2-4 pm Saturdays and Sundays, beginning April 8 & 9
Where: Instinc, 23 Emerald Hill Rd.
Cost: Each class can be taken individually for a charge of $50. All 5 workshops can be taken for $240. There is a group discount of 10% for group of 3 or more.

For more information, please email blacksteps@gmail.com or visit http://stephenblackupdate.blogspot.com/ or /www.instinc.com



Painting with a Camera Workshops


Painting with a Camera is a series of workshops that enable students to move beyond ‘taking pictures’ and towards creating images with a personal style. The workshops promote the use of photography as a means of self-expression. Lectures, examples, demonstrations and exercises highlight the varieties of expression which photography is capable of. Each class also simply explains technical matters. There will be a class blog and simple internet activities.
Emphasizing the development of a personal approach to photography, Painting with a Camera is recommended for those interested in photography, travel, poetry, design and visual communication. Students are encouraged to bring in work for critique.

Please note:
-in order to make the workshops as interesting as possible, participants are asked to fill out a short questionnaire about their background, camera and interests
-a brief email bulletin is sent to each participant before each workshop. The email contains websites and ideas related to the topic to be discussed
-depending upon interest, there is the possibility of a group exhibition at the instinct gallery. There would be an extra charge for this.


Painting with a Camera (April 8 & 9)
-Creating images with a personal style
-Seeing light and recording it.
-Perceiving time and recording it.
-The brain, the senses and photography
-Previsualization-what it is and how to use it to create strong images.
-The camera as a recording instrument, the camera as a notebook, the camera as a brush
-What digital photographers can learn from analog photographers
-Lenses-focal length and apertures
-Flash
-Blog with suggested links to online examples
-Critique of student’s work

Painting with a Camera : Portraits and Self-Portraits(April 15 & 16)
- Personal style and portraiture
-Examples of Portraits and Self-Portraits
-The Decisive moment
-Posing Theory, Snapshots,
- Lens Choices, Shutter Speeds, Filters
-Lighting: Examples and Suggestions
-Blog with suggested links to online examples
-Critique of student’s work

Painting with a Camera: Environments and Landscapes (April 22 & 23)
-Natural light and how the camera records it
-“Golden hour”
-Nature photography
-Architectural photography
-Recording society
-Personal Environment
-Blog with suggested links to online examples
-Critique of student’s work

Painting with a Camera: Fine Art Photography/Postmodern/Conceptual Photography (April 29 & 30)
-Photography: The past 100 years, the present and the future
-What Can’ Digital’ Learn From ‘Analogue’?
-What is Fine Art Photography?
What is Conceptual Photography?
-What is Postmodern Photography?
-The Photoshop Influence
-Blog with suggested links to online examples
-Critique of student’s work


Painting with a Camera: Publishing, Galleries and the Realities of the Art World
-Preparing a Portfolio
-Physical galleries
-Online galleries/digital photo sites
-Self Publishing
-Art World Economics
-Sales
-Stock Agencies
-Photography’s “place” in the contemporary art world
-Photography becomes art when it records the range
-Critique of student’s work

BIO
Stephen Black graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Photographic Illustration.. He has worked as a photographer in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris. His clients have included the South China Morning Post, Playboy, Epic-Sony and many others. His photographic artworks are represented by galerie omote-sando in Tokyo and his stock commercial work is represented by Jupiter Images in Los Angeles. His work can be found in the collections of The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, the collection of Columbia College, ZA MOCA (Johnnie Walker’s Zouth Asian Museum of Contemporary Art) and numerous private collections.
He is also a writer, a filmmaker and a producer of virtual worlds.

I have ads

Yes, today I decided to put adsense on this blog. So, now there are little ads below my name.Evidently, the ads are the result of some inhuman analysis of this blog's content. So, the way the internet commercial world perceives me is reflected by those ads. I see it as a kind of self-portrait.
I may play and see what it takes to get those ads become really interesting....
However, if they are unbearably tacky-off they go....

Lee and Rockets

If you know about Rockets Redglare, you may want to read this.
If you don't know Rockets Redglare, you may want to read this.
http://www.tribes.org/cgi-bin/form.pl?karticle=313

Ladder

Resume from 2000-2006

Stephen Black
Artist, photographer, videomaker, writer, virtual world producer

Stephen Black set up blacksteps pte. ltd. in Singapore in June of 2005. The company develops virtual worlds for education, advertising, fine art and entertainment purposes. For information on blacksteps, please visit http://blacksteps.blogspot.com/

From October 2002 to late 2004, Stephen Black was Creative Director at Walker Asia, a Singaporean internet company devoted to media and content creation.
Previously, he worked in many areas of television as a producer, writer, director or cameraman and has worked for Cartoon Network, Fuji TV, Asahi TV, France 2, MTV, CNN and Fox.
As a photographer, his work has been published in Hanatsubaki, Playboy, People, Vacation, Epic-Sony cd booklets and Kurashi no Techo. He is represented by Jupiter Images
He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology and has participated in numerous exhibitions, screenings and art activities around the world.

2006
Continued work on various projects including Voice of Pieces as well as a feature length script being co-written with Philip Morgan

December 2005
Photos appeared in The Birdman (the works of Hans Langne,r conceptual/visual artist whose work is based on birds) Prestel Press 2005 http://www.hanslangner.com/

April 2005
Experimental collage/photography project at www.flickr.com/photos/voice_of_pieces

March 2005
For Arleen Schloss, a word collage, featured on www.softblow.com

February 2005
Cover art/featured interview, Ish magazine(Published in Singapore, distributed throughout Asia)

December 2004
-Two page article/interview in d+a magazine (Singapore)
-Videographer of ‘Future of Imagination’ Performance Art Festival

November 2004
Cover art for The Unseen Guest cd cover/booklet
Schott Tuition records
http://www.unseenguest.com/
October 2004
Huge Perpetual World
Photography and Video Exhibition
The Photographers’ Gallery
(Interview in Streats Daily Newspaper, Singapore)

Publication of Sushi Secrets by Kazuko and Chihiro Masui
Featured Photographer, along with Richard Haughton

What is Lomo?
Group show of photographs taken with Lomo cameras,
Objectifs (Singapore)

September 2004
Shooting of ‘Audio’ short video featuring
the voice of Cyril Wong
currently in postproduction

August 2004
Production of Voice of Pieces Edition #25
Guangzhou, China
Invited participant at subtext poetry reading(Singapore)

July 2004
‘Chicago’ video excerpt on the 47th issue of the 2nd rule, Singaporean on-line poetry and art journal.
Continued production and postproduction on
‘Orchid People’ a documentary on Singaporeans
who are involved with orchids

June 2004
7 Polaroids, photographic collaboration with Cyril Wong and featured at
http://www.cyrilwong.com/ manifest


November 20003-August 2004
Changi Village
audio programs which explore Singapore, featuring Ferreo and music by Kaye
www.danceandsoul.org/changi_village.html

April 2004
Invited reader at subtext, monthly gathering of poets and writers

March 2004
The 2nd rule issue 47
Online premier of video short Venus W
http://the2ndrule.com/issues/issue47/venusw.html

March 2004
Voice of Pieces #24
avatars and orchid version(edition of 50)

February 2004
Trophy Bowler
Video piece for Pete LaBonne (Earring Records)
http://www.therefrigerator.net/

November 2003
Director of Photography(movie) for BuBu Again, directorial debut by Akiyoshi Kumiko
Okinawa
October 2003
“3a.m.” video created with Rizal for “living Digitally” Arts festival. Displayed online as well at the Esplanade Arts Center, Singapore

October 2003
Participating artist in manifest arts festival, Nishinomya Japan

October 2003
Video pieces for Margaret Explosion and Personal Effects (earring records)
http://www.therefrigerator.net/

September 2003
Voice of Pieces edition #23
‘Emerald Mansion: a cat needs a home’, edition of 100

August 2003
Bug Jar Music Video
Live video shot in Rochester New York
Color Blind James tribute featuring King Rat and Nod, Sonic Youth label recording artists

June 2003
Theatreworks 24 hour scriptwriting competition participant

April 2003
Box at Plastique Kinetic Worms gallery (Singapore)
Presented Voice of Pieces #22
‘Ivan Ho’ version edition of 3

March 2003
The Agaricus Blazei Murrill Notebook
Author of the first English book devote to ABM, a gourmet and medicinal mushroom.
Currently being revised to include latest research
http://www.booklocker.com/

2003
video documentation with Zai Kuning of performers at Coyote Ugly as well as Substation performance with Jason Lim

January 2003
Selected participant for private Robert McKee screenwriting seminar

December,2002
Big Tortoise Poster
Article for Vehicle, a Singaporean art magazine

October, 2002
Contributing Artist
Found magazine(U.S.A.)
www.foundmagazine.com

October 26, 2002
Come
Performance/installation
Mitre Hotel, Singapore

September 2002
Voice of Pieces online presentation at www.popwars.com
www.popwars.com/black/black41.html

June17-29,2002
Secrets
exhibition of drawings
galerie omote sando
Tokyo

February, 2002
Voice of pieces
Exhibition
Vanryuji studio
Tokyo

February, 2002
Open Studio
Nakano, Tokyo

2001
Collaborations with Kumiko Akiyoshi, award-winning Japanese actress. Kiss, a six minute music/poem video is presently available at http://www.akiyoshikumiko.com/ The video features music by rei Shimizu. During the premier of the site, a commissioned screensaver was also available. Over 50,000 were downloaded.

Vocal coach for “Speed racer “ theme song cover by Pez jazz/funk musicians as well as vocal coach for Smile Kick on their cover of the Velvet Underground’s the Black Angel’s Death Song
World Apart Records, Tokyo

An American in Tokyo
Writer, feature-length movie script

Producer
Sadato ‘Asagaya’music cd
Sadato is now president of popbiz music
http://www.popbiz.com/

Music video director
Invisible Idiot: Sunset at the Water Building
Rochester New York

Collaborations with the musician Christophe Charles(France Japan), including the creation of a record cover, the vocals on a sound installation , and writing the English text for his permanent sound installation at the recent addition to Narita airport.

Began research on the agaricus blazei murill mushroom and spoke about it at the New York New Life Expo in October. Contributed articles to two magazines. Planning a book as well as a video. http://www.freezedriedagaricus.com/

Attended the Bioneer conference in San Rafael California, attending lectures by (among others) Dr. Andrew Weil and Paul Stamets. Dr. Weil is a respected author and internationally recognized expert on medicinal plants. Paul Stamets is a pioneer in the area of “fungal bioremediation” as well as a scholar and conservationist.

Commissioned by “Street Market” a Tokyo restaurant to provide several large murals for the restaurant’s interior/exterior

Art director: The Future is in Your Hand, a chapbook by New York poet Lee Williams

2000
-Producer/director/cameraman for Foreign Communicators Club documentary on Advertising Gran Prix Competition
-Cameraman for France 2 documentary on Tokyo nightlife
-Cameraman for MuchMusic(Canada) interview with dj Honda
-Cameraman/director for Japanese Department of Education video on European lifestyles/foreign languages
-Director/cameraman for “The Scot Smith Show”, a pilot for an outdoors program. Story featured a Sailfish Fishing Tournament off the coast of North Carolina.
-Producer/director/camerman for personal digital video project involving the citizens of Chicago reading sections of the Carl Sandberg poem of the same name. Currently in post-production
-Photographer for the nonstock photo agency(NYC)

The Rain in Little India

Yesterday I was in the spicy bustle of Little India, where I picked up a CD of fashion photos I'd done last November with Jo Soh(www.ilovehansel.com). Little India is a great place to shoot fashion when the weather is nice and the streets aren't crowded. The day we shot was a crowded Sunday and it rained.
I also stopped by Your Mother's gallery and P-10 for the Jeremy Hiah show.(www.p-10.org/breather/). I didn't have an appointment and I didn't see the show. I did get to say hello to Jeremy, who was running off somewhere. He kindly offered to let me use the most beautiful umbrella in the world.
I thanked him, but instead I walked out into the warm rain, letting the twilight soak into me; hoping it would drown the hum of a frustrating week.

Who let the dogs out?

February already...a week after Chinese New Year started-the Year of the Dog. A month and nine days after 2006 started. What have I been doing since the initial post way back in October? Well, the other blogs can supply the details, but most of the time was spent on the CDK-preparation, testing and planning. A number of exciting projects are about to start. Check the other blogs....
In December I went back to the States and spent time with my family. Driving back from the Detroit airport, it snowed... When I wasn't with family or friends I worked towards completing a script I started with my writing partner three years ago. Phil Morgan and I met in Robert McKee's screenwriting class and set out to write a script. A lot has happened since then: Phil moved back to England, my boss passed away suddenly in October 2004, I was without a permanent address for a while, I set up a company,...there was never a dull moment, that's for sure.
Finishing the script will be the conclusion of a chapter of my life. I think we've come up with something artistically satisfying and very accessible. I really believe that it will be a great investment for whomever decides to produce it. Of course, we have to take it one day at a time. Right now Damien Brachet and Stuart Rankin are going through the script line by line, Damien in Paris, Stuart in HK. Damien does all kinds of creative things and worked on Mee Pok Man. Stuart has written a number of scripts in addition to being the chief editor of the Cartoon Network/Time Warner Hong Kong universe. So, first their feedback, then a final rewrite and then off goes the script ...hopefully to take on a life of its own....
I will be working on a short film (yes film) based on the wartime experiences of Stanley Warren, A British POW who painted the murals in Changi Prison. The director is the award-winning Boo Junfeng and everyone involved is topnotch. I will write more next week after rehearsals. We shoot the week of the 18th.
So, the holidays, the script and the CDK ate up the biggest chunks of my time over the past few months. I'll do my best to update this more often. It seems that my "popularity" has increased. When I checked my profile views in December, I had 32. the count has now reached 54. A laughably small audience to some people, but an interesting number to me: who are these people and how did they find my blogs? What percentage of viewers actually check my profile? Why did the number of profile checks nearly double last month?