In my last update about my TechTransfer project I had discussed how this project was continuing to evolve. At that time I had converted 108 images to Black & White, and now I am up to 160 converted photographs. Musically I can sense a number of different riffs on this body of work so I am still allowing the different ideas to come and go, while writing down the various melodies that surface. Still an interesting work in progress.
This photograph may look familiar as the color version is posted here. The tighter framing in conjunction with the Black & White conversion is what’s working for me now with this image. As a tech transfer engineer this is also where the technology transfer was in progress and I spent a fair amount of time gowning-up and working in this production room.
So a funny story; the first week when I requested to visit this manufacturing area about every person on the technology transfer team felt that they needed to accompany me. So every time this big entourage would come and go with me. Every time a different management person from this company wanted to be provided an overview of the process, again, the entire entourage would follow, but then toward the end of the week some folks started to defer that they felt familiar with the operation. My entourage was shrinking. On the second week only two of their engineers would accompany, and by the end of the week, only one of the engineers was with me. I would discuss something in English and then wait while it was translated to the Chinese for the production group.
On the third week, their engineers just waved me off and I would venture through the plant up to the production floor by myself. So one time while tinkering with the equipment, something occurred that should not have and I inadvertently expressed my frustration in some very blunt and lively English. Wow! The guys started laughing and the young women’s eyes grew the size of saucers. I guess I had caught them by surprise with my profanity. There had not been any indication that they understood English and it was now apparent that they ALL did. So I called a little meeting and found out that they all had been studying English since about elementary school, but they had not heard English spoken by an America before, so it was a bit hard for them to follow along on the first week. After that meeting they started teaching me some Mandarin phrases (how to order cold beer was a good one) and we had some interesting discussions about what all was going on with them, their families and the country. I also spent a lot more time on the shop floor since they were a lot more fun to talk with than the companies tech transfer team, but even the transfer team started opening up more by the time I left.
My advise when visiting China, assume everyone knows English.
Cheers, stay healthy and safe my friends,
Doug
Featured artwork above: PingHu Transition (TechTransfer) copyright 2008 Douglas Stockdale
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Gardening For Ordnance solo on-line exhibition, Fabrik Projects on Artsy.net, March 24th – April 30th, 2020.
Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP) Faculty Exhibition, in Los Angeles at the new LACP gallery, located at 566 Washington Blvd. The exhibition opened March 21st and the closing reception is Saturday, April, 18, 2020, from 7-10pm. TBD
Update! Medium Photo 2020 Workshop: Developing a Creative Book workshop that I will be leading, is now rescheduled for September 24 – 27th, 2020, a four-day extended weekend workshop in San Diego.
Medium Photo 2020 Lecture Series, I will be giving a one-evening lecture Artist Books as Art Objects on Friday, March 20th, from 7:30 – 9pm at the You Belong Here artist venue, located at 3619 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, California 92104. TBD
Singular Images 