September 18th, 2006
How Geisai was (finding that one person, or maybe not…)
I have not written yet, and I have not told you how it was. I’m sorry. I am tired. And I have some domestic problems. In a few words, Geisai was, a good experience. It was everything I said it was going to be, most of it was what it was before I even got there. But I did get there, and I had some good help. I wouldn’t have gotten there if I didn’t. I woke up at four, after a total mount of four hours sleep over the previous three days. I tried to be quiet, I tried to pack with efficiency. I carried great amounts of wood onto a train, and then a monorail. It took every minute I had to get set up, and then some (finishing about ten minutes after the convention hall doors opened).
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From early on, a podlike mech was roaming the convention hall. In a pinch, I arranged my photographs instinctually, which turns out to be the way an engineer would– a recursive partitioning of space to provide symmetry and lay out items in order of decreasing priority. Black and white, color, large to small, etc. Though I deeply regretted not putting more time and thought into it, it did end up being a unique means of presentation as it seemed I was the only mathematically-rooted presenter at the show. In short, it was far too rigid and cold, I could have done a lot better to not make it look like a fifth grade science project on how the greenhouse effect works.
I spent over two hundreds hours and nine hundred dollars in preparation. I showed forty-four photographs. I sold about ten postcards, four of which were not out of obligation from acquaintances. I distributed a dozen business cards, stood in front of my booth inviting passersby for about seven hours, and in the end shuffled home in the rain like a zombie, dragging my wooden peg boards along any semi-smooth surface I could find.
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One thing I added to my “let’s improve on this next time” list right away was displaying my merchandise in a more appealing and eye-catching manner. This was far too “streets of Manhattan beneath a movie poster” for anyone’s tastes. I was hardly surprised to see an Akiba-kei idol show up for a performance, though the rear end sumo matches in front of my booth did catch me off guard.
I had one friend blanket me with kindness, and a couple others make good on their promises to stop by; while others did not. In the end, I was caught in the warmth of one selfless soul who displayed more strength and ingenuity than I could manage all week. I will forever be indebted to the selfless supporters of my cause, or more appropriately, the selfless supporters of just me.
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Renowned “Hard Gay” Razor Ramon even showed up, and did his own mural in real time at the show. I think he got a lot more attention though for entering the sumo ring. Towards the end of the day, Hirota-san must of felt terrible seeing me look like death, he came back with a cache’ of water and quick sugar. I was floored. I’ll have to think of something really nice for him…
In the minutes leading up to the final bell, I got a visit from what one might say is a potential aficionado. He said that he had seen many works that day, but mine genuinely moved him. There was something about my photographs that was nostalgic, something powerful, something that reached inside. He even came back twice to say it again, shaking his head as if in disbelief, reiterating how affecting my pictures were. He invited me to join in a semi-private showing at Matsudo before Christmas. I gave him my information, and a few postcards. I will always be doubtful that anyone could really understand a bit of what I’m trying to convey, partly because it’s so complicated and partly because I’m so bad at portraying it; but, the lonely soul in me will always maintain a tiny bit of hope for true appreciation. [After rereading this for editing I realize how incredibly loutish and jaded I sound, but I don't have the energy to write it again. As usual, upon really thinking them over, I'm already answering most of my own questions and doubts.]
Those who missed out on the materials in the show, I will try to put together a new “collections” page in the next week or so, then you can see scans of the material presented there.
[Fans of the up-and-coming electronic musician Pango will be disappointed to hear that the intense drum and bass from a DJ booth the next row over drowned out his experimental lunar sounds for most of the day. However, Pango himself was not very pleased with what he brought with him anyway, so it didn't really matter. But next time, yes, headphones!]
