Singapore/ Tokyo reportage by Donna Lipowitz 11012010 * for sticky
http://www.stickyinstitute.com/Title : Tokyo!!!
Yes... any previous unearthings of Singapore zine happenings have been heavily overshadowed by my 9 day trip to Toyko Metropolis over the New Year period.
Tokyo. Was. Awesome.
There are many photographs and unforgettable memories that are perhaps not relevant to my usual reportage; however, nonetheless Tokyo was undoubtably swimming with inspiration and I’m sure I have only scratched the surface.
My favourite place was a more bohimianesque part of Tokyo called “Shimokitazawa”; a marvellous maze of alleyways – the main drawcard for me 2nd hand clothes shops and record stores. It was in the tiny corner of one record store I happened per chance to stumble upon a little zine like book called “ murren” vol. 5 (the ‘u’ with umlauts) Now I can’t read Japanese kranji but I asked my Japanese friend to explain the general gist of it. Its basically a diary by a small group of people about ‘bird listening’ I bought it because of the pretty pictures but perhaps in a year or so I might just learn Japanese and I’ll fill you in then. It’s full of hand drawn illustrations and a few colour photographs and lots of practical tips and notes about the art of bird listening in ‘Takao’ in the Japanese mountains. Its called “ Sound of the Mountain” (those few words are in English) ...a precious little publication...
Other than this little find I have to admit that my interest in the Textile district was at the forefront of my desires. There is an entire kilometre long street in “Nippori” called ‘Fabric town’ One shop in particular aptly named “Happy” had all kinds of ribbons and lace hanging from the ceiling of the shop. I was drawn to it like a bowerbird who’s Christmases had come all at once.
Now I’m sitting here at my computer in sweaty Singapore with some kind of throat infection and I’m drinking Saki to sooth both the physical and emotional distress in result of having to depart from such a blissful experience.
In Singapore a couple of weeks before the holiday madness I did visit the “Red Dot Design Museum” in ‘Tanjong Pagar’. www.maad.sg A weekend market is held here once a month showcasing various designers selling locally handmade wares, mostly clothing. Amongst it all though there was a girl sitting at a little table selling stickers of her illustrations...and she had also made a zine! After chatting to her I discovered that she has in fact been studying illustration at a university in Melbourne. She was so pleased that I wanted a copy of her zine and that I indeed knew what a zine was.
It is called ‘ A #2 Pointlessly Random Collection’ “Anne Gee illustrates” a book of cute little doodles, simple b/w photocopies with a coloured cover. annegeeneo@gmail.com
I will be keeping an eye out for her in the future and she does know about the ‘Sticky Shop’ so i’m sure she’ll check you out when she returns to Melbourne to finish her studies this year.
Happy New Year and Happy Chinese New year to all!
The End.
