Having just returned from Tibet I was pretty eager to get these photos up considering that blogging and facebooking (among many others) are illegal activities in the People’s Republic of China. Well now they’re up and the Chinese can’t do shit about it except revoke my visas and arrest me when I go back. But if that happens then we’ll know the Mill has really made it. I digress.
I took these photos at a gallery/workshop outside of Lhasa that we had the rare privilege of seeing. The professor leading our trip has an old friend, a talented Tibetan artist, who runs the place and brought us in. He was trained in Beijing at arguably the best arts institute in the country and has used his skill, alongside his colleagues, to develop their little known gallery- housed in an unassuming, oldish Tibetan building. Some of the pieces are highly controversial by Chinese standards. Others are more subdued. However, it all takes a clever approach to reach the intended result. Much of it deals with a disappearing culture, oppression and the persistence of Buddhism (or what’s left of it). I apologize for the photo quality on some as I was running through the gallery taking snapshots of everything without a tripod or proper exposure but you get the point. This is only a handful of the pieces but it shows the varied mediums and focuses. The artists have no websites or much in the way of professional development but you can access a past catalogue from a recent show in Beijing at the Red Gate Gallery (www.redgategallery.com) under “Return to Lhasa”, artists Gade and Tsering Nyandak.
The contrast in this image speaks for itself. The photo was taken in a rice paddy in Chishang Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. It shows Taiwanese pianist Chen Kuan-yu performing a concert in the most unlikely of settings. The credit from this photo comes from Stringer, a Reuters photographer, on November 7, 2009
Landon McMahon Photography 
You need to see Landon McMahon’s portfolio if you’re into fashion photography. I grew up with him back in the promised land and I’ve watched him blowup in the last few years. His work is varied in style and avoids standard fashion photography. Enjoy and see for yourself.
Dopeness
Here’s an ill track from Kennedy. It’s got the same swagger as Mickey Avalon but a little more soul and rhythm without all the dry lines that make you feel more cynical about living. It’s probably a little more clever too but that’s enough of comparing one artist to another. Check it out for yourself.
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves remix)
Please be gentle, it’s my first post.
Months later, I still can’t get enough of The Twelves. They are the Brazilian tag team who’s been destroying the DJ circuit lately. This duo draws their from influence across the indie spectrum and wraps the after-product into something better than peach cobbler. Hard to believe, I know. Plus, they produce their own songs on top of sampling and remixing the greats. Check out “Works For Me” also by The Twelves, it was my first and still my favorite.
