O: It’s true, when you first take a look at bamboo crafts you think about how amazing they are, but when you look closer at all the details, it’s quite delicate, all those knots. It seems like very meticulous work to me. So you passed the test and will start this April at the Support Center as a student….
S: Uh, trainee, yes.
O: As a trainee you will start a new activity. Bamboo crafts….You say translating for the students from Malaysia was what got you interested in it. What about from the artist’s perspective, what do you think when you see bamboo crafts?
S: It’s fascinating. Let’s see…the part I find most fascinating is, for one, the material.
O: Material.
S: You harvest a plant and then process it and turn it into strips, then you weave it and dye it—it’s a kind of process that’s very interesting to me. At the start you think, I want to make a bamboo art piece that looks like this, so you have to go back to one bamboo tree, one round stick of bamboo, and turn that into certain types of strips, with certain thicknesses and lengths; it’s a process you control all by yourself. I find that interesting.
O: Huh, that makes sense. For us, the way we think, we see it only in terms of gathering your materials and assembling them. But you, Stephen, see the process of making it as starting from the bamboo plant itself, is that right?
S: Yeah, if you don’t start from there…after all, there are all kinds of things that come into play with bamboo: pliability….
O: That’s true. With this type of bamboo you can make this kind of material, but with this bamboo over here you can’t.
S: Right. There are many varieties, and they all have different patterns. Like gomachiku and torachiku bamboo…there’s a lot. Some have spots, and so on.
O: Wow. You’re a trainee, but you’re already talking like a bamboo master! What about Colorado? You’re from Colorado. Do they sell anything like bamboo crafts there?
S: I’ve never seen it.
O: Never seen it! Which means, if you take the skills you learn back with you to Colorado….
S: I’d love to show people more of Japanese culture, certainly.
O: In Colorado.
S: Well, I don’t know about Colorado per se. After going back to America I’d like to help introduce it to American people, if possible.
O: Which means….cha ching! (Makes gestures of packing lots of money into his shirt pockets.)
(Everyone laughs)
S: Perhaps.
O: No no no, you can’t do that. Artists aren’t for money, after all. But seriously, we’re really happy that you can help spread this kind of Japanese culture in America. I mean, it’s quite possible that maybe one day we’ll see “bamboo craftsman, Stephen” in magazines or somewhere in Japan, right? “…Learned bamboo crafts in Beppu.” Hmmm…You said previously that Caitlyn likes to arrange flowers. Once you learn bamboo crafts what would you like to make for her?
S: Definitely a
hanakago.
O: What’s a
hanakago?
S: Well, it’s a vase—like a vase. There are different kinds. Some are tall and skinny, some shallow….
O: Oh, so what we call a vase is called a
hanakago in bamboo crafts, right? Something you put flowers in?
S: That’s what I’ve learned, yeah.
O: Really. Wow. A lot to look forward to. Alongside bamboo crafts, you said you will continue your activities as an artist. One activity here is “
Mixed Bathing World,” hosted by
BEPPU PROJECT. What is that?
S: Well, it’s a contemporary art festival that’ll be held from April to June. The festival invites artists from abroad to Beppu and has each of them choose a location and make artwork. The artwork is kind of scattered throughout the city, and viewers tour the city looking at artwork. That’s the kind of festival it is. There are also music and dance categories, or events I mean. So it’s going to be a pretty large-scale event.
O: And “Mixed Bathing World,” this will be the title?
S: Yes, that’s the title.
O: I see, so the title of the contemporary art festival is Mixed Bathing World. In other words, internationally renowned artists are brought here and asked to make artwork that can only be made in Beppu, or at a certain location in Beppu, and that artwork is exhibited.
S: Yes, it’s also called “site specific.” “Installation.”
O: And, Stephen, you’ll also be displaying work?
S: No way, I can’t. It’s…they’re all very well-known artists.
O: But Stephen, for us here, we consider you to be a very famous artist. So in what capacity, what role will you…?
S: Well, I’d like to get involved as much as possible in translation and interpreting. And do as much as I can as a volunteer. Last week we hung up posters around Oita city. In between the time I’m painting…oh, but bamboo crafts school will start in April, so pretty soon I’ll be busy.
O: You’ll be
very busy. Won’t you lose most of your time to paint?
S: I will.
O: So on weekdays you’ll be a trainee and make bamboo crafts. What about weekends? Paint your pictures?
S: On weekends I’ll paint picture, if possible, and then there is also daily living expenses, like before when I mentioned my school loans. I have to pay back about 400 dollars every month, so I have to earn that money too.
O: Yeah, you were saying before how it’s a “heavy burden” for you. Ah, I see. And, you know, with painting sometimes it takes a serious amount of time to finish just one work. Today you brought for us a photo of one of your paintings. It’s really…how should I say…there’s a part of it that shows your calm, pleasant personality at the same time that we feel something powerful working beneath the surface. The moment I saw it I thought you were depicting outer space, but in fact it’s a pair of
morning glories.
S: They
are shaped kinda like stars, aren’t they?
O: Yeah, exactly! They spread out like stars.
S: Now that you mention it….
O: And the colors are very nice. We’re also hoping to put this photo on the show’s blog.
S: This painting I actually submitted to the city exhibition. The Oita City Exhibition is going on right now. People are welcome to….
O: Oh, that’s great. If you have a chance, Stephen Jensen’s painting is on display so we hope you go see it. Well, time to wrap this show up has come in the blink of an eye. Please take a look at our blog on the OBS homepage. We’re also attaching a link to the blog of our guest today, Stephen Jensen, so take a look at his blog too. What kinds of things are you writing on your blog?
S: Well, bamboo craft training will start in April. I’ll write about what I’m experiencing on a day-to-day basis as I work with bamboo.
O: Oh, so we can read some of your artistic thoughts as well. You’re writing this in English?
S: I’m writing in both.
O: Oh, both!
S: I want to anyway.
O: I was just thinking it’ll be good English study practice. Please take a look.
S: Please write a comment too. If you have any questions or opinions—I want my readers to say them.
O: (laughs) Yes, please “say” them. Listeners, if you can, go check out Stephen’s blog. Well then, this week we heard from Stephen Jensen. For the show’s end, let’s part with these words. Ready? One, two: See you again! Thank yooouuu.
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