first, I do admire Mr. James Cohan's not-so-bold artistic installation using Chinatown background as theme set, it's time for artists look at Chinatown, as anyone ever been to Chinatown would experience culture shock, even for some Chinese. it's not Western country, that gives clean feel, the dirty oily grease street, smooth like black frozen mirror made with meat grease cover the ground. people often drop their candy wrap and thrown fruit skin even the trash can is only 5 feet away. that art is real than Cohan's installation, his set floor is too clean, he didn't get that part right. Of course, Mr. Cohan had not worked in a Chinese restaurant or supermarket, if compare to Korean ethnic supermarket and Japanese grocery stores to the Chinatown food market, it's like you shopping in heaven or hell. the tension working in many Chinese supermarket and restaurant beats Hell Kitchen on Fox, Chef Ramsey would be a little push-over crying boy if he ever work there, I personally had 1 year busboy experience in two Chinese restaurant, the management and bullies, the infighting break you. your boss or any waiters howl to your face like you are a duckling among a flock of geese. But Cohan's set was nobody there to grind you. of course, nobody especially most of Chinese media and community leaders include local Chinese politicians dare ever to mention about the employee rights, fair-treatment, like official holidays and overtime hours straightly enforced in Chinatown, but I guess if we ignore the dirty street, wobbling carefully on the slippery floor, never bother how much the busboys, the cashiers, the servers in the tea bars were paid we all can enjoy cheap delicious cuisine and drinks. I sent email to nyt and wnyc asking them dispatch some investigative reporters into Chinatown, of course, I was racist too, I felt only a white/black hand can pull some my lowly Chinese workers out of human pits in Chinatown, like some 20 years ago, how nyt reported Chinese sweatshops operate and pay. the local Chinese papers don't do that, they'd rather take advertisement check from the Chinatown small business owners than to dare ask "how much you pay your employee?" "do they have holidays, sick days, healthcare?" they would sound like the left? but always remember the Republican's interpreted freedom is truly American Fabric, funny? :D
Years ago in 90s, I faxed one page to World Journal asked the major Chinese media organization to publish a few articles and headlines educate the they so-called themselves model minority not to throw Chinese newspaper on the NY subway, please fold paper while reading in rush hour space wise. I never get response, of course, the major Chinese papers in US: World Journel, Sing Tao Daily, Qiao Bao only care about high culture and mainstream culture, like someone look like Chinese born in America suddenly had meteoroid rise break thru mainstream culture, scientists, doctors, arts, entertainment, sports, most page space devoted to that, while Chinese grandma (70yr old) picking empty bottle hauling over 80-100lb wheel-bag walking on the side of traffic roads getting by, most massage place run by undocumented women from China actually prostitute for quick profit and monthly sending their hard-banged US dollars to their old sick parents or kids back in China, where are those annually 20% Asian accepted (most are Chinese) ivy league grads, as their parents probably highly educated so called the elites from China proudly bring up their American-Dream successors in their conversation with friends, I guess they just disappeared into mainstream, into American Dream, bought a suburb mansion, became the new American.
yet, the Chinatown is still dirty, filled with fake goodies from China, I used to love those pirated DVDs, I used to feel guilty to buy those, but now I know hollywood produce fake movies (the content), there's not even much good things for me to steal now. only the old Chinese grandmas, grandpas that they worked in sewing company for whole life, loud speaking their dialect only and hunched back like they never got out of their sweatshops, daily scavenge empty bottles and soda cans on the street. my father told me once to get out Chinatown, the out-states are better, so different world. but like soldiers back from war we all bring our childhood some important struggling years where we go.
We all love town. We say we go to town, circus in town, 3 point from downtown, down to the Chinatown... :D but somehow I realize I'm selfish, going to town is only for my own pleasure, it's never about the town, it's me in the town, what the town makes me feel, and how I go about there.
maybe I am not widely experienced person on Art about Chinatown, I think Mr James Cohon really a good artist, he has mind concerning about our livelihood, our neighborhood, especially Chinatown community should thank his art work, ya see, artists and writers are spiritual doctors, we care about the sickly, like how the media care about the presidents' statement and his truth. I don't see there's nothing wrong or racist in his installation. in fact, it should be more dirty, messy, and the smell got to be right. because Art is about truth, and truth is beauty. as so many Chinese community media leaders protest Mr. Cohan's art, they should go walk a few blocks of Chinatown and take photos! and make it performance art too: pick up the trash or loiter your own, depends on individual atheistic concept, and stop shoveling 'our' '5000' year culture to a westerner's face, look at the pavement where they stand, also look at the China and CCP leaders how they proceed the real 5000 year Chinese culture into 10000 years, to continue the Chimp Politics(猴王统治), who's tuff who's boss(谁狠谁老大), and along that great progress there are countless poor Chinese and rich Chinese(I don't understand why the successful rich also) are push out, escape, mass immigrated since Qing Dynasty (2nd economy in 19th century) and now the People's Republic of China (also 2nd economy in the world), the commons still moving out, like famous Chinese Artist Mr. Ai Wei Wei concerning about all immigrants from Middle East and Africa, that the place and states are torn and burnt by wars and poverty, but Chinese still moving out figuring many ways to climb the Great Wall, instead of the elites should live there like elites with their knowledge and wealth that shame the traditional European royal elites, and the dirty, stinky, old, dialect commoners who are lucky to get out and forever cramped in their Chinatown.
Sure. we can talk about Chinese poetry, literature, rhymed prose, many great novels, painting in all modern spirit and abstract expressionist style some 800 years ago... (which means those were great and so forward than the Westerner's contemporary, but most those talents were exiled for political reason, their big mouth) that's what those so called artists and their media themselves defend their proud Chinese culture, and call whoever speaks truth a racist, especially you are not Chinese, and for a Chinese criticizing 'his/her' own 'culture' or 'tradition' suddenly that person become a traitor, a tail-wagging dog lapping its western master, or any westerner (who does not have Chinese face) translate Chinese poetry, or novel all the good ones are wholly lauded the great friend, and we all dress up to teeth dance in ballroom, glide around gold room in orchestra music, and no one alert the toilets stuck, shit overflow, the bathroom becomes a shitty bog.
elephant tusks, shark fins, rhino horns, bear bile, tiger bone liquor, dogs abused slaughtered in horror, cats boiled alive, forests raked to deserts, smogs, emperor system ever lasting, arms dominate laws, the ugly shameless cowards rule over the extreme overpopulated timid mind their own business crowds... there are so many proud sides counteract 5000 yr uninterrupted culture and 3000 yr most beautiful poetry tradition. How dare anyone criticize 5000 year tradition? the grease and dirts from Emporer Qin. the Real Art vs Mr James Cohan's Art. I say Mr. Cohan is too polite. my room is worse, crampy and messy than his set. only I wish I own an atm at my place and a deep deposit.
The Protest Article from World Journal
NYC Columbus Park
