Subwoofer highs...

The problem with my postings is that I tend to return to them after many weeks or months. I'm rather inconsistent. Honestly, the past few weeks have been quite fruitful, with photographic projects coming in rather consistently and teaching a few photography courses at Open University. I think that for the first time in my few years of being a photographer-artist, that my work, social, personal and physical life has felt balanced. And although the side of love has entered and exited, there seems to be a gentler flow of things. I do not get intensely riled up inside as I find that someone or something does not happen the way I want it to.

My recent exhibition was a failure in terms of financial earnings, without having sold even one piece of art. This is not the first time this has happened. I was hoping that one photograph might sell, but alas, that was not the case. Photography is a hard sell in Hong Kong, whereby paintings fair much better. I can't help but feel a bit dejected, as much as I enjoy the creation of the artwork. Nevertheless, the consequence of not selling anything made me think of my fundamental reasons for happiness. For the past few years, I have always invested more of my time and energy to my artwork, but rarely, very rarely treated myself to some of life's simple (more normal) pleasures. And what might that be? Well, I bought myself a sub-woofer. A simple sub-woofer to compliment my 10 year old Revolver speakers. It was something I had put off long before my exhibition but really, really needed to make my stereo system sound decent. It was the missing component to achieving a full rich sound from my Arcam amplifier and DVD player. Now, HK$3,800 later, I have had beatiful sound coming from my system. To think that spending this bit of money on a set of speakers offered me MORE joy and happiness than the exhibition opening and all the accolades from friends and supporters of my work, profoundly bothers me and yet, excites me. Is it that I have suddenly become a 'normal' guy? Someone that is taken in by the consumerism that is so prevalent around us today? Or is it materialism? Why, for goodness sake, should I be so concerned about this?

Music for me has always been one of the most powerful sources of enjoyment. It was when I was young, as it is now. I love the sound of music when it is played through a great sounding sound system. It is intoxicating and euphoric. When music is recorded well, it is all the more engaging to the ears, to hear the voice become 'moist' (as my brother would say, to which both my younger brothers are pure audiophiles) and the instruments come alive in your living room. Sarah McLaughlan, Annie Lennox and Mariah Carey become live with breath. And to hear the famous Eagles "Hotel California" live recording is utterly breathtaking. James Cameron's recording of Titanic is surreallistically real. Oh, the bass is so so beautiful: thick, rich and tight.

I ponder why now that I didn't make my sub-woofer purchase much longer ago, knowing very well that I would enjoy my stereo system so much more. Why was I holding back? And not taking life to it's fullest. It was not as if I didn't have the money. I just thought it was better to put it to an exhibition. So now, after the accolades of the show, I realized that it didn't do it for me. I needed some of life's simpler pleasure of pure sonic entertainment: music at it's purest level I can find without hiring the real thing.