Introvert

"In the underground beneath the enormous metropolis of Shinjuku...."

From Murphy comes a series of links to a collection of photos of painted cardboard structures that the homeless lived in back in the 90's in the Shinjuku station. The site were we nicked them from has this description:

There was a commune, an independent nation even, of people who lived their lives on the street.

Hundreds of cardboard houses grew up in the underground passageways of the west exit. On each of these houses were paintings. Mysterious and magical, they threw vivid colors of resistance out into space, a kaleidoscope of derisive laughter against the state.

A group of painters painted them. Leading the group was Take Junichiro, who is also the person who made this website. Once during the painting process Take was arrested and forced to spend 22 days in jail. The painting continued even after his arrest, but finally came to an end when the underground kingdom was destroyed in a huge fire.

After the fire, the authorities started reconstruction on the tunnels so that the homeless could never occupy them again. They succeeded in kicking the homeless out of the west exit underground.

This website was made to call attention to the paintings on the cardboard houses, and bring back to life the kingdom within a city that once was there but has now become nothing more than a phantom.

The works included here are only a small portion of all the works that were painted.

We didn’t photograph the works ourselves. We felt that the moment of life didn’t leave room for recording.

The photographs here are the work of photographer Sakokawa Naoko and others who sympathized with what we were doing. They generously gave their permission to use them.

We give them our deep thanks.

This wasn’t art that bowed to the system, nor did it have the weakness of finding authenticity only in its marginalization. This is why the work that sustained the cardboard art is so important and valuable.

Take Junichiro
(訳:Justin Jesty)

Orignially Posted by marc @ http://www.woostercollective.com/2006/11/in_the_underground_beneath_the_enormous.html

http://cardboard-house-painting.jp/mt/archives/cat2/index.php?page=all

This morning I woke up, not in the best spirits --I've been working on my board and having a very difficult time with the paint markers and particular medium. It is much harder than I anticipated. Whereas, I am very happy with the concept, the overall exectution is poor and not my best work. I am not sure I can make peace with it in the next 48 hours. My trash talking was to motivate Josh to not slack off, but to do his best and for Erik to not "underestimate us", but DAMN! I am really EATIN' it now!!! This is definately NOT my best and now I may have to accept DEFEAT!!! GAH- I wish I hadn't joked around and talked so much. I wish my paint and materials worked out in my favor. I wish I had "practiced" more. I feel like the same as I do when I try to go to the gym after a long-ass period of not working out... I never go down in weight and I force myself to work out with the same intensity as I would, had I not stopped. Well- I am about to be SORE tomorrow!!

I saw these cardboard homes on http://www.woostercollective.com this morning and it touched me in a way I can't explain. The reason behind why they painted their homes... the spirit it captures... the message... the expression. It's all about the message- and having heart.

Please take the time to browse thru the link that was provided in the article, above. It is not in English, but just scroll down and look at the pictures.

I was really taken by this, this morning.

Enjoy, friends :0)

yoko