New York 1979
Tseng Kwong Chi
In the suit of a Chinese dignitary, Tseng Kwong Chi travelled the world taking self-portraits against icons of Western, and later Eastern, civilisation. Part of a group of radical artists working out of New York in the late 70s and 80s, Tseng was born to parents exiled from Hong Kong but considered himself a citizen of the world. In his portraiture he is emotionless, wearing dark glasses and his ‘Mao Suit’, quick release cable in hand – an ambiguous ambassador. The images are funny, yet in their humour and in their repetition, there is an unplaceable profundity. Kwong Chi was playful and ambiguous about his work – a gay, radical young man in the suit of authoritarianism standing in front of the symbols of liberation and capitalism. They are not critiquing, nor celebrating, they are simply a way of placing himself within, and separate from, the many worlds he felt he belonged to.
Thursday 5th November
The Moon rises in Leo before moving into Virgo, shifting our attention from the fruit and seed towards the roots. Mercury also crosses the ecliptic—the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun—passing through a planetary node. In biodynamic practice, this is considered a disruptive influence and an unfavourable time to work with the soil or plants. Instead, turn to practical tasks such as cleaning tools and repairing equipment, leaving space for reflection. With Michaelmas behind us, we can reflect on the Archangel Michael, traditionally pictured overcoming a dragon—an image we might understand as the courage to confront fear, illusion and falsehood. In our own lives, this courage can begin with noticing where our actions fall short of our values, admitting a mistake or speaking honestly when silence feels easier. Ask yourself: what small act of courage would bring the way I live closer to what I know to be true?
52 Mountain - The I Ching
Focusing on his spine and losing himself...
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