mediating and mediated by notions of History, Truth, Origin(s), Originality and Authenticity
if not succumbing to Grand and Small Delusions, trying to prise them apart
temporary works, made with already-mades:
a black and white photograph
a bride in Chinese dress, a groom in a Western suit
names and dates in two languages
dialogues from an English-Chinese language text-book, 1960
tableaux of then - 'contemporary Chinese life'.
exercises in travel

a black and white marriage ceremony
a bride and groom stand in a Hong Kong village, c.1959
facing you
inscriptions on the reverse
she wears an embroidered tunic and skirt
he wears a dark suit and tie
arms thread
they stand on a verge

a language text-book, 1960
journey-sounds

untitled, not titled, no title, title-less
un-
no name, no status
named and un-named
()
a clue in parentheses, undone
my hesitation the question
mark, cut and paste cut and paste cut and paste
to and fro to recover

"un- prefix... denoting action contrary to or annulling that of simple verb
... having the sense of 'deprive of', 'divest (oneself) of, 'release from', 'displace from'
... 'cause to be no longer', 'degrade from position of'... 'not'... 'the reverse of'..."

the accidental pleasure of meaning; opening up, interrupt, looking in awe, at awe; imitating, manipulating, tracing presence / absence / passage; towards opacity and excess; to and fro, fro and to; translation, awkward movements of

first and third
of 'she', 'he', 'her', 'his'
a multitude of 'I's speaking
in turn, the etiquette;
or conversing with others, absent
among each other
at odds in silence

sitting at a small round table, drinking tea
a sheet feigning a table cloth
we talk to / at you

behind and ahead of us, before you a
square of light, full
of expectation

after so many translations (we've lost track of beginnings)
learning to gain from the 'losses'