I have really great neighbors. One of them is musician Blair Combest. I hope to not show the spontaneity when I took this.

Tommy "Because" Kha

The final product for Mollywood is creating its own narrative rather than being a variety of selected still photographs from different films related to Memphis. It is half-documentary and half-narrative (using the tableau vivant, mise en scéne and still photography language) incorporating a deeper intentionality of politics--i.e. "who owns the photograph?"--and metafiction--exposing a fictional world while attempting to show relationships and effects between the film world and reality.

I expect it will be a two year project given the current state of filmmaking in Tennessee in general, which is the reason I find to do this project, to pose these questions and statements through photography and the process used to create these narratives.

Fucking Art - Piranha Empire - dir. Sarah Fleming

Holly Cole, along with her two bands, the Memphis Dawls and the Heathens, performed together old and new songs in celebration of Holly Cole's new record. Jeffrey James and the Haul opened for Holly cole during one of Memphis' very hot summer Saturday nights.

More photos after the cut:

I have been fortunate to be able to meet many photographers, artists, historians and curators. The visit to the studio of Maleonn, a former production artist now photographer, is definitely one of those linings of the shiny variety. Many props, stages, costumes and imagery comprises much of Maleonn's studio.

In relation to Mainland China, there is a some sentiment of what is Chinese. Much of this sentimentality stays with me in a struggle with my existence through my identities and background. There are arguments of whom are "true Chinese" between Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Overseas Chinese and Chinese descendants. In the discourse of art making Chinese, there is a magnetism in seeing how the development of art differs between regions.

I coined the term, "Post-Maodernism" for a fellow Chinese Photographer, Pixy Liao, who wanted to start a curated website exhibiting contemporary Chinese photographers. Months later, I took the name back in applying the term to some unknown thesis. The thesis has now become a series of articles I plan on writing ranging on a variety of topics, reflecting over about my three years of research into Chinese Photography. This part of my website will be a collection of my own articles. I will definitely post the website Pixy is curating once it is up and running.  

Tommy "What's one more for the pile?" Kha

Part of the reason of being in Shanghai is to do research for Chinese photography, its discourse and its concurrent history with Western photography.

Living in the future, almost a day ahead than the rest of the world in fact, I have to forewarn futurists—of the non-precursor to Fascists art movement—the future is… ethnic. Ethnic of the Sino kind.

Peter Schjeldahl's Ten Commandments for Artists: "Work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, don't whine."

You can see England from here.

More photos from the experience in being the New York Studio Residency Program after the jump.