mean streets of thailand....

[mistahead]

so i was walking around today in a city in northern thailand and came across a guy lamp working in the street....he made some fairly intricate sculptures and some pipes etc....he let me play around for a while which was nice since i dont get to hit the torch much these days....anyway it got me thinking about all these retarded discussions on here about imports.....he didnt really speak much english but his friend was translating and he really started getting excited about maybe learning some new things (not to much unlike myself and many others ive come across on this board) because he had been so bored and had been doing this for 12 years just getting by feeding his family probably living in some shanty in the back country....anyway i dont really have a point...just thinking out loud... but he did invite me to come by his shop sometime this week and i think i'll take him up on that offer....should be a fun experience!!!

[Kato]

sounds like a diehard lamper. iv'e always thought there has to be some insane chinese lampworkers out there with all the copy prodo they put out.

[Chris Carlson]

take pictures!!

[mistahead]

take pictures!!

and video!! ;)

[blazemaster83]

throw out a collab! =p

[magism]

was it this guy?http://www.glassartists.org/Images/FullSize/000001000/Img1119_thailand_062.jpg

[Aussie]

whats that box he's sitting on with the hose coming out?

[Swampy]

It's a fart-saver (aka thunderbox). The little boy on the right is on the other end of the hose.

[Aussie]

so the boy is acting as a bellows for the methane?

[bifwitsis209]

If I had a thunder box fer my dog I could run my delta.....

[MUPH]

(aka thunderbox)

I used to call my ex thunderbox

[mistahead]

Magism....yes it is actually!!.....im guessng you spent some time up here in chiang mai...any reccomendations of things to do while im here?....the big festival that they have here start today....i forgt the name right now but its 10 am here and theres been a million fireworks already gone off in the past half hour!!!

[menty666]

I think part of the problem is that "import" became the shorthand for "mass produced then imported" as opposed to "hey, look what this kick ass <insert not-your-nationality here> artist made this, it's awesome!"

I really do feel bad for Chinese/Indian/other artists because they catch crap just because of the way their countries are doing business with the rest of the world.

Take for instance all the hub bub over Mexican imports. But I watch that video fo the guy doing the Mario sculpture on what looks like a welding torch and I think it's pretty awesome work.

[mistahead]

yea i hear you menty...i feel the same way...mind you most of the factory type settings ive seen via pictures and online videos were american shops filled with wooks.

[daveabr]

there were a couple mexican guys that barely spoke english, and lived across the border in the champs flameoff last february. they were just using nationals, and they turned out a pretty nice piece. they got no attention though. and i never saw them again after they finished the piece. i'm sure they work in a prodo shop or something ya know......but that doesn't mean they can't expand their personal abilities and don't deserve respect for nice work.

it's a fine line.....always gonna be that way

[ras_l-roy]

this girl i blew glass with in phuket had mad sculpture skillz. here i am showing her some pinwheeelz