RE: [-empyre-] media architecture and cross-cultural influence

["James Way" <jarway@hotmail.com>]

Having only recently moved to Japan, I'm interested myself to see how my 
work or assumptions change.

The ironic aspect is that after Dwayne graduated from Cornell and completed 
the Falcon program (intensive Japanese language), he moved to Japan for a 
few years before returning to Texas where we met. So the formation of 
parasite really started in Cornell-Tokyo before growing in south Texas.

The work gains a lot from things that were happening architecturally in 
Japan and academia in the late 80s: architectural surrealism and 
juxtapositions (urban, such as parks or water springs popping up in the 
middle of a city, programmatic juxtapositions, as well as material) and 
construction practices: bamboo scaffolds, safety netting, spiritual-natural 
rituals in construction. Also, cyberpunk as a literary genre was exploding: 
Rucker, Sterling, Philip K. Dick, and of course Gibson. Throw in some 
bricolage, rhizome, Virilio, Burroughs, and noise music. All of these came 
together and informed the idea of suspended nature, natural-industrial 
couplings, the technologized body, urban grafting, temporary structures, and 
our interests in media.

There is an underlying language that adapts to the context. So it remains to 
be seen how the transfer back to Japan affects my work or concept of space.

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