Wang Lang's 3D Art - 3D painting in black and white

     In 2011, Wang Lang developed a method of painting 3D works of art on canvas. The creation of this art form incorporates a mixed media approach that blends the use of 3D photography with digital manipulation, whilst applying innovative acrylic and oil painting techniques. These remarkable paintings break down the barrier between analogue and digital art. In bridging the divide between physicality and virtuality, they blur the boundaries between illusion and reality.

     The 3D effect of these acrylic works are viewed through red and blue (or anaglyphic) 3D glasses. Elements of the paintings appear to move as you tilt your head or move from left to right, which adds a uniquely interactive dimension not found in other forms of two-dimensional visual art.      The optimal distance for viewing these works varies depending on the size of the image on the screen through which they are viewed. You may need to move further away from your device to achieve the best 3D-depth perception of the painting. 

     The 3D painting featured in this video represents a cleaner, more simplified approach to the art form, in contrast to many of his earlier 3D works which are richer in detail, colour and complexity. By reducing their 3D elements to the bare essentials, Wang Lang has created 3D paintings with hues of red and blue that are actually perceived in black-and-white when seen through 3D glasses. This particular piece has been cropped slightly to fit a widescreen format and is still a work in progress. All photos, video clips, narration, music and editing by Chris Harry.

Software:

Open shot video editor 

paint.net 

FSviewer 

FSresizer 

Photoshop CS6 

Hardware:

Nikon D800 

50 mm G F1.4 Nikkor lens

HTC 10 

Sony RX100 (Mark I)

Emperor Xi - Satirical Electronic Music

Emperor Xi - Satirical Electronic Music  (Click on this link to hear the track)

Photo by Chris Harry

This is my first upload on SoundCloud. It's a combination of a field recording of crickets in Eastern Beijing, along with a digital drum track and voices from online text-to-speech engines. I combined the tracks manually with a Sony digital recorder. This track was completed using Nero Wave Editor.

It is a satirical musical invention poking fun at China's dictator, Xi Jinping.

Please feel free to share any tips, hints, criticisms or suggestions!

Sight beyond Seeing - 3D Art by Wang Lang

     An overview and exploration of Wang Lang's hand-painted 3D works of art. Requires red-and-blue 3D glasses in order to fully experience the three-dimensional effect of the art works presented. All elements of the video, including script translation, narration, photography, music, video editing, audio mixing, layout and design by Chris Harry.

刁皇绰号选集 Selected Nicknames for his Rotundness Emperor Xi

刁皇绰号选集 Selected Nicknames for his Rotundness Emperor Xi

请大家分享你们听到过、看过或者自个儿发明的一些刁皇的绰号。同时希望听听大伙儿的意见或建议。谢谢！

Here is a selection of some nicknames for the dearly immense dictator of China, most of which are my own inventions. I Hope you like them and please share your own versions or feel free to offer your own English translations of the following sobriquets. Thanks!

以下是我收集和自己发明的一些别称：

刁假假  Faker Daddy Xi

刁泽东  Mao the Second

习胖子 Big-bottom Xi

庆丰包子帝 The Stuffed Bun Qinfeng Emperor

习包子 Stuffed Bun Xi

大肚肚 Big belly Xi

习禁评 Anti-speech Xi

习禁平 Anti-equality Xi

刁进瓶 Fell-in-the-bottle Xi

刁皇 Emperor Diao (Xi)

习尽贫 No-ideas Xi

习紧频 Crisis-monger Xi

刁撒币 Burn-Money Xi

刁二胖子 Fatty Xi Jr. of the Imperial Red Family

习精病 Wingnut Xi

Yuan as Reserve Currency less important than Economic and Political Reform

Yuan as Reserve Currency less important than Economic and Political Reform

By Chris Harry

In theory, the addition of the RMB as a top-reserve currency would further diversify the world's exchange reserves. It also would draw China further into the world economy, which might also be a positive force for encouraging China to move toward a stable economic model based on greater transparency and not-so-minor adjustments such as the rule of law. On the other hand, Chinese banks would have to sink and park huge sums of money as deposit insurance, which could further weaken its already fragile debt-to-GDP ratio imbalance.

The fact that China is a maverick economic player that relies on artificial growth which is willing to use any and all means to continue the growth bubble for the sake of social stability and the perpetuation of the party-state, also means that China could potentially become a hugely disruptive and destabilising force in the world economy.

Party interests will always remain paramount and unchecked under the current system, so only when China makes a fundamental political and economic shift, can we expect the Yuan to make a positive contribution to global economic stability. China will also need to follow international rules and regulations in order to make a positive contribution to international economic stability. Again, under the current system in place in China, we cannot expect that it is willing to follow international norms, practices and rules. 

The lack of a domestic rule of law clearly indicates China unwillingness to abide by international treaties and conventions. China's approach in the South China Sea shows a total disregard for the sovereignty of its own neighbours and is a breach of the treaties it signed, took part in drafting, and pledged to uphold. 

Xi's administration has been emboldened to further apply the no-rules bully approach toward domestic politics and foreign policy. At the same time, the domestic economy has been tanking ever since Xi took power.

The stock market debacle also shows a total lack of transparency and honesty in dealing with internal domestic issues. In the end, the government relied on a command-driven and heavy-handed approach to force a recovery of the stock market. In the process, billions in individual investors' earnings evaporated, along with one-fourth of its crucial monetary reserves to support China's state retirement funds. 

Beijing took a huge gamble by creating a false bull market in order to orchestrate state-led insider trading, so as to prop up Zombie SOEs that are bleeding out huge losses daily and are kept alive by state-controlled banks that can barely handle the pressure of giving out free money to keep these SOEs afloat.

When China gets its political and economic house in order, then we might expect the RMB to play a positive role in the world economy.

Emperor Xi: I want True Dictatorship

刁皇：我要真独裁 （他的独裁梦）

Emperor Xi: I want True Dictatorship

Pictured here with a fake yellow umbrella, an homage to the Umbrella Revolution where Hong Kong students bravely demonstrated and protested in their demand for true elections. Emperor Xi's make-believe response is depicted above as,  "I want true dictatorship".

The yellow colour of the umbrella also represents a colour that was reserved only for the Emperor in ancient China. In the past, any subject discovered wearing fabric dyed in Imperial yellow could be subject to the death penalty.

This is symbolic of how human rights have been further eroded and weakened just as party Emperor Xi has been concentrating more and more dictatorial powers in his own hands since his rise to power.

China’s Wrongheaded Quest for Respect

    One would hope that the Chinese leadership is beginning to understand the importance of co-operation with other countries, but after decades of empty rhetoric from Beijing, the mentality and the strategic diplomatic initiatives of China's dictatorship still remain shrouded in a bamboozling cloud of mystery. Aside from a penchant for opportunistic gain; be it military, diplomatic or economic, Beijing seems to lack a consistent or clear diplomatic policy that builds long-lasting alliances or friendship based on mutual respect and trust. 

    While more and more Chinese citizens are becoming open, cosmopolitan and globally-minded, the government remains secretive, distrustful and painfully awkward at forging meaningful and mutually beneficial ties with other countries.

    Beijing seems very poor at thinking beyond monetary bribery and military bravado. While these are key levers to power relations, they do not appeal to the human side of diplomatic relations, and therefore ultimately fail to win the hearts and minds of the non-Chinese majority of humanity across the globe.

    Perhaps, once Beijing learns to be nicer and more respectful toward its own citizens and its neighbours, the rest of the world will gradually begin to afford it the respect it seeks.

    Meanwhile, throwing money in the air, foaming at the mouth and brandishing a sword will only frighten, annoy or infuriate the rest of the world. The Chinese leaders fail to realize that sometimes the law of the jungle only applies in the animal world and not among civilized nations.