Assorted Photos

Mongolian corn dogs.


Contemporary fashion with a traditional flair - Mongolian couture straight from the runway!


Our guides arguing about the car in the Gobi.


I am a mighty warrior.


Giant sand dune in the Gobi.


Ice in the desert? See for yourself.


The ankle bone flicking competition at the Ulaan Baatar Nadaam Festival - in this competition, each competitor 'flicks' a plastic piece (traditionally the ankle bone of a sheep or goat) at a tiny target about 10 feet away.


Wrestlers from the 'Little Nadaam' in Hutag Onder - Mongolian wrestlers perform what is called the 'Eagle Dance' (pictured above) as a way of honoring the Gods, their opponents and the audience.


^ It was hard to leave Mongolia knowing that there were hotties like this around.


Gobi Camels.


I think this graffiti looks kind of like it says "I heart Dana."


The obligatory "out the window of the train" shot - taken out the window of the Trans-Mongolian train to Erdenet.

At last! Internet Access!

The past couple of days, the hotel's internet connection (as sporadic as it is) was completely down and I had no time to go to an internet cafe since I was trying to soak up as much of Ulaan Baatar as I could before I had to leave.

Instead of checking into a hostel for the night before my 6:45 am flight, I slept on the floor in my friends' room at the Continental - and sneaked past the watchful eyes of the desk clerks. Yesterday, we went to the Buddhist Temple Museum (one of the oldest buildings in Ulaan Baatar) and a contemporary art gallery. The temple was so ornately decorated, it was unbelievable. Every corner was carved and painted in bright colors and patterns.

The art gallery was interesting as well. I was surprised by how in touch with the cutting-edge trends in contemporary art these painters and sculptors. Perhaps the most interesting was that many of the artists combined traditional Mongolian cultural influences and techniques with their edgy contemporary styles.

Currently, I'm at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea waiting for my flight back to New York City. I left the hotel at 4 o'clock this morning for the airport and landed here in Seoul at about 10:00 a.m. My flight for JFK doesn't board until 7:00 p.m., so in the meantime, I'm going to try to post some pictures!

Nadaam Festival

This weekend was the Nadaam Festival - a nation-wide celebration of Mongolian independence and culture. The festival occurs annually and lasts 3 days. On the first day, the opening ceremony is held, which features traditional dances, songs and of course contortionists. The wrestling, horse racing, archery and ankle bone shooting competitions also begin on the first day after the opening ceremony. On the second day, the horse racing and wrestling continue and the winners are determined then announced at the closing ceremony later that evening. The third day is reserved strictly for celebration, so there are no stadium events.

Nadaam occurs all over Mongolia, but the main event takes place at the Central Stadium in Ulaan Baatar. The stadium itself is about at big as a large high school football stadium - with slightly more seating - and is not nearly as well maintained. Judging by the splatters of paint on the weeds growing next to the bright red railings, someone had recently repainted the seating area in quite a hurry. The grass on the field was long overdue for maintenance and the seats were coming apart right and left. It did, however, have a big tv screen installed so that the audience could watch live feed of the horse races taking place about 60 km away while simultaneously watching wrestling matches in the stadium. Though the stadium itself was a bit less than expected (considering it's the nation's best stadium), the actual event was a great time. The opening ceremony featured hundreds of dancers and contortionists all performing to live music performed on traditional instruments. Of course, Chinggis Khaan's peace banner was brought onto the field - and fiercely guarded by ornately dressed soldiers - and the Mongolian Olympic Team made an appearance.

Outside of the stadium were vendors selling cheap eats and expensive souvenirs. The city was packed with tourists for this event and pick-pocketing was rampant. (Being from Philly, I already knew not to put anything valuable where anyone else could reach, so anyone who opened my backpack would end up with a glorious bounty of Kleenex tissues and sunscreen.) I spent a few hours between the first two days of the festival exploring around the vendor tents and found everything from old women selling "priceless artifacts" to cell phone companies offering discounts to customers who signed up for a contract at the festival.

According to Namun, most locals skip town for the Nadaam Festival and celebrate with their families in the country, but the crowd at the stadium wasn't totally made up of tourists. There were teenagers hanging around everywhere dressed in their version of the latest western fashions, women carrying babies while wearing stiletto heals, children dressed in their favorite outfits (including Cinderella dresses and Batman costumes) and elderly men and women dressed in their traditional deels. I felt a little out of place in my ripped jeans and smelly tank top.

On the third day, none of us knew where any of the celebrations were taking place, and since we only had two more days until our final projects were due for class, most of us opted to hang out at the hotel to edit photos and compile our artist's statements.

Horse Milk Wine

Our group spent July 3rd through July 8th at a ger camp called "Old Bridge" along the Egiin Gol (Eg. River) in the northern region of the country, about an hour drive from the nearest town, a small village called Hutag-Onder. We departed Ulaan Baatar the evening of July 2nd on an overnight train on the Trans-Mongolian Railroad. On the rainy morning of the 3rd, Chimbat, our host at Old Bridge, met us at the station in Erdenet with two vans which would carry us the rest of the way to camp.

Erdenet is the urban hub of northern Mongolia and is home to one of the ten largest copper mines in the world. Mineral resources are the main source of wealth for Mongolia and the copper mine in Erdenet uses a total of 50% of the electricity in the entire country. The city was once controlled by the Soviets (because of the wealth from the mine), but eventually, the Russians left Erdenet. When they left, they forgot to teach the Mongolians how to operate the mine (the local Mongolians only worked in the mine as general laborers), so today some Russians remain as consultants for mine operations.

Like most mining towns, Erdenet has a mood of grit and poverty. Decaying Soviet-era tenements huddle together in the center of town intermixed with piles of rubble, shabby internet cafes and brightly painted bus stops. In the distance, one can see neighborhoods of wooden shacks with corrugated metal roofs. Bilingual graffiti is everywhere, as are shops selling American-style HipHop clothing.

We ate breakfast in a dim Chinese restaurant, then got on the road for our 230 km drive to camp. Most of the roads in Mongolia are unpaved and exist as little more than glorified animal trails. The farther away from Ulaan Baatar one gets, the rougher the trails. Consequently, our trek to our camp in the north country near the Egiin Gol (or Eg. River) was long and bumpy - only the first 60 km of our journey were on a paved road.

As we drove along, we passed a great number of herders migrating to their summer pastures. All of their belongings were packed on the back of horses, camels or yaks and they usually traveled with large herds of animals such as sheep, goats, camels, horses, cattle or yaks.

After driving across muddy dirt roads for about 10 hours, we finally arrived at Old Bridge Camp and we settled into our gers.

The next morning, we went for a hike up a nearby mountain to look at the beautiful scenery, then headed into the valley to the camp of local horse farmers. Chimbat, who is very devoted to the community in the valley of the Egiin Gol, had arranged with them to host a special horse race in our honor. In this race, yearling horses were removed from the corral - and their mothers - and moved to the other side of the field. They are then released - riderless - and they race back to their mothers in the corral. Spectators can 'bet' on which horse they think will win by writing their names on strips of cloth then tying them to the tails of their horses of choice. My horse didn't win.

Throughout the week, we enjoyed a considerably more authentic Mongolian experience than in any of the other places that we'd visited. Chimbat arranged for us to eat a traditionally prepared meal of goat meat cooked for two or three hours with vegetables over hot stones and also for us to drive into Hutag-Onder to watch the village's Little Nadaam Festival, at which we got to see the wrestling and horse-racing events much much closer than we will be at UB's big Nadaam. We also visited a nomadic family and ate horse meat, home-made goat cheese and flatbread with fresh butter cream, and drink hot goat milk, horse milk wine and Mongolian vodka - all of which was really gross, by the way. I was surprised to see that both of the gers we visited had TV sets inside which were powered by solar panels set up outside.

No trip to Mongolia would be complete without horseback riding, so on the last day, we mounted our squat Mongolian steeds and rode across the countryside. My horse refused to respond to my commands and the young local men who accompanied us got a kick out of making fun of me to each other in Mongolian and slapping my horse in the butt when I wasn't looking so that it would bolt unexpectedly.

At the end of the week, we were sad to leave Chimbat and what we called the "cast and crew" of Old Bridge Camp - with whom we played A LOT of volleyball in our downtime. Our journey home was just as bumpy and long as the trek out, but we arrived safely back in Ulaan Baatar on the morning of July 9th.

Mongolian Politics

At the end of June, Mongolia held its parliamentary elections and Mongolians all over the country gathered to makeshift polling stations to cast their votes. The results of the election were released July 1st and have created considerable controversy. The People's Revolutionary Party (the communist party of Mongolia) which had previously held power came out the victor in the election, however the democratic party argues that the election results had been tampered with to create a fraudulent victory for the P.R.P.

Protesting ensued in front of the P.R.P. headquarters building that night, which escalated into rioting. The P.R.P headquarters was burned down, the fire severely damaging nearby buildings including the Fine Art Museum. Several of my classmates watched the riots from a nearby hill while I was safe (and oblivious) in my hotel room working on photos. They happened to come across a reporter from CNN who had happened upon the scene as well, but without his camera. He gave them his business card so that they could send him some images and eyewitness accounts of the event. The next day, my classmate Ryan was interviewed over the phone live on CNN.

In response to the violence, the Mongolian government issued a state of emergency beginning at 12:01 am July 2nd that would last four days. During this time, everyone in Ulaan Baatar was required to observe a 10 pm - 5 am curfew and restricted from buying alcohol or gasoline (unless purchasing with a credit card) and holding public gatherings. Peace Avenue, the main street of UB, was also closed to all traffic except pedestrians and buses.

The state of emergency has since been lifted and the climate here in UB seems considerably less tense - especially with the Nadaam Festival happening tomorrow. From what I gathered from talking to people here, the rioters were mainly angry, uneducated young adults (early to mid 20s) who reacted before they knew the actual statistics. Though most of the urban Mongolians more than likely voted against the P.R.P., a large percentage of Mongolia's population lives in urban areas as nomadic or seminomadic farmers and herders. These rural citizens generally tend to vote communist because in the past the party has served their interests. This means that the P.R.P.'s victory might not have been fraudulent after all.

Mongolia's main sources of wealth are its mineral resources, especially copper. However, a great deal of their mining operations are controlled by foreign investors who generally have little interest in observing ecologically responsible mining practices that would preserve the beauty of the Mongolian countryside. As a result, Mongolia sees much less of the profit from its mineral deposits as it should. As I understand, part of what made this election so important were the different parties' stances on this issue of mineral resources. One party in particular that opposed the P.R.P. claimed to have a plan to keep the mining profits in Mongolia and distribute the wealth so that everyone (not just the rich and the government) would benefit from those profits. This is one of the potential reasons for the riots.

Another factor which many believe contributed to the events of July 1st was that about 15-20 years ago, for the first time in a great while, there were huge numbers of homeless children in Mongolia for whom the new government did next to nothing. These people grew up without access to education and other opportunities and are now in their early to mid twenties - the same age as the bulk of the rioters.

As exciting as this event was at the time, it looks like that will be the only political violence Ulaan Baatar will be seeing in a while. The Nadaam Festival is beginning tomorrow, and the whole city is gearing up for the huge three-day party. Everyone seems to have forgotten about the elections all together, at least for now.

I forgot to mention...

... that we were interviewed for Korean National TV while we were in the National Park.

We were driving into the park, and just a little past the entrance we ran into a traffic jam and were told by a police officer to stop the van. Namun, our guide and translator, informed us there was a marathon taking place and the road was closed until it was finished. Not wanting to sit in a hot van for another couple of hours, we hopped out, cameras in hand, and explored around the event. The official name of the event was the Mongolia Marathon for International Friendship and there were people of all ages and abilities 'running' in the 'marathon.'

We met a couple of students from Georgia who gave us some details about the marathon - which was actually a 5K. Their grandfather was actually the managing director of MBC, a major South Korean radio broadcasting company, and was also responsible for organizing the Friendship Marathon. We were introduced to him and were promptly asked to be interviewed by this guy:

More Pictures!

The bandwidth on our internet connection here is so low that it is difficult to support the upload of even the smallest images, however this afternoon, I was able to upload a couple of images:This is the tourist camp in which we stayed in the Gobi.

This is called the "ankle bone game," and it is a traditional Mongolian game played with the ankle bones of sheep and goats. Namun, our faithful guide, taught us how to play this game in the Gobi.

The Flaming Cliffs, pictured above, are the site of the famed Marshall Expedition of the 1920s in which a team of American archaeologists uncovered dinosaur eggs. The picture on the bottom shows the fossilized bones that our guides supposedly uncovered.

Sheep and Kashmir goats grazed freely around our camp in the Gobi. The second image was taken at a natural spring (also in the Gobi) that has legendary healing powers. A local farmer has run an irrigation channel from the spring to his crops, and other local herders bring their flocks here to drink. While we were there, two separate herds came to drink and two separate groups of children came to refill their families' water jugs.

The National Park

We've just returned to Ulaan Baatar from a two-night stay in a tourist camp (gers, again) at the national park. The park itself was pretty, but not nearly as exciting as the Gobi. The gers were in pretty bad shape, too.

Will - one of the other guys on the trip - and I got pretty sick the first night we were there and spent the whole next day in our gers while everyone else got to go horseback riding over the mountain to the monastery. Ugh. We're not sure what made us so sick, but all signs seem to point to food poisoning. Let's just say it was not a fun time.

Of course, I'm feeling better now.

We will be in Ulaan Baatar until tomorrow night, then we're taking an overnight train on the Trans-Siberian up north to Egiin Gol. This is where we will visit the nomadic herders. We will return to Ulaan Baatar on the 8th or 9th of July.

My Ger in the Gobi

Gobi Desert – Day 1

On the afternoon of June 24^th, 9 students from Colorado, 1 from Philadelphia, our guide, our professor, an old Mongolian couple and a handful of other tourists emptied from a small airplane onto the square runway, the bulk of which the craft occupied itself. Blue sky and the dry breath of the Gobi greeted the travelers weary of three rainy days in the already dreary city of Ulaan Baatar.

We filed into the one-room airport of Goyu Saihan (meaning “beautiful three”, named after the nearby mountains) in Dalanzadgad, a city in Mongolia’s southernmost province and the primary access point to the Gobi desert for most travelers, then moved outside to the parking lot where we received our luggage. Our drivers swiftly loaded our bags into the two vans waiting for us and we made our way across the rocky planes of the Gobi where the roads were little more than animal trails memorized by the older driver.

Upon arrival to New Tovshin tourist camp, we deposited our backpacks in our personal gers and went into the restaurant for a late lunch. Our charming waitress – who stood in the corner of the room during the entire meal poised to serve at the drop of a hat – served us a three course meal of soup, salad and hot beef and rice wrapped in what appeared to be crepes.

After lunch, Hillary and I borrowed a couple of bikes and explored around the camp. We came across a herd of cashmir goats and photographed them until we were chased back to camp by a wayward rain cloud. (We were later rewarded, though, by a double rainbow.)

Day 2

After an early breakfast, we piled into our vans and headed out to a place called Vulture’s Mouth – or Golin Am in Mongolian – where we hiked through a mountain pass to the remnants of a glacier. Perched atop a distant peak, our guides spotted an ibex and delighted in showing all of us their find.

At the end of the trail, where the ice formed a platform with rabbit holes for the more adventurous travelers to explore, sat a local man carving wooden figurines of the local wildlife including vultures, camels and what Stephanie decided to name ‘baby bunnies’ (which were actually a type of ground squirrel.)

On the trail back to the vans, I ran into Jordan (the Canadian) and Lee (the Korean), my two new friends from UB Guesthouse. Mongolia is beginning to feel very much like a tourist country, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying it.

We returned to camp for another hearty lunch, then headed back out on the road to a very different spot – the giant sand dunes, the Mongolian name of which I cannot remember. Atop the windy, sunny dunes, I wandered away from the group to find my own peak and sat in the warm sand and basked for about 45 minutes. After I rejoined the group, who had spent their time paying locals to give them camel rides or jumping from the edge of the dunes, we bought small souvenirs from the locals who had set up a little shop for us at the edge of the tall dune near our tourist vans.

We were met back at camp with a large dinner, then Namun taught us the traditional ankle bone game until we were too tired and went to bed.

Day 3

The Flaming Cliffs were our third and final excursion in the Gobi. When we arrived, there were again locals setting up makeshift souvenir stands hoping to sell tiny felt camels or geodes to us, the influx of tourists.

The cliffs themselves were the sight of the Marshall Expedition of the 1920s, the famed American archaeological dig in which dinosaur eggs were uncovered. After exploring around the cliffs for a bit – I went off on my own again to escape the chatter of the rest of the group – we climbed down to the other side where our trusty van drivers were waiting to pick us up. They had located some fossilized bone in a rock formation near their parking spot and showed them to us excitedly. Though they were laughing suspiciously, I choose to believe that it was actual fossilized bone that we’d found and not some practical joke played on gullible tourists.

We headed back to camp after a picnic lunch and then played a couple of games of volleyball. As it turns out, I’m not as bad a player as I’d assumed. The entire staff of the tourist camp stood by watching us play – obviously very amused by our… um… animated playing style.

Day 4

Our last day at the ger camp was slow, but happy. We played another couple of games of volleyball after breakfast which left my arm pretty severely bruised, then we had lunch and packed up for our flight to UB. When we got to the airport, we were the only people around except one other man who informed us that our flight, which was to board at 2:10 p.m., couldn’t leave U.B. until after 4 p.m. which left us waiting at the airport until 5 o’clock. Our class basically had the run of the place because the man let us inside, then disappeared.

We spent most of the afternoon playing cards, jimmying the vending machine, and editing photos all by ourselves in the airport. They turned the power on just for us – which indicates what kind of security we’re dealing with here.

The Monastery

Today, we trekked to the monastery on the eastern part of Ulaan Baatar. Once we arrived, we were free to go our separate ways, so I spent most of the day sloshing around on the muddy streets of the ger district. I walked side-by-side with child-monks in their red and yellow robes and old men and women dressed in traditional deels past make-shift wooden fences and felt gers dulled by the city dust.

As I was walking, I encountered a house with a filthy glass window behind which were two little girls waving at me frantically. Their giant grins gave me permission to take their pictures as they stood there in their knock-off American shirts. The images are a bit blurry, but I love them anyway.

Now, I'm kicking the mud off of my shoes and preparing for our 3-day trek into the Gobi desert!

Traditional Mongolian Performance

Last night, our group attended a theatre performance of traditional Mongolian music and dancing. Basically, it was spectacular. The troupe performs nightly for tourists in a dinner theatre-like situation, but don't let that fool you - I can't even describe how talented they were.

Wearing period costumes representing the varied tribes that once comprised Mongolia, the dance ensemble paraded across the stage. Throat singers, fiddlers and 'traditional chamber music' served as the score for contortionists and Shamen (?) whose bodies moved in ways mine definitely never could. I filled my entire 4 gig memory card before the second half.

Afterward, Namuun, our guide, arranged for us to go backstage and meet/photograph the cast! While I was back there, one of the women let me wear her amazing hat. I have a picture, but it's REALLY blurry since I couldn't explain how to use the camera to the Mongolian dancer who took it.

Photos At Last!

The contortionists from the theatre performance last night.


The guy on the right is my new Dominican friend, Pedro. The two on the left are the Mongolians who tried to steal our beer.


This is a shot of some architecture in Ulaan Baatar.



This is the Ger District in Ulaan Baatar.

Here is the Wise Old Man from the theatre performance last night.

Photo Class in Mongolia

Since my arrival two days ago at the Continental Hotel - which is a considerably different experience than that of the UB Guesthouse - I have met my collegues, attended class and visited Ulaan Baatar's finest tourist destinations.

The lectures are very much at the same level as any class at Moore, and Professor Iwamasa (Ken), though he keeps the atmosphere light, is very serious about teaching us proper technique in conjunction with helping us find our 'artistic vision' (for lack of a better term.)

Throughout the class, we must turn in 30 good, edited photos each day and also develop a series of 30 photos that are related to a theme of our choosing for our final portfolio. I'm still throwing around ideas for my final, but right now I'm thinking about nomadism (is that a word?) and recreation. We'll see how it goes.

My classmates are all from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and we are definitely a motley crew. Two are art students (one of which is a non-traditional student with a photo emphasis), two are frat boys (but well-behaved more or less), one is a history major and my roommate is a recent psych grad from Minnesota.

More later!

Out on the Town

Yesterday, in spite of being cooped up in the hostel for most of the day while waiting for word on my baggage, I managed to sneak away for some dinner and later for a night out with new friends.

I found a small restaurant around the corner from the hostel which was operated by two teenage girls and their mother. The girls were really adorable - they watched music television and sang along to their favorite songs, totally disregarding the presence of their only customer (me). I was treated well, however, and for bargain prices. I ate a veritable bucket of tomato and egg soup with a side of fried bread and drank almost a full pot of tea all for only 1,700 tugriks (which is about $1.50). The tea here is delicious - green with a slightly fruity aftertaste.

Later, my new friends Pedro and Miguel from the Dominican Republic invited me out for a night on the town. First, we went to this large Irish pub with outdoor seating and live music (a Mongolian band whose singer, a petite but saucy young woman, belted out popular American tunes like "Let it Be" and "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"). We had just placed our order when two old (drunk) Mongolian men sat down beside us at our table at first claiming to just want to watch the singer, but later began encroaching more and more until they were flagrantly attempting to steal Pedro's beer. The guys were really frustrated because we couldn't get the old men to leave, so we left - and left our new buddies the bill - and ended up in another restaurant and pub called the Savannah. It was eerily quiet there, but at least we were left alone! (For the record, I thought those two old men were pretty hilarious.) After Savannah, we went to yet another "Irish pub" near the hostel and sampled some local Mongolian beer.

Though Ulaan Baatar is no New York City, I'm finding that it certainly has a very particular urban experience to offer its visitors.

Hello Ulaan Baatar!

Though it is incredibly difficult for a person who'd been travelling for 26 hours and whose baggage has been misplaced by the airline to feel excitement, but I can safely say that I am probably the most excited person in the world.

My journey went very well, other than getting my baggage misplaced (Korean Air is a really class act, so they've been very helpful in getting it back to me.) When I arrived in Ulaan Baatar, I hitched a ride from the Chingiss Khan International Airport to the UB Guesthouse downtown in the car of a local couple - who charged me a little too much money, I think, because I am American and look like I don't know any better. They were at least friendly and excited to meet me (again, probably because of the $$ they knew they would get..) even though we could barely communicate.

Driving in Ulaan Baatar is an interesting business to say the least. The roads are filled with cars from all over the world - land rovers, volkswagens, hundai accents, and russian jeeps - and as far as the rules of the road are concerned, it's pretty much Marshall Law.

We had a heck of a time finding this guest house as it is tucked away behind a series of shops. The building has a combination lock on the front door, however the combination is posted outside so I had no trouble getting in - yes, I understand the irony.

Most of the guests at this guest house - I'm staying dorm style in a room with 5 other guests - are travellers about my age from countries like Canada, Australia and England, but I have also befriended a girl from Lithuania, a guy from the Dominican Republic and a group from Japan.

As soon as I get my baggage resolved, I'm off to explore the city of Ulaan Baatar. I cannot post any pictures right now, as I am using a borrowed computer, but as soon as I have access to a WiFi connection, I'll send some along. This is a very strange and interesting city and I can't wait to show you!

Bye, Bye Philly!

Well, my loyal fans and supporters, the time has finally come to actually go to Mongolia! I write to you from my cushy seat on the New York bound Bolt Bus - lots of leg room, flat panel TVs, friendly drivers and free WiFi all for the same price as the Chinatown bus.

But, enough commercials.

Though excitement fills me - despite being awake since 5 this morning - I don't believe I've quite realized yet that this is actually happening. Regardless of whether I realize it or not, it IS in fact happening - I AM going to Mongolia.

I have a long journey ahead of me: This morning, Aunt Margot and Uncle Bob dropped me off at 30th Street to catch the Bolt Bus to New York. When I arrive in New York, I will take the subway (and then the mysterious AirTrain) to JFK airport. My flight to Seoul departs at 2:00 p.m. I will transfer onto another flight from Seoul to Ulaan Baatar which will arrive at 9:10 p.m. (Mongolian time). I will then take a taxi to the UB Guesthouse where the friendly staff awaits my arrival.

I promise to keep in touch!

More Artwork:

Here are a few more art pieces available to purchase. If you're strapped, consider a print! If you just HAVE to have an original but can't afford original prices? Contact me.

Also, I apologize for the poor quality of these photographs. I assure you, these are not the images from which the prints are made. If you would like to view any of this work in person, simply let me know.





Installation View - click the image to view it at a larger size.

Left to right:

Caesar Augustus 2007, Welded Steel and mixed media, $400
Napoleon Crossing The Alps 2007, Charcoal, watercolor and masking tape on strathmore paper, $75 (Sold!)
(top) Rugs in the Foyer 2007, Oil on Canvas, $180
(Bottom) Model with Red Hair 2007, Oil on Canvas $180
(Top) Still Life with Plastic Pitcher 2008, Oil on Canvas, $200
(Bottom) Model in Yellow Studio 2007, Oil on Canvas, $150 (Sold!)
Photo series: The Lovers 2007, original hand printed black and white silver prints on Resin Coated Paper, Whole set: $70, Individual Prints: $12
Chair 2008, Fully functional chair made from 100% "upcycled" materials, $40

More Artwork Soon!

I will be updating very soon with more artwork available for purchase as a fund-raiser for my trip. I have less than a month to get the rest of the expenses straightened out, and I would really appreciate it if each person at least buys a single zine -- it's only $3!! (And if $3 is honestly too much for you, contact me and we can make a deal. Every little bit helps!!)

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who helped out the cause by purchasing/selling zines and photos at the concert! Thanks to you, I was able to earn $165 !! Now, I can afford to pay the deposit for the trip!

I'll be back next weekend at the Roller Roost selling merch for Torment Ridden (support them, they're great!) and some cheap art! Maybe I'll make some prints..... who knows, it will be a surprise.

Art and Prints Available

Here are some images of my artwork that is available for purchase. All of the proceeds from these sales will go toward my trip to Mongolia. You can also paypal a donation directly to my account - my email address is ConquerNewsprint@Yahoo.com.


All of the work shown are available both in their original form and as prints.

Prices:

Prints
5"x7" = $5
8"x10" = $8
11"x17"= $11

Originals are priced as marked.

Sculpture:

Toenuts 2007, Ceramic and glaze, Regular $20; Toenut Holes $10 (Sold out!!)

Mixed Media:
Twins 2006, collage, $7Halloween (Sold!) and High School Football 2006, 2 collages, $7 each
Anxiety and Craziness (Sold!) 2006, 2 collages $7 each
Thoughts Like Dragonflies (Sold!) and Cultural Exchange 2006, 2 collages, $7 each


Loneliness and Childhood 2007, 2 collages, $7 each

Greyscale 2006, 3 collages, $5 each or $11 for all 3

City Fish 2007, Mixed media on paper, $100 (Sold!)

Drawings:

City Hall from the Parkway (Sold!) 2007, Conte Crayon on paper, $20

Self Portrait Reflected in the TV 2007, Charcoal on Paper, $45

Reliquary Boxes 2007, Charcoal on paper $50

Shoe 2007, Charcoal on paper, $25

Portrait of a Student 2007, Conte Crayon on paper $25

I am English; I am the Opressor 2007, Charcoal on paper $50

Paintings:
SOLD! Wordsworth 2007, oil on canvas $125


Basilica 2007, Oil on canvas. $300

*All work shown above is copyrighted by its creator, Dana M. Osburn. If you need to use any of these images, please ask my permission first.

Zines! Zines! Zines for Mongolia!!

Hear ye, Hear ye!

As a fund raiser for my study abroad trip to Mongolia this summer, I'm selling some little zines that I make.

The Zine that I have ready now is called "Professor Eddie" and is a short story that I've been working on for a class that I think you'll really like. This 12 page publication features original drawings and is printed on full-sized 81/2" x 11" paper.


You can get your own copy for only $3 - Just contact me and I'll set you up!

Here is a sample of the story:

“Baby, we all been dyin’ since the day we been born,” said Professor Eddie. “Ain’ no cause ta fret over the details. Ah learned that from reading books. Books by famous fellas. Ah bet you read them same books. You go ta school, sugah?”
“I did,” I said. “But not any more. It got to be too pointless.”
“Whatchoo go ta school fo?”
“Art school. They thought they could teach me how to create.”
“So you wanted to create? You wanna be like God or somethin’?”
“Yeah,” I laughed, “I wonder what school He went to.”



So PLEASE PLEASE help me out and buy some zines for you, your family and your friends and stay tuned for more homemade stuff of mine that you can buy!

Love,

Dana (your best friend since birth.)

Some Information about Ulaanbaatar

Here's some info about Mongolia's capital from the Official Tourism Website of Mongolia:

The capital of modern Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, is a city with a history of over 360 years. After Karakorum the Imperial capital was abandoned, a new urban cite known initially as Urga, was founded in 1639 for the first spiritual leader of the Mongols, Bogd Zanabazar. Upon his investiture ceremony, the local nobility assigned their subordinates to be his disciples and to establish the city of Urga, renamed Bogdyn Khuree, which initially moved over twenty times along the Orkhon, Tuul and Selenge river valleys.

In 1778 Urga was settled between the four mountains of Bogd Khaan, Bayanzurkh, Songino Khairkhan and Chingeltei, on the banks of the Khatan Tuul and Selbe rivers, and was renamed Ikh Khuree. The Ikh Khuree of the Khalkh Mongols, apart from being its ecclesiastical center, also became the country’s cultural, state, economic and spiritual capital. As a result of the struggle for Mongolian independence and national freedom in 1911, the newly-declared Bogd Khaan government of Mongolia has chosen the Ikh Khuree, duly renaming it Niislel Khuree, as a designated capital of a sovereign nation.

The first State Great Khural (1924) gave it the legal status of capital city of the Mongolian People’s Republic, renaming it Ulaanbaatar City.

The first master plan for Ulaanbaatar development began to be implemented in the 1950s. Since the 1960s there has been an urbanization policy, with planting of gardens and trees and provision of municipal services.

Only 90 years ago the city housed around 50,000; it is now home to about a million, including long-term and short-term foreign and domestic visitors. This rapid population rise has been partly due to increasing urban migration. Most people from the western provinces choose a city life because of unemployment and poverty at home.

Since the 1994 Law on Ulaanbaatars legal status was passed by the State Great Khural, the capital city now has its own banner, coat of arms and emblem.

Under the Constitution, the city of Ulaanbaatar is specified as “a city with specific functions, its power management, territory, economic and social complex, and special status set forth by the law”.

The city of Ulaanbaatar has established and maintains friendly relationships with many cities around the world including Seoul, Florence, Moscow, and Denver. Among the world’s capital cities, Ulaanbaatar is notable as the capital city with the coldest climatic conditions.

Ulaanbaatar in Numbers

- The Capital city today produces 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, which can be broken down as 53,4 percent of industrial production, 87,1 percent of construction, 56,3 percent of trade, 80 percent of energy and 98 percent of transport and communication.

- 165.000 children study at its 98 state-run secondary schools and 8500 in its 67 private schools. 31.000 youngsters attend 154 kindergartens, which is 32 percent of all children in the country to attend kindergartens and pre-schools establishments.

- There are 73 clinics with state, city and district status and 112 family hospitals.

- There are over 250 hairdressing salons; about 100 cosmetics retailers. 60 tailors’ shops; more than 130 cobblers; over 30 launderettes and dry cleaners; 700 car repair workshops, and about 800 pawn shops.

- More than 3800 private businesses operate in the capital city.

- There are 214 streets; 3100 private business premises; 1566 apartment blocks, and 67000 fenced households.

- 76,5 km of road, from a total 418,6 km, is tarmac covered

- There are over 70 private cultural institutions as well as 6 cinemas, 3 state-sponsored cultural centers, 8 libraries, 7 museums and 10 professional art and entertainment organizations.

- At present two electric power stations, 340 heating ovens and over 90,000 home ovens provide the city’s electricity and heating requirements.

Accepted!

As of yesterday, I was officially accepted as a participant in the University of Colorado at Boulder's summer study abroad, Digital Photography in Mongolia class!!

This means that now I must submit my deposit and passport info and prepare to leave for Mongolia in June.

Hello!

Welcome and thank you for taking a moment to get to know my blog!

The purpose of this page is to document the process of my going to Mongolia from inception to culmination. Of course, I am a little late. I have had the idea for a while, but I'm still making the arrangements. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's a little bio:

I'm currently a sophomore at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, PA majoring in 2D Fine Art with a minor in Photography & Digital Arts. Right now, this school is my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. Art has always been both a skill and an interest of mine, so I always knew that I would make a life with it -- the problem was that I couldn't decide which direction to take it. In high school, I was on the fence between painting, acting, writing and filmmaking. Today, I still haven't figured it out, but with an education in Fine Art from a flexible program, I have been able to bridge the worlds of two-dimensional art, performance and video with moderate success. Though I've built my life around very specific, strategic planning, I still consider myself to be a largely intuitive person.

Here's why I'm going to Mongolia:

Several weeks ago, it became apparent that I was to go to Mongolia this summer. It began as a hunch - a vague, inexplicable interest in the country - and escalated into a mission. I would go to Mongolia. I stayed up until about 4 a.m. one night emailing every church, every missionary, every Christian organization at all affiliated with ministry in Mongolia begging for the opportunity to travel there. I did not fit the qualifications for any of the groups' pre-planned programs, but I told them that I was a hard worker and would gladly be someone's personal assistant in exchange for the chance to travel there. No luck -- UNTIL, in a google search for "Christian Churches in Mongolia," a link to the University of Colorado at Boulder's study abroad program appeared. The course? Digital Photography in Mongolia, a three-week, three-credit course designed to teach students the basics of digital photography as an art medium and as social commentary. Perfect, right? I spoke with everyone and his dog at Moore and made an agreement to transfer this class in as Digital Photo I, a class that I need to fulfill my minor.

Here's where I am now:

The application deadline for the program is March 3rd and I have nearly completed it. The only things missing are my transcripts (which are on the way as we speak!) and my letter of recommendation which I am guaranteeing overnight on Thursday.

The program is quite expensive, however, and I plan to generate as much of the funding myself as possible. In order to make the nearly $8,000 I will need altogether for this trip, I plan to apply for as many scholarships as possible, which is proving to be difficult considering the nature of the program restricts my eligibility for most available scholarships and grants. I will also save every penny of my meager paychecks until then, and as soon as school's out, I will work extremely hard to earn as much as possible. In addition, I plan to create and sell inexpensive prints of my work, so stay tuned and buy lots and lots of artwork to support me!!

Even with all of these things, I realize the virtual impossibility of raising $8,000 in 3 1/2 months as a beyond full-time college student, so I plan to take out an educational loan to cover any unpaid expenses. NOTHING will stand in the way of this project! Not even that small matter called money.

Here's what's next:

I have to get my passport, get a camera, get accepted into the program and get the bills paid. I will probably also need some warm winter clothes because the Gobi Desert tends to be a bit colder than Central Pennsylvania.

Here's a little bit about Mongolia:

According to Wikipedia, the entire population of Mongolia is between 2.6 and 2.9 Million people. ( the population of New York City is about 8.2 million ) About 30% of the population is nomadic or seminomadic living in round tents called "gers" (mistakenly called "yurts") and herding animals.

The predominant religion is Tibetan Buddhism, but Islam, Christianity and Shamanism are practiced on the fringes. Mongolia was once ruled by a militaristic, communist regime basically controlled by Stalin and the Soviet Union. When Mongolia recently became free from this restrictive regime, they began to open their country to a greater variety of religions. According to the US State Department, there is no national religion but all religious groups must undergo a complex application process in order to exist and work in the country. To date, there have been no cases taken to trial concerning injustices related to the permit regulations. Mongolia is currently in a state of transition between their traditional, isolated lifestyle and an interest in a degree of westernization including capitalism and democracy. The matter of religion is particularly sensitive to Mongolians because Stalin had out-right banned the practice of Buddhism in Mongolia, setting fire to many of the country's beautiful monasteries. Some Mongolians are afraid of losing the right to practice their faith because of another government mandate.

For further reading on Mongolia, check out Wikipedia.