Archive-7

Archive
Number 7
2025-02-16
Edited by: LEE KA-SING AND HOLLY LEE ARCHIVE
kasingholly.com kasingholly@gmail.com
Thousand Objects
David Clarke Photographed Ka-sing and Holly at The Half King
(PHOTOGRAPH, 5x7.5 inch, c-type photograph by David Clarke, 2002)
It was 2002 in New York. One day, Holly and I were sitting on the upper deck of a bus when it
stopped at a station. To our surprise, we spotted our good friend from Hong Kong, David Clarke,
waiting for a bus. Overjoyed, we hurried off to greet him. David told us he had come to New York
specifically to photograph the aftermath of 9/11. We arranged to meet for lunch the next day at The
Half King, where this photograph was taken.
Later, David sent us the photo from Hong Kong—a picture we both cherished. The Half King,
located in Chelsea, was a favorite haunt of writers and photographers. I later heard it closed in
2018 after 18 years of operation, coincidentally mirroring our own 18-year journey running a

gallery in Toronto.
At the time, Chelsea was an emerging
gallery district. We saw galleries of all sizes
sprouting like bamboo shoots after the rain,
full of vitality. A fleeting thought crossed our
minds—what if we sold our house in Toronto
and set up in Chelsea instead? After all, we
represented some of the best Asian artists, and
contemporary Asian art was at the center of the
global art scene then.
But we quickly dismissed the idea—it would
have been too bold a move. Our gallery in
Toronto had only just begun in 2000. More
importantly, we didn’t want to abandon the
principles that had guided us all along.
David Clarke 在 The Half King 拍 攝
家 昇 楚 喬
2002 年 在 紐 約 。 有 一 回 , 我 和 楚 喬 坐 在 巴
士 上 層 , 車 子 在 站 停 下 來 的 時 候 , 赫 然 發
現 香 港 的 好 友 David Clarke 正 在 車 站 候 車 。
我 們 喜 出 望 外 , 怱 忙 下 車 。David 說 來 紐 約
特 意 去 拍 911 的 現 場 。 我 們 約 好 打 後 的 一
天 , 在 The Half King 午 飯 。 這 張 照 片 就 是
在 該 午 飯 地 點 拍 攝 。David 後 來 從 香 港 寄
來 , 是 一 幀 我 們 很 喜 歡 的 照 片 。The Half
King 在 Chelsea, 是 文 化 人 , 攝 影 人 的 出
沒 點 。 聽 說 在 2018 年 停 業 了 , 經 過 18 年 的
經 營 。 也 呼 應 了 我 們 在 多 倫 多 經 營 畫 廊 的
18 個 年 頭 。 那 時 Chelsea 還 是 個 新 開 發 的 畫
廊 地 , 我 們 看 見 這 地 畫 廊 有 大 有 小 , 如 春
筍 般 生 氣 勃 勃 , 忽 然 動 了 一 下 懸 念 , 不 如
賣 掉 在 多 倫 多 的 房 子 , 在 Chelsea 發 展 。 況
且 我 們 手 中 的 都 是 亞 洲 最 好 的 藝 術 家 , 那
個 時 候 正 是 亞 洲 熱 。 很 快 我 們 便 打 消 了 念
頭 , 這 個 改 動 太 刺 激 了 , 我 們 在 多 的 畫 廊
剛 在 2000 年 開 始 營 運 。 不 過 最 主 要 的 , 還
是 不 想 因 此 而 改 變 了 我 們 的 基 理 。
Seeing Cindy Sherman at Metro
Pictures in New York
(PHOTOGRAPH, 3.5x5 inch, c-type photograph by
Josiah Leung, 1990)
January 1990. We visited Metro Pictures in
New York to see Cindy Sherman’s exhibition.
This photograph was taken by Josiah Leung,
a friend we met during our time in New York.
Later, Josiah returned to Hong Kong to further
his career. While in New York, he had been an
assistant to Grant Peterson.
Grant was known for his mastery of the 8x10
Deardorff camera, using natural sunlight
to create his images. It was said that his
photography table could be moved to follow the
direction of the sunlight streaming through the
windows. At the time, he was nicknamed the
Sun King and was a rising star in New York’s
photography scene.
In the 1990s, when the Hong Kong Institute
of Professional Photographers organized its
Photography Biennial Awards, I chaired the
organizing committee. In one edition, we
invited Grant Peterson to Hong Kong as an
international judge.
New York is a cultural hub, and a
photographer’s reputation there often extends
beyond the city, we heard about Grant when
we were in Hong Kong. However, in North
America, fame tends to have a shorter lifespan
than in Asia. One can be at the peak of their
career for a few years, only to be replaced by
another rising talent soon after.
在 紐 約 Metro Pictures
看 Cindy Sherman
1990 年 1 月 。 我 們 在 紐 約 Metro Pictures 畫
廊 看 Cindy Sherman 的 展 覽 。 照 片 是 Josiah
Leung 拍 攝 。Josiah 是 我 們 在 紐 約 活 動 的 日
子 所 認 識 的 朋 友 。 他 後 來 回 到 香 港 發 展 ,
在 紐 約 的 時 候 , 他 是 Grant Peterson 的 助
手 。Grant 擅 長 用 8x10 Deardorff 照 相 機 ,
以 陽 光 拍 攝 。 據 說 他 的 攝 影 枱 可 以 移 動 ,
去 依 順 窗 戶 照 射 進 來 陽 光 的 方 向 。 當 時 被
稱 之 為 陽 光 之 皇 (Sun King), 有 一 段 時 間 ,
在 紐 約 紅 極 一 時 。 在 90 年 代 , 香 港 專 業 攝
影 師 公 會 籌 辦 攝 影 雙 年 獎 , 有 一 屆 我 當 籌
委 主 席 , 便 邀 請 了 Grant Peterson 來 港 作 為
海 外 評 判 。 紐 約 是 文 化 集 中 地 ,Grant 在 行
內 的 名 氣 , 在 其 他 地 區 亦 會 不 脛 而 走 。 但
是 在 北 美 洲 的 人 氣 生 命 , 也 較 在 亞 洲 的 為
短 。 在 幾 年 間 你 紅 極 一 時 , 但 幾 年 後 又 可
能 被 另 一 個 強 人 所 代 替 。
A Souvenir Photo from the George
Eastman Museum
(PHOTOGRAPH, 5x7 inch, dye-sublimation print in
9x15 paper mount, 2003)
In the fall of 2003, we drove to the George
Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York,
to see an exhibition by Robert & Shana
ParkeHarrison. Naturally, we also took the
opportunity to explore the museum’s various
displays showcasing Eastman Kodak’s immense
contributions to photography.
One section of the museum featured a station
where technicians took visitors’ portraits using
an antique Eastman large-format camera as
a backdrop. We couldn’t pass up the chance.
About ten minutes after the photo was taken,
the technician handed us two prints, already
mounted in paper frames—a wonderful
keepsake. The images were printed using dyesublimation,
a thermal-based digital printing
method. Compared to inkjet prints, dyesublimation
produces results that are closer to
traditional photographs.
In the past, when we were still in Hong Kong,
I owned a dye-sublimation printer due to
work requirements—an extremely expensive
machine at the time, costing nearly $15,000
USD. The Forty Poems series, now in the M+
collection, was printed using that very device.
We had previously seen ParkeHarrison’s works
in publications, but experiencing the originals
was an entirely different encounter. His
surrealism is deeply rooted in the world, and
his poetic critique of reality is profoundly moving.

Photo image as metaphors: Two Photometers
written by Holly Lee (reprinted from DOUBLE DOUBLE 2020-0403)
If at the age of butterflies.
Instead we portraited ourselves as
two photometers, or two light meters -
monotone, a little clumsy, but useful and
practical.
In 2004, we undertook a complete redesign
of Photo Pictorial, a Hong Kong photography
magazine, overhauling both its layout and
content. The March 2004 issue featured an indepth
article on ParkeHarrison’s work, written
by Holly for the international photography
column. Beyond the souvenir photo, this was
the most valuable takeaway from the trip.
喬 治 伊 士 曼 博 物 館 紀 念 照
2003 年 秋 天 , 我 們 驅 車 往 紐 約 州 Rochester
的 喬 治 伊 士 曼 博 物 館 (George Eastman
Museum) 看 Rober & Shana Parkeharrison 的
展 覽 。 當 然 也 順 道 參 觀 館 中 各 項 關 於 伊 士
曼 柯 達 對 攝 影 百 般 貢 獻 的 展 示 。 館 中 有 一
個 部 分 , 有 技 術 人 員 可 為 來 觀 者 , 在 一 座
伊 士 曼 古 老 大 照 相 機 前 拍 照 。 我 們 沒 有 放
過 此 機 會 。 照 片 拍 過 後 十 來 分 鐘 , 技 術 員
送 給 我 們 兩 張 已 簡 略 裝 裱 好 照 片 。 好 一 個
紀 念 物 。 照 片 是 感 熱 式 的 數 位 印 刷 (Dyesublimation)。
這 種 數 位 照 片 , 比 噴 墨 打 印
的 更 接 近 傳 統 照 片 。 我 在 港 時 因 為 工 作 需
要 , 曾 經 擁 有 過 一 部 這 種 印 機 , 不 過 十 分
的 昂 貴 , 當 時 接 近 15,000 美 元 。M+ 現 藏
有 我 一 套 「Forty Poems」 照 片 , 便 是 使 用
該 台 印 機 輸 出 。Parkeharrison 的 照 片 , 在 刊
物 上 已 經 看 過 , 畢 竟 看 原 作 的 感 染 力 很 是
不 同 。 他 的 超 現 實 來 得 那 麼 入 世 , 對 現 實
的 的 批 判 又 是 那 麼 詩 意 泱 然 。2004 年 我 們
為 香 港 的 「 攝 影 畫 報 」, 從 版 面 到 內 容 做
了 一 個 顛 倒 性 的 全 面 翻 新 工 程 。 在 2004 年
3 月 號 , 黃 楚 喬 特 撰 的 國 際 網 絡 專 欄 , 詳 盡
寫 了 Parkeharrison 的 作 品 。 也 是 這 個 紀 念 照
之 外 , 此 行 的 主 要 收 穫 。
The German electrical engineer Paul
Gossen added Photometry, a branch of
science that deals with measurement of the
intensity of light to his company’s research
and manufacturing program in 1932. From
the late 1970s, under the trademark Gossen
WINGO, Sixtron electronic, at ASA 64 /
HOLLY, Lunasix 3, at ASA 64
ab the company began to produce light measuring devices for photography. In 1977, while still
early in our studio practice days, we’d already started using two Gossens, one handheld light
meter ‘Lunasix 3’, quickly joined by another flash light meter called ‘Sixtron electronic’. Both
meters served our commercial assignments well, and we gladly allowed ourselves to adopt their
images. We began to appear as a pair of photometers in our promotional materials.
In a few years time, as jobs became more complicated and light measurement needed to be more
precise, we acquired another light meter - the Minolta Spotmeter M, which enables precise 1°
spot measurement of ambient light. Later we had to add another meter, Spotmeter F, in order to
read flash light. The device was also convenient, by pushing a switch left or right, one could easily
select the AMBI or FLASH light mode. In time, when the nature of our consignments had become
even more demanding, we needed to upgrade. We had to invest on the top of the line, the Minolta’s
Flash Meter IV, which was considered ‘the professional meter’ of the early 1990s. It was this
meter that introduced Analyzed Flash Metering, enabling us to read the proportion of exposure,
from both strobe light and existing light simultaneously. It was used in our studio until we left
Hong Kong in 1997. We have never met Flash Meter VI, it was born in 2003, one of the last flash
meters Minolta made. We’d already departed Hong Kong en route to another country, another life.
Commercial photography, along with many of its related industries, like scanning, printing and
publishing, have gone completely from analog to digital. For serious and creative photography,
photometer is still the basic tool to assess the kind of lighting one wants to control, keys on the
keyboard for your computer input.

Wingochrome and Holliblad
written by Holly Lee (reprinted from DOUBLE DOUBLE 2020-0410)
I’ve always wondered why Ka-sing had the name Wingo in his earlier years,
that is from the seventies to the eighties. In my imagination, perhaps he likes
freedom, he lets his wings go. When I asked him, he said perhaps it was the
sound. Indeed he was a poet then.
In the earliest period of our studio, we had created a new identity for promotion,
as camera and film, as Wingochrome and Holliblad. We used the image in
directories, creating advertisements, promotional posters, company stationery and
literature. All went well for some time, until we received a complaint letter from
Mr. Kwok, the Operations Manager from Kodak.

Photo copy of the print ad published in creative service guide book, 1980
We had used Kodachrome from ASA 25 to 64 dated back mid-seventies. Since Kodachrome used
the K-14 process and needed to be sent to a certain lab in Australia for processing, we could only
use it for non-urgent personal projects. For commercial assignments we would go for Ektachrome,
or even Fujichrome, which required only two hours for local lab processing. We haven’t picked up
reversal films since moving to Toronto. Years later, in between 2011 to 2013, I worked on a new
project - the Shan Hai Jing series, I used Fujichrome Provia 120 roll film instead. Kodak ceased
the production of all colour reversal films in 2013, but made a welcome return in 2018 with a new
Ektachrome E100.
Photo copy of the letter on file, that we replied to Kodak

When I researched for Hasselblad’s history, I was intrigued by
the line “Everyone who ever interacted with Erna and Victor
Hasselblad was struck by how much the two belonged together”.
Is it something reflecting Ka-sing and I? Is this a subconscious
decision of branding ourselves as Wingochrome and Holliblad
in those youthful days? Our first Hasselblad was a 500C/M,
sold to us second-hand by Mr. So of J.H. Traschler. As the
amount of fashion work increased, we bought a 500EL/M.
While EL stands for electronic, M stands for motor. A new
design with an electric motor integrated into the camera body,
terribly helpful for shooting fashion which demands for a fast
and upbeat tempo. Later, out of necessity, we had yet to buy a
SWC/M (Super Wide). It has a 38mm Biogon fixed lens for the
medium format. We used it to shoot architecture, interiors, and
sometimes pictures during holiday trips.
WINGOCHROME & HOLLIBLAD, the studio publication
Published in 1979, for studio promotion purpose. Only two issues were released.
Publication format: 17”x22.5” in one single sheet, printed on both side,
offset printing process, with duo-tone for black and white photos.
Print-runs: 500 copies in each issue.
Looking back, I’m glad that Mr. Kwok has now become part
of our history. Hasselblad, on the other hand, had never
complained. Erna and Victor would have approved our
togetherness, like camera and film. And Wingo, facing his
identity crisis again in the late eighties, decided to abandon
his long-loved name, and reclaimed his Chinese identity as Lee
Ka-sing. And me, remain to be that shrub with little red berries,
longing for evergreen. Friends say when the Christmas season
approaches, they’ll think of me.
(left) WINGOCHROME & HOLLIBLAD, issue number 2, September/ October 1979. (front page) Photograph
by Lee Ka-sing (right) WINGOCHROME & HOLLIBLAD, issue number 2, September/ October 1979. (back
page) Photograph by Holly Lee

WINGOCHROME & HOLLIBLAD, issue number 1, April/ May 1979. (front page) Photograph by Lee Ka-sing
WINGOCHROME & HOLLIBLAD, issue number 1, April/ May 1979. (back page) Photograph by Holly Lee

Diptych (2014-2023)
Diptych (2014–2023), a series of over
1,500 diptychs created over ten years,
is currently being reformatted for
publication in book volumes.
The series is also shared on Facebook
and Instagram several times a week.
You’re welcome to follow the frequently
updated book-in-progress edition at:
http://diptych.leekasing.com
A Moment of Lightning and Sparks, 2020

(above) In the Time of Cholera, 2020
(below) The Metamorphosis of a Once-High Wall, 2020
(above) How to Speak of a Story That’s Nearly Real, 2020
(below) The Bed, the Land, As One, 2020

(above) The Vertical and Horizontal Interpretation of an Incident: Two Perspectives, 2020
(below) How to Read a Historical Drama, 2020
(above) The Afternoon Sun Opens into Another Window, 2020
(below) Trivial Objects Hanging Above, 2020

TERRAIN
TERRAIN is a daily collaboration project featuring photography by Lee Ka-sing paired with responsive
haiku by Gary Michael Dault. The project aims to produce 1,000 collaborative pairs, to be presented across
twenty volumes of books. We are currently on Volume Twelve.
These daily collaborations are published on the front page of OCEANPOUNDS.COM, an online retail
platform showcasing works by Lee Ka-sing and Holly Lee. The site offers a diverse range of creations,
including originals, unique pieces, multiples, objects, monographs, and PDF e-books.