As I wrote yesterday I could become thrilling today. And it was thrilling indeed! This morning unexpected early at 9.30 am there was the car to bring us to the atelier of the leader of the group of female artists I am going to work with on the banners. Also unexpected was the information that Christina Zhang, the English speaking Chinese communication manager of the gallery, felt ill and could not come with us. But now I know that there is always the mobile phone that can be used. This nowadays indispensable gadget was indeed indispensable! When we arrived at the atelier two artists were waiting for us. The group leader didn’t speak English at all, the other just a few words. So we opened a continuous line with me or one of the Chinese ladies on our side and Christine on the other. In the meantime they showed me their art work which was quite good. The leader had an impressionistic style that looked a bit like Bonnard, the other had developed a kind of comics style that was technically well done. At last our open telephone line wasn’t necessary anymore, because two artists that came in somewhat later, showed skills in the English language that made conversation just good enough to understand each other. At last we understood each others points of view so good that we decided to start working right away. So after a fifth artist had arrived with her car we drove off, with brushes and Chinese ink they had themselves, to the gallery in two cars because our driver had still been waiting for us.
Here they started to work on the banners with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, all in their own way. One really used the underground of the banner as a starting point, a second was dripping like Pollock and a third one was involved with Chinese characters. Not only the energy was spatting around, also the black ink. So after the session they not only had to clean their hands and even feet but also the concrete floor of the gallery needed a cleaning turn.
It’s clear, with this group I can develop a good co-operation. Therefore we made in principle the appointment to come together again somewhere during this week to make some works on paper that will be become part of the exhibition that opens next Sunday. When this will be is still a question mark because it showed again why in the art world, also the one in China, men seem to be more important than women. Most of the ladies in the group are in their thirties, are married, have children to take care of and also have a kind of job. So men have more time to develop their skills and the women just have to find some time in between.
Where it’s going to happen is also uncertain at the moment because they would like to work in one of their ateliers or in a classroom at the academy if that is available. Is this all going to happen? It’s not in my own hands anymore, in other words thrilling times are still ahead!
