Saturday Morning
While Jessica was working in Mr Bald’s studio I was in our studio trying to construct a container for water using some wood and plastic I found yesterday in a pile of building debris. I was just getting to a good point when (as Jessica has said) the day was cut abruptly short, firstly by an unexpected lunch date and secondly by the earlier than expected road trip to Guang’an. This kind of time keeping keeps us on our toes; plans merrily chop and change at a pace that makes all planning redundant.
In regard to Jessica’s Objects for a Studio, this has been disruptive, sometimes favourably with an impromptu call to work in an artist’s studio but more often less favourably, resulting in a working day being cut all too short. I supposed most of us work to fill the time we have, Jessica has explained that if, for instance, she has 2 hours in a studio, so be it, she can work within this time frame. Less workable is the expectation of 7 hours that turns out to be 2 hours.
Whilst I’ve been observing Jessica at work I have become aware of the highly charged environment of the artist’s studio. As my previous posts have alluded, it is not a comfortable situation for me to enter, I feel like I’m intruding in somebody else’s space. After some discussion, we have decided that I will no longer pay a visit to observe, as Jessica explained to me, it is a privilege to be given access to someone else’s studio and the privacy of this space is to be respected.
Guang’an
The trip to Guang’an was brilliant fun, a welcome break before we start work on our exhibition, which is fast approaching.
We travelled with Mr Bald and Yan Yan meeting their friends along the way, all graduates of Sichuan Fine Art Institute where Yan Yan and Mr Bald teach. One of Yan Yan’s ex students is now a very wealthy businessman, his interior design company has flourished and he is owner of a very swish coffee house/restaurant and massage parlour (amongst others), which we had opportunity to sample.
There was plenty of eating, drinking and friendship involved but this weekend was really about the important business of new a public art commission. Jessica and I are honoured to have been invited and to have had the opportunity to witness this occasion.
The commission is for a public sculpture somewhere near to Guang’an, more than this I don’t know. As far as I can deduce, Mr Bald is the commissioned artist and Yan Yan is acting as agent, although I later found out he is also doing some of the preliminary design work. The businessman (Yan Yan’s ex student) and his business partner connect the artists and the government officials of which there were many, all trying to secure a good deal.
The dinner on Saturday night was seafood hotpot, in a private restaurant room where introductions were made. Yan Yan and Mr Bald were guests of honour and treated with much respect. Jessica and I, holding some novelty value and as guests of Mr Bald and Yan Yan were introduced to everyone (including other diners in private rooms), given flowers, had our picture taken countless times, were wined, dined and toasted.
The following day we ate a casual breakfast followed by a business meeting in a teahouse. Later a huge business lunch with government officials and local businessmen including one man whose company it transpired, manufactured the waterproof jacket I had with me. After the meal I asked Yan Yan how negotiations were going, he very quietly suggested that the artist fee they were offering wasn’t very good. I couldn’t help thinking how often this is the case.
In the evening we ate a meal at the coffee house, this included a plate of deep fried mealworm, which looked ugly but tasted really good – salty and crisp. This was a meal between friends and the relaxed atmosphere was a lovely way to end the weekend. Toasts were made to friendships old and new.
Nina Chua
28th November
