Zheng Li keeps an immaculate studio; downstairs his paintings are wrapped in plastic and propped against the wall and the upper floor houses a collection of empty frames stacked according to size. The studio furniture is sparse and at a quick glance, I remember little else about the space.
Today Jessica undertook her third studio day in Zheng Li’s studio. Since my first visit to observe Jessica working in Wang Jun’s studio – when I felt all too conscious of my presence in the space – I’ve been thinking of a way to witness some of what happens without feeling like I’m intruding. I’m not sure I got it quite right today either. After making my arrival known, I had a quick scan about and disappeared into a dark corner.
Last time, I caught Jessica at an active point whilst she was moving objects around in the space, today she was at a different point, walking around the studio engaged in a process of looking and thinking and perhaps touching objects. From my dark corner it felt most natural to close my eyes and concentrate on what I could hear.
This is what I could hear:
Firstly quick footsteps upstairs, then footsteps downstairs followed by a pause in activity. Then footsteps upstairs again and another pause longer this time. Footsteps across the upper floor that stopped directly above me for a long while, during which time I visualised Jessica peering down through a crack in the floorboards and wondering what the hell I was doing. Footsteps back and forth across the upper floor interspersed with pauses, then something being rustled and then shuffled towards the stairs.
Since we’ve been in Chongqing Jessica and I have become very aware of all the wonderful and not so wonderful sounds we hear on a daily basis. Huang Jue Ping is noisy 24/7. Sounds from industry, construction and heavy goods vehicles form a backdrop to the constant sound of life in a heavily populated area. It’s a mix specific to Huang Jue Ping and I hope to remember it well, which is one of the reasons I’ve been recording a lot of video footage – in order to document the sound.
The time I’ve spent observing Jessica in the studio has been tense, focused and quiet. The objects I’ve witnessed in their state of balance need that quiet energy; sometimes I hold my breath when I go near them.
Nina Chua
24th November
Sichuan Institute of Fine Art is divided into 2 campuses. One opposite us (which includes the new Commercial Art course) and one in the north of the city, which we visited today. A huge modernist building, deathly quiet, yet home to 8000 art students. We visited studio after studio of life drawing classes, first in oil painting, then watercolour and then sculpture. The students do 3 days a week of life drawing/painting/sculpture for 3 years, perfecting the traditional techniques of the artist; it is only in their final year that an experimental approach is encouraged.
Today I visited several sites which are significant in Nina’s work. Firstly a point on the Jialing River, where the water is green and clear. It is a beautifully tranquil place, despite being under a motorway and being surrounded by piles of rubble.
We then, prompted by photograph sent to Nina by David Hancock (an artist we know from Manchester), set out to find a tree depicted in the photograph in Eiling Park. Amazingly Nina found the tree, it was in a walled Chinese garden, where old men sat playing traditional Chinese violins and old women did their daily exercise routines. The idea of seeking out locations in Chongqing mentioned to her by artists Nina knows is a poetic endeavour. These suggestions are not just – visit this restaurant, they serve the greatest Chinese hot-pot in Chongqing – but small and quiet sites, meaningful to them and in turn, meaningful to Nina. I love the idea of standing under a tree, thousands of miles from home, that our friend has stood under years before.
At dusk we took a taxi to the point where the two rivers meet, the Jialing and the Yangtze. Where green meets grey. Dusk is a magical time in Chongqing, where the city lights start to appear through the mist and the city comes to life.
Jessica Longmore
Tuesday 23rd November
I have chosen to follow my conviction, rather than my instinct that tells me not to spend too much time at the river, today I returned to the banks of the Yangzte with the intention of making work.
On the riverbank, I noticed that the vegetable patch had doubled in size since 3 days previous and that more land had been turned ready for planting. It constantly amazes me how quickly things change here.
Over the past 10 days I have watched people transport all manner of goods and objects on foot about the city. Yesterday I carried objects to various locations including our studio. Today I fetched bags of sand and bottles of water from the river.
Jessica undertook her second studio residency in Wang Jun’s studio. I made a visit around late afternoon, force of habit caused me to call ‘hello’ which broke the quiet and marked my presence. Jessica was in the process of moving objects around the studio. Other objects were balanced on pieces of studio furniture.
Wang Jun shares his studio with another artist. There is a line that runs the length of the studio floor that marks a divide, concrete on one side, black lino on the other. The line also seemed to mark a boundary around the work that I chose not to cross, partly in fear that any little vibration I caused might unbalance the objects.
I felt like a giant, the proverbial elephant in the room, my footsteps huge and noisy disturbing a moment of concentration. Actually, from previous conversations I know that Jessica is used to working whilst other people are around, it’s part and parcel of using someone else’s studio; even so, I hid behind a curtain, peeping out. As I left I took a quick snapshot from the door.
Nina Chua
22nd November
Today was quite a quiet Sunday, mainly spent catching up with emails, considering everything that has happened over the last week and preparing for the work we are both planning for the next day.
As I am organising studio days for myself (through Yan Yan) I am also becoming aware of elements of Nina’s work arriving in the studio. Familiar objects from the streets of Huan Jai Ping are starting to fill the studio. As far as I am concerned these objects have suddenly appeared, however the nature of them suggests the toil involved in bringing them to the studio. Piles of bricks, a large marrow/watermelon-like vegetable the size of a small child, a sack of shoes, several bottles of water and a small bench – all awkward and heavy, and with no sign of any equipment used to transport them.
Jessica Longmore
Sunday 21st November
Chongqing
A highlight of today was the 20-minute metro ride we took from Yang Jia Ping in to the city centre, Lin Jiang Men, a rollercoaster of a journey that swept us through the city above and below the streets of Chongqing.
I have a piece of video footage that shows the journey far better than I can describe it, unfortunately I’m having trouble uploading it at the moment, probably due to access restrictions placed on certain websites. I will keep trying and will upload it when I’m back in the UK if necessary.
Nina Chua
20th November
