Day 3 in Chongqing
I have spent the day in the studio getting to work on my project. I have been creating some sketches from the photographs of local architectural structures, and online research into popular community websites within China. I have been thinking about formats that I can create this through; a series of drawings, an installation using found objects, and I have also been thinking about a painting installation outside. I will also hopefully be undertaking some woodcuts later this week.
I have sourced some interesting architectural planning paper from one of art materials shop on the main road. I have been there now three times and am making friends with the daughter and son of the owner who are high school students. I am going to use the planning paper for the larger drawings, that will focus on different aspects of my research. Within my first drawing, I want to have a layout of the junction that I am living upon. I intend to use this haphazard junction from which to juxtapose architecture of various websites – some ones I can access, and some which I cannot. In the next drawing I am going to focus on drawing facades of local architectural structures, again juxtaposing with digital architectural elements. Already, the building facades are very different to any western facade, there is much irregularity in most facades, with many windows and areas being personally modified by inhabitants.
The junction where I am living is very busy – with continual traffic going to the railway, industrial buildings, shops and a restaurant, and several industrial stores on each part of the intersection. It seems to be a good starting point, as it is the location from which I have learnt to navigate myself. People and vehicles are constantly travelling through at a loud noise and speed.
I also visited the town planning graduate exhibition at the Sichuan Fine Art Institute, and I would like to reference some of the styles of visually communicating town layouts in their maps and diagram within my drawings.
Today, I was also given some vines from my studio neighbour. These are supposed to bring good luck if I clean my floor and my body with them, in advance of the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow. It is a festival where you can see dragon boat races and eat zongzi (dumplings made from rices wrapped in reed leaves and bamboo), and it celebrates the story of Qu Yuan, a poet who threw himself into a river in order to protest against the government. Tomorrow, I will go with YanYan’s assistant to Ciqikou, an old traditional town on the outskirts of Chongqing to look at the traditional architecture for my research.
On Wednesday, I will go to the new campus of the Sichuan Fine Art Institute, where I will discuss doing some printmaking in their department. It is a shame that the department has now moved to a new campus an hour away, as it was previously based just across the road. I will need to get a few drawings completed by then – so I had better get to work!
