ARTISTS TALKING

# 17 [11 March 2010]

Return to Manchester

I returned back to London early Thursday morning after a 12-hour flight, which I slept most of the way through. It was so cold at 7 in the morning and funny to hear London accents again. When I got back to my Mum’s house in Shepperton she was pleased to see me and eager to ask me lots of questions about my trip while I enjoyed a cup of tea and bacon sandwich. The jetlag started to hit me around 3pm and again at 9pm although I did manage to get a good night sleep. I got my return train to Manchester late Friday night and was greeted at Piccadilly train station by my husband. It was strange being back in the warm flat and how the normal everyday things at home didn't feel so normal anymore. I didn't think about what it was going to feel like being back I just thought it would be the same as before I left. It's taken me a few days to settle back into some sort of routine and in some ways it has been like moving in with my husband all over again.

My art head is returning and I am planning a performance for BLOP – Bristol’s Live Art Open Platform event at the Arnolfini­­ at the end of the month for further details on this event please visit this link http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/live/details/600. I have proposed to sing a few pop songs in areas such as the library, the café and reception as I am interested in how the audience will react to someone singing in an improvised manner in the semi public spaces of the building. I am selecting songs, which make reference to relationships between people in the lyrics, which will create a highly personal soundtrack as if I am singing the song for you. I have put the video from my Bosa Novas, It’s Now or Never performance in China at the lounge Bar on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoe0ipe_9FQ and I hope to put my plane video on the website later this week. This is all part of the second half of my Arts Council proposal, which is to share the experience of working in China with a wider audience by using video sharing sites, social networking and artist talks. I need to do some more research on how to share the artist audio interviews and how to edit them together.

# 16 [1 March 2010]

Post performance review

I was happy with the performance although I did start a few minutes earlier, which I didn't think was a problem as the moment just felt right to start. After the performance I was told that it would have been better to start later although no one had told me this in advance. I guess this is just one of those little details that gets lost in translation, although I liked the fact that lots of people turned up later and had missed the party. Dou Dou played the piano really well particularly when I was climbing the ladder. I did get stuck for a moment when I reached the top, however this just added to the uncertainty as to whether I would get over. The event really looked and felt like a strange leaving party, which has to be the ultimate temporary event. I liked how people were not sure when the performance had started or ended this includes myself for example having my picture taken with lots of people and when we were tidying everything away. I was concerned were the drinks table was placed in the corridor and this seemed to keep people hanging around in that area which kept people further away from the main performance space. However at every opportunity in my performance I would intervene myself in-between the audience and used lots of eye contact. The video of the plane being prepared looked really strong projected large scale onto the wall and retained detailed quality. On the whole I was pleased with the outcome of the event, although there are always things that can be improved.

I was happy to work with Dou Dou, which was a completely unexpected partnership, and I felt that he symbolised the youth of China learning the piano as a means to getting to a better life. I could see similarities in him and myself a young artist trying to get somewhere and the possibility we all face of making it and not making it. The bunting I used I had seen many times here as they are used as New Year decorations and I structured them as if they could pull the ladder over which created a dynamic shape and focus for the performance. The video of the plane and the shopping bags again reflected ideas of literally trying to get somewhere through travel and simply wanting to buy more stuff. The frame for my work was the private view and to use the situation as an excuse for a weird party for myself and to explore ways of engaging the audience with me and the work.

Later on in the evening we went to Zhang Xue Qing’s bar called Bosa Novas, which was in another town, she really talked the place down as this little bar she part owns. It was a large lounge bar with karaoke and VIP rooms and we had a room all to ourselves. We played drinking games and sang a few songs I wish I had my camcorder with me as it is really funny how us regular folk entertain ourselves. In the main bar area there was a lounge band playing and Zhang asked me if I wanted to sing on the stage, I was a bit embarrassed when she asked me as I wanted to make it clear to her that I am not a professional singer. However this was not a problem and she was determined to get me up on the stage to sing, as they like to get foreign people up on stage as they are seen as a novelty. The only song I could remember was ‘It’s Now or Never’ the famous Elvis Presley song. When I got up on the stage the band just looked at me and when I started to sing they struggled to get in synch with my out of tune voice. Eventually near the end of the song we somehow pull it together, what a strange performance.

# 15 [28 February 2010]

Running order for New Arrivals performance

# 14 [24 February 2010]

New Arrivals for one night only

Since being back from the New Year holidays I have been unwell which has stopped me being able to get into the studio. This has made me feel worried about running out of time to do the things I wanted here. On reflection I feel 4 weeks is too short a time to be here, and I did try to change my plane ticket but this wasn't possible. The sound blocking headphones I ordered didn't work as you can still hear the muffle of people speaking and traffic noise, although I do see the potential of this idea of giving people some peace and quite a project I can develop in the future. With only five days left until my final performance I have started to panic that there isn’t enough time to prepare. This is the shortest time I have had to plan a performance and I have become a bit frustrated with not being able to get some of the materials I need. Not being able to speak the language makes me feel like a child, not being able to fully organize things by myself and having to fully let go of the control and put my trust in other people has been a struggle. We went to a market yesterday and I managed to get my bunting and lots of balloons. I am thinking about getting a cake made which looks a bit like the ladder wrapped in bunting and feed it to all the guests at the show.

We have started to put together a flyer and poster for my performance and decided to go with the title ‘New Arrivals’ which is the message on a sign I bought in Manchester. I have decided to go with the more challenging space out on the landing area as I feel I do have the support here to make this happen. Although today I have had a panic and had a meeting with Chloe and Yan Yan about whether to change the performance space back to the studio, as it is an easier space to manage. Since being here I didn't realize how much talking through ideas is part of my process and how difficult I have found trying to communicate my feelings which I admit can sound a bit scrambled making it even harder for other people to understand me. Then all of a sudden I had 3 helpers arrive and it has been all systems go setting up the piano and the ladder on the landing area. I was a bit taken aback by all the help and again found it difficult to communicate what I wanted to be done. We all muddled through it and I feel much better now seeing the main body of the work in the space before Saturday. The piano is a powerful instrument and echoes through the building and the disco ball really works covering the walls in moving lights. I tested out trying to climb the ladder and get over the top of it, which was a bit tricky it had the desired effect on the people holding it, as they were very worried I might fall.

# 13 [22 February 2010]

Time is slipping away 

So I am now back at the studios and have had a clear out in the space to focus on the objects and the final performance for the end of my residency. I am torn between two spaces the studio and the landing area, the studio is more appealing as it is cleaner and less cluttered although the landing area is more of a risk and I will need more support to install the work. The landing area is a larger space with a higher ceiling which would give the ladder more breathing room but I am not sure how or were to project the video. I feel I want to show both the video and do the performance in the same space and not split the work into different areas. I really need to find more bunting, I know I could try and make it myself but I like to use found objects in my work as this ties in with the place that they are from. When I was waiting for my connecting flight at Hong Kong airport I filmed a plane being prepared it was fascinating to me see how much work goes into this process. I was having a coffee and the window overlooked the area were the plane was and I filmed it by resting my camera on my laptop bag as I didn't have a tripod. As it was being filmed through the glass there is a slight reflection and I have speeded the film up to emphasize the carefully orchestrated performance. The sound on the film is not so good but I may take the sound off and keep it purely visual.

I have found here in Chongqing and on my visits to different places the way people stack, order and display their goods really interesting. When we visited the old town in Chengdu up in the mountains I photographed a gap in-between two buildings were someone had stacked a variety of objects in a particular way. When I took this photograph people wanted to see what I was photographing and I think people thought it was unusual for someone to take a picture of such a thing. Over the New Year period we visited Ren Qian's family and on the ground floor of the property they let the space out to an artist who is a sculptor. I found the way the objects were naturally placed in the space like an art installation and I could imagine seeing this in a gallery. This has got me thinking about context and how we read work as art if it is placed in a gallery or part of an exhibition or event. I showed a young girl Din Din Cat she was 18 and another local artist my work on my website and they found it confusing and difficult to understand it as art. Referring to context beyond the site and placement of art it just revealed to me how, education, travel, social and political influences in our everyday lives effect how we see art.

# 12 [19 February 2010]

Happy New Year 

As it has been Chinese New Year I have been away for the past five days visiting Yan Yans family and friends whom have been very hospitable. It has been strange though arriving and working for a week and then being away, although what a wonderful experience to be in China at this time of the year. I have eaten some amazing food, the chicken is very good here and I have tried new foods such as pig’s lip and ear, which is like chewy bacon. In most of the restaurants we have visited in the different places we have been there is usually a big pot simmering away in the middle of the table with lots of stock and spices with a choice of meat and fish. After we have eaten the meat you then add vegetables and along the way drink the soup, which is really tasty. My favourite drink here has been a nutty milk, sometimes peanut last night it was walnut and is normally warmed up and is sweet if a hotpot is too spicy the milk can calm the chilli down in your mouth. In Long Quan Yi I stayed at Yan Yans sisters flat which was really nice and funny as we both couldn't speak each other’s languages so there was a lot of body language and laughter. With not being able to speak Mandarin when we have visited different people sometimes I have felt a bit like a tourist attraction, which can be looked at and not spoken too. At the dinner table if there are more than 4 people I loose track of what is being said and on occasion have felt like I am not there. However all this aside everyone has made me feel very welcome and I wouldn't have changed a thing about my experiences so far.

When we were away I did get to meet and interview Zhou Bin a Live Artist who lives in Chengdu. We visited his studio and when we arrived he set off a belt of firecrackers, which were so loud. We then had tea, which his wife made, and I was fascinated with the process of how she was making it, I can really appreciate the process as art. Yan Yan helped translate for me and I interviewed Zhou about his time in Manchester for the Vital event in 2007 and I got a chance to talk to him about my work. We could see similarities and distinct differences in our work for example durational performance is very popular in Chinese Live Art and using irony and humour are more English traits.

We go back to Chongqing today and I am looking forward to picking up my sound blocking headphones and planning ahead for this performance. During my stay here the Shanghai Expo is being heavily advertised with the strap line, ‘Better Life, Better People’ this also reminds me of the Beijing Olympics slogan ‘One World, One Dream, I find these messages very 'utopian'. Expo has a green theme which I find very contradictory for example what about the pollution which will be created by the traveling participants and visitors, and then what will happen to the site when Expo is finished? I am thinking about incorporating some of these cheesy strap lines into my performance, I could use them in a banner of some sort, maybe on some ribbon. I have found China to be very Chinese lots of places I have been to are very westernized, although China retains a strong identity. There can be no ‘One World, One Dream’ as we are so different which is a good thing, who wants to live in a world of sameness? It would be a pretty boring place.

# 11 [11 February 2010]

Meeting New Artists

I have been introduced to some really interesting artists some have studios at 501 or in the local area others are here just for the New Year holidays. I met Zhou Yumei an installation and performance artist who has a studio in Beijing and we talked to each other about our work (Http://blog.sina.com.cn/zhouyumei). Although there is the obvious language difference the Internet helps to look at images of work and we could understand basic art terms. Mao Yan yang has a studio here at 501 and he paints, Mao has done the residency at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, which I had seen so this gave me some reference to his work (www.maoyanyang.com). He kindly documented my performance and has told me about his experience about temporarily living in Manchester; I hope to interview him after the New Year. I was lucky to meet the artist Ren Qian his practice involves video, photography and performance, when he showed me his work I recognised his ‘Water’ works were he collected bottles of water from different rivers over a period of 10 years. We went to his studio and Chloe and myself interviewed him about his experience of working in London. I was overwhelmed by Ren’s work especially making it over a ten-year period. This has got me thinking about my work and how my pieces are very short and temporary, it seems that durational performance work in China is popular.

All the artists I have met have been very friendly and are eager to hear about my work. I can feel quite shy talking about my work, as I like to just show it rather than talk about it. Yan Yan is eager for me to do an artist talk at the studios which I would like to do but I am worried how much will get lost in translation. Were do I start with my talk? Recently I have turned artist talks into performances, however I feel on this occasion this is not appropriate. Interviewing and talking to the artists here will help me structure my presentation and I will discuss this further with Yan Yan. I feel a little nervous as I am still very much an early career artist and my work has significantly changed since 2007 with more of a focus on performance. The event I plan to have at 501 will be a new experience for me as I have either collaborated with other people or have been part of a group event. I would prefer to do a talk about what I have done rather than discuss my old work, as this will be easier to translate in real time, although Yan Yan thinks I should do the talk at a different time. I’m not so sure I think combining the two would be better and the audience will get more of an understanding about the work.

I have been giving serious thought as to where I will show my work, as I don't feel that the studio is the right space for me. I really like the entrance to the 501 studios and the landing area on the first floor, which my studio is next to. I am drawn to these spaces as they are in-between and dark which is ideal for using lights and my disco ball. A young boy called Dou Dou has been practising playing the piano in the studio and I would like to do a performance with him for my final showing. He plays very well, although I found it more interesting when he tried to remember different melodies, creating a broken soundtrack. Since I have been here, listening to my music has been a great comfort and a motivator to work in the studio and I would like to combine Dou’s piano playing with my own recital of broken western pop songs. My aim is to create an ‘International Performance’, which continues my enquiry into the meaning of the word ‘International’. I have also been developing the Chinese medicine illustration into a moving slideshow with the image sliding across and off the edge of the screen. 

# 10 [8 February 2010]

International Cleaner

The main street, which the studios are on, is so busy with so much activity happening will anyone notice if I did a performance? Does it matter if there is an audience? There is always a market on along the main street, people eat overlooking or sitting on the pavements, I even saw two people playing badminton outside a shop. In England I feel street life is very controlled and sanitized with activity restricted to inside shops, shopping centres, and organised events. I know people say that this is because of our weather however it is cold in Chongqing but this doesn't stop the hustle and bustle of the streets. Along the road there are lots of benches, which are always being used, I really like the design of them as the seating is close to the ground. This has sparked off an idea to do a performance using the benches, I like the idea of cleaning them.

Last night we went into the centre of town and we did some shopping in a large store, where I bought some props. I bought some cleaning products, plastic stool and plastic sleeves. In the studio today I have been experimenting with laying out the cleaning products and I just couldn't help but put on my fancy dress flight hat. I am going to call myself ‘International Cleaner’ and clean the benches, Chloe will video it for me. I would like to video inside the International Festival of Art and get a tour of the exhibition with someone translating for me. The advertising signs for the Festival are basic with white Chinese symbol on a red background. I would like to make flyers that are designed in the same style as the Festival advertising with the symbol for power and hand these out in the street to passers by.

I performed my first intervention ‘International Cleaner’ on the street and I was a little nervous as I just kept thinking no one would notice what I was doing. I was wrong my cleaning ritual drew the public in and people stayed to the end of the performance. The piece lasted about 20 minutes and viewers commented ‘is this art?’ which for me is the biggest compliment. My intention with the ‘International Cleaner’ sign was to subtly critique the opening of the ‘International Art Festival’ and question the meaning of the word ‘International’. There is something ridiculous about using the words ‘cleaner’ & ‘International’ together as we only usually associate this term with high culture, business and travel. This performance exposes how the word is selectively used to promote/advertise products. As a foreign artist I felt that the act of cleaning the benches was also a personal offering to the public.

# 9 [5 February 2010]

New Arrival

So many hours later I arrive in Chongqing and am met at the airport by Yan Yan and Chloe. We drove through lots of traffic, as it was the rush hour, the yellow taxis drive like England cab drivers, aggressively. I dumped my stuff off at the flat and then we went for dinner. We had a big hot pot of spicy prawns, tofu and vegetables, which was delicious although I found it difficult to get the prawns head and legs off with my chopsticks. It took me a while to get off to sleep, as I was cold but slept in til 11am. Went to the studio for the first time today and took along the few things I had bought with me, it was nice to lay my things out and start getting a feel for the space. 

Speaking to Yan Yan it seems with the Chinese New Year celebrations the gallery will be used for a planned event so it is likely now that I will be showing my work in the studio or in another space of my choosing. This has taken a little bit of the pressure off and has got me thinking about starting some smaller projects which I can complete back in the UK. For example I would like to interview some of the artists who have already done international residencies to hear about their experiences. The audio files could be linked to a website or simply put onto a CD, sharing information in this way is important to me and I do see it as an artwork. We went for lunch and I had some dry spicy noodles, I really need to learn some more basic Mandarin, as I don't feel confident ordering food. 

I am not being stared at as much as I thought, however when I speak I am aware that people take more notice of me. I feel that I would still like to do a performance in the street or on public transport using my voice as this draws people’s attention. At lunch today Yan Yan pointed out a sign, which is advertising a government organised International Festival of Art, which only has Chinese artists in. The word ‘International’ is used in the UK for artists who are not from the country giving the impression that the work is somehow better or more insightful than a local/regional artist work. However the Chinese version is the opposite of this, which is saying that Chinese artists are International.            

# 8 [29 January 2010]

3 days to go before I depart

I am half way through my packing and keep looking at all the other stuff that still needs to go into my suitcase. Today I am hoping to borrow an Edi role, which is a really high quality digital sound recorder, which I am looking forward to experimenting with in China. Yesterday I bought a disco ball just a small one; I like the idea of using the disco ball to change the look and feel of an environment simply with light, mirrors and movement. I have been learning a little Mandarin by listening to CD’s, which I have really enjoyed which is unusual for me as I find learning languages difficult. However Mandarin is a fascinating sounding language and I feel like I am learning sounds like music rather than words which for me makes it unique.

I play the CD with the speaker behind my chair, close my eyes and relax into imitating the sounds as it travels through my body. This has got me thinking about how we learn and how by making the process more physical can help people engage with it on a deeper level and hopefully retain information for longer. I have just had a look at this website (http://www.learning-styles-online.com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic//) I am a physical learner which explains why I don't like sitting and listening to lectures and talks for long periods of time. I remember a programme on TV, which was a documentary about how a teacher taught a struggling group of kids English by exiting the classroom and working with the children in a park. Both the teacher and the children used more physical movements and gestures in the teacher/learning experience.

To improve my Mandarin I will be going to Mandarin Corner at the Chinese Arts Centre, which starts at 1.30pm this Saturday. This will be an opportunity to speak to people and test out what I have already learnt (http://www.chinese-arts-centre.org/). I hope to continue publishing my blog whilst I am in China twice a week. If I am struggling with Internet access I may have to combine my posts into one long entry.