Grapefruit

I finished my painting last week, the one for my friends who are running a foster home in Beijing. I actually like the way it turned out. All of the Chinese who see it, though, just don't get it.


You see, the three characters in the upper right are Pu Tao You, which mean grapefruit. This was a collaboration, actually. Chris learned how to write these particular characters from his Chinese teacher, and then he taught them to me.

I thought the abstract fruit painting matched nicely with the simple declaration of being. Chris says that I should do a series for the kitchen. You know - apple, grape, etc. The thought of that makes me smile.

I also was interested in experimenting with how Chinese characters can be used in modern art: in oil and as part of an abstract composition. Most traditional Chinese art incorporates characters too, but it is normally done in a water-based ink with very methodical brush strokes. The characters usually spell out a poem that relates to the scene. The work here is a kind of poem too - albeit a very brief and obvious poem.

When our ayi saw the painting with the characters, she said: "well, it WAS a nice painting." Chris showed it to his Chinese teacher, and she said: "Why would you do that?"

But I like it.