A long time coming.

So- about 3 weeks ago, Jill and I finally hit up the art museum. This has been on my list of things to do and was second behind the Art District- which we haven't done yet. Or I should say- I haven't made it too yet.

But the Chinese National Gallery: It's a large building- but not as big as the VMFA. They don't really have what I would call a 'permanent collection.' All that was on display was part of a current competition talking about the current world culture and the environment. They dedicated MOST of the galleries to Chinese Artists with smaller side galleries dedicated to Non-Chinese Artists.

I must say I enjoyed a lot of the Chinese art work that used traditional techniques- especially the water color and the ceramics. There were some very breathtaking pieces. One of my favorite was the birds trapped in the net. Beautifully executed. Tragically sad.

Other notable pieces was the mouth burger- super creepy. A Vietnamese painting of a small fish skewered through with a giant hook. There was a room full of art from Chile- my favorite being hundreds of clear plastic containers with tiny bugs delicately painted inside of them. From a distant your mind filled in the illusion of movement and you almost did not want to approach. The bugs in closer inspection were simply painted but with the right amount of expression to animate them. Great effect.

I've included a few other favorite of my pieces. But I'm happy to cross that off my list of things to do- although I wish they did have more of a permanent collection and a wider inclusion of artists. One thing that was especially disappointing was the lack of voice in most of the pieces. There was very little social commentary- which in one way surprised me- but in another did not. Sometimes, being in China, you forget the heavy hand that the government plays. You become slightly blinded to it- or don't notice it. Because that is just the way things are. I can understand if I grew up here how I would not notice it at all. But- all I have to do is type 'www.facebook.com' into my browser to be quickly reminded: The government is ever present here. And they are good at what they do. 

The art had the forced blandness of a county competition for artwork about 'bus safety.' It all said very little- and never hinted at any flaws of Chinese society. There were some that spoke to the fragility of nature- but never to the fact that China's one of the worlds largest contributors of pollutions (to the extent that it's own citizens are dying from it.) Although China is slowly opening it up- these people lack the same freedom that us American's take for granted. Especially American Artists. They have the right and the privilege to do as they see fit and say as they see fit it and judge as they see fit. And nobody will exclude us or send us to 're-education' camps or to jail or exile us. All of which have been documented as happening here.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not Anti-China. I'm just more aware now- more then ever- of the blessing of the first amendment and the freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers.