Interview Jonathan Aumen: An artist’s responsibility is to recharge society
by Luo Fei, TCG Nordica gallery curator

Time: 10am, 7th of Jan, 2012
At: TCG Nordica Gallery
Jonathan Aumen: TCG Nordica resident artist (since Sep 2011, see artist CV)

1, You moved to China with your family when you were eight and lived here for ten years. Can you talk about your impressions from that time?

My parents were English teachers at the time, starting in Tianjin and then relocating to Beijing. My childhood was like a storybook, very colorful. I frequently hung out with old men doing what they did. This consisted of keeping birds as pets, flying kites, fighting crickets and many other things. I was always captivated by the stories that the old people would tell me. That was when there weren’t a lot of foreigners around and Chinese people were super curious about us and our lives. Life here was completely different from my home in the state of Virginia back in the United States, but I jumped immediately in the deep end. My most important experience, however, was studying under a private art tutor, a strict teacher from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. I studied under him for three years before I graduated from high school.

2, There is a significant difference between the China of the 90’s and the China of today. What are your thoughts about the changes?

I’m a full-on idealist. I always think on memories of yesterday. You can spy shadows of yesterday’s China but the differences are significant. China has become very materialistic and has emulated the habit of the west by placing too much of an emphasis on possessions. In addition, many historic buildings and hutongs have been torn down, both in Beijing and Kunming, namely the Flower and Bird market. This is a shame. Continue reading →