16th to 19th: Lu Jian visit from China. Jian teaches modern art at Shanghai University and we have collaborated with a digital exchange about the Dawn Redwood – an endangered tree taxa. Many interesting conversations, especially as Jian is doing a PhD in Shanghai about people and environment and public space. Some really helpful exchanges of ideas about space, place and micro-utopias. Some great green tea too! And Khrushchev’s socialist meal of potato and beef that Jian made while I continued writing my thesis.
It seems to me that the state, as with our capitalist system is the elephant in the room. Can any system satisfy our community needs and individual creativity?
‘you live in paradise’, says Jian stepping onto our balcony overlooking the Severn Vale. Later, watching the news, he asks why there is so much crime in England – ‘you have everything.’
We visit the Cotswold Water Park, seeing landscape restoration and interpretations of our history and culture. We see shops, hotel and lake-side second homes. We also see the dinosaur skull found there. We visit Cardiff, see David Nash pieces in a landscape exhibition at the National Gallery. On our return we visit the William Morris stained glass windows at Selsley Church and wait for Jian’s train back to London and on to Shanghai on Selsely Common.
‘I’ve been inspired in England these four days, the environment, the freedom and the conversations.’
I’ve been inspired by Jian’s resilience.
