Understanding A Foreign Country

The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it. (Rudyard Kipling)

Another in a series of acrylic paintings that I have been doing based on a trip to China. China is a foreign country to me. As I have mentioned in prior posts, I was struck by the dichotomy between the China they want you to see and what you experience on your own. During the few down times on our “guided tour”, we walked the streets mingling with the local people. You find street food everywhere. As in our own country, I feel that few people cook at home. Or maybe it is that they are just too busy with their lives to bother. Street food is somewhat ambiguous as it’s difficult to determine what you’re eating. Dogs are seldom seen as pet ownership is prohibited in many of the cities. As darkness falls, people are out walking their previously hidden pets. There were also a lot of cats everywhere. I am not making a statement about the street food but... The red stripe in my painting again serves as a visual barrier between ambiguities.

China Series - Street Food (24” x 24”)