Shanghaieye.net blogger and 696 Weihai Lu artist Chris Gill gives us the lowdown on this year’s SH Contemporary, blogging art in progress, and his days operating out of the Old Summer Palace.

What’s happening in the art world this month?

September is the busiest time of the year in Shanghai’s art circles. I’ll have two shows, so I’ll be preparing for them. I’ll also be covering ShContemporary for the British Art Press.

What’s ShContemporary going to be like this year?

Lots of galleries couldn’t afford to put up a booth because of the economic crisis so the organisers have dragged in the artists to do a lot more. Last year, it was a bit boring. It wasn’t that well arranged; there were lots of internal and external conflicts.

What’s changing in Shanghai’s art scene?

The rise of Chinese art collectors. There’s no art market unless you have art collectors. Until now, most Chinese art has been bought by foreigners, especially the Swiss and Americans.

Who buys your art?

A mixture of Chinese and foreign collectors. I don’t sell that much, only in spurts. I also get younger professional Shanghainese ladies in their 30s who seem to like the colours. A lot of my stuff is figurative or narrative, about people in Shanghai and how they’re changing, so it’s acceptable for someone who’s lived here their whole life.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a show about the future. It’s about superstition and how people try to predict the future, then fail, with undercurrents about what direction the future is going in.

What medium do you like to work with and why?

I tend to stick with oil paints because it lasts. You are responsible when you create a work for it to last your lifetime.

How do you decide when a painting is finished, or ready to be abandoned?

You have to be strict with yourself editing, especially painting. It can take one or even 10 years for a painting to finish. Usually, I just put it aside, leave it for several years, and have another look at it.

Who are your influences?

I don’t see that much art abroad except when I go home. The last year or so, they’ve been having a lot of art fairs, so there’s a lot more work. If I see work that looks similar to mine, it pisses me off.

Who are your favourite artists in Shanghai?

They’re basically the guys I’ve been friends with, that gang around ShanghART because they’re the ones who’ve always been around. I have some good conversations with them.

About your artwork?

Partly. They’ll give advice on style or talk about their work. They’re honest and straightforward, not overly pretentious.

Do your styles rub off on each other?

A bit. These guys are with a gallery so they tend to stick to particular styles for a long period whereas I can move around stylistically.

Is there any artwork that comes to mind that trumps everything else?

Probably a Xue Song piece. He gets photos and reproduces them in ash. One that particularly comes to mind is a painting he did of the Guomindang period with these two soldiers on a white background.

What do you make of the art criticism here?

There’s a big black hole, partly because it’s not financially rewarding. The majority of the few critics are like ‘black whistles’. If they write about you, they want you to pay them.

Do you find that money corrupts art?

When you see all these artists driving around in Ferraris, it doesn’t seem right. Especially in Beijing, they’re loaded. Zhang Huan has 90 assistants.

How long have you been working in 696 Weihai Lu?

Since it opened two years ago. Ma Liang found it. He called everyone and it filled up within a week. I knew him pretty well. He used to work with my wife. I got a studio about two doors down from him, but I later moved.

Where were you before that?

My first studio in China was in the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, the one that was burnt down. I went to the People’s University, a very political university, up there. I have a degree in Chinese politics, but I’ve always been painting.

Your blog not only disseminates art news – you also show your works in progress. Why?

For me, it’s a way to access a painting at any step. You can look back on how a work has progressed and how it came to the idea. Generally, the idea’s the same from start to finish, but the way it looks can change dramatically.

What kind of feedback do you get on a painting in progress?

I usually get people saying I shouldn’t have changed it.

What do you like to do when not making art or blogging?

I love to travel and tend to a lot. I go to Moganshan or Wanji to get out of town for a few days. I also like drinking wine at YY’s. I’m getting older. When you get older, you switch from beer to wine to pure scotch.

What do you like to eat?

Good Japanese, which is usually in little restaurants. I never remember the names. I hosted a lot of BBQs in my house in my garden for a few years, driving my neighbours crazy.

You drove your neighbours crazy?

Some Shanghainese don’t like BBQ. They’ll eat a bit, but they don’t like it and then they’ll cook some dumplings. Shanghainese food is like little bits of stuff, and often a little soupy. They don’t like this whole meat thing.