BALTHUS, SONGZHUANG ARTIST


If Balthus was alive, he might be in Songzhuang art village
looking for models to come to his erotic studio,
tenderly painting their comely forms,
their lips and thighs.

Traditional culture though it is,
China could offer a bountiful supply of friendly village girls.

He could shed light on the unknown beauties
who will never own a Gucci handbag
or an Alexander McQueen dress.

Where would he live? in a spacious red or grey-brick studio
with four floors!

Just need to sell one painting a year
to cover the rent of 50,000 yuan.

He could smoke cigarettes with his Chinese comrades in Art,
drink baijiu (that dreadful white wine), have gargantuan dinners
with curators and dealers, gallery owners,

buy his materials from the local art store
where his aristocratic foreign face would be exotic like a Turner storm.

I would introduce him to my small circle of acquaintances,
and practice Chinese with the Polish count. Ni hao!

Yes, if Balthus was a young man again,
he'd settle into songzhuang and show us everything

achingly beautiful about Chinese women.