Chen Duxi Chinese, 1983

Cambarus

I first encountered this particular species of shrimp when one of my friends ordered it in a restaurant. It came in a small paper box; once opened, the long pincers caught my attention. The shrimp was unseasoned. It was said to have come from an untainted area of the ocean. A light sweetness lingered in the mouth as the shrimp was masticated and absorbed. I picked up a second one and began to examine it. The shell was bright and gleaming, especially the red. Everything seemed strange and intricate—the telson, the pereiopods, the eyes—as if growing and expanding infinitely. Looking at the cambarus was a dynamic experience, not stopping at any particular moment. Gradually, imaginations occupied my mind. I had digested it, just as it had digested the planktons. The cambarus was like a sign in space. It could have become a fossil, until it entered my body and was turned into protein, fueling my muscles to make a painting for it like a contemporary fossil, the same way that our ancestors painted the cave walls.

鳌虾

初次接触鳌虾这个品种是朋友的一次点餐。它被装在一个小小的纸盒里，打开盖子长长的虾钳吸引了我的注意。它身边没有任何佐料。据说它来自某片洁净的海域，直接放入口中咀嚼，然后吞咽，一丝清甜在口腔中徘徊。虾壳色泽鲜亮，红色的部分格外醒目，于是我拿起了第二只，开始了仔细的端详。虾尾、虾脚 、虾眼，一切都是那么陌生，一切又是那么精巧，好似无限地延展与生长。看它是一个运化的过程，不在一霎那停顿 。逐渐，我主观的联想占据了我的头脑， 感同身受。我消化了它，它消化了浮游生物。它像一个符号一样陪伴在我们的时空，若干年后它本来可能成为一块化石，可是它进入了我的身体，变成了蛋白质，驱动我的肌肉为它创造了一张鲜活的绘画化石，就像我们的祖先在岩壁上所做的那样。