Endure - Chinese Gymnasts

Endure - An Intimate Journey with the Chinese Gymnasts is a body of work that is without precedent. For the first time ever, Beijing opened its elite gymnastics training facility to the world; Anderson & Low, the only artists to be allowed such access, have responded accordingly. Idealism and the quest for perfection in sports by the devoted Chinese athletes are shown in graphic, intimate and touching detail and candour. There are no secrets here, only spellbinding effort, physical and mental power, determination and talent, and dreams of perfection. 

Sport implies the intrinsic idea of the body. Systematic programmes of weights, twists, bends, leaps and poses, plus sheer effort are shown as these young athletes aspire to transform their bodies into classical a rt.These works explore the tension between the real and the ideal of the body, between the actual and the artificial. The images breathe stillness into exertion, so that each becomes a metaphor, a window to look at things beyond sport itself and that transcend into a study of the human condition in microcosm and an examination of the purest human emotions under intense pressure. 

The truth is told in every image of this body of work, and the viewer is held in awe. For this project Anderson & Low developed a specific, loose style and painterly palette for a sensitive and moving documentation of an extraordinary group of champions and hopefuls. Several years in the making, the results are truly unique. 

The limited edition book Endure - An Intimate Journey with the Chinese Gymnasts was published by Serindia Publications in August 2012. 

The first western exhibition of this work is at Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, USA, May - July 2013. 
 
Gymnasium Lu Yiding, Sun Darui, Yang Shengchao, Lin Chaopan Zhang Kun Wu Liufang Zhu Xiaodong  (L) Pun Ni (R) Shi Linlin Tan Sixin Wang Deming (L) Huang Yuguo (R) Tan Zhongjian Xiao Sa Yan Zheng Beam training Zhang Ye Linzi (L) Deng Xiaofeng (R)Zhang Leyang Yang Shengchao Xiao Sa Wang Guanyin Dong Zhengdong Wang Deming Warming up Dong Zhengdong