Almighty painter

Chapter 770 Comparison
"You are wheat, your place is in the wheat field, planted in the soil of your hometown, you will take root and sprout there... Don't let yourself wither on the busy sidewalks of Paris."

——Van Gogh, "A Letter"
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Gu Weijing looked closely at the oil paintings on canvas on the exhibition stand.

Cui Xiaoming was standing by and looking at Gu Weijing who was standing at the booth.

The young man’s profile was illuminated by the lights in the special exhibition hall, his thick hair was neatly trimmed, and the works on the stand were reflected in his black pupils.

Those black, white, gray, red, green, and yellow, the ink lines and blocks of color that were intertwined and woven together, were reflected one by one in his eyes.

I wonder if this painting touched him?
Maybe.

Cui Xiaoming looked down upon Gu Weijing's appreciation of art.

Using superficial scenery and blocks of color to interpret an art master like Wu Guanzhong who has left a strong mark in the entire history of world art is like trying to capture the treasure in the water through the marks on the side of the boat.

The boat will go.

Water will flow.

A painter's skills will increase or decrease over time.

The mood when creating also waxes and wanes.

Gu Weijing didn’t understand that creative techniques are just minor skills.

Only the painting style is the riverbed and the orbit of the moon.

The river rushes and the stars move.

The rules remain the same throughout the ages.

"Abstract means to extract images and essence from inherent, living objects. It is to separate factors and conditions from the constraints of objects..."

……

Cui Xiaoming said loudly.

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, and he spoke slowly and confidently.

"…The beauty of modern art, to a large extent, comes from the spiritual refinement and extraction of beauty. What should the crystallization of art be? It is the points, lines and surfaces presented in front of us."

"The lines of the rockery are integrated with sinuous curves like human muscles. Such a rockery is flexible and elastic."

Cui Xiaoming also analyzed Wu Guanzhong's works and promoted himself: "In my personal creation, I have absorbed the essence of Mr. Wu's works. I paint big Buddhas, but I never just paint big Buddhas. I incorporate lines drawn from the ancient mountains of Afghanistan into my paintings, so that I can paint a grand atmosphere and make the works spiritual."

……

Cui Xiaoming knew it very well.

In terms of the level of brush and ink techniques demonstrated in his works, he can hardly compare with Gu Weijing.

There is a real and visible difference between his brushwork ability and that of Gu Weijing in the painting "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sun".

Cui Xiaoming knows better how a painter should market himself.

therefore.

He never mentioned a word about painting techniques.

When Cui Xiaoming talked, he only mentioned the painting style.

Everyone has a scale in their heart to measure the quality of painting techniques, the level of line control, the appearance of the picture, and the harmony of colors.

However, it is not easy for ordinary people to intuitively describe the differences in painting forms or styles.

Cui Xiaoming went to speak for them.

Cui Xiaoming's painting style is original and naturally good.

Cui Xiaoming's painting style draws on Wu Guanzhong's creative idea of ​​"combining Chinese and Western styles", which is naturally even better.

Gu Weijing's painting style is not original, so it is naturally inferior.

Who did Gu Weijing borrow his painting style from? Lang Shining? My dear, the overall similarity of the paintings has reached this point, so it can't be considered as borrowing.

It can only be regarded as imitation.

It’s just like modern Impressionist painters who say that their colors or painting inspirations were borrowed from the paintings of Monet, Degas, and Pissarro, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Every painter has his or her own unique color preferences.

Every painter has his own unique inspiration.

It is a part of artistic creation for painters to learn from the essence and nourishment of the works of their predecessors. The most outstanding masters all came this way.

But if a modern Impressionist painter says that his school of painting borrowed from Monet's school...that would be a very strange statement.

What you draw is something that was invented by others.

Say.

Cui Xiaoming believes that today is an era of painting that plays with style, form and concepts.

Painters like Lang Shining lived during the Qianlong period, hundreds of years ago. Impressionism is already old enough, and he could be considered the grandfather of Impressionism.

Cui Xiaoming secretly felt that the new style of painting could no longer keep up with the most cutting-edge artistic aesthetic trends.

“Fusion, the fusion of styles is important.”

Cui Xiaoming put his fingertips together. "Mr. Wu Guanzhong has a wonderful metaphor about fusion painting - traveling by land and water. He called oil painting the land route, Chinese painting the water route, and he himself is the one who travels by land and water."

"What is land and water travel?"

He asked and answered himself.

"In my opinion, in the journey of painting, the sense of precision that Chinese painting cannot convey can be replaced by the lines of oil painting, and the hazy style that oil painting cannot convey can be replaced by the structure of Chinese painting. The same road, water and land, each has its own scenery and feelings. But——"

The Asian young man with naturally curly hair stared at Gu Weijing in front of him and said.

"Only when two roads are connected or connected at the beginning and end, and they are both sections of the same road, and the waterway and land route are connected and interlinked, can it be called a journey of both land and water. If the waterway is the waterway of Venice, and the land route is the official road of Hanzhong, the two are unrelated, so no matter how the travelers walk, they will never get to the same place."

“The spirit of painting is the same.”

"If the temperament of oil painting and the charm of Chinese painting cannot fully communicate with each other, then it is like a painter from Dongxia and a painter from the Venetian school, who have not communicated with each other beforehand and painted their own paintings."

"Can the painting be called a fusion of Eastern and Western styles?" Cui Xiaoming stared into Gu Weijing's eyes.

"No."

Gu Weijing nodded in agreement.

The other party is indeed a very knowledgeable person.

The question raised by Cui Xiaoming was exactly the problem that Gu Weijing encountered when he first tried to paint "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sun".

Both the final work and the "sense of painting" during the creation period are very fragmented.

It was not a fusion painting that combined the beauty of both the East and the West. It was just half an oil painting and half a Chinese painting, forcibly collaged together by the painter using external force.

Impressionism, New Style, Monet, Renoir, Castiglione, Wu Guanzhong, Zao Wou-Ki...

Each of the predecessors who explored this path of integration of the East and the West had different circumstances, educational backgrounds, and lived in different environments and times.

The only thing they have in common is that they are like sponges, eagerly absorbing the essence of the two artistic concepts. They spent the first half of their lives trying to integrate them in their hearts, took the first difficult step, and then spent the rest of their lives walking far on this road.

It is through this process and this experience that the works on the booth are created, which make visitors stop and take a look.

How can this be drawn like buying a lottery ticket, where you just touch the canvas and paint it?
"Yes, for the Sutra, of course not."

Cui Xiaoming smiled and nodded.

He liked Gu Weijing's honesty.

“That’s exactly where the problem lies.”

After showing a gentle and harmless smile countless times, Cui Xiaoming finally showed his fangs, "I have seen your painting. It looks great and beautiful on the surface, but the core of the picture is broken."

Cui Xiaoming's meeting with Gu Weijing today could barely be considered a coincidence.

But it was no coincidence that he could say such words at this moment.

coincidence?

Coincidence is an excuse used by mediocre people to escape from misfortune. Cui Xiaoming only believes that good luck will not let down those who are well prepared.

Cui Xiaoming had already prepared these words.

He couldn't meet Gu Weijing today, but tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he would always be able to find a suitable opportunity to throw these words out to the public.

of course.

The best opportunity actually came last night when I spoke to Miss Anna Elena, the manager of the visual arts column of Oil Painting magazine.

Mr. Wu Guanzhong has a great influence not only in Dongxia, but also in Singapore and the entire Asian art field. Cui Xiaoming has already prepared his interpretation of Wu Guanzhong's paintings and the relationship between his works and Wu Guanzhong's works.

Let his father and mother help him pass the test again and again.

Cui Xiaoming originally planned to use it to show himself in front of Anna, but he didn't dare to think about the interview.

It would be great if I could mention him when writing a review article for Oil Painting magazine.

Yesterday, as soon as he started to speak, Miss Elena raised her hand to shut him up.

"It's not bad in an occasion like today." Cui Xiaoming was not afraid of Gu Weijing discussing Wu Guanzhong's painting techniques with him.

Cui Xiaoming really worked hard and studied Wu Guanzhong's paintings.

and.

more importantly--

"From fish being the spirit of art" to "the connotation of points, lines and surfaces" and then to the "mountains of Afghanistan" contained in his brushstrokes. Every sentence and every word of Cui Xiaoming's current works have been refined and revised by professional scholars in advance.

He originally planned to say this to Miss Elena, and try to leave a deep impression on her on their first meeting.

The standards he required were naturally so high that even the senior art critics from Oil Painting magazine couldn't find much fault with them.

Anna couldn't even tell there was something wrong with the words spoken, so how could Gu Weijing hear the problem?

Does he deserve it?

How could he possibly deserve it?

One of the two people reacted subconsciously on the spot, while the other had prepared countless speeches in advance. Naturally, Cui Xiaoming was able to crush the other.

The more you talk, the more timid this guy will become, and the more pale his words will seem.

This is also because Gu Weijing has no experience.

After all, he did not have Cui Xiaoming's family background, nor did he have the influence of Katsuko Sakai since childhood. This was his first time to attend such an occasion.

Lao Yang had reminded Gu Weijing in advance that he should be low-key and careful at the exhibition site these days.

If a reporter who is not officially invited by the organizing committee asks him questions, he will avoid them if possible.

If there was a mature and steady agent following Gu Weijing, he would definitely jump out to smooth things over.

No.

If a peerless "oil" guy like Lao Yang followed Gu Weijing.

There was no chance of this conversation happening at all.

As early as when Cui Xiaoming came to talk to him, Yang Dekang had already jumped out of his shell, and with a smile, he pushed Cui Xiaoming aside.

Please.

The world of fame and fortune, a place of right and wrong.

Even interviews with unofficial journalists must be done with caution. Young man, how dare you agree to such a debate about artistic paths and artistic styles?

It's a good discussion. If you don't win the house or the land, there may not be any particular benefit.

One that doesn't cope well.

What's the matter with Gu Weijing's artistic level not as good as Cui Xiaoming's? What's the matter with Cui Xiaoming teaching Gu Weijing how to paint... What's sold in the art market is fame. People use this qualification to make a living from you for the rest of your life, and you still can't defend yourself.

Gu Weijing remained silent.

He just continued to stare at the works on the stand in a daze.

When Cui Xiaoming saw this posture, he saw that the man was shocked by his words and didn't even know how to start an argument.

Cui Xiaoming felt a little sorry that his valuable advice was wasted on someone like Gu Weijing.

Ah.

Cui Xiaoming approached Gu Weijing with no good intentions.

What he just said was actually kind words from the bottom of his heart.

It’s the same thing again - there are many things I just said that I originally wanted to tell Miss Elena in private.

It might be easy to ignore someone like Gu Weijing.

But if Cui Xiaoming dares to use some empty words to fool Anna, then he really doesn't know how many eyes Lord Ma has.

“What is the skeleton of a painting? I think Mr. Wu Guanzhong has clearly explained it to all the tourists present with this masterpiece.”

“It is a point, it is a line, it is a surface.”

"Points, connect them to form lines, and move lines to form surfaces. Whether it is an oriental Chinese painting or a western oil painting, points, lines and surfaces are the most basic elements to form a work of art. They are the common starting point and end point of all paintings."

"In terms of points, lines and surfaces, oil painting and Chinese painting have the same origin and the same goal. A fusion painting with the same spirit and charm should be based on the basic elements of points, lines and surfaces, and inject the vitality of the two artistic thoughts. Layers are piled up on this foundation..."

This is also the difference between the artistic styles of Cui Xiaoming and Gu Weijing.

In Cui Xiaoming's mind, Lang Shining's painting style was more to cater to the aesthetic tastes of the Qing Dynasty royal family, integrating traditional Western oil painting techniques with traditional Chinese painting techniques.

But he himself went even further, touching upon the most basic elements of art.

"You got an advantage." Cui Xiaoming sneered in his heart.

These are good words.

In another situation, no matter how much money Gu Weijing offered to exchange, he would not tell the other party.

……

Let’s not mention Cui Xiaoming’s pride.

In the eyes of outsiders, the brief but wonderful debate between the two young painters has another meaning worth pondering.

The scene in the special exhibition hall was hardly controversial.

There has to be "contention" in an argument.

It’s called fighting when there’s give and take, and verbal sparring.

In the conversation between Gu Weijing and Cui Xiaoming, Cui Xiaoming was almost always talking and Gu Weijing was always listening.

Cui Xiaoming was able to talk about various painting theories and artistic thoughts at will, without any pause.

Gu Weijing just stood there in deep thought, quietly nodding occasionally.

There is a style about this young man——

A slender young man, the afterglow of the fill light in the exhibition hall, as pale as sunlight, shone on his black hair, pursed lips, and the metal button on his collar, reflecting the light painting of different colors.

The others stood there quietly.

The little bit of luster on her body was flowing and changing on her skin, which was a little pale from an Asian perspective.

The aura emanating from Gu Weijing was very similar to the painting “Water Village People” on the stand in front.

The colored light flows and moves between the light-colored canvas and light-colored skin, creating a natural aura of vitality and a natural artistic atmosphere.

Ordinary tourists do not have so many professional interpretations, and they use the most basic understanding: where is the "Water Village People" on the exhibition stand? It is placed in the bulletproof display cabinet of the museum, on the auction table of Christie's, in the window display column of the bus stop, or even on the dung basket of the farmhouse in the field.

Anyone who sees that painting will probably feel that it is probably a good work of art.

It's not clear how high the quality is, but it "looks" like a work of art.

And where was Gu Weijing standing, walking in the waiting hall of Changi International Airport, standing on the balcony outside the banquet hall of Fleish Hotel.

Even like this, simply standing next to the display case.

Anyone who sees Gu Weijing will probably recognize that they don’t know how good he is, but he looks like an artist.

Compared with Cui Xiaoming, Cui Xiaoming's facial features are more beautiful and three-dimensional, but Gu Weijing is more "beautiful".

The difference between pretty and beautiful lies here.

But it's useless to just look good! It's also useless to look like an artist, you have to have real talent. Cui Xiaoming obviously completely suppressed Gu Weijing in terms of conversation and knowledge.

Gu Weijing's performance makes people hate him for not fighting for it.

The two of them don't look like they are in any "dispute over the great way" of fusion painting, but rather like Cui Xiaoming, as a senior, is instructing and teaching the junior.

Everyone who saw this scene had a similar thought in their mind.

Both of them are painters invited by the organizers of the Lion City Biennale to participate in the exhibition.

Even people who don't know much about it know that it must be very impressive to be able to participate in an international biennial of this level at such a young age.

Even those who don't know much about it understand it.

The two people could argue to this extent. Perhaps... this young man with "Gu Weijing" on his chest is indeed not as good as Cui Xiaoming over there.

……

Maybe Gu Weijing himself gave in.

After listening to Cui Xiaoming's theory, he remained silent for a long time and did not say any words of rebuttal.

Gu Weijing finally had enough of the film "Water Village People" and turned his head to look at Cui Xiaoming.

"Well said. Really well said."

"As for your insights into the technical structure of this painting...I'm not as good as you." He said slowly.

Just admit it!
Even though Cui Xiaoming knew that he could not lose as long as he talked about Wu Guanzhong, Gu Weijing's answer still surprised him for a moment.

Isn't this victory too easy?
(End of this chapter)