Almighty painter

Chapter 778 Competition
Cui Xiaoming had no interest in listening to what Gu Weijing said about the origin of art.

In front of the crowd around him, he would not let go of attacking Gu Weijing, or anyone who stepped on him to prove that he was the one who had a deeper understanding of Wu Guanzhong's works and even this artistic path that combines Chinese and Western cultures.

Winning or losing a debate never depends on convincing your opponent.

Winning or losing a debate always depends on convincing the judges who have the power to score.

“To feel the essence of a work of art, one does not necessarily need to fully grasp the essence of the painter’s techniques. If this were the case, then there would be no need for ordinary people to come to the art museum, and it would be meaningless for non-professional scholars to buy tickets to visit the Biennale…”

Gu Weijing, however, answered the other party's questions very seriously.

He said calmly: "It is true that mastering the essence of the painter's technique can play a good auxiliary role in the process of understanding the work, but I think that to touch the origin of the artistic essence of a work, it is better to understand 'how the painter thinks' rather than 'how the painter paints'."

“If you understand what the creator thinks, you can understand what he writes and paints. It is perhaps more important to understand why the artist painted such a scene on the canvas than to understand how the painter painted such a scene on the canvas.”

Gu Weijing recalled the insights he gained when he copied Ms. Carroll's painting "Old Church in a Thunderstorm".

During the period when I just acquired this work.

He has been trying to figure out the painting techniques displayed by the female painter, and relying on calligraphy and painting appraisal techniques to break down the works into the most basic and scattered elements, such as how to mix the colors of thunderstorm clouds, how to use nylon brushes, how to shape the spatial volume of buildings, and how to blend the colorful rainbow light emitted by candles behind glass...

Gu Weijing breaks a painting into pieces, puts it into countless tiny puzzle pieces and holds them in the palm of his hand, then imitates them part by part, and finally "glue" these imitated pieces together in front of his canvas to complete the transfer of the image.

There is nothing wrong with doing this.

Gu Weijing also learned a lot of useful knowledge through repeated analysis, comparison and scrutiny.

Just like Cui Xiaoming's interpretation of Wu Guanzhong's paintings was not wrong, it was indeed deeper than Gu Weijing's understanding, and it also allowed him to learn a lot of useful knowledge.

But only when Gu Weijing and Shengzi were together, on that night, under the thunderclouds that were one hundred and fifty years later but just as rolling as the sea, looking at the flickering candlelight behind the glass of the old church described by Carroll, did Gu Weijing understand how the other party captured the colors in front of him.

Only then did he understand what the light that had danced before the female painter's retina looked like.

after that.

Gu Weijing was painting a self-portrait in front of his drawing board in the Xihe Guild Hall.

There is no reason, yet it makes sense.

suddenly.

He fully understood the deepest meaning hidden in the painting "Old Church in a Thunderstorm" - what was covered beneath the colors was not the plant fibers woven together on the linen canvas, but a heart wrapped in a thunderstorm and trapped by fate.

That day.

Gu Weijing understood what the colors flashing behind the female painter Carroll's retina and in her brain looked like when she was painting a century and a half ago.

From then on, Gu Weijing understood how to copy a work.

If a person's painting skills are not good, if he does not have a good understanding of the artistic style of the work, then...it will be difficult for him to draw a similar work.

Whether the copy is similar in appearance depends on the painter's understanding of the painting style and whether the part "between the fingers" of the two people is similar enough.

It is about whether the copyist and the senior painter can hold hands tightly.

And if a person’s painting emotion is not strong enough, if his artistic perception of the work is not clear enough, then…it will be difficult for him to paint a work that resembles the god.

The key to whether the imitation is similar or not lies in the painter's understanding of the origin of painting, and whether the part "between the chests" of the two people is similar enough.

It is about whether the copyist and the senior painter can have a mutual understanding with each other.

Gu Weijing's gaze swept across the faces of the people gathered around him, some old, some young, with different skin colors and facial features.

“A work of art is always a work of the heart.”

"Whose heart? Your heart, my heart, or Wu Guanzhong's heart." Cui Xiaoming nitpicked with a nitpicking scientific spirit: "There are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people. If you keep talking nonsense like this, then everyone is right."

“Everyone’s heart.”

Gu Weijing did not hesitate at all. He immediately replied: "If you think the word 'heart' is too abstract, then it refers to everyone's spirit, thoughts, the way and angle of looking at the world, and the way everyone captures the beauty of the scenery."

“Art is powerful, spirit is powerful, and beauty is powerful.”

"This kind of power is the common denominator of art, and it is the work itself." Gu Weijing pursed his lips, "Someone told me yesterday that painting is the common denominator of language. It is a kind of glittering, majestic power that defies the existence of God. She said it is the Tower of Babel that has been built in the world."

“It does not stand upright in the material world, reaching the sky. It extends infinitely horizontally in the spiritual world, leading to everyone’s heart.”

Gu Weijing recalled what the female column manager of "Oil Painting" magazine said to him in the coffee shop.

then.

His voice and intonation had changed slightly, the basic sound remained the same, and his tone had a slightly more refined and refined feel.

More confident and a little arrogant.

It was like the sound of warm sand being rubbed against the feet of golden fallen leaves, and then turned into the deep and resilient sound of a piece of velvet satin woven extremely finely and densely by logic being stretched taut and plucked by fingers.

Maybe it’s because Miss Elena has such a strong aura.

Even Gu Weijing himself didn't notice it much. He inadvertently imitated the tone of voice of someone he hated.

He repeated in a tone similar to Anna's, delicate and frank:

“And the LORD said, Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language: and this they begin to do: now nothing will be impeded from them, which they intend to do. Come, and let us go down, and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

“But when you see an excellent work of art, no matter where you are from or what your native language is, you can instantly understand what the artist is expressing with just a simple act of looking at it.”

“Look—this action is the essence of art appreciation. In front of this action, everyone becomes the same person speaking the same words.”

……

"I can't help but look forward to the art dialogue between him and your Oil Painting magazine in a few days."

among the crowd.

When Gu Weijing began his presentation, Rikiya Ameda, a scholar from the Tama Academy of Art in Japan, turned sideways and spoke to Mr. Newzlan, the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine, who was standing beside him.

"Although these two people are young, they are both very eloquent and eager to express themselves. It's really a generation replacing the old. When I was young, many painters were socially anxious and would be speechless when there were too many people around. The young men nowadays are really good at speaking, but lectures held by these painters should not be too boring."

Newzran nodded.

"It has nothing to do with age. It mainly depends on the person. I've attended a lecture by that guy before." The deputy editor whispered the name of a very popular British artist.

“It was a disaster.”

"What kind of disaster, Lord Brown's? That might be interesting."

Yutian Liya asked in a low voice.

He has known the deputy editor-in-chief for a long time.

They had previously been colleagues in an international art exchange program, so they were able to make such workplace jokes.

"As the deputy editor-in-chief of Oil Painting, I totally disagree with what you said."

Newzlan had a blank expression on his face, then couldn't help but secretly curled the corners of his mouth.

He was not a person that Sir Brown had placed next to Anna... but he was not a member of Elena's family either.

The boardroom struggle was a little far away from him.

He had no shares in the magazine and was just an ordinary employee in the company. He cared less about who was in charge of Oil Painting magazine and how much it was worth than about his own monthly salary.

"But... it's worse than that." Newzlan continued in a low voice, "It's the kind of disaster that makes you want to immerse your head in a coffee cup and drown. It's just like a gallery merchandise promotion meeting, with routine propaganda and endless sales talk. To be honest, instead of packaging it as an academic lecture, it would be better for him to directly give each guest a 30% discount coupon." "I remember that not long ago, your Oil Painting lowered its recommendation index from two and a half stars to two stars."

Yutian Li also thought about it and raised his eyebrows: "So——"

Newzland smiled maliciously and said in a critic-like humor: "So, even if he really sent me a promotional coupon for 30% off, I would not buy his work."

"What about these two?"

Yutian Liya nodded at the two people in the middle of the crowd again.

"Young artists who are able to participate in the Singapore Biennale at this age are all potential stocks worth paying attention to in the industry. I would like to ask if you have any plans to adjust their recommended star ratings?"

The Japanese scholar thought about it.

"Gu Weijing doesn't seem to have any recommended star rating yet. Cui Xiaoming does have one... If I remember correctly, it should be two and a half stars."

"The Buyer's Guide and Visual Arts sections have been separated out from the magazine and are not subordinate to each other," Newzlan said cautiously.

"That's why I feel comfortable asking. Just a random guess."

Even Yutian Li blinked.

"In theory, for painters of their age, every experience of participating in a biennial can be considered a milestone in their career, and their value will increase."

"Hard to say."

Newzlan seemed convinced, and he thought for a moment.

"It's hard to pull off this kind of painting method that combines the two. Just like what Cui Xiaoming said, it's a journey of both land and water. You have to twist two completely different artistic styles together. It shouldn't make Easterners feel awkward, nor should it make Westerners feel awkward. You have to please both the Asian market and the Western market, two completely different cultural groups. It's like splitting a person vertically in half."

"Then I can also quote what this young Mr. Gu said."

The Japanese scholar answered nonchalantly.

“Art is the common denominator of culture and the common solution of the soul. In front of good works, everyone becomes the same person speaking the same language.”

“Think about it. If they can please collectors on either side, they will immediately gain a foothold in the art market. These are the two hottest and richest art collecting markets in the world, and perhaps the only two markets that can support the upper limit of the value of a living painter to more than $1000 million per work.”

Rikiya Ameda's words are quite optimistic, with a feeling that "the two richest markets with the strongest purchasing power are all serving one painter, how can this blessing be small?"

"Think of the Impressionists—"

"Initially, it was the Americans who hyped it up, and later, it was the money from Eastern collectors that pushed it to the top of the world. It was a win-win situation."

"That has to happen," Newzlan said helplessly, "Given their ages, it's still too far to talk about their market cap. We can only talk about their potential."

"Cui Xiaoming's current recommendation index is two and a half stars. Considering his age and resume, this star rating is very high. There are not many painters who can reach this recommendation index in this Biennale. He is even more favored than some artists who are already well-known in Asia."

"If he wants to take the next step, it may not be enough to just use his status as a special guest painter of the Lion City Biennale to gild his reputation. Not to mention a big award, but at least he has to win an award. I guess he is aiming for this year's Best Creative Award."

"He won an award and was recognized by the Biennale jury. He should have three stars. Oh, I also heard that Gagosian's agent seems to have been in contact with Cui Xiaoming's parents recently. If the news that he really became the youngest contracted painter under Gagosian can be revealed, then I think-"

Newzlan thought for a moment, looked around, and secretly stretched out four fingers on the chest of his shirt.

If a painter has a scandal with Gagosian or has afternoon tea with him, his net worth will skyrocket.

No matter how you think about it, this young man favored by this super speculator in the art market deserves a four-star purchase recommendation from Oil Painting Magazine.

Think about it this way.

Newzlan couldn't help but be tempted and wanted to find some channels to see if he could buy one or two paintings by Cui Xiaoming.

It must be a good business that can make money without doing anything.

But collectors are not fools. Cui Xiaoming has never made his official debut before, and there are very few of his works circulating in the market.

There are only a few of them, and almost no one will sell them.

Maybe I can find an opportunity to say hello and get this "New Three Bodies of Buddha" in advance. Well, I guess there will be a considerable premium.

With Cui Xiaoming's accumulation of experience, the price of his work might reach up to 100,000 US dollars after winning the award, which is more expensive than the gold medal works in previous years.

Expensive reason.

Art is better bought expensively than cheaply.

Expensive things can become more expensive, but worthless works are often never valuable.

One hundred thousand dollars should be worth it. He could call his investment advisor and sell a few stocks he had to raise some money.

A future four-star painter - this is a much smarter way of thinking than using your money to buy Apple stock.

"Can……"

At the same time, Ameda Rikiya was looking at the two young men standing in front of Wu Guanzhong's work.

One person looked calm and peaceful.

One of them had a kind smile on his face.

If a photo were taken, it might seem that the two young painters at this moment are not at all worldly-wise and are really just good friends.

I guess many of the tourists watching around really think that this is just an ordinary art discussion.

However, Yutian Liya smelled a strong smell of gunpowder that was almost impossible to dissolve.

Will this be a life-and-death battle between two outstanding young artists?
Both of them were talking about Wu Guanzhong and explaining their understanding of him. Perhaps, they both wanted to have such a special exhibition hall many years in the future and become the next Wu Guanzhong.

But how many Picassos, Van Goghs and Wu Guanzhongs are there in this world?

But how many people in a generation can become Picasso, Van Gogh, and Wu Guanzhong?

Maybe one or two.

Maybe none.

No matter how huge the scale of the Asian and Western art markets is, and no matter how much hot money there is, there are only one or two painters whose value can reach the point where a single work can be sold for $1000 million.

Just like Singapore's Esplanade, no matter how big it is or how many booths it has, there is only one special invitation exhibition hall and only one central booth in the special invitation exhibition hall.

Best results.

Several years later, one of these two people will become the next generation of Wu Guanzhong, and one of them will have his works displayed in such an exhibition hall and be admired by others.

Or maybe.

not a single one.

"——That would require him to defeat Mr. Gu. This is the premise. The two have similar painting styles, and Gu Weijing is several years younger than him."

Rikiya Ameda looked at the venue through the gap between the shoulders of the tourists in front of him and his raised mobile phone, and commented in a low voice.

"As far as I know. Larry Gagosian, he has never been a man who likes second place. The gold medal winner of the youth category of the Madrid Touring Art Competition in 1897 was Pablo Picasso, who became famous because of it. But does anyone remember who won the silver medal?"

The short Japanese shrugged. "From what I know, Gagosian is currently the number one gallery in the United States, and it only wants the number one. Its owner may think that the number two is just a substitute for the number one. The number one is Picasso, representing infinite possibilities. The number two is not the American Picasso—de Kooning or Jackson Pollock. Because..."

"Because de Kooning is de Kooning, Jackson Pollock. They are not the second Picasso, just like Picasso is not the second de Kooning or Jackson Pollock in Europe." Newzlan knew what the Japanese scholar next to him meant, and he said, "That's just a statement made by the media to facilitate cross-border sales of paintings. In our industry, the real second Picasso or second de Kooning is just a small figure drowned in the crowd, and no one will remember his name. Just like the second place in the Madrid Touring Art Exhibition in 1897. He is just one of the countless losers who were trampled underfoot in Picasso's life."

(End of this chapter)