Almighty painter

Chapter 780 Fire and Smoke

“Everyone has a fire in their heart, but passers-by can only see the smoke.”

——Letter from Van Gogh to his brother.
-
Cui Xiaoming clenched and opened his hands.

When he spoke again, his tone had become more aggressive than before.

"For the sutra?"

His voice was calm. "I'm very curious. When you saw this work, if you didn't start from professional art theory and saw the delicate and exquisite points, lines, planes, red, green, yellow, black, white and gray, what did you see?"

“What I saw was touching.”

“Who isn’t?” Cui Xiaoming smiled.

Gu Weijing thought for a moment and said, "What I'm talking about is a kind of nostalgia with a hint of mist and rain, or in other words, what I see is the hustle and bustle of the world."

"Oh? How do you mean?"

Cui Xiaoming looked at the other person, then turned his head to look at the painting: "The exhibition is called the Noise of the World. So... don't you feel that it is a little bit like answering questions with questions, and explaining names with names?"

"But I agree with your point of view." Cui Xiaoming turned his head back.

The mixed-race young man looked at Gu Weijing. He stretched out a finger, circled it around his temple, took over the conversation, and was the first to express his views to the people around him.

Seeing that this painting depicts the hustle and bustle of the world does not mean that Gu Weijing has outstanding artistic interpretation ability.

He just wanted to curry favor with the organizer.

"The misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River, the small bridges and the flowing water, this is a beautiful painting." Cui Xiaoming smiled, and this time it was the kind of smug smile that came after seeing through the tricks the other party was trying to play.

Cui Xiaoming decided to play this trick first and do it better than him.

Gu Weijing is like pointing at the products on the shelf in the supermarket with the sign "Apple" written on it and saying "Oh, I see, that's an apple."

What kind of real skill is it if even a child can say it?
"The excellence of Wu Guanzhong's works lies in the fact that he is Wu Guanzhong." Cui Xiaoming said casually: "Mr. Wu always grasps the true meaning of formal beauty very well. Eastern lines and Western surfaces are combined together in one painting..."

……

“All kinds of lines, all kinds of planes, all kinds of colors and lines of the human world are skillfully combined together by the painter… In an instant, the light and shadow of the world are all solidified on the surface of the paper by the painter’s artistic treatment.”

Cui Xiaoming raised his eyelids and looked at Gu Weijing with a smile.

Here.

Look, this is really nothing.

"Oh, this reminds me of another painter. Do you know anyone whose paintings have a similar temperament? Do you like to use lines, spots and patterns in your works to express the momentary light and shadow and increase the interest of the artwork?"

Cui Xiaoming turned sideways and looked at the camera of the mobile phone next to him.

This question was not asked to Gu Weijing, but to the audience watching the excitement around him.

He is very good at marketing and is good at interacting appropriately with the audience around him to increase their sense of involvement and participation.

Originally it was just a debate between two young painters, but if one of them had proper communication and interaction with the camera, it would easily make the audience develop a subjective emotional inclination.

Cui Xiaoming went to see Miss Elena yesterday to talk about his paintings for the exhibition, with the same purpose.

What happened at the dinner party was just an accident with a low probability of happening.

Anna's mood is unpredictable and she is really hard to please.

In most cases, Cui Xiaoming is very good at this.

"Does anyone know which painter I'm talking about?"

No one answered for a while.

So, Cui Xiaoming took out a cultural and creative pen from the chest pocket of his shirt.

It is a souvenir issued by the organizing committee to the participating artists. The pen cap has the exterior of the Esplanade building laser engraved on it, and between the golden arrow-shaped pen clip are the English inscriptions of this Biennale's theme "hustle and bustle" and the abbreviation of Cui Xiaoming's personal name "C·X".

This stuff is certainly not real gold.

It is very refined but not too expensive, and is mainly a commemorative item.

Many cultural and artistic activities have similar things, which represent the organizers' respect for the participating guests. For example, the classic tradition of the Golden Horse Awards is that all the stars, industry scholars and film critics who participate in the Golden Horse Awards will receive an official gift from the organizers, which is a limited edition rice cooker engraved with a golden horse head.

It is said that this thing is sold at a very high price in the secondary market.

However, the one in Cui Xiaoming's hand is a custom-made pen with a unique personal name engraved on it, which is only available to specially invited painters at this Biennale.

"This question may be a little difficult. If someone can answer it... I can give it this pen. It has my name on it. I am the guest artist of the Biennale. It is a gift customized for me by the organizing committee."

He held the pen by the tail and held it upright in his hand.

"It's probably worth S$50 now? I don't know, probably enough to pay for the exhibition ticket. But 30 years later - um, do you see the villa on Bukit Timah Hill? Save this video and wish us good luck together."

Cui Xiaoming blinked and his long eyelashes trembled.

He cleverly showed his ambition with a smile in a completely non-annoying way.

This well-spoken young man was standing in front of Wu Guanzhong's special exhibition hall at the Singapore Biennale, holding a custom-made fountain pen given to him by the Biennale organizing committee.

have to say.

With the eight-figure US dollar oriental oil painting by Wu Guanzhong behind him as the backdrop, his smile was quite convincing.

The desire and greed for success were transformed into a firm will in Cui Xiaoming's smile.

to be honest.

In this industry, describing an artist as ambitious and having high aspirations is never a criticism.

Thinking that the fountain pen that witnessed my first participation in the Biennale can be exchanged for a mansion on the top of a mountain half a century later, like the "1 of 1" star card issued when a rugby superstar debuted, or the co-branded items of top artists such as Hirst and Takashi Murakami, is far more worthy of others' optimism than whispering with lowered eyebrows that this fountain pen may not even sell for 30 Singapore dollars in 5 years.

Even the strong Miss Elena appreciated this. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should others believe in you?

I don’t know if it’s because Cui Xiaoming is good at creating atmosphere, or if “a villa thirty years later” is too fascinating.

The enthusiasm of the crowd surrounding them was quickly aroused.

People tentatively guessed the names of several painters, but the answers never seemed to satisfy Cui Xiaoming.

"It's Van Gogh."

Someone spoke from behind the crowd.

"In March 1885, Van Gogh came to Paris, just when the first generation of masters who founded Impressionism gathered together for the last time and held the last large-scale exhibition of the entire school on the banks of the Seine. It was at that last exhibition that Van Gogh came into contact with Impressionism. He was cared for by Pissarro and Seurat and was influenced by them."

"Beside the Seine, Van Gogh began to slowly incorporate Impressionist and Pointillist techniques into his own painting style. This is where the lines, spots and patterns you mentioned to add interest to the painting came from."

"Coincidentally, not only are the temperaments of the paintings similar, but decades later, Wu Guanzhong, who was sent to study in France, was also in Paris, at the same place on the banks of the Seine, where he came into contact with Impressionism, saw Van Gogh's works, and was deeply fascinated by them. This artistic experience played an important role in the formation of Wu Guanzhong's personal painting style."

The people in the front row turned around and looked at the sound.

The one who spoke was a man in a suit and tie with gray hair who was standing next to a short Japanese man.

The man said slowly.

"Perhaps this is the reason why a senior critic, Melicorn, the editor-in-chief of the Asian Art Section of Oil Painting Magazine in the last century, said that Wu Guanzhong is the Van Gogh of Dongxia, the Van Gogh who is still alive in this century."

"Thank you, Mr. Charlie Newzland."

Cui Xiaoming had already recognized the other party's identity long before the other party opened his mouth. He restrained the smile on his face and spoke respectfully.

"That was a very good answer. A 100% correct standard answer. But maybe it was a little too good. It said everything I wanted to say."

Cui Xiaoming smiled bitterly and spread his hands.

"In front of the deputy editor-in-chief of Oil Painting magazine, I really have nothing to show off. Please excuse me. I just said that as a joke. Please don't take it as an offense."

He put the pen back embarrassedly.

“You’re too kind. After I came to Singapore a few days ago, my manager talked to me about you and spoke very highly of you.” Newzlan said with a smile.

"Really?"

Cui Xiaoming smiled again. His surprise at this moment was not fake at all. Last night, Anna's indifference made him think that she had no interest in him, and he couldn't sleep.

did not expect.

According to the deputy editor, Miss Elena actually has a very high opinion of herself.

What happened last night was probably just a coincidence.

"And no need to thank me." Mr. Newzlan, who came to the Biennale to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, is also an interesting and wonderful person.

He also winked at Cui Xiaoming.

"I am actually quite tempted by a villa on Bukit Timah Hill in 30 years. I believe that keeping one's word is a good virtue. I also want to bring a commemorative collection on the plane." The deputy editor made a double entendre.

"Uh...of course, of course. As long as you don't mind, I'd be honored."

Cui Xiaoming smiled.

Anna can use her calmness to convey thousands of emotions, and can dye the surrounding environment the same color as her joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

Cui Xiaoming is really a person who can use hundreds of different smiles to convey emotions, and can change with the surrounding environment, smiling like a chameleon.

This time.

His smile was very childish, like a shy young man who felt embarrassed after being praised by his elders.

He immediately took the pen in both hands, took two steps forward, and actually handed over his souvenir pen.

"Please pass it to the gentleman at the back for me, thank you."

Cui Xiaoming turned around.

His expression immediately changed again, like a general who was sure of victory and holding an imperial edict, he walked to Gu Weijing's side -

"The Impressionist works are a noisy dream of colors, lines and spots. A similar feeling of light and shadow also appears in the works in front of us. Every time I see such paintings, it is like doing a special crossword puzzle and playing a mysterious color game."

"It is a classic. Messy lines, complex blocks of color, interesting still life, they are all orderly combined together in the picture. This is what you call the origin of art, and it is also what you said that you saw the 'hustle and bustle of the world' in the painting, right?"

Cui Xiaoming was disdainful. With his knowledge, how could he see these things? And how could he say what he said?

impossible.

It was good enough that Gu Weijing could have a vague feeling. There was absolutely no way that it could be as clear and profound as his.

Cui Xiaoming wanted to say what Gu Weijing was thinking, to say it better, more accurately, and more to the point than the other party.

Only in this way.

Gu Weijing was able to listen better.

Cui Xiaoming believed that Gu Weijing could really see something in Wu Guanzhong's works.

He despised Gu Weijing, he despised Gu Weijing as a person, his artistic style, and his academic accomplishments.

But Cui Xiaoming has never underestimated the other party's talent, and has never even underestimated the other party's keen insight in the field of art.

He never looked down on the other person's painting skills.

The person who can stand here at the age of eighteen, the person who can paint the "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunshine", despises the other person's talent, which means he is looking down on himself.

well.

People who can understand some things and perceive some mysteries but cannot accurately describe their inner thoughts and ideas are much easier to fool than complete laymen.

Knowing a little bit, the impact will be greater.

When Copernicus saw the night sky through the astronomical telescope, he must have been more shocked than an ordinary man or woman looking up at the stars.

Gu Weijing was so devastated by Tang Ning's words, "You lack real talent, and you will never be able to be like me," because he could realize how good Tang Ning's painting was and understood how excellent works she had produced at the age of 20.

That's why.

Cui Xiaoming firmly believed that every word he said, every smile, every word of Newzland, the audience's reaction, every point, line and surface of his words, every word of Wu Guanzhong and every word of Van Gogh, could hit the other party's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Very sharp insight, very good, it makes sense."

He praised the other person with a smile in his tone. His voice was gentle, powerful and full of patience, the kind of patience that an adult would have when holding a child's hand to teach him or her to walk and move forward... the patience of the abyss.

If Cui Xiaoming could express what Gu Weijing was thinking in every sentence, and break through the window paper that he felt but could not express.

Does that mean that, on this road, Cui Xiaoming stands higher and sees farther than him?

Does that mean?

Is Cui Xiaoming's path more correct and has a longer future than his?

Gu Weijing still looked like he was trying hard to remain calm.

Cui Xiaoming waited patiently for the porcelain shell of Gu Weijing's calm exterior to be completely broken, watching shock, confusion, sadness, anger, hesitation, doubt, disbelief, doubt about life and many other emotions creep up on his face little by little like cracks, and finally swell up and break him.

Click.

The firm belief and determination of a person to become a great painter were thrown to the ground. The silent shattering sound at that moment must have been like a Ru kiln tea cup being smashed to pieces in the rain-broken sky and blue clouds.

It's filled with the sound of heartbreak.

It must sound good.

Cui Xiaoming is looking forward to it.

"You call this the origin of art. There are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people. You certainly have the right to say so. But I personally think this word is a bit too big and a bit too abstract. For the classics, if you are willing to imagine seriously, you will understand that this kind of 'noise' is nothing more than the result of the combination of points, lines, surfaces, black, white, gray, red, green and blue."

"The world is noisy, the world is noisy, what is the world noisy? When we interpret art, we should go deep into the bones, into the essence between the brushstrokes -"

"It's hustle and bustle, not noise." Gu Weijing interrupted Cui Xiaoming softly.

"What?" Cui Xiaoming was stunned.

Gu Weijing used Chinese to express this sentence. There was only one letter difference between the two words, and he did not understand what Gu Weijing wanted to express.

"The official English theme of this biennale is called 'hustle and bustle'."

Gu Weijing raised his head.

He looked at the tourists and the crowds around him, and just like Cui Xiaoming explained to them what "Tao" is, he explained his understanding in English: "Hustle means busy, selling, and pushing. Bustle means hurried, lively, and noisy."

"The combination of these two keywords can be directly understood as a crowded and busy flow of people and crowded and busy activities."

"It is very appropriate to use this word to summarize the busy dance scene in Renoir's masterpiece "The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette" where people are crowded and shoulder to shoulder."

Gu Weijing cleared his throat.

"But in front of some works, this description seems very inappropriate."

"For example, the work I participated in the Biennale was not about crowded and busy crowds. Another example is Mr. Wu Guanzhong's work "Water Village Human World" in front of me."

“A little red on the small bridge, a little yellow on the black boat… No matter how you think about it or interpret it, it has nothing to do with hustle and bustle. The picture is clean, gentle, and even has a hint of bleakness and bitterness.”

"Where is the noise in this feeling? Are these works off-topic? These are Mr. Wu Guanzhong's paintings, shouldn't they be displayed here?"

Gu Weijing turned his gaze back to the oil paintings on the stand.

At this moment.

He felt that the noise around him was gradually fading away, but the world did not become more lonely, but instead became clearer.

A handkerchief, after being washed clean of mud and dust, finally revealing the bright red color underneath.

The crowded crowds, the raised cameras, and the whispered conversations existed around Gu Weijing, but had nothing to do with him.

They are just background white noise.

The only thing that really matters is the picture that unfolds before us:

"It's the connection between fire and smoke. You see the smoke, and I see the fire."

(End of this chapter)