Almighty painter

Chapter 794 Perfect Fairy Tale
Gu Weijing spent twenty minutes in front of the booth, just staring at Cui Xiaoming's work.

When tourists who don’t know the inside story see this scene, they will surely guess in their hearts that the young man really likes the work on the booth.

This inference is not too far off.

Gu Weijing read the painting "New Three Bodies of Buddha" from beginning to end, not missing even a single detail of the brushstrokes, and finally he came to three conclusions in total.

1. Cui Xiaoming had indeed seen his painting "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunshine".

Second, the details in Cui Xiaoming's works are very interesting, and some parts are better than his original version with the same oblique pyramid composition.

Last but not least, Gu Weijing likes this painting.

It is no smarter to underestimate a person or a work out of hatred or contempt, and not to dare to admit your admiration and love, than to make misjudgments out of fear and anger.

Even Mr. Cao Xuan hopes to learn from this painter, so he must have his own unique insights in the field of art.

Cui Xiaoming did imitate some elements in his own works, but this cannot conceal the unique highlights of expression that he showed in his own paintings based on these elements.

The styles of the paintings can be similar, and the temperaments of the paintings can be mirror images of each other, but the core of the work is difficult to imitate.

A thousand readers have a thousand Hamlets.

A thousand Shakespeares could also write a thousand different versions of The Prince's Revenge.

Each prince walks to the battlefield with a sword in hand, but his face is covered with countless masks of different dramas. The story templates that have been written by predecessors can always express completely different emotional cores. This is precisely the endless charm of literary and artistic works.

Gu Weijing threw a calligraphy and painting authentication technique up there.

[Title of Work: New Three Bodies of Buddha]

[Sketch Technique: Lv.5 Professional Painter, Level 1102 (10000/)]

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[Oil Painting Technique: Lv.5 Professional Painter, Level 6321 (10000/)]

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[Chinese Painting Techniques: Level 5 Professional Painter, Level 0987 (10000/)]

[Emotion: A simple work]

The second-level proficiency of three professional painters in using brushes appeared on the screen. Just like when Gu Weijing appraised his own works, there was a separation line between each of the three painting techniques on the virtual panel.

Compared with the original version of "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunshine", some parts of Cui Xiaoming's work seem to be painted a little hastily.

His control over the pen is not as good as mine, and his painting style seems immature.

These are the areas where Cui Xiaoming's paintings are not as good as his.

And his strengths over Gu Weijing are also obvious.

The first is this very personal way of weaving colors.

According to the evaluation criteria of the system panel, the existence of separation lines between techniques means that in the eyes of the system, the oil painting techniques, sketching techniques and Chinese painting techniques in the work have not been firmly integrated and connected together.

It is still like drawing dotted lines on the map, with intermittent sections of water and land, and the passes and barriers between them have not yet been opened up. It is still impossible to truly sort out the entire artistic path and achieve the "consistent, both land and water journey".

Cui Xiaoming tried to lay a large color net on the canvas with his brushstrokes to firmly attract the audience's attention. He was not applying colors, but rather threading two different artistic styles on the canvas to depict a grand artistic scene for the audience.

This is probably the way of painting that Cao Xuan hoped Gu Weijing would learn from him.

So far.

Cui Xiaoming has not yet finished weaving this web. The details of the "stitches" are a bit messy, the painting is not neat enough, and there are blockages in the flow of air that have not been cleared, but the overall structure of the picture has been built.

Gu Weijing draws inspiration from the past.

Cui Xiaoming uses his writing to point to the future.

In some respects, Cui Xiaoming has gone further than Gu Weijing. Although there is still a gap in artistic temperament, his works are much more complete than when Gu Weijing tried to explore his own painting methods.

Secondly, it is the intention of the other party's work——

“It’s magnificent.”

Gu Weijing opened his lips slightly and commented softly.

Cui Xiaoming's work is "bigger" than Gu Weijing's, not just because of the difference in canvas size. Compared with Gu Weijing's focus on the small space of an orphanage, Cui Xiaoming's work, which reflects on the past, present and future of human society, is more majestic.

The perspective chosen in Gu Weijing's works is relatively classical.

As for Cui Xiaoming, he has more modern artistic temperament.

"Did he draw it like this just to please the judges?"

This thought flashed through Gu Weijing's mind, and he shook his head slightly.

He wants to win an award, and Cui Xiaoming also wants to win an award. Every artist who submits his work to the Biennale organizing committee has a burning desire for an award in his heart.

Protecting your answers on the test paper is what students who want to get first place should do.

It is also important to understand which social issues are more valued by the teachers who mark the papers.

As early as two hundred years ago, at the London Salon Exhibition in the British Empire, Mr. Edwin Landseer painted a lot of dogs and was wildly praised by critics. He defeated a bunch of competitors including William Turner and the president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and became the Queen's favorite painter and the symbol of British art. That moment (note) began.

Looking at the dog with its pink and white tongue sticking out on the canvas, every painter should understand that some subjects can give painters a certain competitive advantage when it comes to awards.

(The most important guest at the opening of the art exhibition was Queen Victoria, who was a dog lover.)
Gu Weijing originally made up his mind to present a fusion painting of Chinese and Western styles as an entry for the Singapore Biennale. The main reason was that he believed such works would be more popular with the judges and more likely to win awards.

Cui Xiaoming also took out a more "pleasing" oil painting. If he were to express his sour contempt here, he would appear too cowardly and might even ignore the bright spots in the conception of Cui Xiaoming's work.

Gu Weijing pursed his lips and shifted his gaze back to the right side of the frame.

Specially invited artists have a larger booth space. Cui Xiaoming is not as extravagant as CDX Gallery, which can use a large and beautiful sculpture as a vase to hold the works of its own artists. However, there is also a large plaque next to his booth to explain the inspiration and artistic concept of his works.

It is also an important advantage that distinguishes invited painters from ordinary painters.

If you are worried that the audience may not understand your work, or that you will not be able to let the artwork speak for itself and convey your profound creative ideas to the judges, you can use words to break through the last layer of window paper.

"This is a painting about expressing love—"

Gu Weijing followed the part he had just unfinished and continued reading quickly.

“In today’s society, there are more and more discussions about intimate relationships. Every host of a love show is teaching others how to get love, but people are becoming more and more confused about love. It seems that this word is becoming more and more painful and embarrassing... A few months ago, Ms. Anna Irina from Oil Painting magazine told the story about “42” at the European Art Annual Conference.”

“Ms. Elena said that the story inspired her. Before people are anxious and eager to find the ultimate answer to the universe, it is better to ask themselves what the ultimate question of the universe is. Coincidentally, this story also inspired me to draw this work. In today's society, before people are anxious to find love, they might as well take a good look at themselves and ask themselves, what is the essence of love?”

“The ancient sculpture on the picture consists of three parts: Buddha, the goddess of good fortune and money, and the Greek god of war. It represents the traces of cultural integration on the Silk Road thousands of years ago. In today's society, it can also have new meanings. The reason why I painted this work is to make some kind of examination and inquiry.”

Cui Xiaoming wrote at the end of the display board. "When people burn incense in front of the Buddha, pray to the cross in the church, throw coins into the wishing well, watch tarot divination or crystal ball prediction videos on YouTube, study their love fortunes by looking at the tea stains in the teacup and ask some omnipotent existence to bless them with "love", or even when they order a rose in the flower shop, looking at the crowded and jostling crowd outside the window, what exactly are they praying for——"

"It's the satisfaction of desire, it's good luck, it's money."

"Or power itself."

“This is the question of my art.”
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The crowd ruthlessly moved away from the young man standing by the booth, flowing away from him like mist.

In the fast-paced, atomized metropolis, everyone is in a hurry and immersed in their own little world.

Perhaps some people noticed that Gu Weijing stood in front of Cui Xiaoming's work for a long time, some noticed his special gentle and slightly melancholy temperament, and some even recognized that he was one of the two protagonists of the art debate that took place in the special exhibition hall on the first floor not long ago. They stopped for a moment, became curious, and even whispered a few words to their friends around them.

They would soon walk around this strange young man and leave.

The water will pause briefly in front of the reef and then flow away from the side.

They have their own lives, their own busy affairs, studies and work.

Those who can come to the exhibition are definitely on vacation, but vacation often just means that the contents of the schedule have been replaced by synonyms. They have to see exhibitions, go on dates, have dinners, go to the cinema, and do other things in a different kind of hurry.

People's lives are too busy.

I am so busy that I have no time to notice the pondering and thinking of young people like Gu Weijing, and perhaps I don’t have the time to think about what love really is.

Gu Weijing turned around.

He looked around at the people walking away from him, his expression revealing a melancholy that was inconsistent with his age.

The words on the display board were just written casually by Cui Xiaoming. Well, it can’t be said to be casual.

Every word in the introduction to his work had been carefully arranged, with the main purpose of finding some common ground with Miss Elena and currying favor with the entire interview team of Oil Painting magazine by implicitly flattering the new queen of Oil Painting. It was like shooting an arrow first and then slowly drawing the target based on the reference answer.

In Cui Xiaoming's subjective intention, the description of the work on his display board was no different from the two famous quotes of Heidegger that he quoted to Anna when he approached her at the banquet last night.

How you say it, how you write it, it doesn’t matter.

The important thing is that when you see Miss Anna coming, you quickly put on makeup, strike a pose that the two of you will like, and try to leave a good impression from the beginning.

Anna likes Heidegger, so he quotes Heidegger. He also tells Anna what her aesthetic preferences are, and what he likes.

In other words, his family has never had a dog, so suddenly he was walking around with a dog in front of others, which was really too artificial.

Otherwise, he would have brought the whole dog with him.

The flowers planted intentionally will not bloom, but the willows planted unintentionally will provide shade.

Cui Xiaoming would never have anticipated that the two lines he casually wrote on the display board with the intention of "hooking" Miss Elena would have a greater impact on Gu Weijing than the large-scale debate and confrontation he had in the special exhibition hall.

Cui Xiaoming is indeed a very talented young man.

Needless to say.

Cui Xiaoming talked at length about Wu Guanzhong's painting techniques in the exhibition hall. His main purpose was to undermine Gu Weijing's artistic confidence. However, this did not prevent Gu Weijing from thinking that what he said was really good.

He talked at length about his own artistic achievements on the display board. His main purpose was to flatter the female manager of Oil Painting magazine. However, this did not prevent Gu Weijing from thinking that what he wrote was really good.

Good works of art are always those that can make people think.

Gu Weijing felt that he was always only one step away from perfect and peaceful love. Whether he was standing here with Sakai Katsuko or with Miss Koko, there was always pain mixed in their smiles.

He felt both powerless and guilty about it.

Cui Xiaoming's painting "New Three Bodies of Buddha" brought him new ideas for artistic creation. The text introduction he wrote next to the painting touched Gu Weijing's heart.

Yes, what is the essence of love?

That’s a really good question.

This is a question that even the Sloth Advisor has never answered. Mr. Sloth taught Gu Weijing that the soil for love to sprout in his heart is surprise, kindness, and telepathy. It is like someone knocking on the blackboard and saying that if there is oxygen, wood and the right temperature, fire will be produced, but what is the essence of fire? Is it oxygen, wood and temperature?

Is the essence of love money, luck and power?
This question can also lead to another question: Does the perfect love of happiness and peace that Gu Weijing hoped for and longed for not exist?

The closest template to perfect love that Gu Weijing could imagine in his mind was actually a fairy tale.

Since he was a child, someone told him that

The prince and princess lived happily and harmoniously together. This was a perfect life and a perfect ending. But it was just a fairy tale wrapped in beautiful imagination! People always put beautiful imaginations that cannot exist in reality into fairy tales.

And even if it's a fairy tale.

Love doesn't seem so perfect either.

Let’s not talk about the story of the Little Mermaid, in which the infatuated love turned the little mermaid into foam in the sun. In those happiest endings, did the prince and princess really live a happy life forever? Snow White had a flawless and pure love with the prince just because he saved her, so why didn’t Snow White have a flawless and pure love with the seven dwarfs?

When people are under great pressure, it may be relatively easy for them to jump into a lake while hugging each other.

But can people embrace each other forever, for generations to come?
In the most perfect endings of Swan Lake, the death of the evil wizard means that at the moment of sunrise, the prince and the swan princess live happily together forever.

Gu Weijing suddenly realized that the logic here was very strange.

The big devil was defeated by the powerful prince and princess, which means that the prince and princess successfully survived. Why does it mean that the prince and princess lived happily together?
Do they have similar values ​​and hobbies? Do they have anything in common besides throwing parties? Do they quarrel in life? What are their social circles like? How many children does the prince want to have, and how many children does the princess want to have? Who will like which child more in the future, and who will pass the throne to whom in the future?

Aren’t these the things that determine whether lovers’ lives are happy and fulfilling?

If deciding to defeat the devil means having a perfect marriage, then the prince and princess, are they marrying for love or for power?

If the latter is the essence of love.

Then, in just a moment, love falls from a flawless crystal to an uncontrollable mediocrity amidst trivial matters.

This kind of collapse and fall was just like the collapse and fall of Gu Weijing's image when she discovered that Tang Ning would actually use those shady little tricks to deal with her.

When he realized the latter, Gu Weijing felt excited and courageous.

The prince and princess who realize that they have defeated the devil may quarrel, feel pain, or at some point in their lives, get tired of or even annoyed with each other. What Gu Weijing feels is depression and confusion.

Seriously imagine that.

Snow White's father, who has a low sense of existence, is attracted by her stepmother who talks about magic mirror all the time. When the former prince and the former princess meet and fall head over heels in love with each other, will they both firmly believe that they have met their destined partner? Will they think that if they hold each other's hands, they will get the whole world? Will they have the courage to jump into the lake together?
At this moment.

Will the prince and the swan princess who jumped into the lake together in each other's arms become an incompetent old king and a stepmother with a magic mirror many years later?

Then.

Does this mean that even at the beginning, he chose Miss Sakai or Koko?

He still can't get true happiness?
As time goes by and the flame of passion fades, life is destined to reveal its pale, mediocre and powerless true face.

(End of this chapter)