Almighty painter

Chapter 818: Reward Strategy (Part )

Hanks' heart tightened.

He felt the power of Anna's sharp comments.

This writing is like a strong gin, which makes people dizzy when held in the hands of a lady wrapped in silk gloves.

Hanks has a rough idea of ​​what's going on. It seems that Deckard Alen's solo exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi did not live up to the gallery's hopes.

But he hasn't had time to read the latest issue of "Oil Painting" magazine.

The comments and reports in front of me are really——

“That’s so mean.”

Hanks spent 0.5 seconds in his mind to figure out the boss's mood at the moment, and thought that he should take the right stance, even if he was incompetent and furious.

Anyway, no matter how powerful Oil Painting magazine is, you won’t hear him saying bad things here.

If a small agent like him wants to deal with the art director of "Oil Painting", he will have to work for another 20 years, and the one who pays his salary is Marcel Schneider III.

So he got angry.

"What qualifications does she have to say such things? I heard that she only stayed at the exhibition for 20 minutes in total. Since when can one make a rash judgment on an art exhibition that a great artist has carefully prepared for many years just by taking a quick look at it for minutes? I heard that she was in Singapore and had to do a special interview with someone just for a random paper. This guy has no respect for Mr. Anlun's artistic achievements."

Hanks frowned, put his hand on the magazine in front of him, and complained dissatisfiedly: "I have seen Mr. Anlun's exhibition. It was a dream about marble. The watercolor paint turned into some hard spots in his hands..."

"Actually, I don't like Dyke's exhibition either. Pop art?" The man at the table interrupted him. "Well, it's a bit traditional, but not traditional enough. In the past half century, Pop style has been one of the biggest trends in the art market. This is true, but it also means that it is the most competitive track. In recent years, even Andy Warhol's transaction prices have fallen at some auctions. Why does Dyke think he is qualified to grab the market from those famous artists who already have a fixed audience?"

"Those princes or Saudi Aramco executives are rich, but that doesn't mean they will spend money just by randomly clicking a few dots on a piece of paper." Mascherath III lowered his head and fiddled with his fingertips, speaking in a lukewarm tone.

"As early as three years ago, during the preparation stage of the exhibition, I spent several days discussing this issue with Dyke. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me."

"Uh."

Hanks, who was providing emotional value to the big boss, was stunned. He opened his mouth, hesitated twice, and then said "uh" again.

He thought that Mass III asked him to read the articles in Oil Painting magazine in order to organize a criticism conference on Oil Painting.

It turns out that I was angry at the wrong person.

His boss showed him the article, which criticized Deke Allan.

"Of course, the same goes for Mr. Anlun. After all, he is the highest-paid painter under the entire Metz Gallery. He may not be able to listen to some things. This is mainly a problem in the current industry. The gallery's ability to restrain artists is not as strong as before. The world's most influential artist is ranked 72nd? Back then, even Jackson Pollock was not like him in front of the Metz Gallery--" For the sake of his salary, Hanks turned around with difficulty.

No matter how powerful the Irina family and "Oil Painting" are, they are still figures far away.

Deck Anlun lived under the same roof with him, so even though he was the younger brother of Mashi III, he had to think carefully before saying some things.

Just in case.

If he does well, will he have a chance to become someone's co-agent in the future?
"It's not Dyke's problem." Mashi III pinched the tips of his middle finger, as if he was fascinated by his nails. "He is an artist. Artists certainly want to hold exhibitions for themselves, bigger ones. If even Dyke himself doesn't believe that he can hold such a big exhibition, I have even less confidence. Of course he has to have the energy."

"When Cameron asked the nearly bankrupt 2th Century Fox to sell everything it had to raise $ million for him to make Titanic, he threatened to commit suicide if it didn't work out. Deckard did nothing wrong."

"My only mistake was that I didn't bet right."

"For his art exhibition, I spent $460 million on basic expenses, including the venue, curator, various marketing and media promotion costs. It's not a very special exhibition, but it's a big exhibition. It's enough to open an international biennial. But what did I get?"

For the first time, Mashi III looked up at Hanks.

He stretched out his hand casually.

Signal him to finish reading the article.

Hanks read the title quickly.

"In Berlin in 1895, after viewing Edvard Munch's exhibition, critic Pribeshevsky told the public: "Munch's The Scream is a hieroglyph of modern anxiety, and neurotic blood is flowing in the sky." I can also put this paragraph in Mr. Deke Anlen's new solo art exhibition, with the general content unchanged, but the order slightly changed - Deke's solo exhibition is a product of thorough neurosis, and it makes me want to have anxiety. It's not the kind that triggers serious social thinking, but the kind that makes me want to rush out of the art gallery (if you know me, you will know that this is not a common thing) -"

The agent wanted to cover his face with his hands.

If seeing the title written by Miss Elena just now only made him feel nervous, then after reading the rest of the content, he was so embarrassed for Mr. Anlun that he wanted to dig out a large manor with his toes.

Manager of the visual arts section of the "Oil Painting" column. This position is the second most important person in the entire administrative framework of the magazine, equivalent to the magazine's art director.

She gave the magazine its soul.

Every successful art director leaves his or her own strong style on the content of the magazine during his or her tenure.

For example, when Sir Browne held this position, he was a representative of the old-fashioned serious media people, with restrained writing, elegant language, rich and rigorous information, and good at leaving blank space in the conclusion. At one time, a politician wanted to hire Sir Browne to be the press executive of the election office.

But this Miss Elena has a completely different style.

Sharp.

Ruthless.

It has the elegance of palace secrets, yet is strangely straightforward to the point of brutality.

If I like you, I like you. If I don’t like you, I don’t like you.

Extremely venomous comments came out of her pen, and every word sounded like a Shakespearean sonnet sung in the opera house, with dry humor, strict rhythm and implicit rhyme.

"A disaster."

Mars III slowly gave a pertinent comment.

"I spent $460 million, not counting hidden costs. All I got was a disaster and lots of laughter."

"Before Dyke came, I just called Sir Brown. I earnestly asked him not to lower Dyke's recommendation star rating. He politely and tactfully refused."

"I can understand what he means. Even though he has separated the buyer section. Even though the relationship between him and the Elena family is very tense now."

"He doesn't mind contradicting the new art editor and making Miss Elena lose face in the magazine, but the other way around."

Mashi III said.

"Sir Brown thinks that supporting us in this matter will make him the target of ridicule instead of Lady Elaina."

"Just because he doesn't like Miss Elena doesn't mean that Sir Brown is optimistic about Dyke."

Hanks analyzed it for a long time, but still couldn't figure out what his boss was thinking. He should criticize Sir Brown, Deckard Allan, or the Elena family.

Forget it.

This route is too weird.

He still wasn't angry.

"Sir?" the agent asked cautiously.

"You don't have to call me Sir. Call me Uncle, or call me Leo, just like when we were kids." Leo Mashi III shook his head and said softly, "I called you here because I want to ask about Gu."

"Oh, oh. You say."

Hanks hesitated, but added, "Uncle Leo."

The Marais Gallery was once glorious, and even now, even though it has declined, it is still the leading gallery in the European world.

The Ma Shi family that controls the gallery cannot be compared with the Ford family or the Irena family, but it is also a wealthy family of some size.

But this has little to do with Hanks.

He was only a distant nephew of Marcel III, not a direct descendant of the family. The share he inherited from the Marcel family's trust fund when he came of age was only enough to cover his college tuition.

The last name "Ma Shi" was only enough for him to get a free cup of tea from the secretary at the front desk. It would be too presumptuous for him to think of himself as the owner of the gallery.

Marcel Schneider III is in his sixties and a strong man. Unlike the entrepreneurs who are good at socializing, he looks a bit shy and introverted as the head of this generation of super galleries. The first impression makes people think that he is the kind of person who would definitely be bullied if he had studied in a European boarding school when he was a child.

But Hanks heard it vaguely.

Ma Shi used to be a squash star on campus.

Today's affluent life and good maintenance have made Marc Jacobs III look like a man in his fifties, although he no longer has a toned body. However, the lack of sufficiently influential top artists and the declining revenue of Marc Jacobs Gallery often make Marc Jacobs III's eyes show the vicissitudes and worries of a man in his seventies.

Anyway, Hanks had only met Mars III a few times before.

He never understood this distant uncle of his.

"That paper. I've always found it very strange. What a coincidence, too much of a coincidence." Mashi III lowered his head again and muttered to himself, "There must be something wrong here."

"Uncle, do you also think there is something wrong with Gu Weijing's paper?"

Hanks' heart moved slightly.

"also?"

Mashi III turned his head.

"Those comments online, the arguments of scholars... I've heard some of them, and I think they're a bit too coincidental." Hanks weighed his tone.

He knew that Ma Shi III had always been paying attention to Gu Weijing.

He must have heard about the debates on the Internet.

"Well, is this what you're talking about?"

Mashi III shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. Some people believe it, some don't. Some want to find out the truth, and some are simply jealous... But I'm a businessman. For the art market, some people's ideas are valuable, while others are not. Didn't the discussion caused by "Salvator Mundi" back then be greater than this? This didn't stop it from becoming the most expensive work of art in human history, bought by a Middle Eastern prince."

“Because the British Museum endorsed it.”

"I don't care what some academics think. I only care about the tone of Oil Painting. Collectors won't spend money on those irrelevant discussions. But the princes and wealthy people in the Middle East will really look at the buyer's guide of Oil Painting and sign the checks with a series of zeros."

"Do you know what's the most interesting thing about this?"

The gallery owner asked.

Hanks shook his head.

“People don’t care.”

"I run one of the most influential galleries in the world. A lot of people want to influence me, but I don't care about them. I care about the attitude of Oil Painting. But Oil Painting magazine, whether it's Miss Elena or Sir Brown." Mas III pointed at the magazine in the agent's hand with his neatly manicured nails.

"Apparently they didn't care about my attitude at all. At least not that much."

The resentful expression on Mascherano III's face made him look like an old man in his sixties who was caught in a strange and tragic love triangle because of square dancing.

"If I were in charge. I hope Oil Painting magazine would tout Dyck as the greatest artist of this century. I hope they would praise Gu Weijing highly. I hope he would directly win the gold medal of the Singapore Biennale. He would be worth more than 100 million tomorrow. But will my hope be of any use? I hope it will not be of any use."

"The attitude of Oil Painting magazine is useful. Gu Weijing's fate is not in my hands, but in his own hands, or in the hands of Miss Elena. He is like a stock. I am an outside shareholder without voting rights. I may hear some insider rumors, but I can't affect his trend. All I can do is increase my holdings or sell them."

Mashi III smiled.

"Oh, this seems to be somewhat similar to the current situation of the Elena family on the board of directors of Oil Painting Magazine, isn't it?"

Hanks smiled awkwardly beside them.

"You can't say that. After all, we have signed a pre-contract with him. I can call him right now and ask him to give you an explanation about the paper. This is his responsibility."

Mashi III shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. Whether he cheated or not, I don't care. The fact is that Gu Weijing produced a paper arguing that Carroll was the first female Impressionist artist. I just think... it's too coincidental. The impromptu symposium, the attitude of Oil Painting magazine, and the attitude of Miss Elena."

"Deck Anlun is a first-class painter. He ranks 72nd on the world's influential artist rankings. Of course, this ranking is a joke in front of the Elena family. But which is more important, a large-scale exhibition in the Louvre or an article in a moderately large journal? Which is more important, Deck or Gu?"

"Even though Dyke spent three years preparing for the exhibition, Miss Irina only gave him 20 minutes to prove himself. And for a paper? They held a dialogue and conducted interviews. I heard that Miss Irina rejected the invitation to the art fair and cleared her schedule to spend a whole month tracking the Singapore Biennale..."

As he spoke, confusion was evident in Mashi III's eyes.

"Hanks, don't you think this is a coincidence?"

"Too strange."

"I always feel that there are a lot of shadowy things here." Ma Shi III rubbed his face.

"Are you not optimistic about Oil Painting's interview with Gu Weijing?"

Hanks asked uncertainly.

Regardless of what Marc Jacobs III says about others not caring about his attitude, he is still the owner of the Marc Jacobs Gallery after all. In terms of influence in the art world, Marc Jacobs III is even higher than Deckard Allan.

If he really wants to, there are still many things he can do.

"Should I be optimistic?"

Ma Shi III raised his face and asked seriously.

"Shouldn't it?"

Hanks noticed the look in Mashi III's eyes and changed his words: "Should?"

“Should I or shouldn’t I?”

He followed the boss's gaze and swayed from side to side, like a little blond donkey trying to keep up with the rhythm of a weird step.

"I do not know."

Looking at his nephew who was almost paralyzed by his eyes, Mashi III finally spoke.

"I am not sure."

He knew something, so he called Cao Xuan specifically for this.

Even Cao Xuan's place.

Marcus III did not receive a positive answer either.

Cao Xuan simply said that from a business perspective, he could not give a guarantee, but from a personal perspective, Cao Xuan believed that there was absolutely no problem with Gu Weijing.

A rational perspective.

The Ma Shi Gallery can no longer be dragged into the scandal, but from an intuitive point of view, he vaguely feels that he should do something.

(End of this chapter)