Almighty painter

Chapter 820 The Old Man and the Sea
"When "gimmick orientation" turns into an industry farce, looking forward to the conversation and interview between "Oil Painting" magazine and young "artist" Gu Weijing - How to prevent systematic fraud in the writing of art papers? "

"Big Discovery or Big Scam in the Industry: Behind the repeatedly discovered 'new works' of old artists, are there thousands of rare treasures hidden in the world, or are they thousands of greedy hearts?"

"From a 20-year-old beautiful scientist to a 19-year-old beautiful art scholar, is Obokata Haruko's story happening in the art industry?"

……

“Turn it off.”

On a harbor embankment somewhere in Marina Bay, an old man wearing a fisherman's hat sat on a small stool, holding a fishing rod in his hand, with a portable table and chairs for camping beside him.

The young man looked up from his phone and looked at his grandfather.

“Turn it off.”

Gu Tongxiang ordered again.

He picked up an empty pen holder and put it in front of his grandson's nose, speaking in a leisurely tone as if all the news surrounding the other party in the past few days were just the most insignificant little things.

Gu Weijing hesitated for a moment.

He turned off his phone anyway and threw it into the pen holder in his grandfather's hand with a clang.

"You don't seem very worried?"

Gu Weijing asked.

“To be served by the art director of Oil Painting, my grandson is considered a big shot!” Gu Tongxiang pressed down the brim of his fisherman’s hat.

The first week of the exhibition is about to pass.

The day after tomorrow morning is the day when Oil Painting magazine will officially hold an interview with him at the Esplanade for his paper on Carroll.

The organizing committee and the magazine’s official website all updated the schedule a few days ago.

Anna Elena.

As expected, the new program manager of "Oil Painting", who is currently in the limelight, will personally host the interview.

From the perspective of self-anesthetization of the Ah Q spirit, the last formal interview program hosted by a woman was her interview with Cao Xuan.

The artistic director of "Oil Painting" and the master of Asian art, in the eyes of outsiders, such a status is a perfect match.

Gu Weijing was enjoying the same treatment as Cao Xuan in advance.

But whenever Gu Weijing listened to his grandfather's tone, he always had a sense of déjà vu as in the movie "Farewell My Concubine" - "Now that we have eaten the candied haws, our little laizi is already a star. It doesn't matter even if we hang ourselves and die when we go back."

Be a little more realistic.

This kind of anti-aircraft gun-killing-a-mosquito combination of interviews, no matter how you look at it, it seems that Gu Weijing's words "Irina's family should all go to hell" pissed off the female manager, and she wanted to shoot him in public for ten minutes.

Countless evidence shows this.

He was about to become the next target to be torn apart on the long list of people listed in Miss Elena's notebook, including Van Dorn, Sir Brown, Deckard Allen, etc.

An interview with him by Anna Irene herself?
This blessing is indeed not small.

Anna, a top artist, could tear it up just by hand. Miss Elena, a top art scholar, could tear it up just by hand. She could do it in no time at all.

Replace them with amateur artists and scholars like Gu Weijing.

Isn't it that Oil Painting magazine can put him in any number of poses they want?
Before Oil Painting magazine took action, some well-informed and sensitive small media outlets had already started to cheer in advance.

What Gu Weijing had just seen on his mobile phone was the negative reports that the press and public relations department of the Ma Shi Gallery had collected in advance for him and passed to him through Gu Tongxiang so that he could be mentally prepared in advance.

"You're not worried about saying that the Elena family should go to hell, so why should I worry?"

Gu Tongxiang said with a smile.

"A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Its courage is commendable."

Gu Weijing was not sure whether this was a compliment or sarcasm, and hesitated for a moment, "What about the 3 million euros——"

"You don't have to explain this to me. You did it well and it was right."

"very good?"

The young man breathed a sigh of relief.

He was worried that his grandfather had some concerns about this matter.

After all, it was three million euros from Irina's family.

My father came from a poor family. He was hungry when he was young and was the kind of person who would even pack up the toilet paper in the hotel to take away.

Gu Weijing was worried that his father did not understand his decision.

The pressure from his family and loved ones may make him more difficult than the pressure from Oil Painting magazine or Elena's family.

"To learn painting, you must first learn how to be a good person. This is the principle I taught you. Why do you look down on your grandfather so much in your heart now? What do you think I will do when I hear the news when I come to Singapore? Will I cry and force you to apologize to Oil Painting Magazine?"

Gu Tongxiang asked back calmly.

Gu Weijing smiled.

"No."

"I know you are looking for Brother Hao for me. For the Sutra, I know."

The old man holding the fishing rod suddenly sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Gu Lin. But I'm just an ordinary old man, there's nothing I can do. I'm your grandfather, and I'm also her grandfather. If I don't save her, who else will? If a painting can save her... I'm sorry, Wei Jing, Grandpa is sorry for you. Later I heard that you went to Xihe Guild Hall, I don't know how -"

"No more talking. Grandpa, it's all over."

Gu Weijing replied.

"——So when I flew to Singapore, I kept thinking about it in my heart. No matter what, no matter what the result is, I can't hold you back on this matter. I'm here to help, not to discipline you. From the beginning to the end, you found the painting yourself, and you wrote the paper yourself."

"It's yours."

"It doesn't matter if it's worth 3,000 dollars, 3 million euros, 30 million, 300 million."

Gu Tongxiang raised his neck.

"If you want to sell it, then sell it. If you don't want to sell it, then don't sell it. It's all your choice. If you need Grandpa's help, I will do my best. If you don't, I will quietly walk away. I am poor, but I am not an ignorant person. Three million euros, an olive branch from the Elena family?"

The old man in the fisherman's hat smiled contemptuously.

"Compared to my grandson's happiness, they mean nothing. Just curse them. Should the Elena family go to hell? Not only you curse them, I can curse them too."

"I have been through storms. Sometimes, we are as fragile as a blade of grass in a turbulent environment. We are too powerless. Therefore, when we can make a choice, we should be more faithful to our own heart."

"Everyone's life ends the same way. The only choice we can make is how we live or how we die." The old man held the fishing rod in his hand and sat there, as if a knight had a steel gun between his ribs. "Life is like a bullfight. Either you defeat the bull or the bull defeats you. So, be brave and do it—"

He paused.

"This is a quote from Hemingway. You should read it more often."

Gu Weijing stared at Gu Tongxiang's back.

I feel that my father is really tough and treats money as dirt.

Some times.

He felt that he was old enough to give his grandfather some instructions.

Some times.

He also felt that he had never really understood his grandfather. He was still the tall and majestic figure he saw when he was a child.

The waves beat against the shore.

I don’t know how far the water splashed, but when I looked back, the embankment was still standing there.

He embraced the sea.

Standing firm.

……

Gu Tongxiang's face was twisted into a ball.

When he arrived in Singapore and heard that Gu Weijing threw back the check written by Miss Elena and pointed at the other party's nose and cursed, the old man's face almost turned green.

Three million euros?
An olive branch from the Elena family?
It was rejected, rejected, rejected, just like that!
Gu Tongxiang's heart was bleeding.

Do you know that my grandfather is a micro-businessman, who has been showing off and posting countless messages on WeChat Moments, just to attract the attention of Miss Irina and spend one or two thousand euros to buy one of his paintings?

The eldest grandson immediately turned down all the checks for a large number of works as high as a mountain that he could not finish painting even if his hands cramped.

The great painter Gu, whose highest price in his entire life was only 5000 euros, almost fainted after hearing this.

It's not that Gu Tongxiang must press Gu Weijing's neck to be a licker for the Elena family. It's just that from his point of view, this matter is still too impulsive.

immature.

"Old people should have the drive of young people." This is what Hemingway said, but there is a second half to this sentence. He also said "Young people should have the composure of old people!"

It was Gu Tongxiang. He had to smile and flatter her, listen to Miss Elena's words, and ask her to produce some background evidence about Carol. Even if he wanted to refuse, he would delay it and see if he could get through this week's interview.

It requires the art of mediation.

As a result, these two people.

Miss Elena is arrogant, and her grandson is even more arrogant.

Who would just come up and curse someone's whole family? That would just kill the conversation.

But he didn't show it on his face at the time.

Hold tight.

You have to hold on.

When it comes to showing off and concocting a cool look, Gu Tongxiang has an attitude and integrity.

The attitude and integrity of "pretending" lies in the four golden characters "perseverance". It lies in the pretense you have started. Even if you have to kneel down, you must finish it.

The worst thing about showing off is giving up halfway, as it makes you look like a fool.

Take the martial arts novel that Old Man Gu likes best as an example. Those who accidentally drink poisoned wine and then regret it and shout, "How could it be?", "It's poisonous!", "Despicable and shameless" are often villains or third-rate heroes who are about to die.

Change the protagonist to someone like Li Xunhuan.

He must have been spitting blood, with his sleeves fluttering, looking up at the moon at a 45-degree angle, and sighing softly -

"Don't be silly. It's not that I don't know that this wine is poisonous, but I just can't bear to waste this beautiful wine, beauty and moonlight."

How awesome is that.

Maybe you can even move the evil witches A, B, C, and D who are restricted by their master's control to throw themselves into your arms, cry for a while, and get you to take out the antidote.

Anyway, you have already drunk the poisonous wine.

It's such a shame that I finished pretending without crying.

Wang Xizhi had a close disciple in art, named Xie An, who won the famous Battle of Feishui. One of the most important tasks of this kind of Wei and Jin celebrities every day was to pose. When the news of the victory of the war came, Xie An was playing Go with a guest.

He remained expressionless and calm, and simply said - the kids killed the enemy.

It seemed as if he had just saved the fate of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and even in a sense greatly influenced the direction of Dongxia's history for the next two thousand years. However, to Xie An, such a thing was a trivial matter that was insignificant.

"What's there to be happy about? Playing chess."

This would have been the most impressive pose in the entire history of Dongxia. However, when Xie An stood up after playing chess, he couldn't hold it in and stepped too hard on the heel of his clogs, breaking his inner turmoil.

Whenever Gu Tongxiang read this section, he couldn't help but slap his thigh and sigh.

It is considered to be an eternal regret for the King Realm.

Miss Elena had already scolded him away, so could he win him back by dragging his grandson and making him throw a tantrum and cry?

Hold tight.

You have to hold on.

The character of a famous general is to remain calm in the face of major events. Lao Gu cannot do that, but he can remain composed whenever he pretends to be powerful.

When he thought about how his grandson spent three million euros to pretend to be so cool, every tear that flowed from his heart made Old Man Gu stand straighter.

and so.

These past two days, Gu Tongxiang really acted like a great artist who regarded money as dirt.

When he was promoting the Asian branch of the Ma Shi Gallery, he looked calm and relaxed. When a reporter asked him about the "Oil Painting" magazine, Gu Tongxiang replied calmly that it was just a matter for children. It is good to be noticed by others, but what is more important is the self-construction. Gu Weijing was taught from a young age that the spiritual world is more important than the material world.

This morning, I got up and asked my grandson to go fishing together.

"Stop looking at your phone. There are so many things bothering you that you can't keep up with them all."

"Look at me, for the sutra, look at me."

Gu Tongxiang said calmly, "You have always done well, and you have always been a child with your own ideas. You are already an adult, and I don't want to discipline you on this matter. So, we are just out here for fun--"

The old man took out his mobile phone from his arms, turned on the camera, handed it to his grandson, and then pinched the bait next to him.

"Understand?"

Gu Weijing stood up, found a good angle for his grandfather, and took a photo.

"how?"

Gu Tongxiang asked calmly.

Gu Weijing was silent for a moment.

"I understand."

The young man stared at the photos on his phone and sighed softly.

"You said nothing, and yet you said everything. Grandpa, you are asking me to realize the true meaning of quietness and composure - just like the old man fishing by the dock. When fishing in the ocean of life, patience is the only fishing rod. Throw in a passionate heart, and the fish will come by themselves. Good or bad, small or big. Even if you get nothing, you will not return empty-handed."

"People who sit quietly by the water are not just fishing for fish. They are fishing for the ripples of time and the ripples of aesthetics (note)." Gu Weijing looked at the light and shadow on the screen. "Someone read this poem to me in St. Andrew's Cathedral. And grandpa's simple action fully expressed this philosophical concept."

(Note: This is a poem by Goethe.)
awesome.

Gu Weijing had great respect for his grandfather.

"Did I understand correctly? You are teaching me that the bait has been thrown into the water, and all I have to do is fight the sea to the end." He asked respectfully.

Uh.

Gu Tongxiang was stunned.

He simply wanted his grandson to take a picture of him so that he could post it online to show off his image as a great artist.

The Ma Shi Gallery has now opened a personal artist page for him on Instagram. Fishing and collecting folk songs are very consistent with the artist's personality.

Can you still understand so many things?
"Hmm. There's more."

Gu Tongxiang controlled his facial expression, his eyebrows lowered and his eyes looked peaceful.

"For the scriptures, there is still a lot for you to learn from me."

He spoke slowly, throwing the bait back into the sea, as if the old sea king was fishing the entire ocean with a hook of nothingness.
-
That cover article on Asian Art is luscious bait.

The interview that will be held the day after tomorrow is like successfully throwing this bait into waters full of fish.

The most interesting thing about sea fishing lies precisely in its unknown nature.

Different baits can select the type of target prey to a certain extent, but ultimately, everything below the water surface is unknown.

When the old man described by Hemingway went out to sea, he had no idea that he would catch a giant marlin, let alone that he would have to fight a school of sharks for the marlin.

And Marina Bay is destined to return empty-handed, and then secretly get two photos of the catch from the angler next door. The old artist grandfather who took the photos and checked in will not know that he is showing off in front of his grandson.

Below the "surface" of the water.

There really is a large group of fish, big and small, each with their own thoughts, already swimming around the interview about the day after tomorrow.

"Editor Elena, are you sure you don't need to go over the questions you want to ask with me?"

"Any questions?"

Anna was sorting out the materials she came across during the interview at the table in her hotel room, and asked back to the person on the other end of the line.

"No, it's just, it's just—"

"Just nothing."

"Nothing, You are the boss. You are the boss here and you have the final say." The deputy editor Newzlan on the other end of the phone shrugged, indicating that he was just an employee and had no intention of offending Miss Elena's dignity.

"Well, there's just one more thing."

The deputy editor-in-chief of Newzland said, "I received some news that someone stuffed some documents under the door of my room--"

There was a dramatic pause in his voice.

"Ah."

After waiting for a while, seeing that Anna was still calm, he had no choice but to say boredly, "Some people claim that Gu Weijing's painting "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunlight" was plagiarized. He plagiarized the picture design of another participating artist, Mr. Cui Xiaoming."

Anna paused while organizing the information.

"Interesting. For something like this, shouldn't the relevant documents be submitted to the Biennale's Art Creation Ethics Committee?"

"You know what this means, Boss."

Newzlan smiled.

"It's nothing more than someone wanting us to bring this up in public at a forum."

(End of this chapter)