Almighty painter

Chapter 548 I, the Great Painter

Lin Miaoang didn’t know why he didn’t leave in a rage. Perhaps it was the photo in the report that stopped him.

A young man wearing a dark peaked-lapel school jacket was holding the hand of a child beside him.

The sky was already getting dark, and the sun was setting low behind the mountains.

The huge shadow of the old locust tree swayed under the hood.

Slightly dark and also slightly blue.

Perhaps it was some kind of wonderful coincidence that at the moment when the sunset was about to set, the reporter took a picture with his mobile phone, and the color rendering effect was surprisingly similar to the development effect of the old Yunnan Hongta brand black-and-white sensitive film he used decades ago.

A large part of the photo is blurred by the wrong lighting and the inappropriate background blur effect of the phone's AI algorithm, with the light and dark interweaving and shadows blurred.

Only the clothes of the little girl who was spinning in the other person's hand were mistakenly focused and very bright.

The hem of the skirt spun into a not-so-perfect circle.

It looks like a rare dark purple colorful jasmine flower that is half-bloomed.

most people.

Even if they are experienced politicians or models with rich experience in being photographed.

There will be a very slight change between the natural expression of emotions in their normal life and the whole demeanor and movements when they know that they are taking a very, very important photo that may be published in the newspaper.

This is what is called "nervousness" in front of the camera.

A large part of the work of a professional portrait photographer is actually to communicate with the model and eliminate these tensions.

Lin Miaoang is an extremely experienced outdoor photographer.

People who have spent their lives working with photographs often have what veteran photographers often call the "killer instinct."

Is a photo posed? Are the emotions of the model acted out?

It only takes Lin Miaoang a short time to tell them apart by intuition.

Although this photo is blurry, their facial features are not very clear.

But his intuition told him that the "drama" here was real.

The little girl's happiness and joy are real.

The happiness and joy of young people are also real.

Even like the young man holding the little girl's spinning hand.

The emotions of the two people in the picture are connected - it is a kind of genuine empathy that is linked together, rather than being arranged by the director to pose and stick them on the background, like two human-shaped puppets put together temporarily.

So even though this photo was bad, Lin Miaoang is an old-school traditional photographer who hates mobile phone AI computational photography, but after looking at it for a few seconds, his subconscious still told him: "This is a good photo."

A photo that deserves an award.

False soil can only produce false flowers.

It is also extremely difficult to create such emotions through staged photos.

Lin Miaoang ran to ask the editor-in-chief he was familiar with about the reports in this anti-drug special issue.

Then he pretended to chat casually and chatted with reporter Du Wen who took the photo for more than ten minutes.

At last.

He changed his clothes again on the weekend and drove to the Good Luck Orphanage to volunteer for two days.

From start to finish.

No one recognized him, and Lin Miaoang did not speak a word to Gu Weijing or take a photo with him.

He just watched silently for two days.

Watching Gu Weijing drawing, holding the fat baby Budao and babbling some alien language that outsiders could not understand, watching the super fat cat he raised playing with the little girl with AIDS.

Looking at Gu Weijing and his girlfriend, who was as delicate as a magnolia, walking hand in hand among the falling white petals.

He even sat there, breaking corn cobs, and silently watched Katsuko Sakai finish her painting "Girl Reading Poems to Cats."

then.

Lin Miaoang changed his mind.

"That kid is a very good person, and he has a very good girlfriend. I like him, he is completely different from you. He is a warm person." He looked at Director Ruan seriously, "He is better than Miao Angwen, so I want to help him."

Director Ruan felt uneasy when he saw Lin Miaoang's eyes and couldn't help but take a step back.

Hey, what do you mean someone like me wouldn't understand?

translate.

What do you mean he is a warm person and is completely different from me?
You are cursing at me, right? Don't think I don't understand. You are clearly pointing at my nose and cursing at me, right?

Alas, alas, alas!
You are really going too far. I have been speaking my heart out to you, pouring you tea and speaking the truth to you in a gentle voice. How can you just start cursing at me?

Are we still cultured people?

Director Ruan felt inexplicably that his personality was severely disparaged.

The higher up you move up the social ladder, the more popular and respected you become as an artist, and the greater the social tolerance for morality.

Ever since he became the powerful secretary of the Art Association.

No.

It had been many years since he had made a name for himself and had not been scolded in person or made to feel so embarrassed.

So contempt turned into grievance in my heart.

The grievance turned into anger and shame at a very fast speed.

"Okay, Lin Miaoang, you don't listen to me when I talk to you nicely. Do you really think I can't cure you? Be careful not to get banned and lose your camera. Think about it, is it worth it to sacrifice most of your life's achievements for this?"

Director Ruan frowned and sneered.

"Lao Lin, Director Ruan, let's not get angry. Come, have some tea and talk slowly. This is the situation. If you have any ideas, we can talk about them--" Vice President Li was silently trying to smooth things over.

This time, it was Lin Miaoang who ignored President Li.

"You asked me if it was worth it."

He actually seemed to be thinking about Director Ruan's threat. He lowered his head and thought for two seconds, then raised his head again: "I don't think it's worth it."

"I've gone through so many hardships to get to where I am today, and this has nothing to do with me."

“Is it worth it?”

Lin Miaoang paused and said, "It's certainly not worth putting down the camera for something like this."

Huh?
Is this enlightenment or madness?

No matter how weird the Artists Association is, Director Ruan still sprained his back due to Lin Miaoang's unpredictable turn of speech.

"Then what do you mean..."

He spoke tentatively.

"What I mean is that if the final result of today's selection is that Miao Aung Win defeated Gu Weijing, then I refuse to sign because it is wrong."

“Everything has an end. Every photographer has a moment when he takes the last photo of his life.”

"I am 54 years old. The only time in my life that I had the opportunity to put down my camera for something worthwhile was 21 years ago when my wife and I were divorcing."

The corner of Lin Miaoang's mouth twitched.

He smiled, and it was hard to tell whether it was a bitter smile or a smile of relief.

"Unfortunately, I only have one chance like this. If I miss it, it will never come back. I can't leave my camera behind, run over and ring the doorbell and say, 'I'm sorry, I regret it, let's start a family again.' She's doing well now and is the mother of two daughters."

"I tell this story to say that whether it's worth it or not is no longer important 20 years ago. What's important is that since I no longer have the chance to put down my camera for something worthwhile, putting down my camera today for justice is not worth it, but it's acceptable to me."

“I really want to help him.”

"Very much."

"This impulse has nothing to do with whether he really needs this opportunity. I just want to reach out and pull the old me."

Lin Miaoang pushed the work card of the senior member of the National Artists Association in front of him to the front.

It sounds calm and peaceful.

He also said it with absolute certainty.

"Director Ruan, you are right. The association needs fresh blood. Only fresh blood can bring new differences. And people always have to have some conscience."

"If the result today is that I am kicked out of the Artists Association and this young friend Gu takes over, then I will accept this result and am mentally prepared to bear it."

Lin Miaoang lowered his head again, staring at the work permit in front of him with infinite affection.

This small certificate is proof that his lifelong photographic works have been recognized by the country.

But it was not this certificate that he was looking at.

But it's the black and white photo on the certificate.

Forty years have passed like flowing water, but under the pagoda, in the time frozen in the photograph, the young man still shows his big white teeth and smiles foolishly.

He kept this photo for most of his life.

Lin Miaoang once read in a book that it said that photos are nothing but the broken shells of life.

The years have passed, and everyone has swallowed the melon seeds one by one. Everyone knows how they taste. All that is left for everyone to see is the mess of black and white melon seed shells on the ground.

He lived a miserable life, with many ups and downs, gains and losses.

I am afraid.

Even he himself is not clear.

perhaps.

Did he see some of their past selves in the boy and girl walking arm in arm under the shade of the trees in the orphanage?

How much did he wish someone could help him at that time?

If he meets a noble person who is willing to help him at a critical moment in his life, will his life trajectory become different?

Is she still by my side till today?

Lin Miaoang knew he had made a very stupid decision.

But time gone can never come back.

When you grow old and your youth is gone, you will be alone all your life.

When the sun sets, you are sitting in a conference room, neatly dressed, attending some boring and draining meeting, and suddenly you vaguely see your former self outside the window.

Would you suddenly want to help him without caring about anything? -
When later scholars looked back on this history.

Always think.

When Gu Weijing was a student and had not yet become truly famous, he was known as the illustrator "Detective Cat".

Miao Angwen was to him what Giorgione was to Titian.

They are of similar age, from similar family backgrounds, and are classmates in the same school (art studio). They all seem to have a bright future, but they become enemies because of jealousy.

Become a mirror image "enemy" on the road of art.

However, the biggest turning point in their lives occurred at the selection of the Myanmar National Arts Association in 2023.

What exactly happened at that Artist Association discussion meeting?

There are many different opinions, and different versions have been circulating all the time.

Some say that the recommendation letter from the then world-famous painter Kazunari Sakai played a decisive role.

It is said that Gu Weijing won the support of many judges with his brush.

There are also reports that a serious quarrel broke out in the conference room. It is rumored that Yangon TV had a documentary tape that was cancelled for various unknown reasons, which recorded the on-site situation of the Art Association's selection.

Later, after many attempts, a paparazzi bribed an insider for $100,000 and got the video.

Regrettably, the video stopped abruptly at the key shot of the meeting.

All these rumors undoubtedly intensified people's curiosity about what exactly happened in the Artists Association building on that late spring afternoon.

It’s not just scholars who are curious.

I am afraid.

Even Gu Weijing himself, who was patiently listening to old man Gu pretending to read Hemingway in the tea room at that time, found it hard to imagine.

At the critical moment of decision.

The decisive factor that really helped them was not the huge influence of Cao Xuan or Sakai Kazunari that he had originally expected, nor the amazing contract with the Ma Shi Gallery, but simply... a small act of kindness in his heart.

……

The conference room was silent.

I have missed the opportunity to go all out for something that is so-called worthwhile, and my life is full of regrets.

and so.

This time, I decided to go all out for what is just, just to make sure that other people's lives will not be as regretful as mine.

A truly weighty speech does not necessarily need to be shouted out in a roar or scream.

A truly tough guy doesn't necessarily need to wear a suit, play the flute, and read Hemingway like Lao Gu.

Many people in the conference room had moved looks on their faces.

Even Vice President Li, who always liked to smooth things over, opened his mouth slightly and hesitated for a while.

Then he closed his mouth again.

Artists are usually thoughtful people.

Those who can embark on this path are often sentimental. Perhaps after so many years of struggle, their artistic heart has been corroded by fame and fortune.

But once it is blown by the strong wind, it can still make a rustling echo.

It also looks like a tooth that has been decayed.

There was a slight numbness and a dull pain.

Lin Miaoang's words carry weight.

Lin Miaoang's expression also has weight.

Many people present actually support Director Ruan.

After all, you are taking something from someone else.

But when this weight was placed on the scale, it had already faintly surpassed the weight of several thousand US dollars in red envelopes and favors.

Forget it, it's just too ugly.

They weren't that short of those thousands of dollars.

They won't speak for Gu Weijing.

But at this moment, he maintained an appropriate silence and did not support Miao Angwen.

When everyone is silent.

There was one person who couldn't remain silent.

"Well, from a personal point of view, I respect you, but as I said before, I have no choice. There is no way I can let Gu Weijing be selected for this year's National Artists Association."

Faced with this real strong order.

Director Ruan sighed deeply.

He just advised Lin Miaoang that if the other party did not take his house, it would be good enough to do this.

This statement is a joke, but it is not a joke.

Because he didn't know whether others took Gu Weijing's house or not, he really took a house from Brother Hao.

Brother Hao is a very, very ruthless boss, but one thing is that as ruthless as he is, he is also as generous.

He never lets anyone who works for him suffer any loss.

In addition to the position of consultant of the cultural department, Hao Ge actually gave Director Ruan an apartment. It was not even a house in Yangon or Mandalay, but a beachfront apartment in Bangkok.

Many wealthy people in Southeast Asia like to go on vacation to Bangkok.

House prices in Bangkok are not low.

The market value of that house is at least $700,000.

Director Ruan was also generous in taking the money.

700,000 dollars to buy a membership of the Artist Association is definitely high, but more importantly, he also has to arrange for Miao Aung Win to participate in the Venice Biennale next year.

To buy a donation-biased admission quota for a "policy student" at the level of one of the world's four major art academies or the Yale Academy of Art, except for the Repin Academy of Fine Arts which is willing to offer a relatively low price due to its geographical location in Russia.

Relying purely on donations, basically the cheapest ones have to cost this amount.

Seven hundred thousand dollars might just be a slanted admission.

Especially universities in Britain and the United States.

If you want the school to treat you like a spoiled brat, pick up girls every day and guarantee that you will graduate, and have them send you invitations to alumni social gatherings and the like, then you need to be someone like Miss Anna who donated a building for millions of euros.

Seven hundred thousand dollars is a very fair price to buy a spot in the main exhibition of one of the top three art exhibitions in Europe.

But suddenly.

The money that was so easily held suddenly became so hot to the touch.

This is not just one or two thousand dollars, and you can get a refund if it doesn't work out.

If you do things well, he will be a generous and good brother. If you don't do things well, it may become the money you pay for your life.

Lin Miaoang was unwilling to compromise.

As Director Ruan, he never had a choice.

"I'll ask you one last time, Mr. Lin. Please do me a favor. I beg you. In this matter of Miao Angwen, just raise your hand. It's him. I'll come to your house in person to apologize in two days."

"No."

"No mercy at all?"

"Sorry, I want to follow the rules." Lin Miaoang said.

In the entire conference room, everyone was silent except for two people.

It seemed as if everyone was witnessing a proxy duel in medieval Europe.

On one side is Lin Miaoang, who represents the interests of "Gu Weijing", and on the other side is Director Nguyen, who represents the interests of "Miao Angwen".

"Well, I didn't mean to do this."

Director Ruan retreated back to the table.

After trying both soft and hard methods, he seemed to calm down again, neither anxious nor annoyed, but his voice sounded helpless.

Director Ruan threw aside all the application materials from others.

He only took out Miao Angwen's application resume and put it on the left, then took out Gu Weijing's application resume and glanced at it.

"What a good seedling."

Director Ruan exclaimed in admiration and then put the materials to the right.

"If you want to follow the rules, then let's follow the rules. I don't deny that Gu Weijing has potential, but compared with the two of them, Miao Angwen is the better painter."

"Because I gave you money?"

Lin Miaoang teased.

"The difference is in hard qualifications." Director Ruan ignored Lin Miaoang's ridicule and said, "The 3D Cosmos Art Center in Seoul, South Korea, and the Ma Shi Gallery in Regensburg, Germany, are both on the "High-level Gallery Qualification List". In this regard, the two galleries are barely tied."

"A tie? Although I don't pay much attention to the painting industry, I have heard of the name of Ma Shi before. This Stereoscopic Universe Art Center was suddenly added to the list this year. The Ma Shi Gallery can make as much as Stereoscopic Universe in a whole year by selling just one fine painting. The size of the two is conservatively at least dozens of times different. You call this similar?"

"Why? I just think that the artistic level of the Stereoscopic Universe Gallery is very high, and the heyday of the Meuse Gallery is a thing of the past. Why do you look down on small galleries? Well, I admit that the overall level of the Meuse Gallery may be a little better."

Director Ruan said calmly, "But what if it's better? We are talking about rules. Please open your eyes and take a look. There is a rule that says that signing a better gallery is a plus. What are the rules? The rules are--"

"Miao Angwen is an officially contracted artist of the Seoul Gallery, and Gu Weijing is only a pre-contracted artist of the Mesch Gallery. What does pre-contracted mean? Pre-contracted means that the contract has not been signed yet. Even on the list of contracted artists on the Mesch Gallery's official website, Gu Weijing's name cannot be found."

"How do I know if he is lying?"

Shameless.

Many people in the conference room were amazed at this guy's ability to find loopholes.

In theory, most pre-sign contracts in the art world are offered to small painters that galleries find interesting but have not yet made up their minds that they are worth signing.

It can be considered as a contract applicable during the observation period, which is very similar to the internship inspection in a large investment bank.

Many times, the gallery has the right to choose whether to enforce the terms of the contract.

It is indeed not as effective as a formally contracted painter.

But Gu Weijing's contract is different from the regular pre-signed contract.

Regardless of whether or not you win an award at the Singapore Biennale, you will officially join the Ma Shi Gallery.

There is no possibility for either party to opt out of the contract.

So according to common sense, it should be completely equivalent to a formal contract.

"We don't talk about common sense, we talk about rules, which you choose. The rules are that Miao Angwen is a formal artist, and Gu Weijing is just an intern, just a high school student. Oh no, he didn't even graduate from high school, so what qualifications does he have? An elementary school diploma can't count here."

Director Ruan seems to have already won.

"So strictly speaking, as long as I don't want it, why should Gu Weijing's resume be placed on the table? I declare that due to the negligence of the reviewers, Mr. Gu Weijing did not actually meet the requirements for the National Artists Association to be a candidate for membership."

Tear it~

Director Ruan tore up Gu Weijing's resume in a flash.

"He was excluded from the discussion list and will not be considered. The National Art Society will express deep regret for this conclusion and hope that he will continue to work hard next time."

"You are so shameless! Do you think I will agree to Miao Angwen being elected like this? I won't sign." Lin Miaoang stiffened his neck and slammed the table.

"I'm sorry, it's your request to follow the rules. You have to sign today whether you want to or not."

Director Ruan also stiffened his neck, sneered, and clapped the pen in his hand.

The atmosphere was tense and it looked like a fight was about to break out in the conference room.

This time it's not an act.

at this time……

Suddenly someone spoke in a listless voice: "If I remember correctly, there seem to be more than just two painters who have officially signed contracts with international galleries this year, right?"

The conference room suddenly became quiet again.
-
“This year, we invite new members of the National Artists Association to come on stage and express their feelings.”

one hour later.

In the auditorium, the female host extended her hand to the audience with a smile on her face.

"His name is——"

"T'ung hsiang·Ku! Please give a round of applause to welcome him!"

The image on the projector froze on Gu Tongxiang's bald old face.

(End of this chapter)