Almighty painter

Chapter 549: Green Mountains of Africa

Gu Weijing was stunned after hearing this.

Miao Angwen was also stunned when he heard this.

"Who? Gu...Tong Xiang?"

He blinked hard and looked at the bald old man on the projector.

Gu Tongxiang's photo is the featured photo on the artist's homepage at the Ma Shi Gallery.

For temporary use only.

The final version will wait until he goes to Europe and talks with the art director of the gallery to determine his career plan. He will then target the corresponding customer groups before he can formally select the best image style.

Top galleries are never careless about the personal image of their contracted painters.

Big clients who buy paintings never pay simply for the work itself, they also pay for the person who signs the work.

The painter's appearance is related to the overall image and temperament of the gallery.

Making sure his contracted painters look photogenic is like trimming the shoes of a racehorse.

You can never be careless.

Every dollar invested here is guiding customers to pay ten dollars more for every work he creates.

If the painter himself is too ugly.

Well... painters are not actors after all, so their understanding is not as narrow-minded as what Tanaka Masakazu in the Shwedagon Pagoda restoration project thought, that they had to get plastic surgery or something.

It’s okay to be a little ugly.

Even the one like Lin Miaoang, which is full of erosion by wind, frost, rain and snow, and looks like a mottled old pine tree, is quite distinctive.

Although he looks very "scary".

But if someone with this kind of look does well in the Estee Lauder Gallery, his colleagues in the advertising department may even recommend him to shoot some body-hugging photos for fashion magazines.

Just to show the mottled feeling of the artist's body.

For example, the gallery has a long-term collaboration with the European version of Esquire.

Many issues of the European and American versions of Esquire have a special cover, a bit like a gender-swapped version of Playboy or Penthouse magazine, often featuring a naked male artist.

But it's different from Playboy.

In the fashion world, a naked woman might be considered pornographic, but a man showing off his body is often considered art.

Being commissioned to feature on the cover of Esquire magazine is extremely prestigious in Europe and the United States.

They are often Hollywood's top-tier celebrities, world boxing champions, great artists, or football superstars of Beckham's level.

The only thing I’m afraid of is that the painter’s temperament is too high-end to be “presentable”.

When I take him out for a stroll at a social party, no one wants to bother with him.

When a gallery sells a painting, it is always selling the painter's personal image.

If the client hates the painter, he will also hate his work.

In recent years.

There will be big collectors who completely exclude Picasso's works from their purchasing lists after learning that Picasso was too promiscuous, had a "bad reputation" with women, and was a 60-year-old man who seduced underage girls and slept with female students.

I can’t sell paintings.
No matter how cheaply the painter signs the contract or how much cost is saved, every dollar spent is a meaningless sunk cost.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that the painter's butt is the face of Mars III.

Gu Tongxiang's baldness affects the gallery's wallet, and more seriously, the wallet of his agent Hanks himself. However, there is no problem at all.

Super galleries can skimp on anything but marketing.

Moreover.

Meschini Gallery has a large number of high-end luxury goods endorsement projects, from sunglasses to watches, and has affiliated companies with them.

If it were made to look like a local dog going out on the street.

The Marais Gallery is happy about it, but its customers are also going to rebel!
Just a photo of this painter's theme page.

Hanks originally planned to pack up Gu Tongxiang and send him to Shanghai or Ginza for the shoot.

South Korea is not considered.

Gu Tongxiang's face has so many wrinkles that he looks like an old dumpling.

Please be kind and don't consider going for the Korean trend of young and handsome images, which will challenge the aesthetic bottom line of our customers.

Hanks casually imagined that if Gu Tongxiang really made it big one day, he would get a flaxen perm, wear tight underwear, show off his body in front of the camera lights, and cross-border shoot a fashion blockbuster -

vomit!
Although it is not politically correct to say that bald elderly people cannot show off their bodies.

Although people are generally more receptive to the artist's style.

But it’s best not to stimulate your customers’ desire to vomit all day long.

Regrettably.

Gu Tongxiang had a lot of things to do during this period of time, and he also wanted to look after the art shop at home, fearing that something might happen to Brother Hao.

The filming plan did not take place.

Hanks had to settle for the next best thing and contacted a portrait photographer who was on vacation in Bali and had a long-term cooperative relationship with the Asian branch of the Metz Gallery. He asked the photographer to come over on a business trip at the weekend and take a temporary special photo for Gu Tongxiang to fill the void.

His body shape was similar to Gu Tongxiang's, and he brought the clothes with him for temporary use.

After Gu Tongxiang goes to Europe and officially takes up his post.

The agent plans to apply for a special fund to make a special image design for the old man, transforming him from head to toe, and also ask a tailor to make a few Bespoke (note) sets of things.

(Note: A term used in the private clothing customization industry, which means tailoring to the individual's body. It is the opposite of MTM semi-customization, which means tailoring to multiple people's body.)
During this period of time, Gu Tongxiang has used so many bottles of hair growth products on his head.

I just want to see if I can take advantage of this period of time to grow my hair back.

Hanks felt that the professional ability of the art photographers here and the on-site conditions were not good enough.

Gu Tongxiang, however, felt so satisfied that he was flying.

Including the cost of travel and airfare, these few photos alone cost the gallery $1600.

Old Man Gu has never taken such a handsome photo.

The photo on the projector is from a large group of various photos taken that day, and it is the one that Lao Gu feels most satisfied with.

He couldn't wait to go to the park to play with the aunties on weekends, and when he was shooting birds, he would stick the photos on the windshield of his Lexus and show them off wherever he went.

Frameless motorcycle glasses—hard and draggy.

The A2 leather flight jacket that Tom Cruise wears when flying a plane - tough and cool.

Khaki trousers and low-cut work boots, with a white formal shirt underneath that looks a bit like a gentleman - still damn tough and cool.

Even the Richard Miller watch he's wearing costs $56.

It’s almost as good as Director Ruan’s house, and you can’t buy it just because you have money.

of course.

This outfit is not his, and this watch certainly isn't his either.

Hanks couldn't even find a watch for Gu Tongxiang to make do with.

Because the Hermes Gallery has an exclusive agreement with its sponsors, all contracted painters are not allowed to wear watches from any competing companies when taking photos for the homepage.

The watches from the sponsor manufacturers are too expensive.

Gu Tongxiang definitely can't afford it, and the internal price is not acceptable either.

Gu Tongxiang's level is far beyond that of Sakai Kazunari, who would be offered a full set of sponsor products as soon as he signed the contract. If he was a female artist, he would also be given a large amount of jewelry. He was far inferior to the high-level painters they could choose at will.

This watch was transferred from the Grand Palace shopping store in Bangkok after communication with the manufacturer and was carried by the store clerk in a portable safe.

You have to take it back after taking the photo.

When you find out that what you have in your hand is worth the latest model Ferrari.

Gu Tongxiang's little heart was beating so fast for a long time.

I'm afraid it might get bumped, hit or dropped.

But clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse.

Lao Gu felt that even he himself had become cool and arrogant. At this moment——

Countless people in the audience were quietly looking at the large projection screen that was magnified to 300 inches. Gu Tongxiang was leaning back in his chair, with his legs crossed high, his fingers supporting his forehead, looking sideways at the camera, and smiling evilly and wildly.

"Gu Tongxiang?"

"Who the hell is Gu Tongxiang?"

“It seems to be a gallery by the Yangon River. This is my first time choosing one and I got it!”

"Is he the pretentious guy who just picked up a copy of Hemingway to read? Damn, this old guy is really pretending from the beginning to the end. This must be the inside story. If there is no inside story, I don't believe it."

The old man Fire Cloud Evil God found it very hard to accept this result.

He is the old man who paints murals in Naypyidaw.

When I came here, I still felt that I had a chance this time.

Could it be that... he lost in the end because he wasn't pretentious enough? We're both bald, why was this old jerk elected but I wasn't?

Could it be that next time he comes, he will have to bring his grandson along too?

Unfortunately, he has no grandchildren, and he doesn’t know if he can adopt a little Shiba Inu as a substitute.

"Don't talk nonsense, Old Sang. His grandson Gu Weijing is..." Someone else heard the inside scoop and whispered to him, "Gu Tongxiang is the incidental one."

"so?"

"I've heard of a son's status being due to his father's, but it's rare to see a grandfather taking advantage of his grandson."

……

Miao Angwen felt disillusioned with life.

How can it be!

Wasn't it a done deal that he would join the club? Everything had been arranged clearly.

Take ten thousand steps back.

He could understand why he lost to Gu Weijing. It was simply because the interest chain behind Gu Weijing was too big and he could not win the wrestling match.

But - losing to Gu Tongxiang, what kind of thing is this?

Miao Angwen couldn't help but stick his head out to take a look.

He looked across the crowd, through the people who were talking in the auditorium, to the corner on the other side.

So people were talking and pointing non-stop, even Gu Weijing was patting old man Gu on the shoulder, as if he couldn't wait to share the excitement of the moment with his grandfather.

Only Gu Tongxiang is different.

Gu Tongxiang was still sitting there motionless, his hands crossed on his knees, a book tucked under his armpits. He was as quiet as a unique and tranquil sculpture standing amidst the hustle and bustle.

Be calm in every big event.

It seems that Gu Tongxiang was not just pretending when he said this. He has obviously become the final winner of this Artist Association selection, but he still manages to maintain a calm look.

It seems that I have seen too many ups and downs in my life. Things like this are good, but they can no longer stir up waves and ripples in my heart.

Just like the title of the book under the armpit——

Gu Tongxiang is like a green mountain standing in Africa. No matter how strong the wind and rain are, he will not be shaken at all.

This old man is really arrogant to the core!

Miao Angwen looked at Gu Tongxiang, who remained calm and didn't even blink for a few seconds, no matter how everyone pointed at him or how the host cheered on the stage.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair weakly and dejectedly.
-
"Old Gu, Old Gu, slow down, slow down, come back to your senses, come back to your senses, take a deep breath, don't stand there naked and be beautiful, the host wants you to go on stage and speak."

Gu Weijing patted his grandfather's shoulder hard, feeling a little panicked.

This person is not broken.

Gu Tongxiang stared blankly at his photo on the stage, completely motionless, without even blinking, he had been completely stupefied by what he had heard.

Alas!
I won!
Sir, I won!
It's not just Miao Angwen who feels that life is disillusioning. Old Man Gu also thinks that life is really damn disillusioning.

It’s important to manage expectations well.

Miao Angwen originally thought that this spot would definitely be his, but when the results came out, it was all gone. He was completely unable to accept this result.

Gu Tongxiang originally thought that this quota had nothing to do with him.

He simply came here to accompany his grandson, circumvent the camera, and act as a mentor.

Results come to an end.

Huh?
How did I become the county magistrate!

Gu Tongxiang also found it difficult to accept such a result.

Fifty years, fifty years. Wasn't his biggest dream to work in the National Artists Association and eat public oranges?

As a result, he ran over and pretended to be cool, and somehow his dream came true.

It's like Gu Tongxiang bought a lottery ticket for a friend, but he didn't win the prize. He then bought a bottle of soda and found the pull ring said "First prize: five million" and then he actually cashed it out.

The whole thing seems so outrageous that God knows what's going on.

He was already completely overwhelmed by the huge surprise.

It looked as dumb as a big doll, not moving at all.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't scare me, Lao Gu, you can still hold on, right?"

Gu Weijing unscrewed the bottle of mineral water on the chair and prepared to pour it into his grandfather's mouth.

Snapped.

Gu Tongxiang grabbed her wrist.

Gu Tongxiang burped in his throat and exhaled deeply. His eyes became brighter, as if two faint flames were burning.

"Lao Gu? What do you mean by Lao Gu? Is that someone you can call Lao Gu? You have no respect for your parents."

Gu Tongxiang stood up.

He raised his neck and patted his collar: "You don't like to be disciplined, you should learn more from grandpa!"

"I am a great painter."

Amid the applause of the children from the municipal university, Gu Tongxiang walked towards the podium with a gait that made him forget all his relatives, like a great general going to war in ancient times.

Smirk, I smile smirk.

Stop pretending, show your cards.

I am a great painter.

"Well, let me be clear. This result, ahem, was made by all my colleagues in the Art Association. It was not my personal decision..."

Vice President Li kept coughing before leaving the podium, trying to extricate himself from this matter.

Gu Tongxiang doesn't care about those nonsense.

He had never had such a good opportunity to show off in his life, and he was so excited that he was numb.

"Well, since everyone is so kind, let me give you my acceptance speech—"

Gu Tongxiang pushed President Li, who was still struggling to wash himself, away from the podium and smoothed his hair.

"Then let me tell you what the tough spirit of an artist is."

Miao Angwen left the auditorium through the back door in a daze.

Gu Weijing, however, sat quietly in his seat, watching his old man act pretentiously for a full 45 minutes.

Then we went to a local restaurant to eat.

According to convention, every year when a new member joins the association, the association’s senior leaders will prepare a welcome banquet for him in a good hotel and take a group photo or something.

The restaurant had been booked, but very few directors showed up that day.

Old man Gu was eating happily and even cried while eating.

Gu Weijing watched this scene with some sigh. He originally wanted to stay with his grandfather until the evening, but suddenly he received a call from Uncle Alai.

(End of this chapter)