Episode 21: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
Shin Taemin had stopped working on his own project and started watching Kang Lim. It was because Kang Lim was using oil paints in a very unique way.
‘There are various types of brushes and solvents to dissolve the paint. Usually, people just use turpentine oil…’
Kang Lim used drying oils like linseed or poppy oil for his large flat brushes. The paint, soaked in oil, spread thinly with a glossy shine, transparently showing the colors that had been laid down previously.
Next, he picked up a short, rounded hog bristle brush, dipped it slightly in petrol, and tapped it onto the canvas. By using the volatile oil, he added a slightly dry feel to the painting. These oils dried quickly and accentuated the short brush strokes, almost like staccato in music.
‘He’s blending different functions naturally.’
Oil painting was a medium that allowed the use of various additives. Kang Lim had tested this many times before.
“Oh, it works even better on a big canvas.”
The brush strokes were clear and crisp, like the northern lights, and bounced around. Stepping back to observe, he was satisfied with the completed background. There was only one reason for creating such a dynamic and swirling background. It was to provide a contrasting effect because the figures to be placed in front would be depicted very rigidly and statically.
By always clashing opposing images, he created a striking effect.
Kang Lim took a thin detail brush and sketched Nazi soldiers in order of rank. It was to criticize those who mechanically performed their assigned roles according to their ranks and the system itself.
‘I need to depict the uniforms well… make them dazzling.’
The design of Nazi uniforms was quite stylish. They prioritized aesthetics over practicality, knowing the powerful propaganda effect of appearance. Soldiers in parades were selected based on their looks.
‘It’s not what they look like that matters. It’s their actions that are important… yet everyone got swayed by those insane speeches.’
Scribble, scribble.
He used the sharp brush tip to depict the sharply angled hats and uniform folds. He didn’t just use black for the black uniforms. He mixed burnt umber and indigo to create a murky yet weighty achromatic color. For ranks higher than regimental commanders, he meticulously depicted the epaulets on their uniforms. The aluminum wire decorations seemed like they would brush against one’s hand. The numerous medals and badges were also depicted luxuriously and glittering.
“……”
Shin Taemin had already seen Kang Lim’s painting during the exam. He knew to some extent what kind of paintings Kang Lim could create. But it was still astonishing every time. His ability to seemingly pull out all the images from his head without any reference material. It was beyond human memory.
Students gathered in lines for the cafeteria menu of buckwheat noodles and cheese pork cutlet. Seo-yeon and Kang Lim, who finished their class at 11, were already seated and eating. It’s times like these when classes that end at ambiguous times are good.
Kang Lim looked out the window while eating the moist and crispy pork cutlet. It was already early summer, and the temperature had become muggy. The cherry blossoms outside were almost all fallen, and new buds were sprouting.
‘I wanted to go flower viewing with Seo-yeon… But I’ve been so busy with exhibition preparations and theoretical exams. There’s no romance in being a 20-something again. No romance at all…’
Seo-yeon looked at Kang Lim staring out the window and spoke.
“Why do you look disappointed? Is the pork cutlet not good?”
“No, it’s delicious. Especially since I’m eating with someone.”
“…What are you talking about? It seems like you’ve almost finished your painting. Have you contacted the curator?”
“Yes. The day after tomorrow is the shoot.”
“Wow, it’s really close.”
A month had passed in the blink of an eye. But he was proud because the painting turned out well.
“Look at this.”
Kang Lim showed the text message from the curator.
[Wow. You’ve depicted how ordinary people can become villains under a bad system. I especially like how the faces are not obvious. I thought you’d draw someone like Adolf Eichmann or Hitler, but instead of presenting a specific person, your theme stands out more. How can a person you imagined look so realistic? I can’t wait to see it in person!]
Seo-yeon laughed as she read the message.
“You’re showing off, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Haha, alright. I’ll definitely come to see it at the opening. Are the others coming too?”
“No. Who would invite people to a group exhibition? It’s cumbersome.”
“But isn’t Hyunseong coming?”
“Oh. He said he’s curious to see other people’s works and how the exhibition is set up.”
“Hyunseong seems like the type. Shin Taemin won’t come unless it’s a solo exhibition, right?”
“Yeah. How do you know everything?”
“It’s obvious.”
Seo-yeon shook her head. She believed that seeing many exhibitions was helpful for one’s art practice. The feeling of a painting in an art studio is vastly different from one in an exhibition hall. The difference in presentation due to the place and lighting is immense.
“Phew. I should go up and check if the painting has dried enough.”
“Sure!”
Kang Lim finished his meal and moved to the art studio. Today was a really good day. Until he arrived…
When Kang Lim returned, the studio was empty. Everyone was out for lunch.
‘Who did this in such a short time? It wasn’t like this when I saw it in the morning.’
The completed painting had gray paint splattered on it. At first, he felt so furious that it seemed like his blood was boiling. But now, he simply couldn’t believe the situation… It had taken nearly a month to paint it. He had put in extra effort since it was his first exhibition…
“…What the hell is this?”
Seo-yeon turned pale as well. She was so shocked that she covered her mouth with trembling hands. Kang Lim tried to calm himself from the core of his being. If he got angry, his mind would slow down, and cursing in front of Seo-yeon wouldn’t help.
“Hah…”
Taking a deep breath, he walked to the painting and examined the gray paint closely. All the paint was splattered only on the faces. It wasn’t an accidental spill. It was a very intentional act of vandalism.
“I spent so much effort painting these ordinary faces… looked at so many people’s faces…”
Seo-yeon said with a trembling voice.
“I’ll go ask the security guard.”
As Seo-yeon tried to rush out, Kang Lim grabbed her wrist.
“Forget it. There’s no CCTV in the studio. Only in the hallway. They didn’t install it here for privacy reasons.”
“But… maybe we can see who came and went?”
“It’s not good to accuse innocent people. A lot of students probably came in and out for their projects. I don’t want to blow this up. The studio isn’t just used by our department, and I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
“You! Why are you considering all that? This is a disaster.”
“Think about it. Even if we catch the culprit, it won’t fix the painting. What’s important is that I need to somehow fix this before the shoot.”
Kang Lim sat down in front of the painting. As he calmed his mind with cold reason, he began to see what needed to be done. First, he used a sharp knife to scrape off some of the paint.
‘As expected… It’s not Photoshop. Scraping off the layer doesn’t reveal the painting underneath.’
Instead, scraping off the paint smudged the facial features. He let out a bitter laugh at his foolish hope.
‘Maybe I should use a dry brush to sweep off the paint.’
He intended to smooth out the paint layer and then try to repaint it. But… as he swept the paint layers with a brush, something amazing happened. The smudged features blurred, leaving an ambiguous form that looked like a person but also didn’t, like a landscape quickly passing by on a highway.
Following the speed of his brush, Kang Lim’s expression shifted to one of astonishment.
“…Huh?”
Thinking about it, he realized there was no need to paint ordinary faces if they weren’t specific individuals.
“Hah? This is good? This is even better.”
Seo-yeon felt sad seeing Kang Lim, who seemed out of his mind. She knew how hard it was to paint on a 100-ho canvas for a project, so she felt more sympathetic. The guy who had been laughing to himself suddenly said it was good.
“…Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s good.”
“No, what’s good…”
“I’m going to take this to the shoot location. I need to finish it in their storage room.”
“What are you talking about? Why all of a sudden?”
“I think the new version will be better than the old one. The culprit might come back and splatter paint again. Anyway, they’re just a jealous person. Haha.”
“……?”
Kang Lim lifted the painting and left. He believed the hastily fixed painting would look better. Seo-yeon was left puzzled.
Kang Lim was still hard to understand.
“He disappears just like that. Is that good…”
Seo-yeon crouched down in the empty studio and looked at the paint on the knife. When sunlight came in through the window, the surface of the paint sparkled with tiny particles.
‘Oh… This isn’t just oil paint.’
She rubbed the paint Kang Lim had scraped off. The more she rubbed, the more she felt grainy particles like sand.
‘Giotto di Bondone’s tempera paint!’
Seo-yeon turned around in shock.
“Eek!”
Sure enough, Shin Taemin was leaning against the wall.
“Why do people always get so startled when they see me?”
“Are you a cat? Make some noise when you walk!”
“You said the same thing. Are you soulmates?”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
“But what’s this?”
Seo-yeon showed the paint on her hand to Shin Taemin. It was the paint he always used for his work. Difficult to handle and only used by students who wanted unique effects. It was also expensive.
Seeing the suspicion on Seo-yeon’s face, Shin Taemin frowned.
“It wasn’t me.”
“Did I say anything? You seem to know a lot about the situation.”
“I was also shocked this morning.”
“Hmm… For someone shocked, you’re pretty calm.”
“It’s not my painting.”
“……”
Though he pretended to be calm, Shin Taemin was furious inside. He was angry that people thought he was capable of such petty and stupid acts. He knew the art world was not a zero-sum game where you ruin someone else to climb up. It was a process of constantly fighting oneself, not succeeding by ruining others.
Calming himself, he clenched his teeth and spoke.
“Think about it.”
“About what?”
“I usually paint in gray tones. You know I’ve been using that paint since high school.”
“And?”
“Someone ruins the painting next to me with gray tempera? What do I gain from that?”
“Hmm. That’s too obvious… You’re not that stupid.”
After thinking for a moment, Seo-yeon’s eyes widened as if she realized something.
“Ah! Got it! Do you have anyone who hates you? Maybe someone tried to put you in a difficult spot!”
“…You’re really clueless.”
“Then what…”
“Whoever ruined the painting would benefit from it.”
Shin Taemin handed Seo-yeon the exhibition poster from Kang Lim’s desk and pointed to a name.
Lee Sehee.
“What if it’s not this senior?”
“You’ll know when you check the spot. One of my paints is missing.”
“…And if you’re right?”
“Then I’ll return the favor.”
