Episode 22: The Protagonist…
Lee Sehee entered the studio with her friends.
Although she was retaking her first-year classes, she didn’t care because she had been selected for a prestigious gallery exhibition.
In fact, her friends who were about to graduate were already envious of her for securing an exhibition spot.
‘I’m the only student participating in that exhibition now. I’ll be the center of attention because I’m young!’
The faces of the people Kang Lim drew were now painted gray.
He had drawn so many people that it was impossible to restore them.
The filming was scheduled for tomorrow.
Seeing the sneaky smile on Lee Sehee’s face, her friend next to her spoke up.
“What’s up? What are you thinking about?”
“Oh, nothing. Hehe-”
“You’re packing it up and sending it by express delivery tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. I’m wrapping it in bubble wrap today and sending it right away.”
“Wow, that’s great. Congratulations! It’s amazing that you’re doing an exhibition while also preparing for your graduation.”
“Sehee’s always been good at drawing… Whoa.”
The friend who was speaking suddenly covered her mouth in shock.
“What, what’s wrong? Isn’t that your painting, Sehee?”
The expressions of the friends who gathered around Lee Sehee’s spot turned grim.
“What’s going on…?”
At that moment.
Upon seeing her painting, Lee Sehee screamed.
Screeeeech!
The sound was as sharp as nails on a chalkboard, and the kids covered their ears.
The completed painting had gray paint splattered all over it.
It was the same paint that she had splashed on Kang Lim.
Enraged, Lee Sehee ran to the center of the studio.
“Hey! Who did this!”
At that moment, only Shin Taemin was in the studio.
“I was looking for my stolen paint, but it was already all used up.”
Shin Taemin shook the empty paint container.
“You, you didn’t…”
“Why would I waste my own paint doing something like that?”
“Yeah, Sehee, it’s not right to accuse someone without evidence. By the way, who is he?”
“Is he a first-year?”
Meanwhile, the friends took Shin Taemin’s side. There was no arguing with a pretty face.
“My neighbor’s painting also got splattered with paint. Should we find the culprit together?”
Shin Taemin lied effortlessly, without changing his expression.
His eyes tested the waters, with one eyebrow raised.
“Yeah, let’s find them together!”
“Absolutely. We need to catch that person.”
As the friends supported Shin Taemin, Lee Sehee, who was feeling guilty, lowered her voice in embarrassment.
“Well, maybe it’s not necessary to find them…”
“We have to find them.”
“It might be hard to find the culprit. And it’s not good to suspect just anyone…”
“It’ll be easy to find. The paint on my neighbor’s painting was splattered between 10 and 11 AM. Most first-years were in craft class at that time and weren’t in the studio. When did yours get splattered?”
“Well, I’ll take care of it myself…”
Looking at Lee Sehee, who suddenly lowered her tail and shrank back, her friends were puzzled.
“By the way, hasn’t this happened to Sehee before?”
“Hey, back then Sehee was the one who splashed the paint. She wasn’t the victim.”
“Watch your mouth. Sehee said she didn’t do it. Professor Gu Haeyoung misunderstood.”
“I don’t know. But anyway, she got an F and had to retake the class because of that.”
“Ugh, she’s really unlucky. It’s like she’s cursed…”
Hearing the remaining kids whisper, Shin Taemin chuckled.
Old habits die hard. He expected this.
People like her never change.
Only when their precious work gets damaged, and they experience the emptiness firsthand.
Only then might they come to their senses.
Returning to her seat, Lee Sehee repeatedly opened and closed her phone with a gloomy expression.
She sighed and typed a message to the curator,
[Curator, can we postpone the filming date a bit…?]
Then she deleted it.
It was impossible.
The filming for the catalog was done simultaneously.
The photos needed to be taken at the same time and under the same lighting to make editing easier.
Photos with similar colors and brightness needed to be included in the book for consistency.
Moreover, it was understandable that the date couldn’t be postponed because a professional photographer with all the necessary equipment was coming to the shoot.
Click.
In the end, Lee Sehee shamelessly attached a photo and wrote a message.
[Curator! I finished the painting by splattering paint like Jackson Pollock. Is it okay?]
Was she in shock?
It took quite a while for a response to come.
[Sehee, if that’s your finished work, we can’t include it in this exhibition.]
Beep- Click.
Flatwork photography is done in a studio to minimize light reflection.
It’s best to shoot in a simple and clean space with large lighting panels to eliminate surface glare!
‘The problem is that even with this setup, most colors tend to fade a bit.’
Kang Lim was meticulously checking the photos of the pieces for the catalog.
Unlike three-dimensional works, paintings are sensitive to humidity and light, so color correction is essential to reproduce the actual colors.
It’s best to keep the corrections as close to what the eye sees as possible.
There’s no camera better than the human eye.
“Since the painting has dark tones, the background tones are getting lumped together in the photo. There are many layers when you see it in person, but they don’t show up here. Adjust the brightness to match the background. The figures won’t fade even if you do that. Also, lower the saturation a bit.”
The photographer nodded at the skilled advice.
Despite looking young, he was already exhibiting alongside established artists and had a serious approach to his work.
Having photographed numerous artworks and artists, it had been a while since the photographer had seen such impressive work.
The curator of Ian Gallery felt the same way.
Today was the first time they saw Kang Lim’s work.
Although it was good before, it had improved significantly.
Why did he suddenly decide to change his painting style?
It must have been hard to smudge such a meticulously crafted piece like a photo…
The student had an impressive experimental spirit.
“Kang Lim, now I see why Professor Gu Haeyoung recommended you. Really, seeing it in person, it has a different impact.”
“Oh, not at all.”
“No, it’s truly impressive. Could you explain why you changed the painting style at the last moment? I want to convey the artist’s intention accurately to the visitors.”
“Ahem…”
Kang Lim, who wasn’t good at lying, cleared his throat a few times.
He didn’t want to mention that the paint had splattered on the painting, as it would reflect poorly on Professor Gu Haeyoung.
It would also bring disgrace to the school. Even if it was unfair, failing to manage the artwork was the artist’s responsibility, so there was no need to spread unnecessary rumors.
“The truth is, I discovered it by chance. I didn’t originally plan to paint figures with blurred faces and limbs.”
“I see. Well, sometimes you get unexpected good hints in the process of working. But those opportunities only come to hardworking artists.”
“Exactly. I accidentally found a better way to express my theme.”
“Your theme?”
“Yes. The theme I wanted to convey was that the system and propaganda of society can create villains. Cold-hearted individuals who feel no remorse.”
“Precisely.”
“At first, to express that, I drew ordinary people instead of famous figures. To warn that anyone could become a villain.”
“That’s right.”
“So, although I referenced German faces, I made sure they didn’t look like anyone specific. I didn’t want to harm anyone who might resemble them. But… as I kept thinking, I wondered if there was any need to paint faces at all.”
“Oh my. You even thought about that…”
“Yes. I wanted to emphasize anonymity. Because anyone can become a villain.”
The curator listened to Kang Lim’s explanation and looked at the painting again.
The blurred facial features, twisted and torn, appeared grotesque, like they had been smudged with a brush, and sometimes they faded away.
The bruised and damaged figures seemed to condemn the violence of the era.
“It’s easy to say… but the expression is truly amazing. I’ve never seen a painting like this before.”
“Oh, thank you.”
In a world overflowing with images.
A painting that’s never been seen before was indeed high praise.
“Ah. We also need to set a price. How much would you like to set it at?”
“Pardon?”
Startled by the sudden question, Kang Lim asked again.
“Haha. It’s customary. When people come to see the exhibition, some may want to buy the artwork. Since you’re not an exclusive artist with our gallery, you don’t need to share the sales profit with us.”
“Oh, I know that. But I thought no one would buy since I’m a complete newbie.”
“That’s right. Usually, people don’t buy works by new artists. They often look at the artist’s career. But if the work is truly good, it can sell. I think your work might be one of those.”
“Hmm. Uh, I haven’t thought about the price at all…”
To the curator, buying this painting seemed like a stroke of luck.
It was unimaginable how much the price could rise in the future.
It was endearing to see that even someone destined for greatness had moments of doubt…
New artists were indeed cute.
“Usually, graduates get 40,000 won per unit. Since you’re still a student and this is your first exhibition, how about 30,000 won per unit?”
A unit size is slightly larger than a postcard. The current size of Kang Lim’s work is 100 units.
“Hmm. So, if it sells, it’ll be 3 million won?”
That’s much more than his previous month’s salary.
Well, it took him a little over a month to paint this, and he used expensive materials, so it’s probably similar.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, please set it at 3.3 million. I want to build a custom computer for my work.”
The curator burst into laughter at the candid confession.
“Haha, but earlier you said it wouldn’t sell.”
“…I’m trying to think positively. Honestly, without my confidence, I’m nothing.”
“Haha. You’re quite funny, Kang Lim.”
“Haha- Thank you.”
“Oh, and I plan to hang this painting on the main wall.”
Every exhibition has a main painting.
It’s the first painting you see when you enter the exhibition.
This painting represents the exhibition and is its first impression.
Journalists also find it easier to take pictures of the exhibition hall using the main hall as a reference, making it easier to use as material.
As a result, artists sometimes fight for the prominent spot because it’s a good place to get noticed.
“Is it okay for me to hang it there even though there are many experienced artists?”
“Of course. That’s my prerogative. Moreover, the person I originally intended to hang there was also a student. Sehee Lee, whom I saw before.”
“Oh, that person.”
Sehee Lee didn’t have much of a career, so nothing came up in searches, but she must have been good at painting. After all, she was selected for this exhibition.
“But why the change?”
“Because your painting is better, Kang Lim.”
“Haha- I wasn’t fishing for a compliment.”
“Also, Sehee Lee won’t be able to participate in this exhibition. She’s a talented painter, but… it seems her painting got splattered with paint for some reason.”
“What? Splattered with paint?”
“Yes. She didn’t manage her work properly.”
Kang Lim got goosebumps.
Another victim. Is someone targeting people with exhibitions?
It seems like he needs to suggest installing CCTVs in the studio.
