I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 174



Only Noblemtl

Episode 174. Art Fair (1)

Time passed in an instant.

Fortunately, the members of Taylors were quite skilled not only in conceptualizing the work, but also in execution, that is, speed.

Two days after Su-hyeon came up with the idea, a food truck was airlifted in from somewhere, and in just two days, the exterior was changed and the necessary installations inside were completed.

“I also plan to use broken pieces of glass as objects.”

Peter was feeling stable again and was absorbed in his work.

Peter, who had to create a work that would immediately grab the viewer’s attention on his converted kitchen table, chose the lamp-walking method after some testing.

It was said to be easy and eye-catching to make by melting glass rods and pieces with a gas torch.

He said that although it was difficult to proceed with large works, it would be better to do many small works since the purpose of holding an event is to attract the attention of the audience.

“Can you take a look at this?”

“Huh? Can I help you with that?”

“No, stand over there and tell me what it feels like.”

“like this?”

“Okay. Compare your current feeling with this again.”

Jessie painted the food truck beautifully, and put a lot of effort into every single prop and light that went into making the booth truly awe-inspiring.

“So, what do you think?”

“Wow. It’s so beautiful.”

“This is the switch. It has three levels, and when it’s on level three, the entire food truck lights up. It’ll create a very romantic atmosphere after the sun goes down.”

“Wow. To see this properly, the art fair should be open late at night.”

“That’s true. But it’ll be pretty dark when the visitors leave, so our booth will be very noticeable. So why don’t you come by the next day? You’ll be curious.”

“That’s right. Maybe you could get some extra points for topicality. No way, Jesse. Is that what you’re aiming for? If so, that’s a really good idea.”

Tom, Vanessa, Martin, and Steve’s work also went smoothly.

Everyone had their works prepared in advance, and even if the exhibition environment of the booth changed, it wasn’t a big deal to think about how to effectively arrange them.

‘If you enter from the left, you can look around the works on the table, and then if you come to the kitchen counter, you can see Peter’s work. Even if there are many people watching while being captivated by the performance, if you leave this space empty, it will be visible. It’s a perfect route.’

Thanks to everyone putting their heads together, events were added in sections where the work would stand out. In this way, the exhibition planning became more and more solid.

It will be interesting to see when the lid is opened, but it is clear that visitors will be intrigued by this exhibition.

If you create a topic like that, it won’t be easy to sway public opinion even if Frankie does some behind-the-scenes work.

The problem was Soo-hyun.

‘This is a big deal.’

As I was focusing on the overall picture, my personal work was still at a standstill.

A new city called New York.

There’s an outdoor booth there.

Another first experience.

I was so busy that my heart raced, but the pressure of having to compete against Frankie’s team made me feel suffocated at times. Of course, it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t draw well.

‘I want to try something new.’

In fact, the fact that the work was at a standstill was largely due to Su-hyeon’s interest in contemporary art.

Su-hyeon was obsessed with the desire to try something different from before.

A new, contemporary work, rather than the traditional painting of applying paint to canvas.

A work that experiments with the limits of art.

But as I expanded the scope and increased the degree of freedom, I became at a loss as to where to start and what to do.

How can we expand the topic of gaze?

What materials and textures can be used to emphasize the subject?

More than that, what kind of perspective should I show this time?

There are now two days left until the exhibition.

Even if I used the exhibition period, there was not enough time to complete the work.

“Phew.”

Su-hyeon bit her lip without realizing it, got up from her seat, and left the Taylors’ work site.

I thought it would be better to cool my head by taking a walk.

***

After walking for a while, I arrived at Soho.

Only then did Su-hyeon realize that her legs were sore, so she went into a quiet cafe, ordered a drink, and opened a small sketchbook on the table to scribble down some doodle-like drawings.

But then, an unfamiliar voice was heard from behind.

“Wow, that’s a great painting.”

Looking back, she was a woman who looked quite old.

“Oh, thank you.”

“I guess you haven’t been in New York for very long.”

A white woman who looked to be in her sixties. If it weren’t for the few gray hairs and wrinkles that were visible, she would have looked quite young.

Her eyes are soft, her attire is sophisticated, and she exudes the scent of a new woman.

“Haha. Artists who first come to New York often get lost in the busy New York scenery and end up drawing without thinking. That’s why I just passed it over.”

The woman smiled brightly, pointed to the sketch Soo-hyeon had drawn, and asked if it was okay if she could join.

Soo-hyeon nodded readily, and the woman flopped down on the chair.

“My name is Jacqueline. I first came to New York when I was about your age.”

A woman who had introduced herself naturally raised her hand and ordered coffee.

The cafe owner noticed that she was a regular and asked about her recent activities. Jacqueline answered with a relaxed smile.

After the brief conversation, Soo-hyun also introduced herself.

“My name is Han Su-hyeon. I am a student from Korea who came to study art.”

It wasn’t a wrong statement, since I came as an exchange student.

Anyway, when I told her that I was majoring in art, Jacqueline said that my drawing skills were no ordinary skill and quickly extended her hand.

“If you don’t mind, may I look at some more of the drawings you’ve drawn?”

“This one?”

Soo-hyeon tilted her head and asked.

“It’s just a sketchbook where I simply draw things that come to mind while I’m walking down the street. It’s nothing special… … .”

But Jacqueline nodded once more, and Soo-hyun handed over the sketchbook.

After a while.

“… … This is a really great picture. The ideas are interesting and the process of coming up with ideas is fun.”

Jacqueline slowly flipped through Soo-hyun’s sketchbook and praised her.

“There are many painters among my friends. Actually, I have a long history of working in the advertising industry.”

“Is this an advertisement?”

“It was the 60s. It was difficult for women to have proper jobs in society, but I had skills.”

Jacqueline said, wrinkling her nose playfully.

“You were very good at typing.”

“ah.”

In the 1960s, when computers had not yet been commercialized, many companies hired secretaries to organize meeting minutes and various documents. Jacqueline was said to have been an excellent employee who boasted fast typing skills.

The place I worked the longest was at a pretty successful advertising agency in New York.

There, he worked a lot on creating storyboards by hand, and thanks to that, he became acquainted with many of the writers who participated in the work.

“I’m really curious about the advertisement from the 60s. Was it a TV commercial?”

“TV, newspapers. I did whatever work I could get my hands on. But the most glamorous job was, of course, TV.”

“Which product was the most memorable?”

Jacqueline was eloquent and humorous.

Su-hyeon, who was absorbed in the old stories that were being told smoothly, asked a few questions and chatted.

“Food advertisements were the trend, and later, home appliance advertisements also increased. Well, they weren’t as flashy as they are now. Since stereotypical thinking was taken for granted, the stories were similar. However, sometimes, something unique popped out.”

Jacqueline told a few funny stories from her time at the advertising agency, and Soo-hyun, who captured the romance and intensity of the time, enjoyed listening to the story for a long time. And,

“Actually, that was the golden age of my life.”

Jacqueline said, looking down the street with forlorn eyes again.

“I started out as a secretary, but I felt proud of being in the heart of New York. That was when my self-esteem was built. I also made a lot of money.”

Jacqueline, who watched and breathed along with the glamorous lives of the advertising and entertainment industries, said that she eventually retired after getting married.

It was quite common at the time, but Jacqueline, who was already deeply immersed in the joy of work, said she could not adapt to life as a full-time housewife.

“Eventually, my marriage failed and I returned to New York. But there was no place for me in advertising.”

“why?”

“It’s a place that’s very sensitive to trends, so there’s no way they’d accept someone who’s been gone for 10 years.”

Jacqueline laughed bitterly.

“That’s why it was harder to recover. I was older at the time, and society didn’t look kind to me.”

Su-hyeon remained silent.

New York, a city that seemed full of possibilities, was remembered by Jacqueline with a different color.

There was an experience where I once accepted myself, but then I was rejected with my whole body and turned away, which frustrated me.

“Besides, being good at typing wasn’t such a surprising talent anymore.”

Jacqueline said she returned to New York in the 80s, when computers were slowly coming into use and the city was undergoing rapid changes.

“Is it just typing? When I came back, there were jobs that had completely disappeared. Instead, new jobs were created, but most of them had nothing to do with me.”

So, Jacqueline, who started working in the real estate brokerage business, said that she was able to grow little by little with the help and visits of her old connections who somehow found out about it.

After working hard to save up money, I opened a small gallery in Manhattan, New York. That was 10 years ago.

“What a great story.”

Soo-hyun said with her mouth wide open.

“Somehow he didn’t seem like an ordinary person.”

If it was a gallery in Manhattan, it would most likely be in Soho or Chelsea. In that case, it would be a perfect mainstream.

Moreover, it was surprising that this person had experience in New York in the 60s, and it was also surprising that this native New Yorker would casually strike up a conversation with a young stranger he met at a cafe.

“Hehe. I’m trying to stay young. This city changes so quickly that if you act a little careless, you’ll end up falling behind.”

Jacqueline shrugged, took a business card out of her bag and handed it to me.

“If you’re bored, come visit our gallery.”

“I will. Really.”

“I’m not just telling you to come, I’m telling you to show me more of your work next time.”

“My work?”

“After living this long, you start to develop a sense of intuition. I have a feeling that your work will be pretty good.”

Jacqueline smiled mischievously again and stood up first.

After sending her off like that, many thoughts began to pop up in Soo-hyeon’s head again.

New York in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. What kind of people came to this city back then, and why? And what kind of dreams did they have?

There must have been many Jacquelines in New York. There must have been many stories created about them.

Who among them picked the fruit and who returned in tears?

How many people have made their beginnings and endings here?

A magnificent and unfamiliar city.

As I began to feel that there must be someone’s story piled up in every corner of that landscape, I suddenly felt a sense of affection.

and.

“for a moment.”

Su-hyeon’s hands, which had been flipping through her sketchbook and scribbling a few words, suddenly stopped.

“The 60s, the 70s, the 80s, and now.”

Su-hyeon’s breathing got a little faster.

“Things that have disappeared. And things that will disappear.”

I quickly wrote down the words that Soo-hyun muttered and then let out of her mouth.

“The eyes of the people. And the eyes of the city!”

Su-hyeon suddenly got up from her seat.

“This is it. This is it!”

It was a fleeting moment.

The next perfect material popped into Soo-hyun’s head.