I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 185



Only Noblemtl

Episode 185. Stairs

J-House.

The best gallery in Soho run by Jacqueline. It was a place that Soo-hyun had passed by when she was frantically exploring galleries in New York.

I didn’t blink.

It would be more accurate to say that at first I didn’t know it was a gallery because of its grand exterior, and even after I found out, I still couldn’t bring myself to open the door.

“It’s not just the scale, but the atmosphere is no joke.”

Su-hyeon took a deep breath.

A sense of oppression felt from the entrance.

It wasn’t just the sense of intimidation that came from scale. Every window, door, and small decoration had its own identity and weight.

It seemed to say that, although I don’t know about other places, this place is definitely the real thing and only the real thing can enter.

“Welcome.”

As we pushed open the heavy iron door and entered, the interior, with its soft lighting, unfolded elegantly. Jacqueline, who happened to be standing in the lobby, sincerely welcomed Soo-hyun’s visit.

“You contacted me suddenly? But I thought I should see you sooner.”

His gentle attitude and voice somehow did not match the content of his words.

Is there anything that even this leisurely person needs to be busy with and in a hurry to do?

Su-hyeon looked at Jacqueline as if possessed.

“This way.”

Jacqueline, smiling, opened the door leading to the back of the exhibition hall.

There were several doors on either side of the narrow hallway, which seemed to be storage areas for artwork, offices for curators, conference rooms, and reception rooms.

As we walked a little further, we saw Jacqueline’s room at the innermost part.

“Come in.”

The interior was narrower than I thought.

It feels smaller than the office of Director Kang Yu-jin of Ilseonhwa Gallery.

The furniture was simple, with only a few paintings hanging on the wall to catch the eye. There was just a desk, a sofa and table for guests, and a small refrigerator for sharing light refreshments.

dripping.

The secretary who had seen Jacqueline enter with the guest quickly put down the tea and cookies, and after the secretary left, Jacqueline opened her mouth.

“How do you feel?”

“What are your thoughts?”

“How do you feel about becoming the most famous new artist at this art fair?”

“Yes? Me?”

Su-hyeon was embarrassed by those words.

Of course, Taylors won the New Star Award at the Big Wave Art Fair and sold quite a few pieces.

The booth’s response was also good.

However, Peter, the leader of Taylors, stood out on the outside, and the next person to look at was Steve, who had made a name for himself.

But Jacqueline said that Su-hyeon was the newcomer who drew the most attention at this art fair.

Swish.

It seemed like it wasn’t just a thrown-away remark.

Jacqueline took a wad of papers from under the sofa table, tapped them on the corners, and unfolded half of them like a casino dealer.

“New York is a city for artists. There is no better city for artists to work in. The infrastructure is great. It’s fast.”

Jacqueline’s publication was an art magazine published in New York.

Su-hyeon was surprised to see that there were more types than he had expected, and then a few articles caught his eye.

“Oh, this is.”

“This is an article about Taylors’ performance at the Big Wave Art Fair. And a notable newcomer, Han Su-hyeon. They are getting a lot of praise.”

“It’s only been a day?”

As Soo-hyeon opened her eyes wide, Jacqueline unfolded the half of the bundle she had left behind earlier.

“It’s surprising. There’s also this kind of thing.”

“… … ?”

Another piece of news from Jacqueline.

It was an article that felt completely different from what I had seen before.

“her.”

Su-hyeon grabbed a few of them and brought them closer.

-The chaotic Big Wave Art Fair, with angry visitors turning away

-Unmanaged works and dishonest sales system problems are clearly revealed

-The tightrope walking of a timid rookie trying to raise his name value is frowned upon

-Collectors are confused because there are no standards for purchasing artworks

Even for the same phenomenon, opinions tend to differ. However, these articles did not provide sound criticism that points out the shortcomings and seeks improvement, but rather gave off the feeling of having an impure purpose.

This was especially true of the third article.

-The tightrope walk of a timid rookie trying to raise his name value

The conflict between the big names in the art world occurred at the New York Big Wave Art Fair. They competed over the work of a new artist. This incident, which caused many to misunderstand the birth of a star artist, ended up being a simple incident. It turned out that the big names were fooled by the planned approach of a new artist who wanted to increase his name value. Let me describe the truth that was revealed after a three-way confrontation… … .

Su-hyeon quickly read the main text of the article and let out a long sigh.

“Is this really about me?”

Jacqueline nodded.

“So, you’re saying that I weighed Maria and Jacqueline’s chances of debuting better and even tried to drive a wedge between them. Wow. How could something like that be published?”

Su-hyeon, who had been blinking, found the answer on her own.

“Could it be what Maria did?”

Jacqueline took a sip of her moderately cooled tea and opened her mouth.

“Of course. But it’s not surprising. It’s embarrassing to say, but this kind of thing happens all the time. This is an elegant jungle.”

Jacqueline frowned slightly.

He had a look in his eyes as if he was wondering where to start talking.

“Maria is quite a troublesome person. Regardless of right or wrong, she is someone who is better off not dealing with. That is why I have been indifferent to her for a long time.”

It was like saying, “Do you avoid poop because you’re scared of it?” or “Do you avoid it because it’s dirty?”

Su-hyeon nodded, deeply sympathizing with the comment. Jacqueline smiled.

“This is gossip from an unauthorized source, and it will die down over time. There is no reason to blow things up. However, I can’t just sit by and watch forever. Furthermore, this time I’m directly involved, and that’s what’s made things worse, and Soo-hyun doesn’t have a manager who can respond immediately, and I’ve also changed my mind.”

Jacqueline turned her gaze to the paintings hanging on the walls of her room.

Naturally, Soo-Hyeon’s gaze followed.

Most of the paintings were small, sized 30 or 10, and were the work of fairly famous modern artists.

“I loved the 60s, 70s, and 80s. So I was very close to modern artists. It was thanks to that background that I was able to quickly establish myself in the New York art world.”

The era of Andy Warhol and Basquiat.

Jacqueline, who witnessed the birth and activities of genius artists, had eyes that said she could not forget the brilliance of those times.

It was natural. Since you experienced the turbulent times firsthand, the emotions would be vivid.

“But I was taking a slightly conservative attitude toward another newly opened art.”

Jacqueline turned her gaze back to Su-hyeon and mentioned contemporary art.

“I had a lot of concerns about how to view experimental and challenging art and which artists to support among those emerging everywhere.”

Jacqueline was never a closed-minded person. She was also very sympathetic to the growing and welcoming nature of contemporary art.

However, he was saying that it took him some time to decide to jump in.

“When I look at a writer, I look at the future at least 50 years ahead.”

“50 years?”

“The idea is to support artists and works that will remain in art history 50 years from now. Of course, we can’t predict the future, but we’re trying. That makes things twice as fun.”

Jacqueline also briefly mentioned her vision and attitude towards art, as well as the artists and works she had her eye on.

“But unfortunately, I didn’t come across anything decisive enough to pull the trigger. While I was hesitating, Maria, who was quick-witted, approached the writers I had my eye on.”

“ah.”

Jacqueline looked at Soo-hyun warmly, who nodded.

“But this time, Soo-Hyeon’s work moved my heart.”

“yes?”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean it was perfect. I’ve already seen more complete works several times. But, the feeling. When I imagined 50 years later, it was very thrilling.”

Su-hyeon’s face turned red.

I still had a long way to go, a lot to learn and experience, and just thinking about the global market made me feel dizzy.

However, Jacqueline was coldly judging the present, but also highly evaluating and praising the potential. It was encouraging encouragement.

“Soohyun. I felt like I wanted to walk something after 50 years from you. The timing is good. We met like this when I decided to expand the works and genres that J-House would handle. So, what do you think? Why don’t you work with me?”

A thrilling proposal. But Soo-hyun tilted her head again.

Jacqueline was already a big shot with a number of great writers and collectors.

As I began to seriously dive into contemporary art, I was thinking of bringing in a significant number of new artists that I had been keeping an eye on.

The plan was probably very detailed and well-made.

But, you want to recruit me there? You’re trusting the feeling you got from one piece? What kind of future did Jacqueline imagine 50 years from now?

“I’m not a lukewarm person. I’m cautious, but when I do something, I do it properly.”

Jacqueline said, folding the newsletter she had spread out on the table again.

“When I start a new project, I plan to clean up so that I don’t hear any more noise like this. Oh, and I’ve already started one. Starting tomorrow, there will be quite a few articles attacking Maria. I’ve decided to borrow some of the methods Maria has used so far. Haha.”

Jacqueline smiled mischievously.

“Then what should I do?”

Soo-hyun asked.

Strange kindness.

Of course, Jacqueline was a good person, loved art so much, and was really into ‘New York’s gaze’.

However, with that level of affection, he wasn’t going to immediately tell her what kind of trick Maria had been up to since she disappeared yesterday and offer to come under his umbrella.

So Soo-hyun thought she should definitely ask Jacqueline what she wanted.

“Just hang in there and work hard.”

Jacqueline gave the answer as if she had been waiting for it.

“yes?”

“You are still a raw diamond. And the six newcomers I will bring are also still raw diamonds. I plan to watch what kind of gems will be born from them.”

Is that it?

A faint smile appeared on Soo-hyun’s lips, but then hardened into tension.

Jacqueline has been preparing a new project for a long time.

Su-hyeon was lucky enough to catch her eye, and it became a variable that made her decide to start the project, but all of this was just an episode at the starting line.

Jacqueline intended to nurture a selection of new talents and find artists who would leave their mark on art history.

As of now, there was no way to know who it would be, and there was no way to know how the ranking in her mind would change.

So Jacqueline asked them to continue working, enduring fierce competition, until she made her decision.

If I do this, the burden will disappear.

Su-hyeon nodded. She was taken aback by the thought that an influential figure in the New York art world was clinging to her when she had not yet achieved anything, but that was not the case.

Jacqueline had a clear purpose, and she only brought Soo-hyun in to increase her chances of success.

Of course, there was a lot to be gained just by promising to join her training program.

The workshop is taken care of, and there’s no need to worry about Maria’s resentment over this incident.

“So, what Jacqueline showed me was a staircase.”

Su-hyeon smiled and nodded. The stairs were so high that it was impossible to tell. However, she could easily guess what was at the end.

Then there was no reason not to go up.

“Thank you, Jacqueline. I’ll try my best.”

Su-hyeon slowly reached out her hand.

Jacqueline took his hand and opened her mouth.

“Okay. Then I have someone you can meet right away.”