The next day, I went to the meeting place agreed upon with Shen Mengzhao - the art gallery of the Provincial Academy of Fine Arts. At this time, the museum was holding a student work exhibition called "Graduation Season・Ongoing", and the exhibition hall was bustling with people, filled with the atmosphere of art.
Frankly speaking, my appreciation for fine arts is limited, and my interest in them is not that strong. However, since I came as promised, I just accompanied Chen Mengzhao and stopped in front of each work one by one.
Chen Mengzhao keenly noticed the gloom and low mood on my face, and said with concern: "Look at you, the courses in the Party School are probably too boring and tedious, and they have made you so haggard." I shook my head gently, with a lot of worries in my heart, and naturally I couldn't tell her the real reason for my unhappiness.
Seeing that I remained silent, she continued, "So, I chose this place for today's meeting so that you can change your mindset and not get stuck in academics. Look." She raised her hand and pointed to a work by a student in the oil painting department, and continued, "Although the technique of this painting is a little immature, it is filled with the sincere emotions of the creator and is particularly touching."
In the painting, an old lady with wrinkles on her face was holding a newly hatched chick carefully in her hands, her eyes filled with endless kindness. The overall composition is rigorous, but the use of color and light and shade clearly shows immaturity and unfamiliarity. But we have to admit that, as Chen Mengzhao said, this is a very contagious work.
I nodded slightly and responded, "The Russian painter Repin once said that art is not just a skill, but a place for emotion. This painting is really eye-opening."
Chen Mengzhao raised the corner of his mouth and smiled: "But the abstract school doesn't think so. They think that the work is purely an expression of emotions."
I thought for a moment and said, "In my opinion, the theme, form, and technique can coexist and each can show the charm of art."
She nodded slightly and agreed: "Indeed, every era has its own unique aesthetic pursuits. Realistic painting style is indeed not as popular as before."
Afterwards, we strolled to the exhibition area of works by students from the Chinese Painting Department. Chen Mengzhao stopped in front of a rich and colorful freehand brushwork painting, his eyes full of appreciation, and exclaimed: "I still love the unrestrained and unrestrained brushwork charm of Chinese painting. It seems to be casually painted, and it seems that there is a lot of painting, but it seems that nothing is painted. The artistic conception contained in it is extremely rich, with both realistic shadows and implicit beauty."
I thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Zhu Guangqian, the founder of modern Chinese aesthetics, once said that Western oil painting is a visual revolution of scientific positivism, while Chinese traditional painting is a poetic transcendence of artistic conception. In the field of aesthetics, the two have completely different but unique forms of expression."
When Shen Mengzhao heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He looked straight at me and said, "I didn't expect that you have such insights into aesthetics."
A self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of my mouth, and I waved my hand and responded: "It's just that I read a few more books, how can I say that I have any insights."
She shook her head slightly, her eyes full of affirmation: "That's not easy. I can see that you are not the kind of person who studies blindly. You are able to combine reality and put forward your own unique views."
I said with deep emotion, "You have good taste. You chose this art gallery full of artistic atmosphere as the meeting place. If it were me, I would never come up with such a wonderful idea even if I racked my brains."
Chen Mengzhao raised his eyebrows slightly, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth: "Guan Hongjun, why do I feel that there is a hint of sarcasm in your words?"
I hurriedly explained: "Please don't misunderstand me, I am speaking from my heart. Judging from your interests and hobbies, I guess you must have a family background in art, and your elders may have engaged in art-related work, right?"
She couldn't help laughing and waved her hand: "You guessed wrong this time. My mother and father are ordinary people. Our family is neither a scholarly family nor an official family."
After that, she gently pulled my sleeves and said with a bit of fatigue: "Let's go, there is a cafe over there, let's go sit for a while, I'm really tired after standing for a long time."
We found a more secluded corner and sat down. She ordered two cups of hand-brewed mocha with familiarity. The coffee was served on the table and I took a sip. The bitter taste instantly spread between my lips and teeth, leaving a long aftertaste, which inexplicably matched my complex and slightly bitter mood at the moment.
She took a sip of coffee, her eyes flickered, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "Guan Hongjun, I want to ask you some personal questions next. Don't think I'm too gossipy."
I raised the corners of my mouth slightly, and responded with a teasing smile: "For you newspaper professionals, gossip is like an innate instinct, isn't it?"
Chen Mengzhao pretended to be angry and frowned slightly: "Guan Hongjun, you are here again. Why do you always make fun of my profession?"
I quickly put away my smile and explained seriously, "With all my heart, I have never looked down on you journalists. There is no distinction between high and low professions, and people should not be divided into different classes. I have always been clear about this."
Chen Mengzhao nodded slightly, then changed the subject: "I heard that you have been married twice?"
Hearing this, I couldn't help but be slightly stunned, with a complex emotion welling up in my heart. I sighed and said, "Yes, not only have I experienced two marriages, but I have also let down many people in the past years."
Chen Mengzhao's originally calm eyes suddenly lit up, his face full of curiosity and interest: "I didn't expect that you have so many stories behind you. Come on, tell me."
Until this moment, I suddenly realized that her extremely professional appearance during the interview was just a disguise. At this moment, the girl in front of me, who is full of curiosity, innocence and fun, is really revealing her true nature.
I sorted out my thoughts and said slowly, "My first marriage ended because of emotional discord. I did something wrong to my ex-wife and eventually chose to divorce. As for my second wife, I remember she mentioned it when I was interviewed by you last time in the development zone. She was a music teacher, but she later passed away due to illness."
Chen Mengzhao flashed his big, clear eyes, looking unsatisfied, and asked, "You have such a rich life experience, so what do you think is the core element of maintaining a family in a marriage?"
I suddenly asked her back: "Will the answer to this question be published in the newspaper? If so, I will answer that it is love; if not, I will tell you that it is responsibility."
She frowned slightly, lost in thought, and murmured, "Love and responsibility don't seem to be contradictory."
I smiled bitterly and shook my head, and continued, "Many people would say that love is the emotional bond of a family, and responsibility is the pillar of the family. The two coexist and maintain a dynamic balance. But in my opinion, the pots and pans, firewood, rice, oil and salt in life, day after day, will gradually erode love. When the heat of love fades, only responsibility is left to support it. If you meet me Such people who are weak-willed and cannot resist temptation will seek so-called love outside the family. Once this happens, responsibility will be gone. So, I sincerely advise you, unless you are married and have no boyfriend, don't blindly believe in love, let alone believe in responsibility. After all, my second wife once told me that all men in the world are bad. "
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