"This ugly bird can be sold for 430,000 yuan, won't my painting be sold for a sky-high price?" In the 2010 Beijing Hanhai Autumn Auction, an oil painting on canvas "Bird" with an auction price of 250,000 yuan aroused heated discussions among netizens.
On the painting, a bird sketched with immature brushstrokes is just an outline composed of black lines, with a single posture, which seems to be found in children's graffiti books at any time.
"What is this?" The audience whispered, questioning the value of the work. Some even bluntly stated: "Elementary school students can draw ten such paintings." ”
In this regard, experts said that netizens did not see the mystery of this painting.
The realm of art
The author of this painting, which was ridiculed by netizens, is named Ye Yongqing, born in 1958, and graduated from the painting department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 1982, and he was a well-known figure in the Chinese contemporary art world at that time.
His work often challenges traditional aesthetics and is known for its minimalist style and emotive expressions. Despite the mixed opinions of the art world, he has always adhered to his artistic philosophy.
He has held exhibitions in many countries and regions such as United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Singapore, and his influence and popularity in related fields are still very large.
However, it is such a person, after his paintings were auctioned at a high price of 250,000, he was ridiculed by netizens, what is going on?
On December 11, 2010, Beijing Hanhai held an autumn auction, and Ye Yongqing's works were also in the auction ranks.
On the day of the auction, the museum was crowded with audiences who gathered to whisper about the works to be exhibited. With the order of the auctioneer, the paintings were unveiled one by one.
There was a hint of tension in the atmosphere, and everyone was looking forward to the appearance of beautiful works.
When Ye Yongqing's simple bird painting was displayed, the atmosphere of the scene immediately became delicate.
Doubts flashed in people's eyes, and they whispered exchanges.
"Which master's work is this?" A young viewer said, puzzled face.
After hearing that this was the work of the famous painter Ye Yongqing, the scene once again fell into a brief silence. Those who wanted to question lowered their voices.
They were worried that their aesthetics had not reached that level, so they could not appreciate such paintings, so they stopped talking.
There were also people who knew Ye Yongqing's style better, and they began to discuss the excellence of this painting with each other. In the end, the painting was sold for 250,000 yuan.
Netizens ridiculed
However, when the auction ended, a netizen with a good thing posted a photo of the auctioned painting on the Internet, which unexpectedly caused heated discussions on the Internet.
In the photo, the painting, titled "Bird," which was sold for a high price, looks like the graffiti that a young child then sketches, and the scribble is a little unbelievable.
Many netizens thought that this was a joke by the netizen who threw out the photo, how could this kind of painting come from a famous painter and cost 250,000 yuan?
Many netizens bluntly said that if this painting was painted by a famous painter, then he could also be a painter. Some people ridiculed and said that if this painting can be auctioned for 250,000 yuan, won't his painting be sold for a sky-high price?
However, while the discussion was in full swing, the owner who sent the photo told everyone a fact that surprised everyone.
This painting was really painted by Ye Yongqing, there is absolutely no falsehood, and it was really sold for 250,000 yuan.
Netizens suddenly couldn't sit still.
"I really don't think it's worth the price, it's like a child's graffiti." One netizen said that others were in line with the likes.
There are also some who speak more bluntly, directly commenting, "This bird is too ugly... My daughters are all better at drawing than him. ”
Some netizens said, "The artistic realm of this painting is too high, we can't appreciate it, don't blame him." ”
Some netizens picked up Ye Yongqing's other works, some of which have the same style as this painting, which looks like random graffiti, and it is also "messy", which makes people wonder.
Anyway, this Ye Yongqing's "Bird" is really alive, although it is not popular in any good form.
The controversy of art
However, the art world is also very concerned about the debate on the Internet.
Some experts say, "We can't just look at the surface, the value of art lies not only in its appearance, but also in the thoughts and emotions behind it." ”
The art journal "Top Floor" once commented that the painting looked like it was randomly sketched by an immature child, but it was actually composed of a combination of small triangular ink blocks.
Art is a thing that needs to be evaluated, and many times that kind of breakthrough innovation is difficult to be appreciated when it first comes out, and similar events in history are not unique.
But after years of precipitation, people finally accepted these styles and works that were unacceptable in the past.
Therefore, not only is this painting not painted later, but a lot of thought has been wasted, which is an innovation that deserves careful evaluation. In fact, the paintings that were ridiculed by netizens have really been collected by many collectors.
Because these professionals spoke out one after another, the controversy about Ye Yongqing on the Internet gradually decreased, but I didn't expect that soon after, a new controversy appeared.
Plagiarism storm
In March 2019, a Belgium painter named Christian · Sylvin accused him of repeatedly plagiarizing his own art over a period of 30 years.
The accusation sparked widespread media attention and public discussion, making the incident a focal point in the art world.
As a teacher at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Ye Yongqing's reputation was hit hard by the turmoil, and the academy quickly moved to investigate it.
At the beginning, Ye Yongqing also posted on Moments that he did not plagiarize, claiming that he did not obtain financial benefits through plagiarism.
He emphasized that his artistic creation has always been based on personal understanding and expression, not plagiarism.
However, he also said that in order to deal with the matter more effectively, a team of lawyers will assist in dealing with related issues. Although the letter tried to clarify the facts, it failed to quell the doubts and speculations of the outside world.
In 2023, the final judgment of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court showed that he was indeed involved in infringement, and that as many as 122 paintings were infringed.
This statement was the most favorable blow to his previous strenuous denial.
In the end, Ye Yongqing was ruled that he needed to publicly apologize to the plaintiff, clarify the facts, and also pay Sylvin 5 million yuan in compensation.
This verdict not only marked an important victory for Sylwin in the legal battle with Ye Yongqing, but also triggered a broader reflection in the art world.
At the heart of the case is the boundary between originality and plagiarism in artistic creation, which has sparked in-depth discussions, and many people have begun to re-examine the copyright issues of artistic works and the moral responsibilities behind their creation.
At the same time, the art world has also paid more attention to intellectual property rights, emphasizing the protection of the rights and interests of original artists.
This turmoil not only affected the parties involved, but also sounded the alarm bell for the entire art field, prompting everyone to always remember the respect and protection of originality while pursuing innovation.
And people from all walks of life who have always supported Ye Yongqing have also withdrawn their "strong support" and "support".
This also makes people wonder if Ye Yongqing's previous paintings really have such a high level as everyone says.
epilogue
Although art is higher than life, but at the same time it is also closely related to our lives, regardless of whether Ye Yongqing's paintings are highly artistic pioneering and valuable, he is indeed wrong in plagiarism, which is undeniable.
Resources:
"The sky-high price of "crooked birds" painting sparked heated discussions, ridiculing everyone for not understanding art? - Wen Wei Po