Breathtaking…
Stunning…
In the exhibition hall, the atmosphere was festive, the spotlights were strobing.
The connoisseurs gasped as the Masterpiece was unveiled.
"Ladeez and Gentelmen!!!! Ve are proud to prezente to you…
"The laterst Masterpeez, brought to you by the one and only... Charlie Tan!!!"
"Ohhh yeah, I've heard of him..."
"He's meant to be really good, an up-and-coming Artist!"
"Behold... his latest creation..."
"My-stique Figure!!!!!!"
As the cloth covering the canvas was lifted, there were gasps of wonder, surprise, and admiration.
Drawn in what looked suspiciously like black Texta on white paper - but in an ornate gold frame for what it was worth - was an 'Artwork' comprised of several straight lines, which seemed to magically evoke to the viewers the universal representation of a human body, alongside a circle on the top which seemed to represent the head of the person!!!!
"...Wait… Isn't this just a stick figure?!"
"..."
"Mystique Figure…" Another corrected haughtily, not at all thinking of the $1000 entrance fee.
"...Learn to tell the difference."
"Y-yeah. It's clearly done by a master."
Several people chimed in hastily, before we see 'the Artist' at the front humbly speak.
"Ladies and Gentlemen… one at a time, one at a time."
"As you know, I spent 10 years working on this. Mystique Figure is the culmination of the fruits of my labour in the wilderness…"
"I aimed to capture the essence of Mankind, to create something that people from all walks of life, all ages, could relate to and understand, and comprehend."
"Oh, so it's like that…"
"Oh… it's so stunning… so… brave… " There wasn't a dry eye in the room.
Bob, currently as his alter-ego Leon Artisté, shook his head.
Surely Creativity was more than this?!
"Guysths… Guyths…" A critic (paid by Charlie Tan but that's a story for another chapter) dressed in a beret, turtleneck and smock shook his head.
"Ohhh... Ve… Ve are lookingk at eh Masterpeez!!!"
One by one, more 'Masterpieces' were revealed to the adoring public.
*"The Scree Bull"*
"In a period of great reflection, I had a dream about the Bull of Scree, a symbol of strength and virility..." Charlie explained.
"I was inspired to express the vigor, the essence of the 'Bull of Scree' using these colored, circular lines..."
"Bruh, I dunno… it looks like my cat ate and sh*t out some crayons."
"Shhhh!!!!!"
"Non non non non non. Zis… ees all aboud ze experienz!!!!"
Any skeptics were soon silenced.
"-And... if you look closely... you may just be able to see the horns of the bull itself, amidst the maelstrom of fervour..."
"Oh... now that you mention it..."
"Yeah! I-I think I can see it!!! I can make out the eyes, and the form!"
"Oh, we have a true connoisseur in the house..."
'*Next up, "Ze Arteest's Frustration…"*
"The Artist's Frustration…" sounded good, but it turned out to just be a scrunched up ball of paper on a plinth…
___
Amidst all this, Leon was reflecting on his life choices that had led him to this point.
He had spent years honing his craft, and yet, it seemed that literally anyone could be an Artist these days.
Was it worth it?
And yet, it was this very night, that his life would be changed… forever.