Modul 4: Story 51 A Painter’s Vision
Video 01 Story Presentation 01.
Video 02 Story Presentation 02.
Audio 01 The story
A Painter’s Vision
Gerald is a renowned painter with a unique portfolio. His paintings often sell for thousands of pounds, and his exhibitions are displayed globally. The idea for his collection of paintings stemmed from feeling uncomfortable whenever he went to art galleries.
A shiver shot down Gerald’s spine as he crossed the hall of The Tate Gallery.
“These paintings all just seem unfinished,” he thought to himself as his eyes skipped from portrait to portrait. “What is the problem though? The colours are blending well, the proportions are right, the shadows on the skin are correct … Aha,” he realised to himself, “they are all naked and in need of clothes!”
Gerald went home that day trying to imagine what the artwork may have looked like if the subjects were clothed, but he just couldn’t imagine it. This frustrated Gerald because he was something of a perfectionist, so he retrieved his easel, brush and oils, and he painted copies of Botticelli’s famous nudes, but this time with modern-day clothing. The replicas were beautiful and accurate with a hint of comedy about them since it was understood that the clothing was a “correction”.
From this, his collection expanded to other artists with, in his opinion, unfinished works. Van Gogh’s Starry Night was straightened out, Picasso’s abstract faces were realigned, Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks were restored to solid circles, and he painted the famous statue of Venus de Milo but with her arms reattached. It was a collection which sparked conversation and as word spread, it wasn’t long before Gerald’s work had caught the eye of famous art critics. They loved it.
Gerald’s paintings grew high in demand, so he painted and painted, and that is the story of how a small-time artist grew a unique collection earning him millions of pounds.
Video 03 Simple statements
Audio 02 Simple statements
- Gerald – renowned painter – unique portfolio
- paintings – often sell – thousands pounds
- exhibitions – displayed globally
- idea – collection of paintings – came from – uncomfortable feeling
- had feeling – visiting art galleries
- crossing – hall – Tate Gallery
- shivers – shot down – spine
- paintings – just seemed – unfinished
- eyes – skipped – portrait to portrait
- started thinking – the problem
- colours – not off
- proportions – not off
- shadows – on skin – not off
- had – realisation
- they – all naked
- tried – very hard – imagine artwork – clothed subjects.
- couldn’t imagine
- frustrated him
- sort of perfectionist
- retrieved – painting equipment
- painted copies – Botticelli’s famous nudes – modern day clothing
- replicas – accurate – hint of comedy – them
- understood – clothing – “correction”
- collection – expanded – other artists
- Van Gogh’s – Starry Night – straightened out
- Picasso’s – abstract faces – realigned
- Salvador Dali’s – Melting Clocks – restored – solid circles
- Gerald’s work – caught – eye – famous art critics
- loved – his work – great deal
- Gerald – used to be – small-time artist
- became – famous
- became – extremely rich
Audio 05-6 Story versions
The story (version A)
Gerald, whose paintings often sell for thousands of pounds, is a renowned painter with a unique portfolio. His exhibitions are displayed globally, but the idea for his collection of paintings came from an uncomfortable feeling which he had visiting art galleries.
While he was crossing the hall of The Tate Gallery, shivers shot down his spine because the paintings just seemed unfinished. As his eyes skipped from portrait to portrait, he started thinking about the problem. Neither the colours, nor the proportions, nor the shadows on the skin were off. Then, he had a realisation: they were all naked!
Although Gerald tried very hard to imagine the artwork with clothed subjects, he couldn’t which frustrated him due to the fact that he was sort of a perfectionist.
After he had retrieved his painting equipment, he painted copies of Botticelli’s famous nudes with modern day clothing. The replicas were accurate with a hint of comedy about them since it was understood that the clothing was a “correction”.
His collection expanded to other artists including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, which was straightened out, or Picasso’s abstract faces, which were realigned, or even Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks, which were restored to solid circles.
Soon, Gerald’s work caught the eye of famous art critics, who loved his work a great deal. Although Gerald used to be a small-time artist, he became not only famous but also extremely rich.
The story (version B)
Gerald whose paintings often sell for thousands of pounds, and whose exhibitions are displayed globally, is a renowned painter with a unique portfolio. The idea for his collection of paintings came from an uncomfortable feeling. He had this feeling visiting art galleries.
Just as he was crossing the hall of The Tate Gallery, shivers shot down his spine: the paintings just seemed unfinished! While his eyes were skipping from portrait to portrait, he started thinking about the problem. Although the colours, the proportions and the shadows on the skin were right, he had a realization that they were all naked.
However hard Gerald tried to imagine the artwork with clothed subjects, he couldn’t, and this frustrated him, for he was sort of a perfectionist, so, after retrieving his painting equipment, he painted copies of Botticelli’s famous nudes with modern day clothing.
The replicas were accurate with a hint of comedy about them as it was understood that the clothing was a “correction”. After this, his collection expanded to other artists. For instance, Van Gogh’s Starry Night was straightened out, Picasso’s abstract faces were realigned, and Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks were restored to solid circles.
It was not long before Gerald’s work caught the eye of famous art critics, who loved his work a great deal. Gerald, who used to be a small-time artist, became both famous and extremely rich.