An Interview

ARTicle is a new integrated television programme and magazine for the art scene in Singapore. It is distributed free of charge at selected locales and it aims to simply boost the interest in art among Singaporeans, especially the masses to whom art has since been very much still a foreign concept. Its television programme is also aired at prime time every week on a prominent local free-to-air station.

The Presenter: Hello everybody, we are now on location at the Nouveau Riche Cafe for an ARTicle interview with two of the most high-profile art connoisseurs in Singapore today. Our first interviewee is Mister Smith, the famous owner of the Delarouge by Antoine de Jong, which is the fourth most costly artpiece in the world today. Mister Smith was never a lover of art. He inherited the Delarouge from a distant relative, and in his own words which are today famous, the Delarouge 'simply blew him away the first time he set his eyes on it'. Today we are here to find out more about Mister Smith and his painting.

The Presenter is sitting at a table with Mister Smith, with both of them facing the same direction toward the camera. Mister Smith beams for the camera and looks ready for the interview.

The Presenter: Mister Smith, you are an art collector with only one painting in your collection- and yet your name is famous throughout the art circles because you own the Delarouge. What do you have to say about that?

Mister Smith: I think that I am still an art collector in every sense. To me, a collection is not about the number- I think I am as much a collector as somebody who owns a thousand paintings. I am not really into the acquisitional aspect. It's about what one feels inside, how deeply one appreciates the collection one has, be it one or a thousand paintings. (His voice trembles slightly, you can see he is a passionate man.)

The Presenter: Would you like to tell us more about the Delarouge?

Mister Smith: (He smiles, because this is a pet topic, his prime source of pride.) Sure. I had a granduncle I had never met before die, and it turns out that I was his closest living relative, so he bequeathed the Delarouge to me in his will. At the time, she was simply an obscure painting by an unknown Dutch painter who lived in the 19th century. You could even say she might have been the work of an amateur. But when I first saw the painting, I fell into the deepest love with her. She was so captivating. The brush strokes.. they were so bold and brash, they were the uninhibited expressions of a fresh artist who was not tied down my custom and established techniques- no 'you must do this and that' in that respect- she was the totally free expression of somebody who simply tried to say what he wished to say with his paintbrush without any other motive- no motive to make money, no motive to impress or cater to anyone- she was just like a photo he took of his mind that he wanted to keep for himself.

The Presenter: Why did your granduncle keep the Delarouge? How did he get the painting in the first place?

Mr Smith: (He smiles, but gives a shrug.) I have no idea exactly why. I had never spoken to him before, and he gave no information from his will. Perhaps he saw the painting in the same way as I saw it.

The Presenter: Could you tell us how the Delarouge became so famous?

Mr Smith: Well I loved the painting so much I hung it on the wall right in the middle of my sitting room. One day I was entertaining a visitor, this prominent French art reviewer. When he saw the painting, he was very excited.
"Smith, this painting, it is magnifique! It is beautiful! I have to ask you who it was done by, because despite its quality I confess never to have seen it before!" he said in somewhat breathless tones.
Before I knew it, reviewers and experts swarmed into my home to have my Delarouge valued. She was valued at a figure that I was unfamiliar with because there were so many zeroes. I received countless bids for Dela- the bids hiked and hiked but I knew I would never part with her. Because she is simply too beautiful, I cannot forget how she blew my mind away the first time I saw her.

The Presenter: (laughs) Yes Mister Smith, how can we forget that famous press conference when you announced that the Delarouge was not for sale absolutely, and uttered those famous words on how it... I mean, she, blew your mind away the first time you saw her.

Mister Smith: Indeed. Dela has become my life. How can I part with her, because my life would be empty without her. It will be a mundane life, of work work work, caring for a family, the usual. It would be an ordinary life, no. No way I could have parted with Dela.

The Presenter: Some critics have pointed out that despite the fact that you have written many books on the Delarouge showcasing its multifaceted interpretations, your knowledge of art is limited only to that relating to the Delarouge, and that, I quote, you have failed to show the requisite knowledge of a true art connoisseur, unquote. What would you like to tell these critics?

Mister Smith: Well I would repeat what I said at the very beginning of this interview. It's not about the number. It is about the depth. How you feel about it is what, or in fact, all that matters in the end. Titles, I have grown not to become too attached to them. Art connoisseur or not, expert or amateur; I think these are but superficial. At the end of the day I sit at home with Dela, it is how happy and contented I am at that point of time that matters the most to me. I think everyone has that one painting out there for them, one painting that captures their aspirations, agrees completely with what they think is beauty, which is such a subjective concept. I have found my one painting, up till today it still never fails to blow me away and I think other paintings out there no longer matter to me. Why bother when I have already found my subjective best? I look at Dela and it amazes me how I can see new things, see new ideas from the painting even though I must have looked at her a million times. That is what is so wonderful about her. There are just so many dimensions!, as I have documented in my books on the subject. I look forward to the new insights I get from her from time to time.

The Presenter: That's very true, Mister Smith. Lastly, we would like to know how you care for the painting to prevent it from deteriorating.

Mister Smith: Oh yes. I only give the very best care for Dela. The value does not matter to me, but I would like to see her everyday in her best preserved state. Once, this small part of her got chipped off and I could not eat and sleep for days because of that. Ever since, I have employed some people to install this high-tech transparent folio over Dela to protect her from daily wear and tear. The humidity and temperature of my sitting room is also modified to give the optimum conditions for storage. Every morning when I wake up, I run to Dela to do a visual inspection. I live in some fear everyday that one day something might happen to her, but I think that is just a small price to pay because overall I think I am very happy. I am a lucky person and I know it, and I try my best to make it last forever.

The Presenter: Mister Smith, thank you for agreeing to this interview. We are grateful for your insightful and candid comments. (shakes the hands of Mister Smith, and then turns to the camera) And that is all for the first segment in this week's ARTicle, we'll be back after these messages with Mister Jones next.

The Director calls for 'cut'. Mister Smith leaves after shaking hands with the Director and other senior crew members. The crew move in to adjust the setting for the next interview. Tables and chairs are shuffled to give the setting a slightly different look. The Presenter turns to a TV crew member.

The Presenter: Hey, where's Jones?

Crew Member: (turns towards a nearby table and points) He's over there, having a drink.

The Director: (commanding voice) Alright guys, let's move faster! We want to wrap by five.