"Old man, is painting on a board with chalk and charcoal your unique style?”
"What a unique style!I just don't have the money to buy paints and canvases!”
In 2008, an old man in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, who was picking up waste and painting on the street, suddenly went out of the circle.
How many years have you been drawing?”
"It's been 40 years!”
This old man who has insisted on painting for 40 years is named Xu Rongfa, and he thought it was an inspirational story, but his 40 years of persistence made him pay a certain price.
Because of the pursuit of painting, he lost his stable job, because of the pursuit of painting, his family wife was separated, and some people called on the Ganzhou Art Association to hope that the art association could accept this pious painter.
After the painter of the Art Association saw Xu Rongfa's painting, he only said four words - the painting was average.
Are his paintings really average?So why would anyone still like his paintings?What kind of story does Xu Rongfa have?
If you really want to go to a big city to develop a little bit, you can quit if you find a suitable job in a foreign country within a year, and if you can't, we will keep the position of art teacher for you. ”
Xu Rongfa was assigned to his hometown school as an art teacher in 1981, but in 1996 he was still an ordinary art teacher.
The teachers assigned to this school at the same time as him either became the director or the vice principal, and some of the other teachers chose to work in a more advanced school, only Xu Rongfa still lived the same life as he did now.
Xu Rongfa thought that his talent was very high, and it was inevitable that his talent would be buried if he continued to stay here, so he decided to go out and explore, the outside world is vast, and there are always people and places who can recognize his talent in painting.
But his wife didn't want him to go out to find a job.
Our family's life is fairly stable, why can't you keep me and my son living here to live a stable life?Do you have to go outside?”
Xu Rongfa's wife believes that her current life is stable enough that she does not want her husband to leave him.
Xu Rongfa's personality is relatively stubborn, and he has not been promoted to an official position in school for so many years because of his stubborn character.
His wife thinks that his stubborn character will definitely not fit in with the outside, and it is better to stay in his hometown and work safely.
But Xu Rongfa is the character that once he makes a decision, ten cows can't pull it back, but he can't bear to let his wife worry about him at home.
So Xu Rongfa took the initiative to explain his current situation to the school, and finally had a one-year gentleman's agreement between the school and him.
Xu Rongfa took part of his family's savings and his own bags and went to Guangdong.
Because of his previous work experience as an art teacher, Xu Rongfa easily found a job as an art teacher here.
Xu Rongfa's school is a private school in Guangdong, where his salary as an art teacher is several times higher than in his hometown.
Xu Rongfa thought that his talent had finally been affirmed, but he didn't expect that his confidence would be hit here.
In addition to their own abilities, it is more important for the teachers of the school to pass on their own skills to students, and teach students according to their aptitude to ensure that each student can learn professional knowledge.
However, because art has not been used as a mainstream subject exam, when Xu Rongfa teaches in his hometown, he only pays attention to self-expression and allows students to play independently.
But here, the situation is completely different, and many parents of students have reported to the school that their children's art grades have become poor, and they are wondering if it is a problem with the ability of the new art teacher.
Xu Rongfa still has some talent in painting, otherwise the school would not have recruited him into the school as a teacher.
The head teacher of the class also talked to Xu Rongfa many times, hoping that he could change his teaching style for the students.
But he was stubborn and refused to change his teaching style.
The school must meet the requirements of the student's parents, and Xu Rongfa's uncooperative attitude also made the school feel a headache, and finally had to choose to dismiss him.
He then went on to seek a job at several schools, but none of them lasted long due to personality issues.
If you can't find a job outside, come home. ”
Xu Rongfa's wife urged him several times to go home to work and not to wander outside.
I'll look for it again!Always find a place that suits me!”
Xu Rongfa still wanted to hold on a little longer, but there was still no result.
Soon, he spent all the savings he had left, and Xu Rongfa finally accepted his fate and prepared to return to his hometown to be an art teacher, guarding his wife and children to live a dull life.
Soon, he ushered in a new blow.
Mr. Xu, the time limit set for you by the school at that time was one year. But the school waited for you for a year, and you didn't come back to continue your job. ”
"We thought you were out there looking for another job?!You see, you can't always be without an art teacher, so we hired another art teacher to replace you. ”
It may not be convenient for you to come back now!”
A passage from the school made Xu Rong stunned in place.
Xu Rongfa was at a loss on the way home from school, and his glowing past kept flashing in his mind.
Congratulations, your family has produced an amazing college student!”
yes, yes!Your child has been different from other children since he was a child, I said earlier, he will definitely have a great future when he grows up!”
In 1977, Xu Rongfa was successfully admitted to the university and became a college student in the Department of Fine Arts.
In the 70s of the 20th century, college students were still relatively rare "products". An ordinary peasant family can cultivate a college student, and that is a glorious thing.
Xu Rongfa was a very quiet child when he was young, and when other children were chasing and playing outside, he thought about it by himself.
When other children finish their homework after school and are mischievous, he will take out his own paintbrush and repeatedly sketch the picture in his mind on the paper.
When he was young, he became someone else's child.
Xu Rongfa was successfully admitted to the university with his talent, he felt very proud, and his parents were also proud of him.
After graduating from university, he was assigned to return to his hometown to work as an art teacher at a school in his hometown.
At the age of 20, he is full of spirit, and he always feels that the world is vast and there is still a lot of room for him to play.
At that time, the work of an art teacher was much higher than that of ordinary farmers, and Xu Rongfa's family had very good material conditions.
Xu Rongfa has a sullen temperament, and many people think that he has a gentle personality. He himself is not bad, and many matchmakers have begun to introduce him to blind dates.
Xu Rongfa chose a woman from the same family to get married, and soon after the marriage, the two gave birth to a son, Xu Rongfa's wife quit her job and became a full-time housewife at home, husband and children.
She thought that life would go on like this, but her husband suddenly had to go outside to find his dream, and finally ended up with a dream that he didn't find, and his original position was replaced by someone else.
Xu Rongfa's wife did not intend to abandon him, but comforted Xu Rongfa to stand up bravely, and then go to find other jobs, he can always support the family.
But Xu Rongfa has been an art teacher for nearly half his life, and he can't cope with it when he goes to find other jobs. Moreover, his physical fitness is relatively poor, and he cannot do the manual work that other farmers can do.
The family's remaining savings were quickly spent, and the family's food and clothing could only be solved by Xu Rongfa's wife doing odd jobs outside.
Xu Rongfa also tried to find his own paintings on the market. But paintings are not necessities of life, and Xu Rongfa is not famous or a famous teacher, so his paintings are not cared for at all.
But Xu Rongfa's wife still has no plans to divorce him, and always wants to get through this most difficult time with him. But what Xu Rongfa did next quickly chilled his wife's heart.
He used the money his wife had saved from doing odd jobs outside the home to buy groceries to buy paintbrushes and canvases, and the family had to go hungry for his dream.
Xu Rongfa's wife finally couldn't stand it anymore.
Let's get a divorce!I can't go on with this!”
"After the divorce, you can go and chase your dreams!My son will follow me, I am afraid that if he is with you, you will starve to death. ”
His wife's blame left Xu Rongfa speechless.
In his heart, he didn't want this family to be scattered, but at the moment, there was no other way than to promise his wife to go through the divorce procedures.
His wife left him with his son and lived a lonely life ever since.
Although the departure of his wife made Xu Rongfa feel painful, Xu Rongfa also found freedom on the way.
No one cared about him anymore, so he began to devote himself to painting. But the little money given to him by the divorce was quickly squandered by him, and Xu Rongfa had to find a way to support himself.
He had no other skills than painting, and eventually had to take the path of scavenging. Pick up some scrap and sell it to make money to support yourself for three meals a day.
The income from picking up scrap is very small, and it is not easy for him to be able to feed himself, and he has no spare money to buy canvases and brushes.
But Xu Rongfa couldn't leave the lifelong career of painting, so he had no choice but to buy the cheapest chalk and charcoal, and then pick up the wooden boards to paint.
He lives by scavenging waste, painting when he has nothing to do, like a performance artist. Although his life is not in line with the mainstream, he himself is quite happy.
The hemp rope was carefully broken, and the bad luck was looking for the miserable, and the heavens actually brought suffering to him again.
As he had only relied on steamed buns and pickles for a long time to survive, his physical functions gradually weakened, and his body gradually became emaciated, which eventually led to malnutrition.
Once the nutrition of the human body is not good, there will be many problems in the body.
Xu Rongfa found that his right hand and right foot were often uncontrollable, and he often trembled uncontrollably when he used his right hand to hold a pen to paint, and he could not draw the works he imagined in his heart at all.
He took the money he had saved to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor told him that he had had a stroke!Xu Rongfa didn't have much money to treat himself, and he could only endure the hardships that life had befallen him.
But painting is his soul, and he said that if he can't continue to paint, he will be like the walking dead, and he will be half lifeless in this world.
Fate has given me suffering, but I have repaid it with a song.
Xu Rongfa began to practice painting with Xi left hand, and it was very difficult at first. He continued to practice day after day, and made great progress, and he was able to draw vivid human Xi with his left hand.
His persistence for decades has attracted the attention of others.
Some passers-by would stop to ask about the paintings, and Xu Rongfa would change his dull temperament in the past, and would carefully and patiently explain his works to these passers-by.
In 2008, some people saw that he was struggling to scavenge for a living, so he called on the Ganzhou Art Association to see if his paintings could allow him to join the art association.
However, the people of the Art Association said that his level was relatively average, and he had not yet reached the standard of joining the Art Association.
But no matter whether he can join the art association or not, Xu Rongfa will not give up the road of painting. Painting has become his spiritual food.
Afterwards, some people expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment of the Art Association, they thought that Xu Rongfa's paintings were still very good, and it was not easy for people to paint with their left hand, and the Art Association should give him a chance.
However, there are also some professional art students who believe that the evaluation of the art association is correct.
Xu Rongfa's paintings are indeed very good for laymen, but from the perspective of professional light and shadow and composition, his paintings are far from professional standards.
However, Xu Rongfa's paintings are still liked by many people, and some people are willing to pay for his paintings.
Xu Rongfa doesn't care about the experts' comments, all he cares about is his painting dream.
And Xu Rongfa's deeds have received a lot of attention, and now many people come to buy his paintings, he has changed from a waste picker painter to the "Chinese Van Gogh" in the hearts of the majority of netizens!