The moment that influences the decision to collect

Do you think collectors rely on an innate, extraordinary eye? In fact, the real secret lies in “muscle memory”!
Innovation is not about “seeing”, but “practicing”. Just like imitating Pollock’s drip paintings, let your hands remember the trajectory of the paint, and only then can you instantly distinguish between “effective innovation” and mere gimmicks.

In Xu Lei’s artworks, there are elements of the solemnity of Song Dynasty paintings, the surrealistic illusions, the magnificence of Persian miniature paintings, and even the coldness of Pompeii murals. These seemingly conflicting elements are precisely mixed by him like a cocktail, ultimately transforming into a modernist visual presentation.
The scene is the true “cheat code”. The rough brushstrokes on Chen Danqing’s unfinished oil painting, the repeatedly revised traces on Cai Guoqiang’s sketches, these details won’t appear in auction catalogues, but they hide the most genuine vitality of the artists. Those who have visited hundreds of studios over 30 years know that the market’s response is always half a beat behind the eyes on the scene.

The most powerful collecting vision is actually the “time folding technique”. When you superimpose the blank spaces of Song Dynasty paintings with the digital light and shadow of teamLab, you can touch the boundary of visual perception. History is a mirror, and the future is a shadow. Only those who can build a bridge between the mirror and the shadow won’t be led astray by hype.
So, don’t believe in “innate wisdom” – true collecting decisions occur in the moments of muscle memory, on-site traces, and time folding.
Today’s tea has run out. Next time, I’ll make some new ones and accompany you to enjoy art.