It was an exhibition of an artist from Seoul. I was introduced to the artist’s wife. She is tall, beautiful, intelligent, and has a graceful and good-natured appearance. She was quietly listening to people with her thoughtful look. I blurt out.
“I’m also an artist's wife, but you went through a lot of hard times that you’re an artist's wife, right?”
She stared at me with tears eyes and said,
"Hearing the word 'pain in the ass' makes me feel like I can say it out loud."
Her story of working and supporting her husband poured out.
It's really not easy to be an artist's wife. As an artist, there is no regular income. They want to be full time artists. They must have a large work space. Talking about the cost of materials is a nag. Wouldn't it be much better to be a novelist's wife who writes in a small space with just one computer? They may have their own circumstances, but there is no guarantee that even a decent work created by repeatedly creating and discarding numerous works in a large work space will sell.
The cost is enormous as they have to take photos for the exhibition, get texts to make pamphlets, transport them, and prepare for the opening. Well, when they become famous, they get help from the gallery, but until then, the wives who support them financially and spiritually behind the scenes are really suffering. Becoming famous is the chance of winning the lottery. After graduating from art college, they started running to become an artist. Among them, many fall away, and again, and again. Even if a couple runs together and does not give up, it is very difficult to reach the finish line.
If the artist is lucky enough to make a name for himself, his wife ends up as a duck egg in the Nakdong River. This reminds me of the words of a somewhat successful artist.
"I hate it when I see my wife's face because it reminds me of the days when I was in hard times."
He goes out to avoid a wife he doesn't like, and ends up in a relationship with a young woman. In the end, his wife is abandoned by him. Fortunately, there are artists who are grateful to their wives for their support, but like many men, when they become successful, young women stick around them. However, I don't think I've seen a successful artist after throwing away the supporting wife.
Moreover, the artist's sensitive temper also plays a part in his wife's difficulties. Well, I don't know about other artists, but let me give you a very small example from my husband.
We went to the restaurant for the first time in a while. Side dishes came out.
"Didn't these side dishes go in and out?"
"It looks delicious. What's wrong with side dishes?"
His crumpled face of quietly munching on only the radish kimchi is not good.
"Is there anyone who gets upset because they don't like a restaurant with a lot of side dishes? Don't eat it. I'll eat it all."
I brought every side dish and ate them all up. He starts blaming me for not going to a seolleongtang restaurant with one kind of kimchi that my husband wants to go to, and he gets annoyed and ruins the day.
"Oh, my fate. I'd rather be in the mountains practicing the Tao than in this position. Do you think the temple will accept me at my age? Would they accept me if I had a lot of money? “
I'm always looking for a place to escape, and talk like a fool of nonsense. It's because it's really hard to survive as an artist's wife unless I talk nonsense and relieve my stress.
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