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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Winter’14

In the winter Art Show ’14 journal the journal “Russian Art & Paris” offer our readers a number of contemporary artists whose work deserves serious attention. We continue the talk about the wonderful and elitist art of etching. This time you can get acquainted with the work of two artists: an exhibitor of the State Tretyakov Art Gallery, the Moscow artist Alena Dergiliova and the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Mikhail Kocheshkov from city of Vladimir. The paintings section is presented today also by two contemporary artists: Aleksandr Egorov (Vladimir) and Mikhail Shmyrov (Bryansk).

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ARTIST ALENA DERGILIOVA, (MOSCOW)

The graphic art of Alena Dergiliova is difficult to define in a few words. The phrase “lyrical grotesque” will probably sound strange and unusual, especially in relation to an graphic-artist working in the classical techniques of etching and watercolor. The point, apparently, is not in the accuracy of the formal wording. Value is contained foremost in the quality of the art form, in which the thoughts and feelings of the artist are served. Expectations for etching are traditionally very high. This kind of graphic art is best not approached without a virtuoso technique – an amateur can be discerned at a glance. Yet technical skills alone do not turn a sheet of paper passed through the etching press into an etching. A genuine charm, a unique aura of etching occurs only if there appears a scene that is not depleted, but rather enriched, by the black-and-white image. It is hard to say which has greater meaning – the ability of the artist to see an etching motif in the world around him, or a particular feel for the etching board on which the essential details required for etching will be revived. In addition, a black-and- white image has a unique feature – it is concentrated on only the main idea, only the essence of the depicted scene. No dispersion or verbosity, one who is not able to separate the essential from the secondary – will never create a real etching.
• “Apple tree” is an etching by Alena Dergiliova, that is one of the most classical in form. The plot appears as a conflict between two harmonious forms, united into a single space. There are live forms, created by nature, such as tree branches and artificial forms, created by man, like the Cathedral bell tower. Compositionally this conflict is developed through black color – the movement of large masses of black (Cathedral bell tower) and the tremulous, translucent graphics of black branches. The compositional conciseness drastically enhances the natural qualities of black and white, its inner nature – topicality, the focus on sincerity, and the accuracy – at least from the author, at most from the event. There appears an effect, present here and now, equivalent to the philosophical category – “grasp”. Thus, the artistic decision – the selection of the moment filled with meaning, creates a sense of belonging in the event. There arises a contact of the artwork with the viewer, and their dialogue begins. The importance of this dialogue is determined in equal amounts by both participants. The energy of the artistic image, its aesthetic and intellectual depth, determine the quality of the artist’s work. The reading of an artistic image, its description – is the work that must be done by the viewer. The small etching “Apple tree” is the quiet sadness of autumn, fallen leaves, old Cathedral walls; it is the fate of generations who have touched these walls, it is the finiteness of life in the infinity of existence.
• The stylistics of graphics by Alena Dergiliova are sincere, almost intimate – derived from the soft, “spoken” rhythm of most compositions. An artist leads his creative narrative to the rhythm of a home conversation – without raising his voice, avoiding sharp accents. A particular role in this is played by the knowledge of that which is the subject of the image. When a person believes in his own truth, he is not inclined to get short-tempered, even in a dispute. To learn and to understand that which you are depicting is a necessary condition for an image to have meaning. A slow movement from form to meaning is starting to appear in the art of our time. It is a difficult movement. Modern audiences are unaccustomed to meaning. The problem is that the absence of meaning leads to a degradation of feelings. The acquaintance with the art of Moscow artist Alena Dergiliova, artwork filled with feelings and meaning is a good reason to think about it. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Apple tree” Etching. (21 x 15 cm)

“Palace of Denis Davydov” Etching. (37 x 30 cm)

“Pavel Tretyakov” Etching. (39 x 49 cm)

“Palace of Aksakov” Etching. (28 x 21 cm)

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ARTIST ALEKSANDR EGOROV, (VLADIMIR)

In the dynamically started twenty-first century, the transparent and soft lyricism of landscapes by Aleksandr Egorov may seem a little outdated and monotonous. The creativity of this artist is best associated with the aesthetics of the second half of the past century rather than the current century. Is this really it? Is it possible that over a few decades, our perception of landscape art has changed to such an extent that the artwork is devalued by its basic qualities? Or is it simply in style, in the habitual visual language? You can pose the question more broadly – is it possible in principle to have a situation where the artist “falls out” from the era in which he lives (we do not consider examples of deliberate falsification, when the artist forges the style of previous masters). In this sense, the question no longer seems straightforward and simple. Like any of us, the artist is a man of his own time. If he picks up a “signal ” that time has stopped, do not rush to blame the artist. It is possible that there is something is wrong with time.
• The Russian landscape of the European part of the country is a very difficult genre. It covers plots that together form a portrait of Russia. To say something new or to find yet unknown features, is incredibly difficult. So much has already been done, that it can last for many kilometers of gallery space. Is there meaning in going back again and again to the well-known plots? Yes, there is. When the exhaustion of plot occurs, artist begins work on more complex characteristic – intonation (artists often use the term “mood”, but it’s not the same. “Mood” is an emotionally-semantic content of the landscape motif. If there is no “mood” then there is no scenery). Thoughtful, precise intonation allows one to approach the most mysterious phenomenon in art – to capture the pulse of time.
• The landscapes of Aleksandr Egorov are compositionally simple. At the core of each composition is a clear and thoughtful color rhythm (“Old Vladimir”, “Warm winter”, “Autumn evening”). The color harmony, bright and expressive, is original in every work. The tonal range is the main tool of the master. Particularly the masterful use of tonal structure allows to build a piercing intonation of the quickly vanishing winter day (“Winter in Vladimir”, “First snow”), to convey the twilight breath of moist snow (“Spring silence”) and the pre-dawn silence of a field (“Birth of the dawn”). The same compositional simplicity creates an atmosphere of openness to the viewer, an atmosphere of open dialogue between the artist and the viewer, the artwork and the human soul. What is this dialogue about? About life, of course. About the time that is before our eyes right now. About the time that we have been granted to live. In this dialogue, the emotions of the artist are restrained, he is showing the result – what he saw. And as a counterpoint in this dialogue is the sound of silence – the silence of fields, the silence of cathedrals, the silence of the sky, like a small artistic tale about a country fallen asleep in the snow. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Winter” Pastel on paper. (42 x 59 cm)

“Winter in Vladimir” Pastel on paper. (42 x 59 cm)

“Warm winter” Pastel on paper. (42 x 59 cm)

“First snow” Pastel on paper. (42 x 59 cm)

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ARTIST MIKHAIL KOCHESHKOV, (VLADIMIR)

Graphics is the art of the very especial. Large art exhibitions arrange works by graphic artists in the farthest halls. Black and white image in most cases, small size, low-key plot – it is not considered to be for the mass audience. This may very well be the case, but then the natural question is, who is the viewer for graphic artists? Who is he and how is he different from the rest? The answer to this question should be logically found in the nature of graphic art, which is based on black and white constructions of compositions. Is the black and white model of the world around its simplification? From aesthetic perspectives – yes, definitely. However, art operates not only by form, but also by content. To be more specific – content that bears meaning. The record of content in the form of an abstract model – be it mathematics or philosophy – is familiar enough for us and does not raise thoughts about simplification. Abstract model reveals meaning. This in particular, and in many ways, is the focus of graphic art.
• For the viewer, familiarity with the artist begins with a simple question – what is the artist interested in, in the first place. Looking at the works of Mikhail Kocheshkov, answering this question is not too difficult – existence as such. Let’s look at a small etching “Still life with a chair”. According to the genre characteristics, this is still life in an interior. Objects united in a freely fragmented composition are easily replaceable – their internal communication is not formalized. The point is not what these objects are designed for, but that they exist. The artist seeks an answer to the question: what does it mean to exists? What is existence? In the field of attention is not a special case of the life of a subject (what is the existent?), but rather a more fundamental question – what does it mean for the existent to exist? Notice the main intonation that literally permeates the entire composition. This intonation is surprise. Equally clearly, this motif sounds in the artist’s landscape works (“In the fields”, in the paintings “The Wall, lighted by the sun”, “Light autumn”). The eternal human thirst – to understand and comprehend existence as a whole, as a theme in art is rare. This topic is complicated due to the lack of an explicit and obvious object for an image. Therefore, it seems logical that the artist desires to transcend the limits of a formal plot, to avoid plot, to abandon plot completely. The rejection of one of the tools (plot), is compensated, and often successfully replaced, by active work with another tool – angle of vision: panorama, which Mikhail Kocheshkov uses masterfully, even in such an unexpected genre as interior still life (“In the studio”); fragmentation (“Sheds under snow”, “Suzdal motive”); low horizon, typical of monumental painting (“Murom”, “Summer clouds”). An unexpected viewpoint, as in a new, unfamiliar glance at the space in which existence takes place – is the plot of many works.
• Society persistently reduces the role of the artist to a “decorator” of interiors. This is how it always has been and our time is no exception. The slogan – “make beauty for us” is formulated by a crowd, but the artist fits poorly into a crowd. He has different life-space. In the life-space of artist Mikhail Kocheshkov, there is more existence than objects. For the understanding of objects, mankind has accumulated a huge toolkit – from the microscope to the Mars rover. For the comprehension of existence, there are no instruments other than those given to each of us by God. In this sense, the artist Mikhail Kocheshkov and viewers of his artworks are in equal conditions. Most of the work of the artist – to see, feel, understand – is available to every viewer. The only difference is that the artist spends much more time on this. Usually an entire lifetime. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “In the fields” Pencil on paper. (42 x 65 cm)

“Still life with a chair” Etching. (21 x 17 cm)

“The land” Etching. (19 x 54 cm)

“Still life with a white drapery” Etching. (24 x 19 cm)

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ARTIST MIKHAIL SHMYROV, (BRYANSK)

Bryansk’ painter Mikhail Shmyrov, working much and successfully in all the major genres of painting, is quite a versatile artist. The portrait and landscape, thematic painting and still life – in each of these genres Mikhail Shmyrov can demonstrate to the viewer first-class artworks. How can such a wide range of interests be explained? What creative persona is behind such a long list of plots? And finally, the main question – what is the central link connecting the creative work of this artist into a coherent whole? Any artist perceives the surrounding world as an aesthetic space, subordinate to the laws of inner harmony. Dostoevsky’s famous statement – “Beauty will save the world” can be interpreted as a call for artists to reveal and portray this beauty. In other words, to make the inner harmony tangible and visible. A discussion of the artwork of Mikhail Shmyrov – is primarily a talk about the subtlest art of color harmony, exactly that which is the most difficult to explain in words. The color, color scale, color melody – are sensual categories intractable by language formulas and mathematical symbols. How can this mysterious space be entered by a spectator, and is there a door through which you can get there? There is, apparently, and it is called – painting.
• Soft, devoid of aggressive color contrasts, color scheme; flawless tonal design of the composition; clear, particular graphically-defined relationships of large color masses – are the main features of artworks by Mikhail Shmyrov. The color integrity of artistic space largely determines the restrained emotional scale – it attains the mood of concentration, reflection, silence. An interesting effect arises – the artwork almost distances itself from the casual viewer, protecting the emotional field created on canvas. Such distancing being characteristic of self-contained artworks that are closed within themselves with a high degree of accuracy indicates the presence of a work of fine art. A true work of art is often tacit. Its aura – is the aura of pulling the viewer into the pictorial space, as opposed to pop art, in which the energy is directed outward from the picture’s plane into the surrounding world. Another characteristic trait of the creative work of Mikhail Shmyrov – the subordination of the plot and mood, their interpenetration, testifies its belonging to real fine art, its authenticity.
• Valuable characteristics of artwork, which any art collectors so love and which not always obvious in fine art, are determined by two poles – the scope of the artist’s talent and the scope of the artist’s personality. These two poles are always present in each creative artwork and are realized in a generalized form by picture’s artistic idea. The significance of the artistic idea – is a key parameter of artwork. If the main theme of the paintings of Mikhail Shmyrov can be described as a conflict of time and eternity, the artistic ideas, being derived from the topic, reveal to us the artist’s understanding of it. The flow of time – life, the understanding of its forms through color, rhythm, dynamics of three-dimensional space, is the essence and content of the artistic images of Mikhail Shmyrov. These images are subjective as any reality is subjective, but precisely because of this – they are authentic, certain and accurate. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Haystack” Oil on canvas. (40 x 45 cm)

“Vvedenskaya church” Oil on canvas. (50 x 40 cm)

“The beginning of autumn. Snezshka river” Oil on canvas. (50 x 55 cm)

“Bullfinch” Oil on canvas. (70 x 74 cm)

ATTENTION RUSSIAN ART & PARIS READERS:

Our next publication – “Art Expo New York 2014″ – will be online on April 10st.

2014: 02/07
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Summer’13

In the Summer’13 Art Show of the “Russian Art & Paris” journal, we present to our readers four very interesting contemporary artists of different styles and genres. They include – a young and very talented artist Alla Polkovnichenko from Moscow, just beginning her career as a professional painter. As well as three well-known masters in the world of fine art – St. Petersburg artist Viktor Egorov, painter Alexander Shevelev from Rybinsk and painter Guennadi Ulibin from Seville. An uncommonly wide range of creative techniques and artistic decisions, and the bright originality of each of these artists will attract the attention of all who follow the development of modern art.

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ARTIST VIKTOR EGOROV, (SAINT PETERSBURG)

In the endless discussion about the fate of landscape painting, there constantly sounds, like a refrain, the philosophical and aesthetic justification of the existence of this genre, its right to an independent life. What exactly causes such a cautious attitude towards it? Could it only be the relatively short history, compared to other genres, or is it something else? Perhaps the complexity of the creation as well as the interpretation of the artistic idea, the fuzziness and uncertainty of the very concept – “an artistic idea of the landscape,” are the primary basis for these doubts. Let’s try to approach this issue from the position of the artist. Why does the artist turn to this genre? Which aspects of the potential of the landscape genre seem more significant to him in comparison with other genres? The artwork of one of the modern masters of landscape art, Saint Petersburg artist Viktor Egorov is quite an appropriate occasion for such a conversation.
• The meaning of landscape as an artistic composition is mainly associated with the organization of space. The compositionally motivated plot, the spatial rhythm, perspective, all of these are basic landscape components focused on solving a single task – creating the spatial structure of the image. The emotional order, the “melody” of the work itself is created (or not created) during the stage of solving compositional (structural) problems. In the paintings of Victor Egorov the tradition of the classical landscape with a construction of space to a considerable depth are masterfully implemented in a series of urban winter scenes – “Tsarskoye Selo”, “Kryukov Canal,” “St. Nicholas Cathedral.” With the classical tradition of this artist’s work, there is a link to a high degree of generalizing a theme (“Winter Garden,” “Autumn in the Park”). The complex rhythm of trees – in depth and horizontally, in conjunction with the restrained coloring, create a graphically expressive image-sign. Thus, the landscape begins to take on portrait characteristics – portrait of autumn, portrait of winter. This portrait features are extremely significant. Landscape – is an aesthetic notion. Landscape – is a natural or urban terrain seen through the eyes of man. This means that the landscape only exists as an image, a generalized image of the world around us. In his most significant artworks, Victor Egorov successfully creates a landscape image-portrait.
• Very interesting are the works of the artist associated with horizontally expanded compositions of the landscape (“Birch”, “View of the Palace of Peter III”). The calm, clear, rhythmic structure of the composition creates a metaphor for a quiet state of motive – the structured construction creates a melody. Similarly, the horizontal rhythm, but more complex and rich, is wonderfully designed in a classically beautiful scenery – “Chinese Palace” (the second part of the triptych “Oranienbaum”). The distinct pulling of Victor Egorov towards large art form, symbolization of the plot (unlike the intimate lyrical narrative); these are the distinctive features of this master’s work. At the same time, these features are in conflict (in some artworks) to the over-naturalization of the object’s image, creating a stylistic dissonance. The phenomenon in general, is very characteristic of contemporary fine art.
• The development of the artist within his work is always a mystery. A mystery, for him as well. Of particular interest is the fact that the development of this intrigue happens in front of the audience – the passive, but influential members of any artistic process. The artwork of Victor Egorov is far from its peak. How and in what direction will this development take place remains to be seen, but what has already been created is a clear indication of the arrival of an interesting and extraordinary master. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Svyatogorsky monastery” Oil on canvas. (65 x 70 cm)

“Winter garden” Oil on Canvas. (55 x 60 cm)

“Autumn in the Park” Oil on Canvas. (50 x 60 cm)

“Tsarskoye Selo” Oil on Canvas. (50 x 65 cm)

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ARTIST ALLA POLKOVNICHENKO, (MOSCOW)

“Understanding the real world – is the process of creating its models” (A.Kerzhenova). The artistic reality of the painter Alla Polkovnichenko is a vector model that sends the viewer not in the direction of empirical reality, but in the exact opposite direction. In the direction away from the “objective” world and towards the subjective interpretation of it, where as a result of the creative search, there arises a strange and unusual creation – a symbol-sign. The visual code, which is information-sensitive, allows us to justify that before us is fine art, and that art is authentic.
• The open world of the artist Alla Polkovnichenko is huge and simple. The movement of clouds in the sky (“Cloud Coming”) and the movement of the human soul (“After the Rain”) in this world are equivalent and meaningful. The philosophy of this space is intertwined with the philosophy of human destiny, visibly or invisibly present in every composition (“Big City”, “Elets”, “The Banks of the Don”). The vivid metaphor (“Water Tower”) and the detailed narrative in the style of an urban romance (“Olga”, “Pedestrian Zone”) do not contradict each other, but are merely blocks from which the viewer can build any picture of the world by his own directive. The one which he likes… A few features fit naturally into this picture of the world: the “Night”, naive but made a with double supply of irony, and an earnest attempt to understand what is in this world (“Self-Portrait with a plaster head”). A rare in contemporary art, sensual direct view of the world, reveals the identity of the person and the environment, enlightened by his presence (“Resurrection”, “Self-Portrait with a Curved Mirror”), where the depth of space disappears because space, as the distance is just our illusion. The suppleness of the plot, the incoherence of its own artistic monologue by a story (“Rural Love”, “Natasha reading”) are a natural consequence of inherent talent and the learned ability to see. To see that what exists.
• The aesthetics of Alla Polkovnichenko contains a minimal number of basic components. The exquisitely complex structure of the coloristic composition in combination with the carefully developed tonal-rhythmic order create the main “melody” of the work. Artwork detailing – both compositional and picturesque – is almost nonexistent. It is essential to note the absence of explicit tone-color accents – evidence of the professional and aesthetic maturity of the artist. The division of the composition into planes, which come in the form of mixed space – are probably the most interesting compositional technique in the arsenal of Alla Polkovnichenko. A technique, which the artist wields perfectly and with a sense of measure. As for the static compositional solutions, in the vast majority of cases, it looks more like a step in the development than a sensible creative choice.
• The talent of an artist – is always potential. To speculate how this potential will be realized is useless. We will see everything that will take place. But from what is seen in the work of artist Alla Polkovnichenko even now, there is a very characteristic distinguishing feature of great talent – conviction. “Once and for all exactly right and just as it is.” ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Lena Palenko” Oil on canvas. (75 x 100 cm)

“After the rain” Oil on canvas. (75 x 55 cm)

“Cloud coming” Oil on canvas. (135 x 150 cm)

“Olga” Oil on Canvas. (165 x 104 cm)

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ARTIST ALEXANDER SHEVELEV, (RYBINSK)

Beauty is inherently subjective. Within this subjective space, the dramatic world of fine art is unfolded. The artist exists in this world all the time, not being able to venture beyond it, but being able to push the boundaries of this world – his own art creative space. Defining the creative space of artist Alexander Shevelev is not difficult – his creative declaration, distinct and clear, consists of dozens of excellent artworks, with no puzzles remaining after looking upon them. That which is loved by the artist, that which caught his attention, is all in front of us; it is enough to just see these artworks. Nevertheless, during careful contemplation of paintings by Alexander Shevelev, questions arise that are quite interesting and deserving of us to dwell on them in detail.
• Plein air sketch – the main and most reliable tool for the landscape painter. The bewitching charm of a successful full-scale plein air sketch is familiar to every lover of painting. Studio (easel) artwork – the picture – is not just another artistic form. Studio picture requires a quite different kind of visual language. Work at the junction of the two forms – plein air sketch and studio painting, a synthesis of categories that are inconsistent at first glance – are the main fields of the creative search of artist Alexander Shevelev.
• When analyzing features of the artwork by this particular artist, and defining characteristics of his pictorial techniques, we should first of all mention his work with foreshortening. Panoramic perspective, well-known in the visual arts – is a rare guest in the compositional arsenal of the modern artist. The epic sounding of such compositions, their vulgar pathos, is discouraging. The works of Alexander Shevelev: “Spring in Rostov” and “Solovki. Rigging warehouse”- a rare and exceptionally good examples of panoramas with an intimate lyrical melody. The combination of plein air style and panoramic form creates a new artistic quality of painting. An even more interesting angle, so to speak, a “telephoto-style view” – is a look from long range with a significant coverage of image in the vertical dimension: “Autumn in Borisolebsk” and “March in the village of Sherohovichy”. The unexpected foreshortening is a surprise, a strange glance at the world that logically motivates an unexpected detailing of the image in these artworks.
• The coloristic origins of painting of Alexander Shevelev are naturally linked with the plein air sketch, which the artist wields freely and masterfully. The tense, sometimes reinforced colors are the trademark coloristic handwriting of the artist. The concentration of color itself does not always lead to the concentration of the meaning. The essence of beauty in its coloristic value mostly manifests itself through harmony. Plein air works of the artist of recent time (“Sledge”, “The Yard”, “March Snow”), in this regard are practically flawless and by their artistic merit do not give way to the studio paintings of this master.
• Foreshortening, composition, color – are categories of form, which in turn is the bearer of the artist’s individual aesthetics. The value of this aesthetic is subjectively determined by the viewer and can change over time, sometimes significantly. The subjective character of beauty and the subjectivity of viewers’ estimates are of the same nature. However, the artwork of Alexander Shevelev exists objectively – the process of creating and developing his own art form, of his own artistic language. A language that is unusual, vivid and memorable. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “March in the village of Sherohovichy” Oil on canvas. (50 x 60 cm)

“Autumn in Borisoglebsk” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 98 cm)

“Spring in Rostov” Oil on Canvas. (41 x 85 cm)

“Spring” Oil on Canvas. (75 x 100 cm)

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ARTIST GUENNADI ULIBIN, (SEVILLE)

In the history of artistic movement known as mystical realism there are few names and creative events (the term “mystical realism” was introduced by the German art critic Franz Rauh to describe the picture, which shows a changed reality). Work within the boundaries of this area brings quite unconventional requirements to the author: a high level of artistic skill – to create such a composition, and a no less high intellectual level so that the creation become a work of art. Such combination of these qualities in art is rather rare. Modern audiences raised on the centuries-old tradition of perceiving the artist as a bohemian and refer to the phrase “artist-intellectual” with a natural suspicion. Such is the tradition, or, if you will, that is the reality, and few dare to challenge reality. Artist Guennadi Ulibin is one of the few.
• “The rate at which time passes for an object depends on its velocity relative to the observer, as well as the strength of the gravitational field, which can slow the passage of time.” The very appearance of such a quote in an essay on the work of the painter can result, at the very least, with eyebrows raised in surprise. Meanwhile, particularly this quote most fully reveals the central theme of the work of Guennadi Ulibin, the subject of space and time. The attractive force – gravity, in the plots of Guennadi Ulibin is irrationally huge. Objects are literally pressed into the surface of the planet. As a consequence – the passage of time has almost stopped. Can anything even happen in a space with fixed time? Perhaps yes, and even something quite interesting. First of all, things in their ontological value return to their original meanings – the stones are just stones, the tide is a tide, the sunset is a sunset. But the most amazing transformation happens with man. Freed from their social camouflage, man – an object that is familiar to us all, is recognized with difficulty. Is it really true that we, people – are like this? Let’s not rush to answer.
• The space in the paintings of Guennadi Ulibin is one of the main components of the artistic image. A distinctive feature, quite unusual for a work of art, is the depth of this space. In the paintings “Earth”, “Space”, and “Ocean”, the scale is almost philosophical, to the very boundary of the knowable. The stillness of the characters is deceptive – every pose is distinctly accented by a gesture (the turning of a head is also a gesture). In this regard, it is interesting to recall a thesis by Pavel Florensky – “the gesture defines a space therein causing tension and thereby distorting it.” The distortion means the subordination of space, its individualization. This is yet another feature of the works: the complete and absolute proportionality of the size of the space to the size of man. This proportionality is not accidental, the humanitarian environment of man – the whole planet, is one and indivisible. The man and the planet are identical. This identity is affirmed by each composition of Guennadi Ulibin.
• The external monumental visual style of Guennadi Ulibin should not be misleading – the key of his works is the human dimension and the human element. Both the spacial and the metaphorical compositions are interpreted by the artist within the human destiny. The semantic content of human images partly resonates with the fundamental idea of Nietzsche’s “eternal return”. “- Oh, the man always returns!” spoke Zarathustra, but the man does not always returns the same, as he was before. Is it possible that from the depths of the images of artist Guennadi Ulibin the man looking at us is an unknown “new” person, or at least a sketch to his portrait? Why exactly is it impossible? ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Dream” Oil on canvas. (89 x 196 cm)

“Unmanned space” Oil on Canvas. (81 x 162 cm)

“Ocean” Oil on Canvas. (195 x 100 cm)

“Water” Oil on Canvas. (89 x 195 cm)

2013: 08/01
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Spring’13

In the spring Art Show ’13 of the Russian Art & Paris journal, we present to our readers four contemporary artists. Tatiana Godovalnikova, a master of seascape from Sevastopol. A master of landscape Igor Grishchenko, Associate Professor of the painting of the Nizhny Tagil City Pedagogical Academy. Artist Mikhail Kaban-Petrov, is a well-known for the innovative character of the artistic quests. Dmitriy Permiakov, a young and very talented artist from Perm. What unites these quite different artists is the originality of artistic thought and the bright distinctiveness of their pictorial language. For the attention of all who are interested in the world of contemporary visual art.

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ARTIST TATIANA GODOVALNIKOVA, (SEVASTOPOL)

Impressionism, appearing more than a hundred years ago is a phenomenon both well-studied and rather mysterious. Very different artists have been labeled as impressionists. Different in style, in spirit, and, most importantly, in the the complex of their solvable tasks. In considering the work of the artist Tatiana Godovalnikova, it is very hard to resist from using the word “Impressionism”. The question is, what does this term give us in understanding the creative artwork of a single artist? Frankly, very little, almost nothing. Perhaps more interesting is the question, what is the major focus of the attention of this artist? Immediately, to the vague term Impressionism, we add a much more specific term – light, the flow of light. The natural light stream is what makes up the compositional, and often the plot foundation of works by this artist. Light, whose plot function was noticed even by Vermeer, acts as a structure-forming element of the image in the works of T.Godovalnikova. The precise characteristics of the light stream, become a necessary condition for the creation of an authentic visual space. The magical aura of the artwork by T. Godovalnikova, the charm of the atmosphere of her works, are a natural consequence of the authenticity of the key compositional link – light.
• Working with light, is one of the most interesting problems in visual arts. The theoretical principles of the luminosity of artworks have been developed long ago, but the practical implementation of these principles require from the artist a very serious level of mastery. Tatiana Godovalnikova demonstrates fluency in the full range of light “palette”. The direct sunlight, creating a powerful major emphasis, is excellent in the landscape “Heat.” The subtle sound of pouring streams of light is in the painting “Wisteria”. The soft glow of a fading day is in the transparent evening landscape “Twilight.” The luminosity of these works, the accuracy and certainty of their tonal design is striking. In the still life painting “Roses on blue”, the light glare becomes the protagonist of the composition, building the theme and the plot of the work through its own arrival.
• In the world of painting, the night landscape, and especially a landscape with water, is one of the most difficult scenes. Not every museum collection can boast of a successful night composition. The reasons are quite obvious – the technical complexity of working with nature on night scenes, and at the same time, the complexity of working in a studio with no credible and successful natural etudes. The landscape “Lights of Balaclava” can be safely attributed to the works of museum-grade. The fascinating atmosphere of a brightly lit coastal town at night; the relaxed composition of the painting, executed in a free style of painting – all speak about the work of a master. Accidental luck in works of such complexity simply does not happen.
• The artwork of Tatiana Godovalnikova, reserved in the scenic range, is focused on the multidisciplinary development of favorite themes and motifs, is deeply professional and at the same time, artistic. And most importantly – this work continues … ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Heat” Oil on canvas. (50 x 60 cm)

“Balaklava. Plein air” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 80 cm)

“Lights of Balaclava’ Oil on Canvas. (70 x 100 cm)

“Roses on blue” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 70 cm)

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ARTIST IGOR GRISHCHENKO, (NIZHNY TAGIL)

The depiction of wildlife, is habitually identified by the viewer with the word landscape. The artwork by artist Igor Grishchenko with its formal features, is very easy to attribute to this genre. With one small caveat – before us is not necessarily a landscape, but a feeling of a landscape, a recording of the artist’s emotions that arose from observing nature. Whether such an image can be called a landscape is a theoretical question. For the viewer, what’s more important is how interesting and significant is the image created on the canvas. Let’s start with the basics – what do we see once surrounded by the paintings of artist Igor Grishchenko? The coloristical uniqueness of each painting, the lack of color repeats, is the first thing that is essential to notice. Each painting is characterized by a well-developed, almost musically sounding, color scheme. In most cases, a single color chord fills the entire plane of the visual space. Dissonances, strong color accents are almost nonexistent. Holistic, harmonious melody of color is the foundation of the artist’s scenic design. The decorativeness of a painting style should not be misleading, before us is a realism more authentic than many of the “photo-realistic” imitations of nature. Realism is not about external similarity, but rather about the meaning of the presented plot.
• The impression prevailing over narration, is the hallmark of landscape compositions by the artist. The focus on transferring personal sensory experience can be seen in many paintings. The breath of a real living forest – “Landscape with a spruce”, “October”, “Spruce Forest”. Complex, emotionally rich compositions “Autumn,” “Northern Blues,” “Night Forest”. Intense drama in the paintings, “Blooming belogolovnik” and “Autumn Road”. The selectivity of the artist’s perception is confirmed by the well-structured, sometimes rigid, composition of each plot. The authenticity of these feelings and the prudence of artistic means to transmit these feelings, are probably the main features of painting by Igor Grishchenko. These main features involuntarily direct the viewer to the central question – what exactly transforms a canvas filled with paint into a painting? What components need to come together on the canvas to cause a work of fine art? The beginning of an answer to this question lies beyond the image’s plane, in the personality of the artist. Who is he, this mysterious man, who chose for himself a strange craft – of mixing colors? What is the essence of the craft – the ability to draw or the ability to see?
• Landscape “Golden Evening”. Light-filled space. Golden glare of the sun at sunset. The stillness of evening sky. Tranquility. The meaning of this sensation is difficult to put into words, but no less difficult to convey with colors. The wooden palette of an artist contains no sunlight color, no warm evening air. The talent of an artist is the ability to think in categories of artistic ideas – color and rhythm, plane and volume. But to think also means to select, to analyze and understand. The last word – to understand – is probably key. Perhaps it is with this, that the road to a work of art begins. What exactly does an artist need to understand standing in front of a blank canvas: the construction of light and form, or the nature of his own feelings? Obviously, the former and the latter. What will be the most important – what you see or what you feel? What color combination will more accurately transfer the range of your own feelings? There are dozens of questions, and seeking the answers to them is the daily invisible part of the work of an artist. The viewer sees the result – the already discovered artistic image – glowing sky, golden glare, tranquility. Everything else remained “behind the scenes” in the studio of artist Igor Grishchenko. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Golden Evening” Oil on canvas. (58 x 78 cm)

“Landscape with a spruce’ Oil on Canvas. (80 x 100 cm)

“Spruce forest” Oil on Canvas. (75 x 110 cm)

“Aspen mountain” Oil on Canvas. (73 x 80 cm)

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ARTIST MIKHAIL KABAN-PETROV, (KOSTEREVO)

The complexity of the assessments and the perceptions of contemporary art are in many ways linked to the orientation of the audience and the critics towards the generally accepted canons and artistic trends. The grading scale is thus attached to the present from the past. Roughly speaking, the definition of “what should be,” is willingly or unwillingly built on the assumption of “what was”. It would be interesting to ask art critics about how they see the future of fine art? And is it possible to also get an assessment of modern art based on the criteria of the future, not the past? The very question seems rhetorical at first glance – the example of empty cells in the periodic table is probably known to everyone. What is getting in the way? Perhaps there is a well-established view of art in society as one of the varieties of the service sector, which implies adherence to the aesthetics of today. This is not true. Fine art does not engage in the servicing of aesthetic needs. Its purpose and scope are in a completely different field. As an illustration, let’s take a look at the work of one of the modern masters.

• In the upside down world of the painter Mikhail Kaban-Petrov, everything is very similar to the truth. The inverted boat that will not float because of winter (“Boat”). And will the thawing ever come, and with it the pure water on which you can float, no one knows. Perhaps the thawing will never occur and the boat will not float ever. Is that not true? A door, remarkable in that it is closed (“Door”). Light makes its way under the door – there is someone, there are people, there is life, there people are “… again, not sleeping. Maybe drinking wine, maybe sitting around. “(M.Tsvetayeva). But we, the audience, and the artist himself, are on this side of the door. Will we be able to get to where the

light is? Maybe yes, maybe no. “Heat,” where there are two people noticeably present, although neither are in the plane of the image; and from the outside world there only remains a red-hot streak of light making its way out of a curtained window. There is no life, only the emptiness of heat. The life in here, in this room, and what we see, is but a fragment. A fragment reinterpreted in the artistic space of a canvas. What kind of artwork is this? What is its essence? First of all in this remarkable truth, is a feature invaluable to art – uniqueness, as the Parthenon is unique, despite the abundance of marble.

• The artwork of M. Kaban-Petrov is far from symbolism, it contains no set of metaphors. The nature of this painting is deeply national – there is more Dionisy in these canvases than Cezanne. The style of paintings by M. Kaban-Petrov is associated with black and white “graphics” of the novels by Dostoevsky. “Requiem”, is made in a “negativity” form that is very unexpected for an artistic painting. “Prayer”, with a tragic red color and the no less tragic “The Wall”, show an inner spiritual relationship with the major themes of Dostoevsky.

• The realism of the perception of the surrounding world, the understanding of the world as an objective reality, is materialized in the artistic reflections on the content and meaning of this reality. What we see in artworks of Mikhail Kaban-Petrov, is not just a glance from the side at our present reality, but a glance at it from a different time. A glimpse from the future. This is how our time will look, the part of it that went into the field of view of the artist, through the eyes of future generations of viewers (and joining them, art critics). ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Requiem” Oil on canvas. (122 x 90 cm)

“Boat” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 102 cm)

“Still life” Oil on Canvas. (135 x 85 cm)

“Book” Oil on Canvas. (115 x 76 cm)

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ARTIST DMITRY PERMYAKOV, (PERM)

A thirty years old artist on the current practice is considered young. This is natural, the period of training in fine arts is long and not limited to the years of formal education. Confident independent creative work, in most cases, only begins after thirty. In other words, the thirty-year-olds are the newest generation in art. The interest of the public to this generation is obvious, a new generation means a new look at the world, with their new understanding and new emotions. The creative work of artist Dmitry Permyakov, one of the representatives of this generation, bears many of the basic characteristic features of Russian painting. This is a traditionally high level of color culture, mastery of art composition, and an understanding of its role in creating an artistic image, this is also the attention to the everyday life surrounding the artist. But there are others who also have all this, entering the world of professional fine art as young and certainly talented artists. What distinguishes this particular artist? Let’s take a closer look.
• The subtle coloristical intonations of the artistic constructions by Dmitry Permyakov attract attention at the very first acquaintance with his canvases. The artist avoids rough color-dominants. A precise coloristic tune is built without the help of accents, with maximum use of the effect of color harmony. Modest in size, “Ural sketch” demonstrates the unusual intonation quality of paintings by D. Permyakov. A soft, planar sketch, what could be so special about it? Particularly the tone, is what creates an emotionally expressive artistic image. The seen, heartfelt intonation is carefully preserved even in large, studio-landscape compositions (“Barents Sea”, “Montenegrin Ples”). The flawless tonal range, without which it is impossible to work in the model of “landscape-state”, creates the basic, tangible medium of the artistic space of the image’s plane. Restraint, at times austerity in working with color, is evidence of not only talent, but also of the real artistic maturity of the author.
• In a dramatic, landscape in form, composition with it’s title sounding like a line from a letter: “Everything is fine”, suddenly and brightly sounded the genre painting’s note, a phenomenon not entirely familiar in today’s landscape painting. At the same time, the boundary between the traditional artistic genres is the area where the most interesting discoveries and creative successes of contemporary artists are concentrated. This is, relatively speaking, the interpenetration (convergence) of the genres, so the value of artistic ideas – the reason for which the “bridge” is thrown from one genre to another – is the key. The painting “Everything is good” is an example of a clear and convincing artistic idea, which lays the foundation for the plot-motivated image. The obvious attraction of Dmitry Permyakov towards studio landscape, deserves serious consideration. Success in this field is determined not only by the quality of artistic ideas, but also a high level of stylistic individuality of the artist. These are not easy tasks, but the talent Dmitry Permyakov is worth us wishing him good luck! ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Ural sketch” Oil on canvas. (21 x 23 cm)

“Everything is fine” Oil on Canvas. (105 x 130 cm)

“Mysterious May” Oil on Canvas. (60 x 55 cm)

“Barents Sea” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 95 cm)

2013: 05/04
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Winter’13 (Part 2)

In the second part of the winter Art Show ’13 the journal Russian Art & Paris presents four artists to our readers. The youngest of them, Eugene Yachny (Saint Petersburg), is just beginning his carrier of professional artist. All others are well known masters in the world of fine art, with a great creative scope and wide range of genres: the Moscow muralist Elena Tupikina, and painters – Yuri Platonov (Gomel) and Vladimir Shichkov (Puchezh).

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ARTIST YURI PLATONOV, (GOMEL)

A colorful symphony is a rare phenomenon in modern visual art. Most artists are content to create beautiful melodies and do not try to develop an already good color theme to the scale of an artistic visual symphony. The solution of this type of problem requires a special kind of talent, and a tremendous amount of work. Add to that a high level of artistic cultural, a quality that at present is quite exotic. Nevertheless, interest towards this form of color constructions never dies out. Symphonic understanding of the color harmony is clearly witnessed in many works of the artist Yuri Platonov. Platonov’s scenes are quite traditional, but much less traditional are their color constructions. Let us dwell a little more on this feature of the paintings.
• Since the time of the Impressionists, the main form of landscape painting in visual art is considered to be the landscape-natural state. This landscape is familiar to the eye foremost by its similarity with the visual experience of the viewer. That the result is a portrayal of not so much nature, as simply the weather, does not bother anyone. Even in the real world, we see nature only in combination with certain weather condition. In this fairly coherent and logical landscape painting concept, there is only one weak point – it contains no place for man. The human poorly integrates into the physical series of natural objects. In addition, wherever a man appears, everything nearby becomes his environment. This environment is a landscape too, but not a landscape-natural state, it is a landscape-event.
• The landscape of artist Yuri Platonov is a place where man comes into contact with the reality that surrounds him. The state also plays a major role, but the state is not of nature but of man. The recording of the human condition, or, more precisely, the state of the human soul is the traditional task for music. Solving such tasks in painting is not easy, it is essential to create a descriptive row, one that is more sensual than visual. A new representational system, for which the dominant is color itself. The color harmony in such art constructions becomes the functional basis of the work. The color scheme can lose its visual reality, meanwhile acquiring an almost musical quality – a rich complexity of sound, emotion and psychology.
• Artwork “Church of St. Tadeusz on Luchaiy” is in many ways a remarkable work. Colossal color intensity is achieved without an apparent forcing of each individual color. The harmony of the tonal and color systems is gorgeous. The color accents are temperamental, sudden and sharp. The integrity, collectedness of the entire visual row, his “focus” are evidence of a clear understanding by the artist of the meaning of the work for which he approached the canvas.
• Sketches, designs of beautiful colorful symphonies are visible throughout many artworks by Yuri Platonov. (The word “sketch” should not be misleading. A sketch in music is only a half-finished product, but in the visual arts it is a complete and independent work). Very interesting are the landscapes formally dedicated to the analysis of the state of nature (the nature’s intermediate state) – “Balaklava. Morning”, “Moon-rise over Tauras”, “Opsa”. The transience of momentary events (for example: moon-rise) dictates not only the choice of form – the sketch, but a selection of the theme – a psychological reaction (impression) to the event. Impression is the basis of impressionism as an artistic movement, that was eventually littered by its rude materialistic understanding. To return to its source is a tempting challenge, but this kind of return makes sense only on another a color platform. The artistic colorful symphony of painter Yuri Platonov looks like a reasonably reliable basis for such tasks. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Moon-rise over Tauras” Oil on canvas. (60 x 80 cm)

“Church of St. Tadeusz on Luchaiy” Oil on Canvas. (55 x 90 cm)

“Slovechno. The Breath of Autumn” Oil on Canvas. (60 x 75 cm)

“Balaklava. The Morning” Oil on Canvas. (55 x 55 cm)

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ARTIST VLADIMIR SHICHKOV, (PUCHEZH)

Thinking about the aesthetics of Vladimir Shichkov, noting how precisely the color chords of his works are composed, the term “poetry” involuntarily comes to mind. Concepts, which are used in the theory of poetry seem to be quite adequate for the artistic analysis of the pictorial composition of this master. Rhyme is a measured pace, the rhythm of sound. This definition is most relevant to the creative work of Vladimir Shichkov. The rhyme of color is at the foundation of his amazing and exceptionally attractive artworks.
• Let’s look at a little artistic miracle – “The Indian Summer”. Or at the no less charming – “The Flare” and “The Morning”. What is special about these compositions, which at first glance have quite ordinary plots? Is the innovative character of the artwork? Sure. Excellent color scheme? Absolutely. But apart from these purely artistic aspects, there is another dimension that is absolutely humanitarian – humanity. Peering into the coloring of paintings by artist Vladimir Shichkov, listening to the monologue of his paintings, the conclusion has to do quite unexpected. These bright, juicy, and externally flashy pictures lead their conversation with the audience in a surprisingly calm and warm voice. What gives them such a sound? First of all – the rhythm, the movement of the main color harmonies in the plane of the visual field. In the brilliant landscape “The Indian Summer” this can be seen most clearly. The rhythm of the main color masses with perfect precision builds the theme of the works – the warm calm of a clear autumn day.
• Much more complex in its compositional and rhythmic construction is the landscape “The Coast”. With a high level of color intensity and strong contrasts, it still retains, however, a sense of comfort of human presence. The rhythm within it is set by the mass of blue color, penetrating the whole composition, and effectively “soothing” the fractional, ringing rhythm of light accents. Rhythm, so to speak, regulates the timbre of the artistic voice – somewhat quiet, somewhat emotional, but never rising to a scream.
• The subtle understanding of plot in the figurative compositions by Vladimir Shichkov (“Paris”, “Premier”, “Nocturne”, “Giselle”) is present despite the artist favoring a close-up view. This is a remarkable quality. A close-up view, the rise of an image of human body to the very boundary of a canvas, complicates the plot possibilities of the composition. Of all the active tools, the only one left at the disposal of the artist is, perhaps, the gesture. The gesture is understood as a meaningful movement of the entire human body. Could a gesture become the plot of an artwork? The composition “Paris” answers this question quite vividly.
• The language of artwork by Vladimir Shichkov is a profoundly original phenomenon. This language is not always easy to understand, but the expressiveness of this language, its artistic values and its possibilities are obvious. No less interesting are questions that arise among this. One of them, maybe the most fundamental, concerns the relationship between the planarity of the whole picture and the three-dimensional nature of human images on the canvas. In this special language, being developed by the master, the “conflict of interest” between these two basic categories looks to be inevitable. Or is a compromise still possible? Artist Vladimir Shichkov is actively working, and his answer will probably not keep you waiting too long. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “The Indian Summer” Oil on canvas. (65 x 75 cm)

“Paris” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 70 cm)

“The Coast” Oil on Canvas. (65 x 65 cm)

“The Dream” Oil on Canvas. (60 x 70 cm)

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ARTIST ELENA TUPIKINA, (MOSCOW)

The concept of a “modern artist”, presented in an unfolded way is likely to take several full pages, with numerous caveats, footnotes and references to authoritative sources. And even still, it will almost certainly remain quite vague. Maybe it is not worth to look for a definition of this phrase, which mockingly rejects formal logic? Oh, if only … If only the problem of the present, and its derivative – the modern artist, did not stand in the visual arts so acutely! The thing is that the audience is not interested in an artist who does not comprehend the world in which the viewer lives. The event-space, our life, is recognized (or not recognized) by the viewer in the work of any artist, on an intuitive level. Deceive him is impossible, a non-modern audience cannot exist.
• The world in which artist Elena Tupikina lives and works is well known to the viewer. It’s huge. Where that world’s real existence ends, it’s virtual existence begins and the modern human can easily move from one to another. The vastness of our world has been felt before, but with the advent of the Internet, something new was added – the wide-openness of this world, its disclosure to each of us. We no longer feel like a grain of sand in an infinite space. This space has been mastered – it has become part of our life, our common home. Are you already looking at the portrait “Sasha”? Let’s look at this excellent piece of art together. This is a extremely interesting portrait. This is a portrait of our contemporary. There has never been such a portrait of a child in the realistic visual art.
• The compositional space of Elena Tupikina diverges beyond the plane of the painting. The artist only points our attention to a small fragment of a larger, remaining mostly “behind the scenes” image. The constant presence of the surrounding world in each composition of artist Elena Tupikina is tangible and not unintentional. The reason, first of all, is that the artist sees this world. Sees it clearly, distinctly and holistically. Particularly, a clear vision underlies the comprehension of themes and plot. Maybe from here comes the unusual, almost antique detachment of the images created by the artist from the artist herself. Such detachment is always speaks about the presence of artistic ideas, and not an impulsive reflection of the observed.
• The aura of spacious scale in the artwork of Elena Tupikina is not the only quality that defines her creative work. Carefully aimed, at times austere, color scheme; perfect balance of painting and graphic components of the art composition; well thought-out constructions of the tonal range – evidence not only of talent and skill, but also of a true culture, inherent for a great master. A master, who in addition, is surprisingly modern. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Sasha” Oil on canvas. (40 x 30 cm)

“Self-Portrait” Oil on Canvas. (42 x 35 cm)

“The Winter” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 90 cm)

“Flight” Oil on Canvas. (90 x 70 cm)

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ARTIST EVGENI YACHNY, (SAINT PETERSBURG)

Modern writers are actively discussing what awaits the novel form of literature in the near future. Life is good for them! The artists do not argue about the figurative genre of fine art. Not arguing about anything. The figurative genre painting in halls of modern galleries and salons is virtually nonexistent. Repeating conversations that the “Genre painting” is out of date does not make sense.The genre will expire no sooner than life itself. The problem is not in the arguments of the debate. The problem is in the artists. If a person does not “see” that his world is filled with human beings, it is natural to ask the simple question – what does he see at all? And why call yourself an artist? The painting “Family”, by artist Eugene Yachny. Open space. A man and a woman. A dialogue of silhouettes, a dialogue of gestures, a dialogue of costumes. A lake and clouds. The ordinary lives of ordinary people, but if you’re an artist, there never was and never will be in our world a more interesting plot than this – a man and a woman … a lake and clouds.
• The name of artist Eugene Yachny is not widely known in the world of fine art. A young Saint Petersburg painter: the first pictures, the first exhibitions, the first audience. The creative work of Eugene Yachny is remarkable because in it can be seen an artist of the genre painting. This is not just about figurative genre artworks, but also works in landscape. “Old House”, “The Night Tale”, “Silent” are landscape compositions with noticeable features of the genre painting approach to landscape plot. “Twelve Apostles” is a landscape-monologue. “Emerald Night” is a landscape-contemplation. Perhaps only “The Blue Shadow” is a artwork, very interesting in the coloristic decision, that you can really call a landscape in the traditional sense of the word. The artist’s attitude to the outside world, as if towards inspired living matter, is very appealing. Whether this quality will be preserved in the future cannot be predicted, but currently it exists. “The Float” is an excellent, modern-sounding figurative genre painting. Genre painting by its subject, plot, and compositional decision. The expressive silhouette of a teenager, the expressive rhythm of an open outdoor space. And, perhaps most importantly – the open look of the artist at the surrounding world, the knowledge that this world exists.
• The loss of connection of the artist with the real world of living people is a sore point of our time. The lack of interest towards this world, almost guarantees a loss of interest of viewers towards the artist. For people living in different worlds, it is very difficult to understand one another. The real complexity of an artist’s existence in modern civilization does not explain anything and does not justify anyone. The artist life has never been easy. All that will happen in the future, in the creative work of artist Eugene Yachny – will take place before our eyes. Let’s secure what we have today – the talent, the desire to see and understand the world, the desire to work. In order to begin, this is definitely enough. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “The Night Tale” Oil on canvas. (70 x 120 cm)

“Family” Oil on Canvas. (114 x 121 cm)

“The Blue Shadow” Oil on Canvas. (26 x 28 cm)

“The Float” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 100 cm)

ATTENTION RUSSIAN ART & PARIS READERS:

Our next publication – “Art Expo New York 2013″ – will be online on Monday, April 1st.

2013: 02/15
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Winter’13 (Part 1)

In the winter Art Show ’13 journal of the Russian Art & Paris, which will be published in two parts – the 1st and the 15th of February, we offer our readers a number of modern artists whose work deserves serious attention. The first part presents four contemporary artists. Peter Chekantzev, Associate Professor of the painting of the Moscow City Pedagogical University, is a artist of large scale and creative range. Anatoly Lukash, a Saint Petersburg artist, is one of the most interesting artists of contemporary landscape painting. Vladimir Paroshin is a well-known and very popular Moscow artist whose artwork is concentrated in themes of urban landscape. Aleksandr Pavlovets, a magnificent Dnepropetrovsk artist, has been successfully working in a wide range of genres. All of these excellent painters – mature masters, are now at the peak of their artistic and professional career.

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ARTIST PETR CHEKANTZEV, (MOSKOW)

The creative work of artist Petr Chekantzev, multifaceted and multipolar, always exciting the viewer with the dramatic effect of sensations and with the temperament of its characteristics, is surprisingly frank. Frankness in art, is a extremely risky quality. Something objectively significant, of value to the viewer, must be created in the space of the canvas. A new meaning, a new world outlook, new emotions must be revealed to the viewer and understood by him. Understanding artwork is no easier than creating it. Comprehension of art, is a movement along the road, on which the artist is already walking towards you. Frankness implies that most of this difficult and sophisticated long road, the artist takes upon himself.
• A distinctive feature of the creative work of Petr Chekantzev is the amazing sense of time. Time – our days – in the works of this artist is real and tangible. It really is these days, and their recognizability by the audience is evidence of not just the authenticity and accuracy of the observations, but also the accuracy of the sensations. The artist sees the world in detail, letting his temperament to burst forth in color and tonal structures, but carefully preserving the authenticity of the human existence.
• The tuning fork of human presence is clearly heard in many artistic compositions of Petr Chekantzev. Let’s focus on a small-scale landscape “Silent Autumn”. At first glance, the human figure in the lower part is no more than an entourage – a small detail with the purpose of slightly enlightening the beautiful autumn landscape. Analysis of tonal range, however, tells a different story. Tonal accents “lead” the viewer in a circle along the coast, locking onto the female silhouette. This is the center of meaning and plot of the composition. The landscape begins to take on a portrait characteristic – to record the state of the human soul, her complicated condition. Here all is in dissonance – a soft color of a far shore and explosive rhythms in the foreground, the bright autumn sky and the black depth of the lake. This is the reality in which a person believes.
• The compositional structure “with a window” is traditionally difficult for painting. Well known are the problems faced by the artist in such compositions. Well known are also the possible solutions. In the composition “Raining”, the natural type of light – “contre” is developed to its maximum. Painting is approaching graphic art, thus depriving the artist to work with its main component – color. Maximally constricted space confirms the realized austerity of the artistic decision of this scene. Raining, the state where there is nothing but the rain. No space, no color, only cold gray light from the window. A small and very mundane plot grows to a large scale theme – “Friend! There is rain outside my window, worries and blessings are on the heart …” (M. Tsvetaeva).
• It is difficult to single out a genre that could be called the major one among the works of Petr Chekantzev. Working in a wide range of topics, the artist is interesting and nontrivial in the choice of scenes, if such a choice is indeed the case. Looking at many of the works, there is a feeling that this plot has chosen for itself the artist Petr Chekantzev. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Silent Autumn” Oil on canvas. (45 x 65 cm)

“The self-portrait” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 60 cm)

“Raining” Oil on Canvas. (90 x 70 cm)

“Vasily Lyubimov” Oil on Canvas. (100 x 75 cm)

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ARTIST ANATOLY LUKASH, (SAINT PETERSBURG)

In Russian art there are few artists, whose work is full of joyful intonations. There are even fewer such artists in the genre of Russian landscape which is clearly dominated by the sound of a minor chord. Why is that? Is it in the real character of Russian nature or the stereotype self-focus of the artist on the same range of emotions, on the same note? Against this traditional art background, Anatoly Lukash is a rare and happy exception. A wide emotional range of his artworks is vary from a sad elegy to lively humor, all in open-air painting compositions. This, you may agree, is not common. Open-air artwork presents specific requirements for the artist, including inartificial psychological requirements. An empirically-inclined personality and confidence in the accuracy of his own feelings are a must. The nature of open-air art contains the sketch-like style of the painting, that improvisational ease, naturalness of the image, which is so highly regarded in the visual art. (Before us appears a very long line of artists whose creativity is built on “completeness” entirely. But as soon as this completeness is mentally removed, nothing remains from those fine art works.)
• A small landscape, with an unusual for paintings name – “Summer – is a little life.” In this title is the subtle irony of a Southerner who knows the seasonal rhythm of life in the coastal cities. Their festive carnival mood is fleeting, and most part of the year they are deserted and almost empty. But for those who are now sitting on the veranda, summer really is a whole life. Impressionism is obvious for this painting-sketch, but no less obvious is its psychology – that combination of qualities that transforms a natural sketch into a real work of fine art. Yes, each artist sees the world in his own way, and no one argues with this, but for real fine art, only one individual “vision” is not enough, we must also understand what to look for. The plot in artwork is a rather neutral category – it can be anything. Artists prefer a more specific term – a motive. Figuratively speaking, it is an artistic melody emerging from the color, rhythm, light, the artist’s own emotions, and God knows from what else. It is impossible to think up this tiny picturesque melody, it can only be seen and heard from the real life, and attempted to be built on the canvas. In this wonderful, and highly sophisticated landscape composition “Summer – is a little life” by contemporary painter Anatoly Lukash, all of this happened.
• Looking through the artist’s painting works, noting their common qualities – high luminosity, compositional freshness, ease of execution, one should pay attention to an interesting detail. A. Lukash uses the word “etude” in the names of many of his artworks, which by their formal features – size, compositional complexity, and detail richness, does not refer to sketches, in the classical sense of the word. Furthermore, all artworks with this name can be considered in the most successful of his paintings. Apparently, the word etude, in this case, should be understood as a separate form of artwork with one, distinguished, intonation. This feature of the etude – concentration on the essential, has always attracted artists, but direct competition between the easel painting and painting-sketch forms has not yet arose. Few ventured to use the painting-sketch form outside of small, traditionally-sized sketch. Further development of this artistic form in the works of A. Lucash evokes an unconditional and very serious interest.
• The spirituality and lyricism of painting landscapes by Anatoly Lukash, their almost musical sounding – are the most noticeable and probably the most important features of his creative work. A detailed discussion of this on the pages of our joural is still ahead. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Summer – is a little life” Oil on canvas. (70 x 80 cm)

“View of St.Andrew’s Church” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 90 cm)

“Saint Petersburg. Beams of the Coming Sun” Oil on Canvas. (60 x 70 cm)

“Around the Sacred Source” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 80 cm)

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ARTIST VLADIMIR PAROSHIN, (MOSCOW)

It is enough to glance at the titles of paintings by artist Vladimir Paroshin to make it clear – before us is a very Moscow artist. A Moscow artist not only in painting, but first of all, in his personal qualities, which are surprisingly in tune with the atmosphere of old Moscow and the Moscow landscape. Devotion to this city, love for it, formed (fortunately? or not?) the artistic dialectic of the painter. A rather complicated, and sometimes contradictory, – à la paroshin – dialectic relationship of real plot-space and surreal metaphysical painting. In this dialectic, as well as in classical tragedy, the death of the main character is inevitable. Possibly from here stems the internal drama and theatrical likeness of many, at first glance quiet and cozy, scenes by artist Vladimir Paroshin.
• In Russia, it followed from the times of writer Nikolai Gogol, that outside yards and alleys were more interesting to artists than parade entrances. The life of the little man, a man from the street, that street itself – are the main subjects of Russian paintings of the nineteenth century. The interest in these subjects has not completely disappeared, what vanished was the urban environment that nourished it. That space of cohabitation, in which intertwined the destinies of people, and the fate of things, and an old tree outside the window was part of the human biography. In the tradition of Russian realism is the love for characters of that story, which calls the artist to the canvas. Connection with these traditions in the works of Vladimir Paroshin is obvious. In these same traditions the artist builds the relationship between his works and the viewer: artwork maximally revealed for empathy. However, the traditions in the art of Vladimir Paroshin are viewed precisely as traditions. Obviously, he does not have direct predecessors in Russian painting.
• The main compositional tool of the artist is the close-up view. Limited space creates the visual effect of stage portal – a closed, isolated from the world, action, revealed only in the direction of the viewer. This greatly enhances the emotional impulse placed by the author into the image. The accent of the emotional component of the composition, the hallmark of artworks by Vladimir Paroshin, leaves its mark on the style of his works as well. Asceticism of the artistic methods and the laconic, almost graphical art language are the main features of the style of the artist. A mystical carousel of trees and houses around the empty colonnades of a rotunda (“Rotunda”), a tipping dark horizon in the “Prelude”, a dream coming alive in the very emotional composition “The County” – demonstrate the range of artistic possibilities of the style of Vladimir Paroshin.
• The aesthetics of any artist is by definition secondary, it is the result of his world view, his culture, and even his character. It is made up of many, sometimes insignificant, details. But in general, the aesthetics of the artist is his self-portrait. It may not always be very clear, but it is always uncompromisingly honest. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Rotunda” Oil on canvas. (80 x 110 cm)

“The House at the Sea” Oil on Canvas. (73 x 120 cm)

“The House of A. Tarkovsky” Oil on Canvas. (72 x 90 cm)

“The Apple Tree” Oil on Canvas. (75 x 60 cm)

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ARTIST ALEKSANDR PAVLOVETS, (DNEPROPETROVSK)

To give a definition of artistic taste is not easy. It’s not so much for the lack of a tuning fork as in their abundance. Every single historical epoch had its tuning fork, and sometimes more than one. Our time is not an exception – there are plenty of tuning forks, and the loudest one is not necessarily the most accurate. The tuning fork of the artistic taste of contemporary painter Aleksandr Pavlovets sounds restrained, sometimes very quiet, but it is worth listening to. In the soft music of his works, there are very many precise notes.
• In delineating the space of the artistic images of Aleksandr Pavlovets, in finding a designation for this space, the simple word “harmony” seems natural, but not sufficient. An aura of tranquility in still life is replaced by an aura of tense silence in the portraits of women. An aura of coloristic hues interweaves with an aura of light and shadow. Compositional structures are distinct and laconic. The motions of live characters are almost always completed. The openness of female images is deceptive, their lips are tightly sealed. Harmony of rest? The harmony of silence? Yes, probably, but still something more.
• How can the mystery of Danae capture the contemporary artist, a mature man of the twenty-first century? The charm of an ancient myth? But it has been retold a thousand times and implemented in hundreds of paintings. Interest in ancient Greek history? But the painting “Danae” by Aleksandr Pavlovets is devoid of any historical attributes, his Danae is timeless. Perhaps most importantly, it is the presence of the mystery itself, a mystery of the divine in the earth. The compositional decision of the artist is temperamental and sudden, the main character of the painting is made to be not Danae, but Zeus. No, it’s not just about the shimmering of verticals and gold color scheme (Zeus came to Danae in the form of a shower of gold). We look upon Danae through the eyes of Zeus, on canvas is his emotional order, his invisible presence. He is located at the point from which the viewer sees Danae. The sharply-modern interpretation of the plot is psychologically daring, and no less daring is the painting itself, almost fresco-like by its nature. The composition arranges the image, and the image revealing the meaning. Impeccable graphic slenderness of a sophisticated foreshortening of the female figure, is the only classical element of this artwork. Everything else is art of our time.
• The painting of Aleksandr Pavlovets is a complex and unhurried artistic search within a relatively small aesthetic field. At the same time, the problems disclosed in such search are exceptionally relevant. As an example – the light and shadow is a base of construction of still-life by this artist, but simultaneously, his a decisive rejection of light and shadow in the figurative compositions leaves an open question – why? It is obvious that the basis of this difference is the different nature of the material world and the spiritual world. However, is this difference sufficient to create two separate painting aesthetics in a single artistic space? To answer this question is not easy and it is almost impossible to answer theoretically. Of value is only answer received on the canvas. The significance of an answer to this and similar questions will be confirmed (or not confirmed) in the works of other artists. The mechanism of artistic search in the visual arts functions slowly, but it has been working without any serious glitches and errors for centuries and no other mechanism is available for artists today. The distance traversed by Aleksandr Pavlovets along this road is considerable and the result is dozens of excellent fine art works. All of those are before the eyes of viewers. However, the road remains the same, with questions which, besides the artist himself, no one can answer. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Autumn” Oil on canvas. (60 x 75 cm)

“Danae” Oil on Canvas. (65 x 110 cm)

“Joker” Oil on Canvas. (90 x 80 cm)

“Naina” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 50 cm)

2013: 02/01
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Autumn’12

In the fall ArtShow of the Russian Art & Paris journal, we present to our readers artists of two major areas of fine art – drawing and painting. In the graphics section, the journal will continue the talk from an earlier exposition of ArtShow about the complex and elitist art of etching. This time you can get acquainted with the work of two artists: classic of etching, an exhibitor of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Vitaly Gubarev and young, talented Saint Petersburg graphic artist Leonid Stroganov. What unites these quite different artists is the excellent sense of style and understanding of the nature and specificity of the etching plate – its possibilities and its limits.

The paintings section is presented today also by two modern artists. One is the professor at Krasnoyarsk State Institute of Fine Art, Victor Rogachev, and the other a lecturer of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, Olga Melnik-Malakhova. The innovative character of the artistic quests by these painters, the genuine freshness and non-triviality of their view on the world, and the stylistic integrity of their artworks deserve the attention of all who are interested in the world of contemporary art.

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ARTIST VITALY GUBAREV, (PROTVINO)

The artist Vitaly Gubarev has long been known. A great graphic artist, a master of etching, a fine lyricist – epithets which no one disputes, and yet, speaking about the art of this master is not so easy. The thematic range of this artist is reserved and even austere. The number of plots in his works is not too large. Add to that the natural asceticism of the techniques in etching, and it begs the question – what is the focus of the art of V.Gubarev? In what art-field does he lead his creative exploration? Let’s try to understand.
• We have before us two landscapes – “Blooming meadow” and “Cornfield”. The most close-up view and a wide panorama. Space on these sheets is strictly structured and is emphasized with several apparent tonal accents. This space, decorative and almost flat in the first case, and expanded to maximum depth in the second case, is the main character in the works. However, space can never be empty, it is always filled with something. Here we come to the most important – to the fringe beyond which art begins. A description of the space in etchings of Vitaly Gubarev is not difficult to give at first sight of these sheets – living. Living space filled with the breath of wind and the smell of grass, is vibrant and changeable. How, by what means, does the artist create this effect?
• Pay attention to the filigree tone design, clearly visible in the composition “Cornfield”. In addition to the major tonal accents, the development of light spots of the second row literally leads the gaze of viewers through the waves of the shifting field. This is not just a tonal richness, but also an extremely difficult tonal arrangement illustrating the meaning of the work – the endless movement of living eared fields. No less interesting is the compositional solution of the foreground in etching “Blooming meadow”. The vibration of the warm afternoon air, the movement of grass, the nearly palpable smell of summer – all of this is in the construction of complex, sibling tonal rhythms of this magnificent sheet.
• The stylistic horizon of V. Gubareva is quite wide – from the classical form of “Memories” or “Winter way” to the emotionally explosive “Above the vanity”. Today, the artist is clearly on top of his skill and actively working, so we should not rush with generalizing characteristics of works by this master. Viewers first and foremost need works of art, and not grades, of the fine artist Vitaly Gubarev. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Comfield” Etching. (29 x 42 cm)

“Blooming meadow” Etching. (30 x 37 cm)

“Winter way” Etching. (21 x 26 cm)

“Above the vanity” Etching. (24 x 25 cm)

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ARTIST OLGA MELNIK-MALAKHOVA, (MINSK)

The art of the painting novella – a genre which is very rare and almost inaccessible for most modern artists. It is difficult to even establish the boundaries of the genre, to give it a precise definition. Some subtle feature of talent transforms the artwork, which is in all respects traditional, into a painting short story, a picturesque novella, acquiring the scale of an event. And it’s not only about the self-sufficiency of the plot, but apparently in the author’s self-sufficiency, in revealing the plot. The artist is, first and foremost, a man who has something to say.
• A distinctive feature of the figurative artworks by artist Olga Melnik-Malakhova is undoubtedly, their openness to the viewer. Look how easily they enter into a dialogue with the audience: the charming short story “Duel” or the homely warm painting “Blanket”. The capacity for dialogue as a essential quality of figurative genre painting, is priceless. In the composition “Dream on the grass” the dialogue sounds muffled. You can see the presence of a dream itself, painted in the bright colors of wonderful childhood. No less obvious are coloristic accomplishments of this beautiful work. Extremely bold, distinctly contemporary paintings, with live recognizable characters of heroes. All that transforms the image into a work of fine art.
• Excellent drawing technique, without which it is impossible to work in the field of figurative painting, is fully realized in the portrait works of Melnik-Malakhova. “Anastasia”, performed in a soft, classical manner, as well as the excellent painting sketch “Alice” – are examples of the high artistic culture of the author, of that very “school”, the lack of which has become the utmost misfortune of modern art. The creative journey of Olga Melnik-Malakhova, an artist generously gifted and promising, is in the very beginning. What exactly is to be seen by viewers of O.Melnik-Malakhova is not known by anybody today, but we will hope that we will be able to see much. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Nude” Sanguine on paper. (80 x 120 cm)

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“Duel” Tempera on Gesso. (38 x 38; 38 x 38 cm)

“Dream on the grass” Acrylic on Canvas. (50 x 50 cm)

“Anastasia” Oil on Canvas. (50 x 60 cm)

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ARTIST VICTOR ROGACHEV, (KRASNOYARSK)

A viewer, who sees the work of artist Victor Rogachev for the first time, will be slightly puzzled. At what should attention be directed first? What is most important here? How does this artist differ from other contemporary artists? Where is the key to understanding this painting? Upon thinking, we must recognize that this key has been hidden from us by the artist. Let’s try to enter without a key…
• Space. A place where the artist deploys his compositional ideas, is one of the most important components of the painting. The space of Victor Rogachev is complex and unexpected, and perhaps the most intriguing feature in the works of this master. In his most interesting spatial constructions, the artist achieves an amazing effect – the effect of a metaphor. “Still life with ceramic figurine”, where everything are the foreground, where the familiar three-dimensional model of the world begins to fall apart immediately, as soon as the glance crosses the boundaries of group of objects that forming its own creation. The color scheme of this composition is just excellent. It is the little metaphor of existence in the infinite cosmos of life. Modern art of still life, shaped largely by the efforts of Cezanne, is an analytical genre. Victor Rogachev takes full advantage of this analytical capacity in the search for new compositional possibilities, and new imaginative spatial structures, each time extracting new meaning from objects that are quite traditional.
• The style of the artwork. An artist’s own style is not just individuality. To this same aspect of creativity, belongs the creation of a harmonious unity of all the components of an image. The individual artistic style of V. Rogachev, with a notable presence of solutions and techniques from traditional graphic art, is well thought out and meaningful. Exceptionally effective and very interesting is the line drawing in the landscape painting “Autumn. Cottages”. In the gorgeous landscape composition “Silver Fall”, a fine and wonderfully elegant color design, with the most generalized planes, creates a qualitatively new state and a metaphysics of color context arises. The image of autumn arises, along with its metaphor. This metaphor is strong and deep. The painting space of this landscape is concise and tense, and emphasizes the stylistic excellence of the work, where there are no extra details, not a single extra emphasis. And finally, the color scheme, which is restrained and austere even in compositions with contrasting color rhythms, should also be attributed to the “signature” style of the artist.
• The creative works of the artist Victor Rogachev are clearly intelligent, and in many aspects, innovative, no doubt deserves serious attention from viewers and art critics. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “Midday heat” Pencil on paper. (43 x 61 cm)

“Gifts of Autumn” Oil on Canvas. (80 x 80 cm)

“Still life with ceramic figurine” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 70 cm)

“Silver of fall” Oil on Canvas. (60 x 80 cm)

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ARTIST LEONID STROGANOV, (SAINT PETERSBURG)

The modern Saint Petersburg graphic artist Leonid Stroganov debuted in art with an impressive series of etchings “King Lear”. The sophisticated viewer will immediately feel a dissonance because a series of etchings requires quite serious creative experience and of course, maturity is needed for Shakespeare… All right! And yet… The talent of Leonid Stroganov is bright and obvious. Few artists of this age have an established style and a distinct artistic vision. Even rarer is the wholeness and strong inner conviction of his own truth. These are imperative qualities without which many talents have faded.
• The bas-relief style of Leonid Stroganov etchings, their intense drama, is realized in full effect in the William Shakespeare series. No less interesting is the dynamism of compositional solutions, the amazing artistic unity of tonal and rhythmic rows. Tonal accents impeccably build the dialogue of gestures in the etching “King Lear – 1”. The complex range of emotions in the sheet of “King Lear – 10” comes from the black and white rhythm of the composition. The determination and non-triviality of the compositional structures of each sheet is very enticing. Determination, without which it is impossible to create a new artistic image or, by the description of philosopher Berdyaev a “creation of the nonexistant”.
• A series of urban landscapes of St. Petersburg – the city, roadway of which have seen each and every Russian artists, is a difficult task for a master of any rank. For a series, it is insufficient just combination of scenes. It is very essential to have a new quality – the Saint Petersburg of Leonid Stroganov. And on the etching plates of this artist, such a city arises. This is not quite an ordinary St. Petersburg. Dostoevsky is not seen on its bridges, but perhaps Bulgakov may appear just around the corner. This city is still tragic at night, but a little provincial in the light of day. This is a different St. Petersburg. A St. Petersburg through the eyes of an artist from a new generation. This city can be liked by not everyone, but it already exists, because there exists a new and intriguing artist – Leonid Stroganov. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

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Picture in the text: “King Lear – 1” Etching. (20 x 20 cm)

“Fontanka. Bridge” Etching. (11 x 15 cm)

“Demidov lane” Etching. (12 x 13 cm)

“Krukov Canal” Etching. (16 x 19 cm)

2012: 11/04
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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“Russian Art & Paris” Art Show. Summer’12

Introducing a new section – “Russian Art & Paris” Art Show – the journal presents artists whose distinguishing feature, in addition to talent and creative skill, is primarily a bright individuality. These artists have their own recognizable style, and their own unique vision. The work of these masters: the sculptor Zakir Ahmedov, the artists Ksenia Lavrova and Sergei Trubin is concentrated mainly within the boundaries of the figurative genre. This genre demands from contemporary artist the highest level of artistic maturity. The artists whose works are presented in the Art Show section now, meet these high standards fully.

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SCULPTOR ZAKIR AHMEDOV, (BAKU)

Among the variety of styles and trends crowding the space of contemporary sculpture, the real choice for a creative person is amazingly small. Otherwise one can incorporate oneself into the flow of popular trends that attracts the attention of the public today. This would of course happen with the inevitable loss of an artist’s own face. Or an artist can try to sing his own melody with the risk to remaining unheard. This choice has always been there for the artist, but in our time, a person who values his creative freedom has a few more chances to protect this freedom. Sculptor Zakir Akhmedov is one of those who has already made his choice, and it is the natural choice for an artist with a talent and vision, for an artist who has something to say.
• Zakir Ahmedova’s figurative compositions, which are lyrical, chamber-like in form, with a touch of Art Nouveau, are attractive primarily with the preciseness of real-life observations. The study, the live sketch from nature, can be sensed and recognized in almost every work of the sculptor. To save the immediacy of the sketch, to pass on the first, brightest, and sharpest impression to the viewer, is the task that is effortlessly and naturally solved in many creative works of Zakir Ahmedova. The author’s own judgment is restrained, and in each story, the word is mainly owned by its heroes. In a wide range of compositional variations, a few major themes stand out. One of them, the theme of “man and woman,” is noticeable in several successful works. “Retro” and “Gothic“, pull towards the symbol-sign. “Moment” and “Love“, have an intense psychology of sensations. Charming, lyrical and startlingly authentic are the compositions which include household accessories (chair, balcony grill). The bronze composition “Stars“, one of the best in the works of this master, is a little monologue by the author about the meaning of life. Live to see a star at dawn, and for what else? ©

by Russian Art & Paris

“Love” Bronze / founding. (45 x 45 x 40 cm)

“Retro” Bronze / founding. (60 x 35 x 15 cm)

“Stars” Bronze / founding. (65 x 54 x 24 cm)

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ARTIST KSENIA LAVROVA, (SAINT PETERSBURG)

Probably one of the most impressive St. Petersburg graphic artists today, Ksenia Lavrova is equally gifted with a bright talent and a vibrant personality. An artist’s own style, the unique artistic vision are the features which are so highly valued in the art-world throughout all times. In the art of graphics, which is sophisticated and elitist by its nature, these features become critical . If there is no personal style, there is no artist. In the presented graphic compositions from the series “Historic Identities”, the problem of style does not appear theoretical. What is before us: a poster, an illustration, or an graphic arts? Where is the birthplace of these graphics: in the tradition of Russian Art Nouveau, or in the synthetic omnivorousness of pop-art? With what language does this artist speak to us? Perhaps the last question is the most interesting.
• It is easy to see that the compositional constructions of K. Lavrova include the texture of the material as a separate component of the image. The material world of objects, colliding with live characters, suddenly acquires the right to speak. In this metaphysical space, the justacorps ceases to be a detail of clothing and becomes an independent character of the narrative. Items enter a dialogue: with each other and with the main character of the artwork. The dialogue of objects is the basis of plot for many works of the artist Ksenia Lavrova. Marie Antoinette’s wig clearly mocks its mistress. Queen Boleyn’s cloak is only waiting for an excuse to challenge her right to the throne. The voices of the objects, like the voices of musical instruments, build the melody of the composition. This tune becomes its content.
• The traditional graphics language – the language of the conditioned space and chamber color rows noticeably expands the range of its capabilities in the works of Ksenia Lavrova. The harmony of the two fundamental, and at the same time difficultly compatible, graphic elements of lines and ornament is remarkable. The ornamental arrangement of the image’s plane is thought out and organic. The elegance of the compositional decisions, seemingly simple and obvious, is captivating by the conciseness and expressiveness of the result. Does everything mentioned above allow us to speak about the innovative nature of this artist’s work? Is it possible, within the framework of this artistic style, to create a painting with any, including any modern, theme. In other words, is this style sufficiently universal to be called a style? We will definitely search for the answer to this question in every new painting of the artist Ksenia Lavrova. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

“Queen Anne Boleyn” Acrylic on Paper. (41 x 55 cm)

“Marie Antoinette” Acrylic on Paper. (64 x 90 cm)

“Henry VIII “ Acrylic on Paper. (41 x 55 cm)

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ARTIST SERGEI TRUBIN, (ARHANGELSK)

Etchings by Sergei Trubin are a complex phenomenon. The etching technique is rightly considered one of the most difficult in fine arts. For those who have remained alone with a small sheet of metal are familiar with that feeling of fear in front of its black primed surface. Etching does not tolerate amateurs. In order to achieve serious results with this technique, it is necessary to dedicate your entire life.
• It is also complex because the central theme in the works of Sergei Trubin – erotica, requires from the author both an impeccable taste and an absolute individuality. An artist copying other people’s emotions is of no interest to anyone. To establish and reinforce an artist’s own creative style in a genre, which does not tolerate any hypocrisy or banality, is not easy, even for a sophisticated and experienced master. Sergei Trubin was able to achieve this objective.
• The aesthetics of the erotic compositions by S. Trubin is not uniform. Complex, unexpected metaphors of etchings “The tour” and “Phases of the Moon”, with the spatial-tonal accents and well-developed details, are close to the traditions of classical engraving. The reverberating, almost poster-like aesthetics in sheets “Girlfriends” and “Girl with the goat”, look sharp and modern. The use of large masses of white is interesting and nontrivial, and in general, not typical for the engraving on metal. The composition “Echo” has a charming sophisticated romanticism; the etching is amazing by its rhythmic tension, and by its exquisite tonal development of the dual-figured plot. The charm, lyricism, and clarity of style of this work make it possible to call this sheet a true work of art. Against the backdrop of senseless decorative tendencies that permeate contemporary graphics, the creative work of the artist Sergei Trubin is emotionally honest and open, having its own voice and its own intonation, will certainly find its own dedicated audience. ©