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Artist Leonid Stroganov, (Saint Petersburg)

THE EXHIBITOR OF THE SALON “ART EN CAPITAL” 2013

Thoughts about the visual arts lead me to memories of how I, as a teenager, loved to watch work in the port. It was in Vyborg, a small town by the Baltic Sea. I especially liked the evening. The mysterious darkness, breathing in the heavy moist sea breeze, the unintelligible subdued sounds, whistles, rattles and subtle clops, fascinated me. Wisps of the fairway, winking in the dark, created a music of excitement, the way into the abyss of a dark and mysterious Baltic night. During the day, the mystery would disappear, everything would fall back into place. Similarly the visual arts, in my view, must contain a secret within it, like a certain quality of understatement. This is what fills the work of fine art with an internal content, and transforms an everyday image into a mature and meaningful artistic statement. That is precisely what determines the value and meaning of the dialogue of the artist with the viewer.

Leonid Stroganov for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

Leonid Stroganov, a graphic artist, works in a currently rare technique of etching. The specifics of printmaking are historically closely associated with the art of making books, with its refined and intellectually rich aesthetic. It is quite natural that Leonid Stroganov, an artist-intellectual, not only has his own outlook, but also a brightly expressive individual style. The etching sheets of the author are filled with symbols, signs, and puzzles that engage the viewer in a dramatic art space: between truth and fiction, life and death, beauty and disorder. Every detail in his prints – is part of a surprisingly musical universe, where everything is interconnected in a complex game of semantic reflections. From this, perhaps, arises a unique rhythm, the nerve of the line of the author’s drawing.
• The heroes of etchings are fantastic, fictional personas in the image of people. The constant transformation, a rebirth one into another, is most noticeable in the early diptych “Eating” and “Running away” (2002). In later works, traces of recent metamorphosis are seen in the hands of “The Venetian”, in the face of “The Courtesan” (2010), in the feet of the bookplate of Brodovych “Adam and Eve” (2008), in the right hand “of the Magi” (2006) and in other works. These intentionally stylized techniques emphasize the belonging of the characters to a different aesthetic reality unfolded in the field of author’s myth.
• Series “The Silence” (1999) – is one of the first made by the author in the technique of etching. In this series, which is mysterious and surprisingly melodic in a youthful way, the third sheet is of particular interest. On a gloomy background of deep space there are nude, separately seated figures of a man and a woman with a baby sleeping peacefully in their arms. Immersed, each in their own world, both he and she are alone. Above them, in the upper world, submitting to their own music, unseen creatures fly on a predetermined path, and in the lower world, listening to the melody, wonderful fish swim by. He and she are in an infinite space, where everything is on a predetermined path. The juxtaposition, in which a man and a woman are in the third sheet of the series “Silence,” occurs in the author’s work more than once, for example, in the previously mentioned bookplate Brodovych “Adam and Eve”. The small size and chamber genre of the bookplates do not stop it from being one of the artist’s strongest works – the engraving is beautiful in its artistic idea and deep in meaning. Heroes of a biblical myth are depicted lying on the roots of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they are arranged with their backs to each other. Adam and Eve are close, but not together – they are far from each other. The audience’s glance at the lying down lonely and confused characters creates a special sense of the timeless existence of personas.
• Leonid Stroganov returned time and again to the first people of the world. Several works were made with the plot of “Expulsion from Paradise”. Two large-sized works were completed by the author in 2009. One of them depicts Adam and Eve in the moment when they leave the gates of heaven. A huge portal is framed by two dark figures, wrapped in donkey skins. They walk side by side; their closed faces and expressive gestures speak of desperation. They wander along the same road, but each has their own skin, every person for themselves. The author reveals through this Biblical story, the theme of human loneliness. The second work on the same subject, in the form of a diptych, is striking by its expression. Adam and Eve appear emaciated by suffering and eternal journeys. In all the works on the theme of the Fall, an important place is devoted to the image of a root turned inside-out from the land, or of roots blanketing the ground. The root is a metaphor for the origin of that which is hidden from the eyes, which gives vitality.
• A particular perception of time is present in many works of Leonid Stroganov. The author builds his work in such a way that his characters still exist timelessly, even if the text is full of symbols and attributes that refer to a particular historical period or literary composition.
• Travelers wander timelessly on their way from the cycle “Moving” (1999). On one of the sheets of the series of the same name, under number one, a group of people is depicted under a starry sky. The wagon, a boy with a backpack, people in hoods, a woman holding a baby next to a man, all wandering after a donkey. Who are they? Refugees, pilgrims of the Middle Ages, whose life was on the road? Unwittingly, you pay attention to the last figures: “A donkey, a woman with a baby, and the man nearby”. The combination is perceived as a quote: “Holy Family on the way to Egypt.” But the woman is not sitting on the donkey, but follows him, and the face of “Joseph” is hidden under the mask. A Miracle – in the ordinary flow of life, but it cannot always be noticed and understood. In the artwork there is no emphasis on the faces of characters. Perhaps they have not yet found their persons, have not found their identity. Through the procession, attention is drawn to the figure of a teenager carrying a load on his shoulders, precisely because he has a face. The boy with the backpack is similar to the artist himself. Does this mean that he walks among his characters behind a cart along a road in the flow of people? There is a feeling of not only a myth, but also a parable. There is a special feeling of a mystical-philosophical “Stroganov” aura, which is the hallmark of the work of this young and very talented artist.

by Ksenia Harina, art critic.

“Adam and Eve” Etching. (40 x 30 cm)

* * *
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 N.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

“The courtesan” Etching. (42 x 28 cm)

Leonid Stroganov was born in the city of Saint Petersburg in 1979 year. After graduating from the Saint Petersburg Art College named after Nicholas Roerich (1999), the artist was continued his education at The Institute of design, applied arts and humanities under the guidance of the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Oleg Yahnin (2002). Since 2002 he is a member of the Artists’ Union of the Russian Federation. The artist-graphic Leonid Stroganov lives and work in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

EXHIBITIONS

Etchings by Leonid Stroganov in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2013, (Paris).

Russian spelling: Художник Леонид Строганов, (Санкт-Петербург)

2013: 09/01
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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Artist Vladimir Shichkov, (1951 – 2016)

THE EXHIBITOR OF THE SALON “ART EN CAPITAL” 2013 – 2014

The Arts – are fragments of a lost paradise, and the task of the artist, is to try to collect them. The difficulty lies in the fact that art is not life itself, but rather its reflection. Attempts of a literal copying of nature in painting do not reach a result, because the real-life object and its image in the plane have a different nature. In the 20th century, art has significantly transformed: in addition to the indisputable realism with its deep penetration into the essence of being, there is now impressionism, with its elements of pure color, and also the avant-garde with its innovative formal quests. I’m interested in the stylistic achievements of each of these areas: they complement and enrich one other. The main aspect of art – to create works that could “hook” the soul of the viewer, stop it, and make them think. Particularly this event – the pause before any artistic canvases, instantaneous concentration of attention on painting, transforms a participant of a gallery into an audience. The most valuable of all things is our life. Humans are given a unique opportunity to explore the world, to think, to dream, to love, and if they are also given the gift of creativity – it is a huge responsibility, as if every artist comes into this world with a certain mission. Another and very important thing – has he realized it or not, has he understood himself, has he received the necessary proficiency and the ability to clearly express it … At the end of it all, for his own creative talent, he is personally responsibility before God.

Vladimir Shichkov for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

In the present, there exist many artists, preserving the traditional commitment of art, but being absolutely modern in their worldview. Their artwork in which there is a free transformation of natural forms and a subjective interpretation of the visible, acts in opposition to the naturalistic paintings of the recent past, which imitate the lifelike. The figurative meaning of paintings by such masters is difficult to comprehend. The artist seeks not to as much visually reconstruct objects as to inspire viewers with artistic images, to cause a certain mood. Departing from external naturalism involves the activation of a counter spiritual perception from the viewer. The depiction of expression in these canvases, dominates the goal of portrayal. The drastic emancipation of painting from the tasks of fable narrative requires updating of the language of depiction.
• Such work is done by artist Vladimir Shichkov. His artistic formation and development, it would seem, did not foreshadow this turn. For years, he repeated the fate a painter quite traditional in subject matter and in style. Apparently, it could hardly be expected from him to have drastic changes in both. But the era of rapid shift of the entire political and cultural life of the country has awakened many. Almost complete cessation of state patronage in the arts freed artists from the persistently imposed criteria. Vladimir Shichkov was sensitive to the challenges of the time.
• From imitation painting, visibly object-based, he came to the artistic decisions, residing at the boundary of a complete loss of natural object. The reduction of material forms as if not at all hinders the master. On the contrary, it seems to him as a particularly attractive way to strain the viewer, to give him the possibility of different interpretations of what he saw, but within the originally specified emotional range, as is the case with the experience of musical tune. The boundaries of possible interpretations are deliberately vague: the artist emphasizes the emotional beginning, not the figurative meaning. In the internet age, the visual culture of the viewer fundamentally changes. And above all, it concerns the extraordinarily sped up pace of showing. Flickering frames, the surprise and showiness of viewing angles, dissonances of color, blurring of contours – all this has become natural and habitual to the modern man. The view from the window of an express train or a speeding car, significantly changed the way we experience the world, and could not have avoided the visual arts.
• His paintings sometimes differ from the natural world. These artworks ignore the density, weight, and material tangibility of the portrayed objects. Vladimir Shichkov attains an associative resemblance with the object, working largely in favor of his own enacted fantasies, freely transforming the outline, color palette and texture of objects in any motives. Hardly marked outlines, the quaint and moving kaleidoscope glow permeated by vibrating color stains, give birth to a special aesthetic emotional vagueness, a fleeting illusory, “where precision is fused with fluctuation” (P.Verlen), unwittingly awakening our imagination as well. These canvases are viewed as more flattened, they delineated a decisive turn to pure decoration. The unique features of this artist’s creative style are: improvised variations of bright imaginary landscapes; fragile, transparent silhouettes of flowers; demonstrative artistry of writing; cursory informative content of the plot; free emotional response to what is seen; expressive movements towards heightened-color painting; quite flawless artistic intuition.
• In a recent review of his solo exhibition at the Ivanovo State Art Museum, it was not accidentally said: “The artist balances on the verge of figurative painting and abstraction – a fascinating act of equilibrium.” Note that this is not without reason. The coloristical intensity of the canvas is held by the clashes of the thoughtfully rhythmic decorative spots. This reinforces the intensity of perception of the almost intangible materiality barely showing through the figurative motif. It seems as if the artist paints colored light, creates a luminous painting on glass – a kind of stained-glass feature to his paintings markedly magnifies their decorative-poetic beginning.
• All of his work, labeled by critics as “artistic equilibrium” seems like a spontaneous outburst of emotions carried onto the canvas at a rapid pace, executed in a live sketch-like manner; but such an impression can be misleading. By his own admission, they were born painstakingly. They were not a freestyle improvisation, but rather a deliberate desire to make the image and its perception by the view more dynamic. While seemingly without structure, these paintings are well made and designed to fulfill their main function – become an emotional dominant of residential or office interiors. Hence the desire for the external showiness, color harmony, and predominately sunny disposition of the emotionally-shaped structure.
• Honing his individual style, the master creates many paintings varying on the theme of color richness of the visible world. Vladimir Shichkov artistic creativity increases markedly from year to year. A direct appeal to the legacy of Impressionists or the quest for the artistic avant-garde are characteristic of the era of postmodernism: poly-stylistics become the style of our time. Today’s avant-garde artists actively make use of the achievements of predecessors. Already in the 1910s avant-garde started becoming more academical and there originated an avant-garde salon, which in our time decisively wins the sympathy of the audience, contemporary art galleries, and private painting collections. The achievements of Vladimir Shichkov are a visual confirmation of these tendencies. The processes of globalization are truly planetary in nature and necessarily pull into its orbit of influence even the most remote corners of the Earth.

by Efim Vodonos,
Honored Artist of the Russian Federation,
Director of the Russian art department of the Saratov State Art Museum
named after A. Radischev.
.
____

Pictures in the text (from above):
“Breakfast” Oil on canvas. (40 x 60 cm); “Pushavka” Oil on canvas. (60 x 80 cm).

“Paris” Oil on Canvas. (70 x 70 cm)

* * *
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 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

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

Paintings by Vladimir Shichkov – are a kind of visualized dreams of that which is beautiful. Colorful dreams. The unique feature of the realm of dreams – is a wonderful combination of incongruous things, where everything visible is transformed in unexpected ways, shapes flow into one another and change before our eyes. In a stream of bright and saturated colors, the image slips away. In the next second the “frame” changes, and you will no longer recognize the previously seen picture… Looking at the paintings of Vladimir Shichkov, you seem to be immersed in the contemplation of a colorful sleep. But unlike fleeting dreams, you can return to the artistic canvas again and again to look over the features.

Victoria Solnceva, art critic,
Research associate of the Ivanovo State Art Museum.

Vladimir Shichkov was born in the city of Ivanovo in 1951 year. After graduating from the Ivanovo Art College (1981), the artist was trained at the Moscow Art-Industrial College (the former Stroganoff College) under the guidance of docent Staborovsky (1983). Since 1990 year, artist has participated in art exhibitions and competitions. The paintings of Vladimir Shichkov are in the collection of the Ivanovo State Art Museum.

EXHIBITIONS

Painting by Vladimir Shichkov in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2014, (Paris).

Painting by Vladimir Shichkov in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2013, (Paris).

Russian spelling: Художник Владимир Шичков, (Пучеж)

2013: 07/01
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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Artist Ksenia Lavrova, (Saint Petersburg)

THE EXHIBITOR OF THE SALON “ART CAPITAL” 2014 – 2015

Our world is beautiful, bright, refined … It just needs to be seen. The history of fashion is the most truthful mirror of human nature and the visual environment of any historical character. A careful study of the history of costume and fashion, the history of the creation of fabrics, stages of formation of the historic appearance of “a dressed up person” at different times in different countries, as well as the understanding and study of ethnic groups in different countries – helps me create a real and live artistic images. Try to see the subtlety of the Egyptian kalaziris, and the severity of the French brokkara, the possession of which, at the time of the Directory, could end in you losing your head. Perhaps that is why my Marie Antoinette looks with such sadness at the viewer. In my portraits there is sadness, contempt, and euphoria. Glamorous charm is not for me. Hundreds and thousands of scientific studies, whole libraries of historical literature, are created in an attempt to understand and explain the nature and purpose of my characters, but words alone are not enough. For complete characterization there also needs to be paint of artist. It would be better to say that I am creating a visual encyclopedia of human images of bygone eras – images of the whimsical, strange, and not always beautiful…

Ksenia Lavrova for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

It is known that the story develops in a spiral. In the early twentieth century Paris was shocked by the exotic beauty of the works of Russian artist Aleksandr Yakovlev, shown at an exhibition in the gallery Charpentier, at the end of a series of expeditions organized by “Citroen” in Africa, Asia and the Far East. On display in front of the astonished audience were leaders and princesses of African tribes, actors of Chinese opera, and peasants, Japanese geishas and kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and Afghan shepherds.
• At the beginning of the twenty first century, when it would seem that the world has been studied, and there was not an undiscovered nook, a Saint Petersburg artist Ksenia Lavrova invites viewers into her exciting journey across the countries and continents of the world. A world transformed by her imagination, an amazing world, where imagination echoes with an ethnographic precision of details; a mysterious and frightening world, filled with very strange creatures as if descended from the pages of Lewis Carroll.
• The creative work of Ksenia Lavrova is characterized by multiple stylistics,

as is typical of contemporary art. The artist intentionally uses the principles and techniques of different styles and different directions. The easy composition of multiscale pieces on one sheet and a wonderful unusual combination of heroes or patterns of fragments and compositional pauses of empty space, give rise to memories of masters from the European Middle

Ages, and the quirky, whimsical, elastic line is as if borrowed from Persian miniature painters. Luxury materials and textures depicted in the works of Ksenia Lavrova, send the viewer to the aesthetics of Art Deco. The mood of a light sadness, smooth flowing silhouettes, the bright combination of gold with purple, lilac hues, the quiet showing of reflections and iridescence, complemented by decorative flatness are reminiscent of Art Nouveau.
• With this diversity of sources, creative style of K. Lavrova differs by its uniqueness. The subtle combination of quiet disparate methods from different eras and styles is an expression of the feeling of life in modern society, the big city, where ethnic groups and cultures from all ends of the planet coexist together.
• The contemplation of works by Ksenia Lavrova can be compared with aesthetic pleasure, slowly drinking small sips of strong oriental coffee and re-reading a novel from the nineteenth century, highly rich in elegant epithets, detailed descriptions, and almost devoid of action. Information density of her artworks is unusually high. It is impossible to catch at first glance all of the characters and innumerable details. Each time when viewing the creative work of Ksenia Lavrova, you always discover something new that slipped from view before. This extremely fascinating and endless journey of discovery gives viewers the opportunity to enjoy a fine and generous aesthetic of an amazing artist.

by Marina Chekmareva, Ph.D. in Art History,

Research associate of the State Hermitage Museum

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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

“Lius XIV” Acrylic on Paper. (64 x 90 cm)

Ksenia Lavrova was born in Saint Petersburg in 1967. In 1990 she graduated from the Academy of Stieglitz (formerly LVHPU named after.V. Muhina). In 2005 she graduated from faculty sinology of the Oriental Institute. Ksenia Lavrova is an artist with a wide range of creative skills. Active in various genres from design to book illustration, and graphic arts. Since 1994 she is a member of the Artists’ Union of Saint Petersburg. The artist Ksenia Lavrova lives and work in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

EXHIBITIONS

Painting by Ksenia Lavrova in the exhibition of the Salon “Art Capital” 2015, (Paris).

Painting by Ksenia Lavrova in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2014, (Paris).

Russian spelling: Художник Ксения Лаврова, (Санкт-Петербург)

2013: 06/01
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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Salon “Art en Capital” 2012, (Paris). Continuing

ARTISTS AND ARTWORKS

The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais (English: Great Palace) exhibition hall was opened in 1900 by two major art exhibitions: Centennale, a retrospective exhibition of French art of the 19th century, and Décennale, devoted to the work of artists of the last decade. Artworks by Rodin, Ingres, Delacroix, Courbet, impressionists: Monet, Pissaro, Renoir, Degas and others began the exhibition history of the vast domed hall Grand Palais. Probably, few thought back then that under this glass dome, would pass the entirety of world painting of the 20th century. These walls have seen Cezanne and Picasso, here the voices of Chagall and Modigliani were heard, here sounded their painting… The aura of the place, its energy is enormous. This room must be seen not on exhibition opening day, but the day before, when artworks are being hanged, when it is vast and empty. Rows of paintings along the walls in the twilight of standby lighting, they will come to life tomorrow, but so far they are silent. In the silence, there are only the steps of workers hanging paintings, the Paris night sky overhead, and someone’s shadows.
• The Salon “Art en Capital” 2012 exhibition again demonstrated a high degree of selectivity by the jury in choosing the artworks. The exposition, composed from works of a professional class, free from the amateurism of contemporary art shows, is impressive, equally whole and strong. The large presence of artists from around the world not only gives this art-show a formal international status, but also advances it into one of the most important annual gatherings of world visual art. As evidence of the fast growing influence of the Salon “Art en Capital” in the world – a significant presence in the exhibition this year of artists from Japan and Russia, countries with traditionally high artistic culture. In addition to the multi-ethnic nature of this art exhibition, the stylistic aspects also attracted much attention. The exposure, free from pop-art junk, did not seem too diverse in style. To speak of a formation of a grand style is premature, but strong centrifugal tendencies were no longer felt. Perhaps the world fashion for stylistically shocking artworks is coming to an end, which would be a great boon to contemporary visual art.
• The exhibition again showed some old ills as well. First of all, is the obviously long-drawn-out crisis of the figurative genre. A nontrivial, with good artistic taste, figurative composition remains a rarity. The embrace of Munch and Klimt was surprisingly strong and firmly holds modern masters within the artistic achievements of the middle of last century. Perhaps a cruel joke was played by years of attempts to solve the problem of the present by stylistic frills, ignoring the search for new meanings. The section on graphics and especially sculpture seemed, in this respect, preferable. There arose the feeling that outside the window is the 21 century. Surrounded by artistic canvases, our time and our life today looked through with difficulty. The irony is that this hall became famous by the ultra-modern scenes of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, that exploded the once dietary academicism. Perhaps it may be time to recall these traditions?
• Among the artworks of the presented Russian artists, stood out the painting of artists from the older generation – Givi Siproshvili and Eugene Yali. Refined, with subtle humor, the plot portrait of a Georgian peasant (“One more for the road”) and the cosmic space in an unusual perspective of the Russian steppe landscape (“Steppe”) appeared excellent at the Paris art exhibition. The great success of St. Petersburg artist Anastasia Vostrezova – the Silver Medal for the classic plot “La Bayadere”, was a joyous occasion for all Russian participants. The Moscow-like warm “Coffeemania” of Alena Philippi-Kargalskoy attracted much attention. Interesting were the artistic metaphors of Rinat Sharafutdinova and Andrei Shustov, and the impressionism of Aleksandr Fayvisovich. Russian artists in Paris is also a tradition, one long-forgotten, but not yet gone. ©

Artworks by Russian artists presented at the exhibition can be viewed in journal’s section “EXHIBITIONS”. For a photo report of a few days in Paris, see the section “PHOTO ESSAY”.

ARTWORKS

The bronze artwork by Melanie Quentin (France)

“Rue de Paris” by Agnes Guillon (France)

“Le reflux” by Daniel Bergez (France)

“Cote d’albatre VI” by Emmanuel Lemardele (France)

Impressive dynamic composition by Francine Toulemonde (France)

“Pause pigeons” by Eric Peaudecerf (France)

“La nuit” by Gelis (France)

“Ascese” by Louise Girardin (France)

“Femme enceinte” by Benjamin Georgeaud (France)

“Nouvel an – Maiko de Gion” by Takayuki Uno (Japan)

“Nu masculin n1” by Marie-Jeanne Buffetrille (France)

“Le crepuscule de l’ete” by Keiko Yoda (Japan)

“Faucon en vol” by Madeleine Van Der Knoop (Belgium)

To be named.

“Fruits au pichet vert” by Bernard Londinsky (France)

“Dedans dehors” by Richard Gautier (France)

“Torse” by Albert Avetisyan (France)

“Aigle royal” by Bernadette Planchenault (France)

“Pudeur exquise” by Jack Brisset (France)

“Intimite IV” by Veronique Laurent Denieuil (France)

The Graphic Art section.

The Sculpture section.

2012: 12/15
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
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Salon “Art en Capital” 2012, (Paris)

THE EXHIBITION OF THE SALON “ART EN CAPITAL” 2012 IS OPENED.

When the 1900 Universal Exhibition was over, the Grand Palais, as intended, was to fulfill its vocation as the fine art venue that the French capital had previously lacked, the Louvre having become too small. Throughout the twentieth century, the Grand Palais hosted dozens of official or independent salons, establishing it is a major player in the history of Western art.
• The Grand Palais opened its doors for the Universal Exhibition with the Centennale, where the impressionists again scored a resounding success. As from the following year, true to its vocation as a fine arts venue, the Grand Palais was to host a number of other salons. First off was the Salon des Artistes Français, whose academism was dismissed by the avant-garde as pompous, followed by the Salon d’Automne, where the younger generation of painters were able to roll out their own manifesto. Finally came the Salon des Indépendants where Cubism made its first appearance spearheaded by a then unknown Spanish artist: Picasso.
• At the turn of the century, the Salon was the place where any budding artist had to expose to obtain recognition. The oldest of these institutions was the Salon des Artistes Français (1881), successor to the Salon de Peinture inaugurated by Colbert in 1667. However its unswerving academism led to the inception of the breakaway Salon des Indépendants founded by Paul Signac in 1884, where artists rejected by the more venerable show could find refuge. It was here that artists like Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso and Mondrian came to the forefront.
• To distinguish itself from these spring shows, Rodin, Carrière, Jourdain and other artists created the Salon d’automne in 1903. It was in 1905 that the notorious scandal of the “cage aux Fauves” (the wild beast cage) erupted. The centre of the storm was Room VII. The strident colours used in the paintings of Matisse, Derain and Vlaminck were all the more shocking as they flanked two unequivocally traditional busts by Albert Marquet. Though Fauvism had its supporters, French President, Émile Loubet, was not one of their number. Warned of the presence of many “unacceptable” works, he refused categorically to inaugurate the art show.
• Today, salons still have their historic home at the Grand Palais — Artistes Français, Artistes Indépendants, Nationale des Beaux Arts, Comparaisons, Dessin et Peinture à l’eau — are united as part of the “Art en Capital” event. The exhibition of 2012 year was open on November 27th, with 14 000 art lovers attended the Opening Day. More than six hundred modern artists: Americans, Australians, Austrians, Belgians, Brazilians, Bulgarians, Canadians, Chinese, Cypriots, Colombians, Croats, Danish, English, Finlands, Greece, Hungarians, Israelis, Italians, Japans, Koreans, Lebanese, Luxembourgers, Norwegians, New Zelandians, Netherlanders, Polish, Romanians, Russian, Spanish, Saudis, Swisses, Taiwanese, Turks and other continue the great art tradition of Signac, Seurat, Pissaro, Manet, Van Gogh, Utrillo, Cézanne, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Chagall, Vlaminck, Giacometti, Modigliani…

Paris. Champs-Élysées at night.

Champs-Élysées. The light decoration.

The light decoration.

The evening before the grand opening. Everything is ready.

The afternoon of November 27th. The vernissage.

The vernissage. Doors are opened.

The vernissage. First spectators.

14 000 art lovers attended the Opening Day.

More than 600 artists participated in this exhibition.

Some discussion.

The art viewers.

Viewers and artworks.

Inside the exhibition halls.

Talk about art.

Street of artworks.

Good, old the Grand Palace.

The artistic town.

View from above.

… and music

Untill midnight…

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IT WAS IN 1912…

In 1900, the most important event in the French-Russian artistic relationship was the Paris International Exhibition, where Russia enjoyed an unprecedented place of prominence.
Between 1906 and 1917, a whole host of artists and personalities linked Russia to Europe. Thanks to the inspirational work of Sergei Diaghilev, Europe discovered dance, music and the audacious paintings from Russia. The retrospective fall show that he organized in 1906, which encompassed 750 paintings representing Russian art from the 15th to the 20th century, exhibited the work of young painters such as Mikhail Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, Alexei Jawlensky, Pavel Kuznetsov and Léon Bakst.
It was in 1912 that Chagall’s work was exhibited at the Autumn Salon, and Yakov Tugendhold, a writer for the modernist publication St. Petersburg Apollon, praised the young Chagall, saying his works are filled with “rich fire colours like the Russian countryside images, expressed to the grotesque, fantastic, to the limits of the irrational. Chagall senses the imperceptible but terrible mystique of life. Those are the images of Vitebsk – a sullen, dull province, a modest hair salon, a lovers’ rendezvous a bit awkward under a misty moon and street sweepers, a dusty illusion of life on the streets of small villages. Chagall creates beautiful legends by capturing glimpses of the simple and common life.” It is thus not surprising that, in 1913, the Autumn Salon welcomed “Russian Popular Art in the image, the toy and the spice bread, an exhibition organized by Miss Nathalie Ehrenbourg.” These objects came mainly from the collections of members of the art world (Ivan Bilibine, Sergei Soudieikine, Nikolai Roerich, Sergei Tchekhonine), but also from the collections of avant-garde artists such as Koulbine, Exter and primarily Larionov. The catalogue cover for this exhibit was written by Tugendhold himself, reaffirming that “the contemporary cult of the primitive is different from the one of the romantic era and the orientalism era…. This archaic art, strong, expressive, forever young, brings hope of renewal, ‘rejuvenation’ to use Paul Gauguin’s word.

By Jean-Claude Marcardé.

GUESTS FROM THE EXHIBITION 1912 HAVE BEEN ARRIVED.

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (1).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (2).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (3).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (4).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (5).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (6).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (7).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (8).

Guests from the exhibition 1912 have been arrived (9).

The complete reportage about the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” will be published in December 15th.

2012: 12/01
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
NEWS
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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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Artist Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya, (Moscow)

THE EXHIBITOR OF THE SALON “ART EN CAPITAL” 2012 – 2014

Every time when starting a new artwork, trying to get a feel for it, I listen very carefully to how the painting may sound, what kind of sounds and what kind of instruments sound in my image, which melody corresponds to one or another image. It might just be the sound of rain on the roof of an aged wooden house, the singing of birds in the spring forest, the sound of the ocean’s surf. Sometimes it is an entire symphony by an unrecognized author, sometimes bits of jazz improvisation, only heard once; it sometimes happens that the sounds of the bustling city combine in a barely tangible harmony… For me, shape and color are always the musical analogy. The rhythm of strokes, the rhythm of movements by the palette knife when applying a layer of paint to the canvas – is a genuinely important component that determines whether the work will be created or not. Hence I always try to write the canvas in one breath, while the rhythm is still held, especially for each painting.

In order to understand the relation of the color, I first imagine the world in black and white. And only when the canvas is lined in black over white, color bursts forth, filling the space, engraved in black ink. This is a little creation of the world.

Since I can remember, even at the age of three, I was able to suddenly stop on the street in amazement, seeing how the sun is intricately tangled in the branches of a tree or how the roof of a house shines, reflected in the puddles. Precisely these experiences come up now in the moments of writing my artworks, building their emotional aesthetics. It is this eternal sense of a lost paradise, a sharp desire to reunite the past with the present and the future, to make this world a little more comfortable for the soul, to reconcile man with reality, and is the basis of my creative work.
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Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

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FROM ARBAT STREET TO SAINT-TROPEZ

“It was a strange character. Almost contemplative.
This inertia, however, concealed crystal-clear energy.”

“Villa Amalia” by Pascal Quignard .

Taking a glimpse at the series of paintings by Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya where waterfront landscapes and flower still lifes are predominant, one can make a hasty and faulty judgment: she is a young artist brought up in the traditions of modern polystylism. In fact Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya is a mature master. First she studied music and humanities, and then at the age of thirty, passionate about painting, she came to the Moscow Academy of Slavic Culture and enrolled in the studio of Vladimir Petrov-Kirillov.
• Professional art school is seen in the high level of technique – in distinct, well-thought plots and style of the artistic compositions; in precise characteristics of color masses; in wide and confident paint strokes laid with a brush or knife. She works successfully in chamber genres – landscape, still life. The artist’s still life paintings are always staged and almost all of them are encompassed within a square – “Easter Still Life”, “Still life with Daffodils”. The square is the favorite shape of Russian vanguard artists, for example, Burlyuk and Malevich. As a matter of fact, painters use this shape not often as it is too complicated for classical compositional constructions. In Filippova-Kargalskaya’s paintings the square unites all still life elements in a whole harmonious image. Although her motives are often conventional, she seeks a subtle poetic plot. Such plot includes numerous reflections: about the color, tissues, backgrounds, as well as about the scenery seen from the window. Artist’s artworks are full of not only visual experience but also emotional feelings originated by music and lyrical images. This is a very remarkable feature of her bright artistic talent.
• Composed works deserve a separate talk. Early paintings were devoted to the town of her childhood – short open-hearted stories about the time and herself. The internal concentration of the character in “Coffemania” reveals the painter’s interest in the human being. The picture’s character seems to have come out of Pascal Quignard’s novel. Extraordinarily picturesque light effect of the reflected evening sun, so typical of Moscow, works as a plot of this wonderful genre painting.
• An important part of Filippova-Kargalskaya’s art is landscapes picturing modest Moscow views. They reveal excited attachment of the native of Moscow towards the beloved homeland. Motives of the admirable “provincial” capital of the twentieth century, with aged urban aesthetics, are especially dear to Alena’s heart. “Summer in Town” is an excellent example of such pictures. Probably one of the best paintings by Filippova-Kargalskaya is “The Two” from the “Kitay-Gorod Lanes” series. Almost square, sparing of colour, enchanting with sincerity. Nothing superfluous, a simple motive, but its lyrical constituent makes this painting remarkable.
• Painting landscapes the artist doesn’t hide her love for the art of Vincent Van Gogh and artists of post-impressionism. In the work named “Factory” Alena unusually uses her favorite artistic trick – underpainting with red cinnabar. Light blue, asure and dark blue thick strokes laid with a knife in the red background unexpectedly transform the deep shades of the water and sky into a exceptional coloristic energy. You could find it in all subsequent paintings including a series of appealing landscapes picturing the vacation in the vicinity of Saint-Tropez in 2010 and Saint Mandrier in 2011. Another facet of Alena’s art is water motives. A peculiar veil in these landscapes unites all elements. It includes the joy of colors lighting floating clouds and water, the soft sheen of buildings reflected in the water. The plots are recognizable and rich for associations. Found compositions are like the art of illusion. By eliminating superfluous details and generalizing spatial plans, the artist treats the landscape in such a way that the essence of the created art image comes to light.
• The most remarkable thing about Alena’s landscapes where all objects are static probably is that they are painted for contemplation. Emotional contemplative basis linked to clear and strict artistic form brings forth peculiarity and profoundness of Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya’s art. It is not just painting but a force that was constrained for a long time and then broke loose. The very technique of painting with a knife and pure paint, saturating the work with intensified color, relief painting as well as piercing red underpainting endow the coloring of her painting with powerful energy.
• Open-hearted and nontrivial, Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya’s art can be read as some visual diary of a sensitive and observant artist.

by Valentina Chernova, art critic,
member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation..
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“Bonsoir, Vincent!” Oil on Canvas. (90 x 70 cm) .

With the creative work of the artist Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya I am familiar from the very beginning. She became an artist rapidly, having worked to master the technology of painting within a few years. Others would finish academies and institutes, and forever live within the framework of the school where they were taught. Alena’s situation is different. Fate brought her to fine art during adulthood, when youthful energy and life experience met so well and intertwined. But the main thing is that the author has a gift from above, and this is wonderful that it manifested itself. Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya has her own style, her own calligraphy. Her work is poetic, with an intricate mood and philosophically unobtrusive.

Vladimir Paroshin, the artist

Alena Filippova-Kargalskaya was born in 1964, lives and works in Moscow. She graduated from the Moscow State Institute of Culture (1987). Filippova-Kargalskaya studied painting in the art studio of the Professor of the Academy of Slavic Culture Vladimir Petrov-Kirillov.

EXHIBITIONS

Painting by A. Filippova-Kargalskaya in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2014. Paris. Painting “Angel in the crown of thorns” received “Prix Paul Lassauzé″ award.

Painting by A. Filippova-Kargalskaya in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2013. Paris

Painting by A. Filippova-Kargalskaya in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2012. Paris

Russian spelling: Художник Алёна Филиппова-Каргальская, (Москва)

2012: 10/14
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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Artist Aleksandr Fayvisovich, (New York)

THE EXHIBITOR OF THE SALON “ART CAPITAL” 2012 – 2015
THE EXHIBITOR OF THE “ARTEXPO” NEW YORK 2010 – 2014

I’m actually interested by the person in the space of the day – the only space that he controls. Where moment by moment, our entire life eventually passes by. The moment, is an instant to be taken as part of the event, as an episode. This is incorrect. In the art of figurative painting, every moment which is expressed through a gesture is the event. Understanding the gesture as the central accenting phase of movement of the entire figure, not just a separate part of the body, objectively leads to an unexpected conclusion: any non-rhythmic movement is a gesture, because any single non-rhythmic movement carries inside itself a definite thought.

The construction of a movement in the two-dimensional space of a canvas is first of all a transfer of the meaning of the motion. If this is successful, then a key component of fine art arises: the artistic idea. I like the thesis by G.Gadamer – “creating art brings forth the truth of the things”. The truth, intuitively perceived by the author, can be conveyed to the audience only in the form of the artistic idea of two-dimensional space. The occurrence of the main artistic idea, is a phenomenon of the new and unknown truth.
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Aleksandr Fayvisovich for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

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“The artist is the intermediary between the people and their subconscious,
and therefore must be a clairvoyant and a good psychologist.”

Rostislav Barto

An insightful remark, taken as an epigraph, comes to mind when meeting the artworks of Aleksandr Fayvisovich, a Russian artist now living in New York City. This is not just about his portrait compositions, both painting and graphic, but also about the paintings of pure landscape or landscape-like genres. This feeling comes from the emotional tone of his work, the slow release of the feelings and senses contained in the works. The state of somewhat detached thoughtfulness, the unsteady associations born by them, and a special philosophy of artistic vision, become the main content.
• Aleksandr Fayvisovich is a master of traditional style, and a thoroughly modern artist by nature of perception and feeling. He stands firmly on the positions of figurative art, perhaps with rare exceptions, not focusing much on objectivity and transforming natural impressions quite easily. Objective things, without losing their authenticity, are imbued with the subjective. The figurative-narrative beginnings in his works are noticeably weakened. They do not so much tell about something, as they evoke certain feelings, create a mood.
• Even in purely, at first glance, practice drawings of the artist in the series of “Movement”, “Dynamic pause”, “Study of Rodin,” there is a certain distancing from an academic problem, from demonstration of his professional acumen. Yet somehow completely unintentionally there still arises a palpable emotional weight.
• This is revealed in the series of sketches “The Glance”, in the graphic self-portrait, and especially in the series of drawings “September 11”. The personal differences and the involuntary commonness of a reaction, unified by the unseen tragedy: a feeling of being dazed, deep shock, and inescapable horror of the very possibility of such an atrocity, are all conveyed very convincingly. In runaway outlines of dry sepia, the perception by each of the diverse people of the monstrous atrocity, done right before their eye, is sensitively caught. Sharp observations appears in the masterful interpretation of guises. Facial nuances, characterizing the experiences of some particular individual, are caught by the artist’s tenacious gaze.
• Though it may seem strange, in the paintings of this master to a greater extent than in his sketches, our perception is directed from the depicted to the depicting. The landscape or genre motives are not as amusing on their own, as their pictorial interpretation by the artist, his comprehension of their emotional and imaginative nature, and the thoughts and feelings aroused by them in creative imagination. Subjective vision chooses or transforms an object of observation with heightened sensitivity to the hidden possibilities in it. This is akin to the lyrical rather than the epic literary genres.
• It is interesting and significant that such a mature and experienced painter as Aleksandr Fayvisovich consistently gives himself highly diverse professional tasks, as if the period of attaining mastery remains for him for life. This suggests an extreme strictness of a talented artist for whom the problems of painting mastery are still as relevant and important as in the years of student youth. His artistic etudes and paintings with a semi-nude and a nude model – evening, night or early morning – are marked by heightened attention to the found authenticity of postures, gestures, facial expressions, character of the lighting of the figures, and the color and compositional decisions of each canvas.
• The culture of color perception developed by him is quite high. But when observing in the painting “Winter Light” the naked girl’s torso, immersed in the conventional luminous space flowing around it, there arises a great sense of unerring coloristic harmony and accurately-guessed compositional decision. The noticeable shift to the right from the center of the canvas, breaking the familiar symmetry, gives the image of unexpected poignancy. The artist avoids accentuated physicality here, but within the fragility and semi-illusory of his painting, there spontaneously arises a hidden sense of delicate and chaste eroticism.
• Examples of honed artistic mastery and emotional fullness, like an accidentally noticed motif, could be such works by Aleksandr Fayvisovich as “July” and “Quiet island”. Maintaining the appearance of full-scale improvisation, his deliberate understatement, the intensity of the lyrical experience of each of them, organized by the creative will of the master, is raised to the level of philosophical-meditative paintings. The poetic motif in them is much wider than the external artistic scene.
• The treasure of the everyday joys of life and serene peace became the lyrical overtones of these paintings, written as if impromptu, but very far from thoughtless etudes. Everything in them is subordinated to the infallible color scheme, to the carefully calibrated color-sound of each element of the composition, subordinated to the planned out sense of wholeness. These are seemingly low-key, not especially remarkable motifs. But seen as if with “washed” eyes, they are very fresh and uncommon. The gentle touches of a freely drawing brush, the triumphant glow of transparent-bright colors are the secret charm of these enchanting paintings. This is his “July.”
• The spontaneous character of execution here is only seeming. This impression is created by the live rhythm of the visual storytelling and the artistic ease of painting. In general, such paintings that are sketch-like by their external visibility, are inherent to internal picturesqueness. There is no brash outburst of initial emotional experiences. They speak not so much of a fleeting moment, what is seen by chance, as about the quiet joy of existence, captured in it.
• The artistic reflection and the implicit philosophy of artist’s works, is perhaps even more evident in the painting “Quiet island”. The profile image of a young woman, frozen in a slightly detached reverie, a soft glow of the generally depicted background, the water surface with reflections of a cloudy sky, near and far shore, a light and air state melting together all forms, is the entire artistic “plot” of the painting. How could it be said in a word, the state of meditative immersion, the experience of simple and eternal values of existence? How could it be conveyed, the music so correctly guessed by the artist, of the seemingly simple motif? In the artistic incarnation of the inexplicable, painting has clear advantages over literature.
• Deliberate understatement is inherent to the creative method of the master, opening many interpretations, allowing anyone to immerse themselves into the space of the image. As if right before our eyes, there manifests a spontaneous transition of direct experiences into the plan of spiritual and contemplative reflections. This painting is for prolonged viewing; its figurative information opens not at first sight, but requires a patient understanding, penetrating comprehension.
• Aleksandr Fayvisovich is a naturally original artist, but is devoid of the distinctive deliberate strangeness of uniqueness. The distinctive character of his visual thinking is the unobtrusiveness of the author’s imaginative ideas, suggesting the “work of the picture in the viewer” (K.Petrov-Vodkin). The process of associative refraction of the visible moves along the course of our perception of his paintings, watercolors, and drawings, thanks to the intuitive attainment of emotionally meaningful aspiration of the author’s will. Opened by a wide variety of quests, he easily retains artistic originality, the ability to remain himself on paths of modern visual art. (This article is an excerpt. The full version of the article is available at the artist’s personal website – click the button “Artist’s website” below).

by Efim Vodonos,
Honored Artist of the Russian Federation,
Director of the Russian art department of the Saratov State Art Museum
named after A.Radischev.

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Pictures in the text (from above):
“Night etude. Gesture” Oil on canvas. (61 x 61 cm);
“July” Oil on canvas. (76 x 76 cm)

“Winter” Acrylic on board. (61 x 96 cm)

THE SKETCH-BORDERING
For connoisseurs of art that is authentic and genuine, the paintings and drawings by the artist Aleksandr Fayvisovich will seem familiar and close. Here the female imagery is close to the symbolic aesthetics, landscapes are generated by the moist air of impressionism, and very penetrating portraits that revive the spirit of Viennese artists of “Secession”. And yet, this art is deeply individual and consists of modern impressions of the artist, most likely drawn from the warm and vital reality than the world of the past.
• It is very tempting to consider the creative work of Fayvisovich in the context of the ideas of Gesamtkunstwerk (“The combined work of art”). This massive direction was generated in the middle of the 19th century by Richard Wagner in an effort to unite all the arts into one synthesis under the beginning of music. As is known, great ideas are more easily implemented in a small scale. This explains the special predisposition of Fayvisovich towards graphic techniques. Moreover, the main form of creative vision of the artist can be called the etude. A graphic or pictorial sketch declares itself as a complete form of seeing and an inquisitive understanding of the world, being the essence of the artistic method of a master.
• Particularly interesting is the convergence of the frameworks of sculptural and graphic searches in a series of artworks devoted to the theme of Rodin (“A Study of Rodin”). Here Fayvisovich shows the sculptural foundation of a pencil or charcoal sketch, in the emphasized structured approach to the human body. Often his sketches resemble texts requiring attentive reading, a travel on the fractures of separate gestures. In front of us is not a sticky modeling,
but a carving of an image, by clear and lively expressive lines.
• Such an “extraction” of the image from the air of the fine web of art graphics, somewhat resembles drawings of M.Vrubel, who built his pictures by cutting forms, removing unnecessary slag, external details. In the creative works of Fayvisovich before us, from the flow of light on a blank sheet of paper emerges the future character.
• Drawings under the name “Movement” are an analysis of the living form, based on the findings of Rodin and Hodler, with their search for a new, beautiful person in a natural environment, and also of the experience of soul-searching by masters of the Vienna “Secession.” In essence, the goal remains the same – to find visual possibilities in the transmission of the psychological state of the person. Rejecting the exterior styling, this searches rushed deep into the spiritual world of models. The results of such searches can lead to turmoil. Portraits of the graphic series “September 11” are proof of this. Before us there is a series of faces, outlined by sharp lines, as if the cardiograms of fates, snatched by a pencil drawing from the overall pulse of the tragedy.
• Perhaps the main virtue of the master’s paintings is the originality of his artistic ideas. Aleksandr Fayvisovich demonstrates absolute command over the modeling of forms with the aid of color spots. It is certainly no secret that impressionists, and later Paul Cezanne, became the foundation for the entire modern school of painting. Fascination over them existed throughout the history of visual art in many stages. However, Fayvisovich’s impressionism vision and constructive color spot of Cezanne, is not a tribute to fashion and tradition but a path towards discovering new facets of live reality. His art remembers and knows too much to be simply a direct reproduction of a primary source.
• The artist is extremely attentive to the problem of contact between form and content. His best artworks reveal a successful synthesis of these components. Thus, the “Cherry” is a amazingly open, unbuttoned glance at the entrancing world, reflected in the choice of the centrifugal, outward-unfolded composition. This still life is made in a form that is rare for the master, easel painting. In an effort to capture the freshness of the experience, he again and again returns to the form of pictorial sketches, with open textures, fluid lines and playful dynamics of color spots. The winningly poignant painting “Quiet island”, is a synthesis of portrait and panoramic landscape with clear simplicity of the chosen resources and emotional purity.
• According to the artist, the form of a painting is a responsible choice. It “requires not only the non-trivial solutions of the composite, but also new subjects of “its own”. The artistic truth which so difficultly arises on the canvas, can only appear within emotionally motivated visual constructions. Ignoring these conditions leads to the profanation of the picture itself. This is exactly what occurred on a massive scale in Soviet visual art”.
• However, the most warm, intimate themes are addressed by the master in series of etudes. Thus, for the nocturnes “Full Moon” and “Night Etude. Gesture” the artist chose a rather complicated for plots in the genre of “nude”, form of pictorial sketch. By releasing the naked body from the clutches of clothes, dressing it in light and nature. The eroticism and sophistication of these themes, is woven from simplicity and is appealing by the naturalness of the whole.
• Despite the sketch orientation, the eye does not want to break away from the works of Aleksandr Fayvisovich. All of them are part of one great theme, each time solved by the master in scattering of variations. The artist seems to invite the viewer to “reread” them again and again, capturing with the fleeting depiction, the multiple meanings of the content. The reason is the special gift of the master to be receptive to the synthesis of the arts, a synthesis based on the great tradition of modernism.

by Nadezhda Chamina, Ph.D. in Art History
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Pictures in the text (from above):
“The Septemder 11” Pencil on paper. (40 x 30 cm); “Movement. Study 1” Pencil on paper (51 x 36 cm); “Movement. Study 3” Pencil on paper. (51 x 36 cm); “The glance” Watercolor on paper, (51 x 36 cm).

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“Quiet island” Oil on Canvas. (61 x 76 cm)

“The painting “Quiet Island“, reveals yet another facet of the artist’s talent. Post-Impressionist in style and reminiscent in many respects of Cezanne’s style, in a few broad, rapid strokes of contrasting colors, Fayvisovich takes us back to the beauty and tranquility of nature. In his use of bright, contrasting colors in figure painting, Fayvisovich emphasizes expression, emotion, mood and state of being. …Reflecting versatility and talent, Aleksandr Fayvisovich’s paintings are a Post-Impressionist tour de force“.

Claudia Moscovici, Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, writer, art critic.

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In contemporary art, with its characteristic variety of styles, the creative work of many artists is focused on finding new art forms that are adequate for our time. In the artworks of Aleksandr Fayvisovich, these searches can be seen clearly and distinctly. His understanding of pictorial composition, with an emphasis on the development a color theme, retains the basic features of classical paintings. Simultaneously with this, the style of the artwork emphasizes their sketch-like, living nature. The carefully though out snapshot of reality becomes the basis of the art image, determining the validity and familiarity of the plot. The coloring of the picture is developed around a central color theme – the theme of a silver-blue moonlit night, or a bright yellow, sunny July afternoon. The combination of a classic compositional construction and a light, laid-back manner of an image in the style a sketch, is a distinctive feature of many works by this artist. Interest towards everyday reality, towards genuine human emotions continues the tradition of European art of the first half of the twentieth century. Real modern people, not just some stylized conventional schemes, as the foremost plot of figurative painting, returns to viewers in the paintings of many contemporary artists.

American Art Collector Magazine # 84
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“Snowfall” Oil on Canvas. (92 x 92 cm)
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Aleksandr Fayvisovich was born (1955) and raised in Moscow. He went through the traditional stages of artistic education in Russia. During the years of training in art school the advice from Nikolai K. Solomin Senior (1916-1999), a bright representative of the classical realistic art, was of great importance; the master stood apart from the formal teaching, but influenced many contemporary Russian artists. Aleksandr graduated from the Moscow State Academic Art College in Memory of 1905, where he studied under Victor Slatinsky (currently professor V. Slatinsky is dean of Faculty of Painting of the Moscow Art Institute named after V.Surikov, Russian Academy of Arts) and Yuri Sedov (1979). Upon moving to New York City in the 1990’s, he continued his professional development at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After years of simultaneous work in book design, illustration, and painting, he concentrated on a full-time career in fine art.
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EXHIBITIONS

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of the Salon “Art Capital” 2015, (Paris).

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2014, (Paris).

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2013, (Paris).

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of ArtExpo New York 2013, (New York).

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of the Salon “Art en Capital” 2012, (Paris).

Painting by Aleksandr Fayvisovich in the exhibition of ArtExpo New York 2012, (New York).

2012: 09/15
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
6 comments

Artist Yuri Larin, (1936 – 2014)

THE “RUSSIAN ART & PARIS” INTRODUCING:

I always considered it very important to preserve the picture’s plane as single entity, as a given. The illusion of deep space destroys the natural two-dimensional feature of the image on the canvas. I have realized long ago this hidden, mysterious law of painting and always strove for wholeness of the original plane. This flatness of the image, newly re-open by the artists of the twentieth century, is definitely one of the most important phenomena in the painting of our time.

I often transfer successful discoveries made in watercolor to oil painting, on canvas. It is possible in that sense, that I was influenced by Cezanne. The unpainted canvas ground – is transferred from watercolors. These omissions are natural part of the composition, just like a pause in a musical piece. The pause is significant for all types of art, and perhaps in painting it is still underrated. In music, its sound is always changing – it is constantly in motion. What about in painting? How can an artist coordinate movements of light and color masses in the real visible world, with the space of the canvas, which is unchanging? Hence, painting must be different …

Yuri Larin for the readers of the ”Russian Art & Paris”.

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“Failures? … I do not know. I always moved forward.”

Interview of the artist Yuri Larin for the “Russian Art & Paris” journal.

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RA&P: – Yuri Nikolaevich, the history of Russia in the twentieth century is tragic. What events of this history make you feel optimistic?

Yuri Larin: – Optimism is generally characteristic of the Russian people, even though there has been a lot of grief. This includes my life. But I always got lucky with good people and friends. I am grateful to my relatives who raised me like their own son, until they themselves were arrested. I gratefully recall the Akhtubinsky orphanage; I am still friends with the son of the orphanage director Vladimir Klimov. In 1990’s, when the redistribution of property took place in Moscow, my workshop was taken from me and I was forced to vacate the premises within five days. Then the wonderful doctor Alexander Konovalov, who had operated on me twice, helped temporarily store my artworks in the basement of the Institute of Neurosurgery. Vladimir Lukin and Yury Karjakin helped me get a new workshop. Even in hard times, most people remain human – I always noticed this.

RA&P: – The cultural history of the past century is complex and diverse. What events in the field of culture do you consider most significant?

Yuri Larin: – If you consider the field of literature, there were wonderful poets: Mandelstam, Pasternak, Zabolotsky… In the field of Russian art I love Russian avant-garde of the first half of the 20th century: Tatlin, Malevich. I was greatly influenced by their younger contemporaries, the representatives of “Jack of Diamonds” – Kuprin, Konchalovsky, Falk and other followers of Cezanne. This is not an exact answer to your question, but for me, Cezanne remains as an unshakable, cornerstone figure in the visual arts. All Russian art of the early 20th century was influenced by Cezanne. The publishing house “21 Century” will soon release a book by Elena Murina on Paul Cezanne. This is the first great book about his work that is written in Russian. I like how the art developed in Russia after the revolution. When the revolutionary romanticism ended, a period of conservatism began. This was a huge loss in the sense of the formation of artistic idea and artistic image. Then visual art started to recover, but not in the direction which I expected.

RA&P: – What do you think about the present state of art in Russia?

Yuri Larin: – This is a very bad time for my evaluation of contemporary art. Not everyone will be happy. What I see is a degradation. There is an abundance of artists for whom the plot moves away, presents itself at an almost unconscious level, and leads to a loss of art image. The so
called modern painting is a loss of meaning. For me the absence of formal visual objects does not mean the complete rejection of meaning. Meaning is not literary content. The meaning of painting – it is a spiritual beginning, which is always present in the work of art. Harmful commercialization, the pressure of popular culture on the artist leads to a downfall in artistic level, the loss of meaning.

RA&P: – Many your artworks are on display today in the largest Russian museums.The road from first sketches to great museum collections has been both long and difficult. Is there a sense of satisfaction today?

Yuri Larin: – Recognition came to me only in 1982 year. It was an exhibition at the Moscow Theater of Yermolova. My work got there thanks to my friend, artist Valeriy Volkov. In 1989 year, after the first major solo exhibition placed in the Central House of Artists, many museums have purchased my artworks. One of my biggest successes, I think was the solo exhibition in the Saratov State Art Museum of Radishchev in 2004 year. Subsequently, this museum acquired some of my paintings. In recent years, a lot of my works (drawing and oil) appeared in the Russian Museum’s collection. Perhaps this is the ultimate dream for any Russian artist. On the other hand, an artist can feel famous when his paintings become famous. In this sense, I still have room to grow …

RA&P: – What was the most important thing that you have managed to achieve, or perhaps understand, as an artist?

Yuri Larin: – Over my years of work, I have experienced a transformation of my artistic vision. At first, my ideal was the so-called landscapes of condition, and I was pleased when I was able to depict a rainy, foggy or evening environment. Since about 1974, I noticed that in watercolor paintings I had made, there appeared an increasing amount of deformations of space and generalizations of real objects in color masses; from this, the work of art would become more seamless and musical. Starting from 1976, I’m painting a little from natural life, and most of my watercolor and oil paintings are workshop’s works. These are the result of my observation of nature and the fixation in memory of the initial impulse, which is done with the help of a pencil drawing made on the spot. Good creative work must have two beginnings, i.e. should encompass both the visual and the musical side. Looking through my work, I realized that the good ones are those in which the struggle with the visual for the musical side reached its limit. The continuation of this struggle would have led to a complete loss of depiction, which means the loss of one of its two beginnings. I think that a work is completed upon reaching the limiting state of the transition from the visual beginning to the musical.

RA&P: – What paintings do you think are the most important in your work? Towards which of your works would you like to draw the audience’s attention in the first place?

Yuri Larin: – I work in three techniques: drawing, watercolor, and oil. For years, I created a series of watercolors in various locations: Moscow, Northern Italy, Germany, the Baltic States, the Yaroslavl region. In each of this series there are at least a few canvases which I consider significant. As for oil, the most important is considered to be “The white tree.” It is the most famous work, and is now located in the State Russian Museum. I would like to quote from an article “Authenticity of destiny” by Elena Murina: “… no wonder he so often says, always facing our modern politicized life – No, painting is better! as if reminding himself and others of the high calling of art to resist the worldly whirlpool and confusion of the senses. And in fact, looking at such a masterpiece, as “The white tree”, one can not but agree – Yes, painting is better! This canvas, where white, pink and blue, which are risky colors for painting, met and fused with each other, as it could only be in a sudden vision or beautiful dream, was created in a happy moment of creative completeness.” In fact, I think the most important artworks (landscapes, portraits, still life), are those in which I was able to bring my basic principle of the limiting condition. There are many, so it hardly makes sense to list them.

RA&P: – Have their been moments in your art life that you would regard as creative failures?

Yuri Larin: – Creative failures …. I do not know. I always moved forward. If I had an unsuccessful work, I simply did not show it.

RA&P: – Right now, next to you is your spouse – Olga Maksakova. The role of Olga in your work – is it the role of a Critic or a Muse? What does she think about this?

Olga Maksakova: – I’m not a critic, because I do not consider myself a person competent in this area. All that I can say about the work of Yuri Larin, I learned from him. Prior to meeting him, I considered fine arts to be “third-rate”. Literature – yes! Music – of course, but not painting. When I first came to the studio of Yuti Larin, I had a cultural shock. After two hours of watching his work, it became clear: there is something strikingly important, which is beyond my comprehension. Well, for many years I humbly learn. So how can I be a critic? No critic, no Muse. I have the caring, saving role. “The Artist and the Muse” – this is not about us …
Yuri Larin: – Although there are 5-6 portraits.
Olga Maksakova: – Yes, and perhaps, when needed, I was a model. Discipleship is about what art can do to a person. Here is my first in a series of portraits. When it was created, it was obviously emotionally important to me – how gradually my picture appears and solidifies on the canvas. And then, looking at the finished thing, I was suddenly conscious of myself as a professional; I realized what allows me to be a therapist. It is this flow, the streaming lines, their interaction with stable color spots in the background … So Yuri among other things played a significant role in my professional life. ©

Note: Olga Maksakova – PhD in Medical Science, psychotherapist, leading researcher of the Institute of Neurosurgery named after N. Burdenko.

On August 26, 2012 from Moscow.
Copyright by Russian Art & Paris.

AUTHENTICITY OF DESTINY
(Excerpt)

It would seem that Yuri Larin, who works in a free style of relaxed brushstroke and color, is far from direct appeals to any recognizable sources. Not betting on “originality”, he nevertheless reached the uniqueness, which is evident in his attitude for both the subject and the material of painting. First of all, this personal tone is associated with the impression of sincerity and dignity. This belongs to art that does not base itself on “success” and “self-assertion.” And one cannot but see the similarities with the figure of Yuri Larin, an artist who is undoubtedly focused not on himself but on painting, far from the hustle of the artistic “vanity fair.”
• Painting entered the life of Yuri Larin, as a happy reward for the courage and sacrifice it took to become an artist. On his way to an early-recognized vocation, he faced many obstacles: orphanage in childhood, tragic fate of parents N. Bukharin and A. Larina, the need to keep “in the shadows” by selecting some mediocre profession. Only at the age of thirty, Yuri Larin risked starting over his life and applied to the Stroganov School, from which he graduated in 1970. Today behind him is a long path: tireless work in various media, participation in many exhibitions, teaching in the Art School “Memory of 1905”, and creative trips around the country and abroad. After his first solo exhibition in 1982, Yuri Larin gained the reputation of a serious artist among the few fans and followers of “pure” painting.
• The social and aesthetic problems of the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century, more and more greatly replace painting on the periphery of artistic life. Therefore greater value is held by the standoff of its supporters to a disastrous process of rejection of art from the creative work culture created by the efforts of great artists of the twentieth century. Yuri Larin confirmed his belonging to the heirs of this culture, which was based on object-formative principles dating back to the work of Cezanne. Of course, he is is not a “Cezannist”, which would be an anachronism today. In general, its interaction with the riches of the classical pictorial heritage has no specific addresses. But when he recognizes “the conflict between the pictorial and musical – the eternal subject of painting” (the words of Yuri Larin), when he recognizes the art of painting as “the struggle of depiction with musicality”, his connection with the discoveries of Cezanne becomes apparent.

by Elena Murina, art critic,
member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation.

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Pictures in the text (from above):
“Settlement Garciems” Ink on paper. (50 x 43 cm); “In the woods. Latvia” Ink on paper. (49 x 42 cm); “Nude” Ink on paper. (41 x 19 cm)

“Church of the Ascension. Kolomenskoye” Oil on Canvas. (100 x 100 cm)

“… specifically the sense of musicality is what keeps the memory of the first encounter with the work of an artist. This softly melodic sonority of each canvas constitutes the essence of Larin’s paintings. Rejecting the entertainment of the plot, not pursuing an active expressiveness of form, Larin concentrates all efforts on the harmonization of the spiritual color image. Guided by a sense of harmony, the artist appeals to a corresponding sense in the viewer, bypassing the rational, literary-descriptive capabilities of the image. The more it moves in that direction, the more difficult it is to find words that can express the complex range of feelings, the aesthetic empathy that arises at a meeting with his paintings. With all his work, Yuri Larin seeks to comprehend the soul of the phenomenon of painting, to create pure painting in every sense of the word.”

May Miturich, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, winner of the State Prize of the Russian Federation, member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR

“Road in the mountains” Oil on Canvas. (65 x 73 cm)

Larin Yuri Nikolaevich, a painter and graphic artist, was born in 1936 in Moscow. He is the son of the prominent Soviet statesman Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina. After the execution of his father and the arrest of his mother, he was raised by relatives – Boris and Ida Guzman (1938-46). After the arrest of B. Guzman (1946), at the age of ten, Larin was brought up in an orphanage in Stalingrad (Volgograd). At the age of twenty, when Anna Larina returned from Stalin’s concentration camps, Yuri Larin first learned the name of his father – Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin (1956). Yuri Larin graduated from the Novocherkassk Engineering Institute, worked as a water engineer on the construction of the Saratov Hydroelectric Station and in the Engineering design organizations (1958-60). Together with his mother, he received permission to return to Moscow (1960). In 1960 he began studying at the People’s University of Arts named after N. Krupskaya in drawing and painting department under the guidance of A. Trofimov. He graduated from the Moscow Higher School of Industrial Art (former Stroganovskoye), with teachers: Professor I. Lamtsov, Professor G. Lyudvig, Docent V. Pashkovsky (1970). Yuri Larin taught at the Moscow State Academic Art College in Memory of 1905, (1970-1986). He has participated in art exhibitions since 1970. Yuri Larin is a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1977).

The works of artist Yuri Larin – painting and graphic art are in the collections of museums:
The State Russian Museum (Saint Petersburg); The State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow); The State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow); Saratov State Art Museum named after A. Radischev; The State Historical and Architectural Museum “New Jerusalem” (Istra); Dilijan branch of the State Museum of Folk Art (Dilijan); Combined art museums and centers of aesthetic education of the Udmurt Republic (Izhevsk); The Volgograd Museum of Fine Arts; The Tomsk Regional Art Museum; East Kazakhstan Museum of Art; The Nizhny Tagil Museum of Fine Arts; The Moscow State Vadim Sidur’s Museum; Andrey Sakharov’s Museum (Moscow); The State Literary Museum (Moscow); The Collection of the Heinrich Böll Foundation (Berlin).

Russian spelling: Художник Юрий Ларин, (Москва)

2012: 09/01
CATEGORY: ARTISTS
JOURNAL
9 comments

“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. ©

by Russian Art & Paris

“Ehco” Etching. (19 x 15 cm)

“Moon phases” Etching. (31 x 23 cm)

“The tour” Etching. (23 x 17 cm)

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2012: 08/15
CATEGORY: ART SHOW
ARTISTS
JOURNAL
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