Despite the pandemic and my current pregnancy, I managed to spend two weeks in a fantastic Art Residence. Normandy. I was invited to live in a castle and to work on a project focused on the image of "Contemporary Hero". Well, I rather chose to make several separate projects, but nobody minded. Here's a brief summary of what I've done in these two weeks.
"New Hero", oil on canvas, 89x116 cm
Super heroes are a part of our culture, but they are becoming obsolete, their role gradually reduced to a kind of pattern on underwear. All that remains is the brand. A new hero is born on the wreckage of old legends.
"All that's left", oil on canvas, 40x50 cm
This artwork is inspired by the new reality: due to the obligatory wearing of masks, when meeting, we receive a “cut down” portion of visual information about the interlocutor. The mask itself is not drawn, the emphasis is not on it, but on the uncomplete image.
"Russian Dolls", grahit on primed canvas, 100x50 cm
Whatever the hero of our time may be, all previous versions are necessarily hidden in him, like in a large "matryoshka".
"Leap into the future", paper, tea, modeling paste, pencil, 100x70 cm
"15-Puzzle", oil on canvas, 120x120 cm (15 canvas, 30x30 cm each)
This is my second work from the "15-Puzzle" series, it seems to me that it fits the concept and reflects the feeling of confusion and uncertainty that is characteristic of a modern person. In the constantly changing realities, when due to the pandemic the whole world suddenly “paused”, all the rules changed, all plans were canceled, you have to constantly rebuild yourself again, often to the detriment of integrity - and this is just a reality.
Another feature of the works in this series is that they do not stop “being created”, even when they are done. The 15-Puzzle format allows them to be mixed, which opens up wide possibilities for the experiment and provides an opportunity to make new combinations.
"Building kit", oil on canvas, 80x134 cm
This work is a kind of building kit that consists of separate, completely different canvases, each of those seems to be a part of some other unknown whole. But this "whole" does not exist anywhere in reality, or rather, does not exist as a separate "whole" for each element, but only in the form of a mess we call "world". In fact, every modern person is a temporary unique combination of parts of such a nonexistent whole.
"Cloud", 32х24 cm
"Hero", 80х30 cm
"Concrete", 40х30 cm
"Tail", 50х50 cm
"Target", acrylic and oil on canvas, 80x80 cm
From a distance it looks like a target, but on approaching "holes" turn into flowers.
"New ethics" series, oil on primed paper
76х57 cm
77x47 cm
This series is about the fact that in age of dictatorship of the “new ethics” modern man risks being left alone. We are all somewhat like burnt matches - almost everyone has had some kind of traumatic experience in the past. But for some reason now we are proposed to make a fetish out of this.
38х52 cm
52х37 cm
76х57 cm
"Building Blocks, oil on canvas, 89х130 cm
Another work on disintegration and loss of integrity. In the modern world it is extremely difficult - and also completely unnecessary - to remain a whole personality. It is precisely flexibility, the ability to rebuild, to recombine oneself in accordance with changing conditions that is becoming key today.
"Bird", 116x89, oil on canvas
Just a fantasy about the mythical creatures of our time.
"Hangers", oil on canvas, 93х60 cm
I've started another "Building kit" item, but haven't finished it yet.
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