Person of the week: the Sculptor Paata Merabishvili – the Creator creates what he feels and not what he sees
ARTinvestment.RU   03 февраля 2020

New rubric "twenty-first century. Person of the week" opened with a story about a sculptor Paata Merabishvili, whose work is exhibited today at the Auction AI

Marasovich Paata Merabishvili was born in 1964 in Tbilisi. From an early age the future sculptor has shown interest in the work, fascinated by the drawing. He followed in the footsteps of his father Merab Merabishvili and entered the Art school named after J. Nikoladze in Tbilisi, the faculty of sculpture. The time spent in the school, he remembers with particular trepidation: "the Student's period was one of the most remarkable. In College I met people who have become an integral part of my life. In the group studied only talented guys, set the bar high. So I am convinced that the choice of future profession was made correctly".

In 1984, Paata Merabishvili was enrolled in the Tbilisi state art Academy. Professor and chair, Department of sculpture faculty of fine art of Gogi Ochiauri was not just a teacher, but the main inspirer. From a teacher Merabishvili inherited manner, which formed the Foundation for his later creativity: "Gogi Ochiauri instilled interest in the form and plastic characteristics of the sculpture. Being a follower of the French sculptor Aristide Maillol, he taught me how to think volume, transfer eastermost sculptures and to pay special attention to form. Thanks to him, developed my artistic style". At this time, Merabishvili creates its first job: participates in the First Symposium of ice sculptures at the opening of the ski resort in Gudauri, in the composition of the creative group is working to create mosaic panels that adorn the facade of the administrative building South-Украинской nuclear power plants. Be the first sculpture of small forms, which reflect the individual style of the artist. Thesis "the Warrior" presented by Merabishvili in 1990, is evidence of the fascination with antique sculpture. He demonstrates the ability to create space-пластической shapes with a fluid and at the same time, a closed surface shape and a masterful grasp of the material.

After graduating from the Academy of fine arts Merabishvili together with a group of sculptors worked on the monument "9 April" in Saingilo, Azerbaijan. In the period 1991-1996 participated in youth exhibitions held in Tbilisi, Moscow, Saint-Петербурге, Kiev. In parallel, the sculptor tried his hand in painting and drawing, finding inspiration in the works of artists-модернистов. In 1996, Merabishvili made the difficult decision to permanently move to Moscow: "the ideology of the USSR and the party system of government was destroyed. At independence, the country was in a difficult plight, which hampered creativity. After painful reflection, I decided to come to Moscow where for a long time, I was invited to a childhood friend".

From that time began a new phase in life, Paata Merabishvili, marked by the formation of individual artistic style, the search for new forms and expressions of active and creative work. In the works created in this period, the sculptor achieves harmony of volume and shape, which he caught at an early stage of his work. Based on eastermost sculptures of Maillol and ancient heritage, Merabishvili is guided largely by the formal language of the avant-garde era. Among the representatives ofmodernist sculptor highlights by such masters as Jacques Lipchitz, Alexander Archipenko and Ossip Zadkine, who addressed the laconic and paid special attention to texture. Even creating a sculpture of small forms, Merabishvili always thinks in volume, achieving their architectonic unity. This is evidenced by the work of the late 1990-х — 2000-х years, characterized by a closed silhouette, smooth shapes and flowing lines. These qualities Merabishvili largely achieves through the use of bronze — material, known for its plasticity. In works of monumental sculpture, in spite of the departure of the wizard from the realistic visual traditions via-прежнему there is the influence of balanced laminates Maillol. So, being heir to the traditions Merabishvili skillfully interweaves in his works of different artistic direction, which will be the basis of our own creative method of the sculptor.

the Human figure is the main image in the works of Paata Merabishvili, which focuses on exploring its expressive possibilities. In this regard, the sculptures are often geometrizovannym nature, have accentuated the sharp and pointed shapes. At the same time, many of the works are based on the desire to transfer round, concave surfaces and to study the plastic possibilities of the depicted figures, wherein increased expression. Despite the abstract style, which adheres to Merabishvili in his works, his sculptures at the-прежнему are in the context of figurative art. Abandoning traditional figurative art and walking in the footsteps of sculptors-авангардистов, Merabishvili experimenting with form and color, equipment and material, thereby creating a product of the modern era.

Thrust to search new forms and means of expression to the greatest degree inherent in the latest works of the master. These are the qualities of sculpture "Portrait of Pirosmani" (2018; bronze, patina) depicting the famous Georgian artist. Speaking about his attitude to his work, Merabishvili said unique talent Niko Pirosmani, who inspired him to create this work: "For me Pirosmani — legend of the world of art, a real jewel, who wrote pictures of the internal sense. Without art education, he with virtuosity conveyed the artistic identity of Georgia. His strict, somewhat dark colour and the effect of reticence and alienation, so typical of his works still amaze even the most sophisticated audience". Portraying Pirosmani, the sculptor does not seek to achieve the exact portrait similarity. His work — is the image that was formed during the acquaintance with the works by Georgian artist: complex, dark, full of associations, this unique and purely national. The sculpture is made in the typical Merabishvili cubist manner reminiscent of the creative experiments of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, one of the revered sculptor masters. Geometrizovannym, a composite volume is accented by a linear circuit that emphasizes the isolationsculpture.

In his works Merabishvili drawn to the work not only artists, but also musicians, whose talents cause its a special feeling. This is confirmed by the sculpture "the Violinist" (2019; steel, patina), devoted to the work of Vanessa Mae. In the view Merabishvili her talent is not only a source of inspiration, but becomes an allegory of creativity as a whole. The musical virtuosity of may V. the sculptor tried to convey with sharp, flowing forms that reflect the game and the rhythm of the undulations.

In a similar manner made the sculpture "Mother and child" (2019; steel, patina). The images of mother and child becomes Central to the work of Merabishvili, whose family seems to be a great life gift. Abstract silhouette built on plastic ratio balanced and multidirectional planes, transmits them using the sacred sound of the theme of motherhood, classic of world art. The sculptor uses minimal resources, deliberately simplifies the form and refuses straightforwardness @all mdas in order to show the essence of the idea.

the same story is devoted to sculpture "Cantabria" (2019; steel, patina), however in this work, Merabishvili uses mythological image. Despite the popularity of the painters and sculptors, for Merabishvili centaur not only a symbol of Dialogic nature and human creation, but above all, the personification of wisdom, love and devotion. Again, radically reducing the form, the artist achieved the desired effect and creates a metaphorical image, interpreted in an abstract visual manner. Using rich, vivid, monochrome colours for his sculptures, P. Merabishvili thereby accentuates the appearance of what allows the viewer to study the plastic properties of his images, their dynamics, expression and rhythm.

although Paata Merabishvili identificeret himself primarily as a sculptor, the key concepts of his work are versatility and experimentation. Trying his hand at different artistic areas, while remaining receptive to new pictorial forms and directions, appealing to the best and most significant achievements of the art of the past, the sculptor creates his own artistic formula which expresses not only new taste, but it reflects personal experiences and is looking for answers to eternal questions.

T. A. kariuk, critic,
employee of the State Museum of history of St.-Петербурга,
specifically for AI