"Twenty-first century. Contemporary Russian art" — II
ARTinvestment.RU   10 февраля 2020

Introducing the work of contemporary artists: Azam Atakhanova, Galina Bystritskaya, Alexei Vaulin Viktor Lukin, Sergey Maksiutina, Alexander Savko, Alexander sigutina, Elena Utenkova-Тихоновой, Yuri Cholovskogo, Elena Shepetovki

Creativity Azam Atakhanova of Rasulovich formed at the crossroads of Eastern and Western art. Inherent in Oriental painting, the expression and richness of color solutions in tune with the compositional and figurative formation of Western visual traditions. So, the Eastern subjects embodied in an artistic manner resembling the art of modernism: sometimes she goes to the pointillism, and sometimes quotes the techniques of the fauves and primitives. Works Atakhanova peculiar deliberate applicationhost, which the artist achieves with a clear linear path and the local spots of color, and decorativeness, which is manifested in the planar image and detail. The artist does not limit his creative experiments one genre and tries his hand at landscapes, portraits, still lifes, domestic scenes. Polychrome, Atakhanova rich painting depicts the enchanting world of the East and reflects its rich cultural traditions.

the works of Galina Bystritskaya Albertovna (1961) painted with broad impasto brushstroke and filled with endless movement and energy. From the Impressionists, the artist inherits the desire to portray everyday reality, trying to capture and convey the life as a reflection of their experiences. Visual images Bystritskaya always subject, usually landscapes and still lifes real characters painted from life. Of particular importance the artist attaches to the color, giving it the ability to exist as an independent compositional element.

In an abstract manner works and the artist Alexey Vaulin (1974). Based on the experience of masters of the early twentieth century, Vaulin creates an expressive way using dynamic forms and color schemes. However, the artist considers color not only as a means of expression, but also as a tool of self-discovery, exploration of reality and the human soul, therefore his images are modelled by abstract colour and light ratios are both specific and recognizable character.

the Work Victor F. Lukin (1955) uses the achievements of the past and drawn to the philosophy of the Russian avant-garde. The basis of his works lies an abstract language, filled with symbols and semantic codes. The visual images created by F. V. Lukin, no pathetic — of his work, like the works of Suprematism, impart a sense of infinite, absolute space. Movement and rhythm, the artist sets by color, smoothly flowing from one structure to another or playing all sorts of contrasts.

In the works 1990-х years, the artist often uses the form of a square and cross. The format of the picture — square, stable and "equilibrium" form, but the internal composition often is constructed in such a way that the resistance disappears. The square changes, turns into a diamond, returns original form — and a feeling of dynamism, instability. This contributes to an active, almost open, contrast color plane; strokes, covering the black structure, increase the vibration and instability. Often the meaning of the paintings play on the sign of the cross, which occurs at the contact of silhouette colour spots.

If the early works Sergei Vladimirovich Maksiutina (1956) is full of complex visual metaphors, allegories and symbols, then the phase of Mature creativity becomes the basic genre of the landscape, existing outside of narrative and specifics. His fragmentary sketches — is abstract images, the images of the elements, eternal nature and life. In the artist's works appear to be missing the pattern and the scheme of construction, painting like immediately as possible. Maksyutin avoids promising reductions and separation plans: he is interested in the fragment he like pictures of the eye and transfers to the canvas. His attention is primarily focused on the interaction of water and sky, when the water includes the heavens and the earth not simply as reflections, but as an image of unity. The simple combination of pale colors the artist conveys a living breathing, movement and at the same time permanence. The artist believes that his work should not be the exact coordinates, they are not unambiguous. Even the same piece, it seems, changes its essence, if you look at it a few times with small breaks. Color and sensual nature is expressed sufficiently even in a small area of the canvas which often can be regarded as full of emotion abstraction. The color of the works are based on a combination of clean, natural hues that reflect the organic nature of his works.

a Characteristic feature of the art method Alexander Savko (1957) is a caricature and satiricall. One of the most provocative and absurdist masters of postmodernism in Russia, he confronts two conflicting ideologies: Soviet and American. Absurdity in art Savko is that the hero of American popular culture serial is placed in the unique and unrepeatable event of Russian historical painting, always facing the past. In the same way he acts with the masterpieces of world painting, inserting the faces of American heroes of the series instead of the models of Picasso or characters of socialist realism.

Thus, a phantasmagoric picture of the complex entanglements in the modern history and culture. Placing the images of mass culture in the context of classical art, the artist mocks contemporary society and the traditional perception. Compositions affecting absurdity and illogicality, far from familiar art of harmony, really emphasize the pain societysubject depending on the imposed images of the media culture and its standards. Kitsch elements are intentionally introduced by the artist not only attract the viewer's attention is deliberate brilliance and absurdity, but also show the dualistic nature of human consciousness, deified classical works of art and at the same time erecting the cult of populism and the visual images of mass culture.

Alexander Sigutin (1959) in the works 1990-х — 2000-х years, manifests itself as a consistent follower of postmodernism. This is reflected in-game character of the works of the quoting, borrowing, the use of different artistic languages of the XXth century.

the Art of modernism is interpreted Alexander by Sigutinym primarily as an intellectual game adult. The series called "Educational games" is built on the intersection of two visual lines: graphic scheme of a child's puzzle and colors of the Dutch group of artists of the early twentieth century "De Steyl".

a Series of "Byzantine Suprematism" includes about twenty works. The starting point for the creation of the series was the visual similarity of the work of Kazimir Malevich "the Cross" with images of crosses on the garments of the saints (e.g., St. Basil the Great or Gregory the theologian) in Byzantine and Russian icons of XVI century.

Work Helena evgenyavna Utenkova-Тихоновой (1965) present a prose sketches, which capture the moments and events of everyday life. The artist creates touching images that, like memories, as if snatched from memory. This feeling contributes to the technique of sfumato and silver, pastel colors. The artist avoids tension, of pathos and expression — on the contrary, in her works an atmosphere of calm and inner balance. Despite the fact that most of the works executed in equipment of oil painting, it seems that Utenkova-Тихонова working with pastels. Her work is distinguished by the softness of the black and white transitions, the richness of colors, water color painting, blurred outline and a thin, translucent layer of paint, which the artist achieves by using glazes.

In an ironic manner works Yuri A. Horowski (1946), the main direction in the work which is sculpture. His work, executed in metal, bronze, plastic or papier-маше, different variety of forms and subjects and range from totally abstract to the concrete and individual. If impersonification images ratherresemble a visual metaphor, in which the main preference form and material, the figurative represent the image of paradigmatic characters, far from the classic perception. Rich semantic contexts shaped a number resorted to the sculptor, poised between Comedy and tragedy, sarcasm and seriousness.

the Work Elena Alexandrovna Shepetovki (1951) has been largely developed through training at the geological faculty of the Moscow Institute of petrochemical and gas industry. Future artist passed educational practice in Western Siberia and Komi Republic, in the Orenburg steppes and the Caucasus, and because her works are the images of the places which she had visited, memories and impressions about them. The theme of wandering is becoming the main in the work of the artist. Shepetova creates a sense of infinite space using parallel perspective. This technique and a clear, graphic brushwork, rhythmic structure compositional elements of the landscape and the predominance of a single color tone to resemble the works of Nicholas Roerich, the master of the mountain landscapes. The work of Shepetovka, however, covers a wider range of varieties of this genre and is on the verge between traditional subject of landscape and abstraction, rooted in symbolism. The endless play of colour and light, the combination of pastel lines and saturated color patches give you the feeling of diverse and forever changing world.

the work of Atakhanova, Galina Bystritskaya, Alexei Vaulin Viktor Lukin, Sergey Maksiutina, Alexander Savko, Alexander sigutina, Elena Utenkova-Тихоновой, Yuri Cholovskogo, Elena Shepetovki from 10 to 14 Feb 2020 presented in the second auction "twenty-first century. Contemporary art" (curator — Larisa Kashuk Her).

L. A., Kashuk, PhD