Person of the week: Simon Agroskin
ARTinvestment.RU   28 апреля 2020

Critics called Agroskin "the artist, who has a reputation of the actual author, and nevertheless remains a realist," poised between avant-garde and tradition, preferring the path of evolution, not revolution in art

semen Agroskin — famous artist with his deeply personal vision of the world, with its concept not only the creative and aesthetic, but philosophical.

Born in Moscow in 1961, received his professional art education at the Moscow architectural Institute (MARCHI), from which he graduated in 1984. Since 1987, taking an active part in art exhibitions. First solo exhibition was held in 1991 in the Guelman gallery (Moscow).

His work is original and does not fit into any of the main currents of contemporary art. Agroskin — multifaceted artist working in different genres of art — portrait, landscape, still life. Works often combines cycles: "living emptiness", "Wall", "Home theater", "Other", "Hazy view", "Calendar", etc. the plot tells him life itself. Here's how the author writes about a series of "living emptiness": "Left alone in the apartment, where previously lived a large family, I felt the presence of departed people, their warmth, signs of life. From these feelings came the series of works “Home theater”. Actors of the theater “stepped out”, but their invisible presence is the story of my work. The empty space of the apartment, wardrobes, tables, chairs and doors replace residents, play their role, expanding private family history. In these, seemingly random scenes, there is something familiar to everyone, already lived when-то. I keep coming back to these spaces, adding new stories, build scenes and scenery of my personal theatre." the Artist important personal memories and experiences, the depth of Association and feelings.

In most of the works lacks a developed plot, they are characterized by avarice details, the rigor of their selection, the restraint of the palette, the movement of lines, volumes in space.

the Artist is very selective approach to colour, avoid bright colours and dissonances, prefers monochrome palette, a complex combination of tones — from silver-серых to yellowish-коричневых. The General tone of color has a certain emotional tone.

Often Agroskin still lifes are built from simple things, items that make up the habitat. This is the frame, subframes, pots, books, linens, Slippers, etc. the Artist is able to find a special significance in the small, and it is a difficult task — in a familiar, ordinary, everyday to see a new quality, to grasp the nature of simple things.

there is no doubt that Agroskin passionate about and plastic tasks. The originality of the image is born of the originality picturesquely-пластического solutions. A characteristic feature of the artist's work is a combination of simplicity of design and complexitythe scenic range. Architectural education has undoubtedly affected the artist, he builds the composition so that each subject is given its place, and the simpler and clearer the design, the richer and more complex pictorial surface.

In the cycle of "Poor visibility" effect vague perception mystifies reality, makes the extraordinary ordinary objects, gives mystique to the landscape turns into a dream. "Through the thin parchment of fog seep only the echoes of real passion, no more... Bridges, hangars, flyovers, embankments have become mere decoration, hanging unsteadily in the dairy-белой suspension".

the theme of the work Seeds Agroskin wide, the artist is interested in not only the life of modern man, but also the symbols of the Soviet time. The cycle of works "the Wall" devoted to the images of Soviet monumental propaganda: "we left the Grand reservoir, which glorify and turns of the revolutionary leaders into idols. These mass-produced, often terrible sculpture retains the spirit of the time".

Simon Agroskin lives and works in Jerusalem, Moscow and Paris, is the participant of numerous exhibitions of Russian artists abroad, including Japan, Germany, Belgium, France and other countries.

the artist's Works are in the collections of the Union of artists of Russia, Ministry of culture of Russia, the Museum of modern art in Moscow, the Tretyakov gallery, the Museum of modern art in Oklahoma (USA), the Museum of modern art "MARCH" (Italy), in private and corporate collections in Russia, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Israel, USA and so on.

Alexei Smirnov, especially for AI