I. During the first part of the work, I continued to prepare for the exhibition and its execution.
After uninstalling the panels from the building, I only had three days to prepare and pack them for transport to the gallery in Stuttgart.
Apart from vandalism and one spot where the paper was starting to fall apart, there are only a few places where the paint has cracked and acquired a patina.
I brought a whole zoo to the gallery. From the coloured folds, various bugs and spiders crawled out every now and then.
We installed the panels in the form of a closed space that you could enter, and the effect was that the sounds died down and died away.
Here, the curator and I drew a parallel between how the voices of people who are in newspapers or other media are absorbed by censorship.
My feeling was that this huge installation took centre stage in the exhibition.
It was the first time in my practice that I could show my “real works” and present the themes of temporality, sensitivity, resilience, reassembly and emotions.
II. I focused on finding my language and the connection between painting and my physical sculptures.
I continue my exploration of temporality. Could this be reflected in how plywood can suggest decay while paint suggests permanence and stability?
Propaganda and perception - scratched words can hint at the distortion of media narratives or the loss of clarity in an overwhelming flood of information.
Synesthesia and affect - how do colours and textures engage other senses besides sight? Can these materials evoke tactile or auditory resonance?
Working with coloured materials fascinated me. I couldn't stop. I constantly drew a parallel between my colour fields and these paintings.
In the paper works there is a clear, vibrant colour, while in the drawings and paintings gesture and composition are added.
words: patriot (патриот), honey (мед), milk (молоко).
But I wouldn't say I liked the simple plane and I decided to add my materials – broken wooden elements. Here I realised that all my themes revolve around old of building wooden materials that I worked with in childhood.
When I mix them with paint, make objects with newspapers and colours, take photographs, make sculptures - it’s all about reassembling, constructing an image, searching for new aesthetics, and reflecting on various events.
Wooden, deliberately broken elements, which are not usually found in oil paintings, create an imbalance and provoke discussion.
Oil paint itself is an elite element in art. It is expensive and difficult to work with. I have great respect for it and at the same time, I kind of contrast it with the simplicity and primitiveness of plywood.
First work - words: friendship (дружба), wine (вино), chanel (шанель).
Third work - possible words: scar (шрам), screw (шуруп), sew (шить), noise (шум), rustle (шуршать)...
Fourth work - words: patriot (патриот), honey (мед), milk (молоко).
If I were to independently analyse these works, the first thing that would catch my eye and attract my attention would be the wooden elements on the painting surface. The texture and form of the plywood are in stark contrast to the oil painting. The wood is rough and broken, yet cut straight with sharp angles, while the lines of the oil on the canvas are nervous, twitchy, and deliciously tender.
Words in Russian - pond (пруд), butterflies (бабочки), bumblebee (шмель), dandelions (одуванкики)
Then I start reading the words, these are Russian words, for me they will create an image, for those not familiar with this language they will be an abstraction. Perhaps these words will build associations from colour and I will try to find elements of words in the figures of the drawing/painting.
The nervous lines and broken plywood give a sense of tension and anxiety, although the colours in some areas of the work are quite attractive and joyful.
The colour composition is constructed in such a way that the plywood is integrated into the hue spots, or, on the contrary, deliberately stands out against the background of white canvas. Wooden elements begin to interact with the oil strokes, creating a shadow or enhancing a spot of colour. The lines and strokes contrast with the straight lines of the cardboard and plywood, while in places of breaks and fractures, they seem not so opposite. Plywood also creates a feeling of something built, folded, and organized. Perhaps a city, a tower, a village... some kind of community.
At the moment of work, I, as always, worked from a single starting point. This method of work follows me everywhere. One detail is enough for me to start a dialogue, a theme, a narrative.
For example, a beautiful piece of broken plywood, or a vibrant rhythm from music, or a colour from food, or even an old canvas with dried paint. And then, this is always the most exciting moment - this search for an unknown balance and completion.
In my Artistic Research, I referred to Brian Massumi's affect - forces that are there and that influence us, but of which we are not initially aware. These are prelinguistic, precognitive states that evoke strong unconscious sensations.
In my newspaper colour fields, I enjoyed the process of creation (passing each sheet of paper through my hands of colour), and then immersed the viewer in a large, absorbing and rustling sea of colour.
What I was trying to do here was to evoke precognitive reactions in the viewer through pure colour. In my sculptures, I did the same through materials, textures and forms.
In photography, I explore the boundaries of these sensations through the modern lens of digital.
In a drawing or painting, the gesture is clearly reflected, although the gesture is also understandable in my sculptures and reliefs, but on a plane, it is somehow especially vivid. The sequence of actions, layer by layer, is clearly visible on the plane. For me, working with oil is more detailed than working with a colour field. As if my paperwork is general, and the painting is particular. In mixing paints I choose between greater shades than in a colour field, although after this writing I think that this is not so, but I will still leave this phrase exactly like this.
III. I continued to think about photographs and how this language can help me understand my themes even better.
First try of printing my photo
After I printed this white-on-white work, I saw lines, gestures and shadows.
These photographs are different from my "taken" ones out of context and discuss selective presentation in propaganda.
IV. I visited several exhibitions that gave me new ideas and perspectives on my work.
Oskar Holweck, Form und Texture. Saarland, Germany. Moderne Gallery, 06.11.2024
For example, the works of Oskar Holwek showed an interesting perspective of focusing on only one material. The artist, born in the German city where I live - St. Ingbert, has worked only with paper all his life. On the one hand, I can’t imagine this for me - it’s boring, on the other hand, perhaps this focus allows one to penetrate the essence of the material as much as possible. I was amazed by the artist’s discoveries in variations of works with paper. Reflecting on my interests and my works, I look for the strongest possible representation of emotions. And for this I use provocative materials. At the same time, I don’t want to push people away (with incomprehensible or disgusting art), but on the contrary, to attract those viewers who would never go to a museum in everyday life. Yes, perhaps some may call my colour fields kitsch, art that people like, but this kitsch gives entry to those areas where ignorance and the desire for beauty flourish. Perhaps, if one can penetrate into the minds of such viewers, then next time a path will be opened for communication of a different level. Perhaps I can, step by step, explain through visual art something that cannot be explained in words - what is food for the mind and what is not and why.
Andreas Eriksson, Art Basel Paris, 19.10.2024
I liked the obscurity and poetry of these works.
Chat GPT: "Eriksson’s work invites viewers to slow down and observe the natural world, emphasizing the subtle beauty of overlooked details. By bridging traditional techniques like weaving with contemporary art practices, he offers a fresh perspective on how art can engage with memory, landscape, and materiality. His emphasis on the local and personal while addressing universal themes makes his work resonate deeply with audiences."
Jonathan Trayte, Design Miami Paris, 19.10.2024
I was irresistibly drawn to materials, textures and colour.
Chat GPT: "Jonathan Trayte’s work offers a fresh and playful critique of contemporary consumer culture and the artificiality of modern life. His ability to combine humor, craftsmanship, and sharp cultural commentary has made him a distinctive voice in contemporary art. Through his vibrant, surreal objects, he encourages viewers to reflect on their own habits, desires, and relationships with everyday objects."
Otto Dix, Self-Portrait with Jan, 1930 oil and tempera on wood. Stuttgart, Kunstmuseum. 10.11.2024
I cried in front of a painting for the second time in my life. Later, when I reflected, I understood why - for me, his entire history of works and creativity had come together as a kind of black and painful experience of war, and then there was this work. It goes beyond the framework of his craftmanship and gives hope and joy to life.
Otto Herbert Hajek, Stuttgart, Kunstmuseum. 10.11.2024
Hajek's work often explores themes of movement, rhythm, and spatial relationships. He was inspired by modernist principles of abstraction and geometry, as well as the dynamic energy of urban life.
V. I started thinking about how to position it now and what to do with my colour fields.
At the moment I am leaning towards large colour fields and also public projects. Because for some reason viewers see kitsch in my regular colour fields. It is not enough for them that these are newspapers and that I am transforming media communication into sensory communication.
I finally tried working with epoxy resin and after these experiments I decided to return to ceramics. I absolutely did not like the synthetic aspect of this material, its unnaturalness and insubstantiality.
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