Tree of Knowledge, 2020, plaster, wood, leaves, golden paint, sheepskin, 77H x 78L x 40W cm.
Firstly, this was my first independent experience with plaster.
This mix of materials was inspired by the work of Peter Startup.
Peter Startup (1921-1976)
Half, (first version), 1974, 150 x 46 x 37cm, Wood, plaster [Sculpture] At: https://northhousegallery.co.uk/image.asp?ImageID=2126&exID=2124 (Accessed 21.05.2020)
But in contrast to the sculptor, I decided to use the tree for its intended purpose - to plant it in the ground. This is a simple solution to support a tree in the form of a piece of land in a highly organized manner. (It was interesting to show the idea that a tree is growing out of a piece of gold). I wanted to use opposition as the main element of this work. The contradiction that I saw in the cover for the phone intrigued me. Something devoid of practical use, but initially created for this purpose.
I didn't want to turn the work into a surreal object like Meret Oppenheim, I intended to create a different reality. But of course, the apple is also meant to be consumed and the sensation of this process will be different when eating a regular apple and one with fur. So in this sense, these works are similar.
Object (or Luncheon in Fur), by Meret Oppenheim. In 1936, Oppenheim wrapped a teacup, saucer and spoon in fur. In the age of Freud, a gastro-sexual interpretation was inescapable. Even today, the work triggers intense reactions. Flavia Brandi/Flickr [Sculpture] At: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/09/466061492/luncheon-in-fur-the-surrealist-tea-cup-that-stirred-the-art-world?t=1598870775158 (Accessed 31.08.2020)
Appletree a frequent object in Russian folklore and art and of course, this is a direct reference to the Tree of Knowledge. Though, an apple in the 21st century is more likely among young people to associate with the company of the same name than with apple from the Bible.
The tree is more like a sapling that has already been cut and formed. It is golden which transfers the tree from the category of living to the category of artificial or special. Gold is also associated with money, power and high position. Golden tree with furry, pink apples is attractive and man wants to touch the fur, but he can't bite it, the feelings will be extremely unpleasant. Thus, the apple is devoid of its meaning, at least in the part where a person can satisfy his hunger.
Contrasting these definitions with the title of the work, one can assume that the modern tree of knowledge is extremely attractive both in colour and material, but an apple cannot be tasted, that is, we do not receive knowledge from such an apple and do not commit a sin. It is a visual, aesthetic and superficial pleasure. A man remains in his Eden unencumbered by the consequences of exile, but also devoid of the meaning of knowledge.
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