The series of oil portraits “New in Old”
Pictures of great and famous artists have huge influence on modern art and these works is a source of fresh ideas for new generations.
I decided to create a series of artworks inspired by my favourite artists of the past, try to re-think their pictures, make my own version, relevant to modern time and people. I wanted to find new in old. I planned quite a big project, requires several locations with right interior and lighting, photographer, accessories, and of course models. At this moment, I thought about my best friend Zoya, she’s an amazing artist from Russia. We worked together many times and really enjoy our cooperative artworks. I offered collaboration to her and we started to discuss, develop, improve my thought.
“Once, when my friend Uliana, she is an artist, offered me to participate in her art project I accepted the offer. This project is a series of pictorial artworks are connecting past and future. I have interest to find answer on questions - may we figure out main think of one picture in different eras? How are art of past years perceptive in modern world? What did artist say, and may we see pictures of old masters in another angle?”
We started our searches from Italian art of 16th century, then Flemish and Dutch artists. This is a great art, but, but I couldn’t find exactly my own way, I couldn’t see my version of these pictures.
We worked a lot of time and watched many pictures, decided to stop our choice at pictures of Pablo Picasso. His art is incredible contemporary and still actual nowadays. His images have got bright characters, that are abstractive at the same time. Specific facial features aren’t important as feelings of hero in these pictures.
“We choose Picasso’s artworks and moved its to the modern world situations. We aren’t saying that Pablo Picasso’s ideas were exactly like this. We want to say the opposite – we are thinking about what kind of situations in modern time would be make the same emotions were painted by Picasso? We didn’t have goal to take a photo of contemporary people like heroes of pictures of last century. Our goal is to imagine and create pictures that bring the same emotions and feelings as original artworks”
I concentrated on my own perception of pictures and tried to find the main of emotion into each artwork. In the “Couple in cafe” I saw depth feel of hopelessness, powerlessness. There is feels of deprivation. “Absinthe Drinker” is made feel of meditation or thinking about finding or choosing a new way. Sometimes people stand on a cross of life way and they should find a new goal, find answers on questions what is next? What do I do now? where should I go? I think, it may be a confusion, a dilemma. In “Harlequin and his Companion” pictures I have interesting what about are they thinking? They are looking in different directions, but what about their thoughts. In this picture I found feel of secretiveness, secret thoughts that they have but keep apart. A picture “Young Acrobat on a Ball” has totally different mood. There is light, warm colouring and feeling lightness in the composition. I see this artwork like more positive image. I feel clear and light feelings between heroes. There is youthful love.
At the end, we created one amazing series of artworks.
Couple
The picture is about despair and apathy. Heroes don’t look at each other but they are connected by their feelings. The woman wraps up in a cover and try to warm up and protect herself from the world. Her eyes looking at nowhere. The men turn to her and hug her but he is looking in another side. He can’t give a support. What may unite them? They lost unborn child.
The picture was created in contrast colours. Cold blue light from one side is contrasting with dark-gold hue of skin-tone and edge of a table. Cold light, blue shines in eyes, dark colouring are emphasizing all hard emotions of this situation and are helping viewers to understand and perceive these strong feels.
Thinker
The picture is including only one hero – a woman who sits in café at the table with blue bottle and a lot of maps. The woman is self-absorbed. She sits among people, but she is looking inside yourself, in your mind, soul, and future. She is trying to find her own new way in life. Maps on the table are pointing on it. She hugs herself to support and she is trying to find a decision. Surround world isn’t real for her. There isn’t even a café where she is existing.
The picture is made in warm colouring. Red tones, purple hues, wine colours, brick colours are dominating and making extra bright, drama, and expressiveness. There are depth blue colours were made for emphasizing warm colours and adding colours kind of a colouring of artwork “Couple”. It is making one mood of the series and artworks are become one.
Youthful Air
The picture is absolutely difference one of other artworks in the series. It is made in light colouring and is creating more positively mood. The mind hero of this picture is a relationship between young, fragile girl and adult guy. He may be an older brother’s friend or just mate. He is an embodiment of power and masculinity for her. Unfortunately, she is only a little girl, a child for him. He has feelings to her like to sister, there isn’t passion and love. He is handing a little toy-horse in his arm. It’s the toy for her, but she’s looking for a reflection of love in his eyes. Youthful love is inspiring feeling, but it is important and difficult experience in life of each girl.
The picture was created in sunny yellow colouring. These is the same colours that were used in previous compositions, they unite this artwork with other artworks of the series, but create another mood. There is positive peaceful and happiness atmosphere full of expectations well future. Light and bright colours are emphasizing these clear feelings and youth of girl.
Companions
Companions are sitting in cafe, they are friends chatting to each other. But one moment they were relaxing, and their faces are reflecting tired and envy. They are thinking nobody is seeing that. However, they are showing truth feelings, one of them is envy of a wealth and beauty of her friend. Second woman jealous about happy family life of another one, not even looking she has less money and has simpler life-style. There is a classic situation – everyone is thinking that somebody’s life is better that his own.
The picture is made in bright clean colours. Contrast light is playing on figures and drawing wondrous shadow's prints. A rhythm of shadows is doing a picture's flat to a multifaceted mosaic with beautiful pattern.
The brightest spots of the picture are wedding ring and smart watch on arms of heroes. Its are revealing the main thing and idea of the picture. Wedding ring is a symbol of happy, family life and smart watch is meaning wealth and popular in social media but absence really, warm feelings in a life.