On the way to the light Automatic translate

Paintings by Stella Shalumova, an artist living and working in the USA, a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and Western New York Artist’s Group, traveled throughout the past year through exhibition halls in Moscow. In April 2004, Shalumova’s paintings were exhibited in a gallery on Solyanka. The exhibition was called “Color Energy”. Stella’s works were exhibited at the Cultural Center, the house - the museum of Marina Tsvetaeva (exhibition "Reflections"), and the State Museum of the East hosted a personal exhibition of the artist "Space".

Stella’s canvases have an amazing property of transforming the interior: they are dynamic in color, they bring a spirit of triumphant joy, light and freedom into the space, therefore the artist chooses rather neutral rooms to exhibit her works, capable of absorbing her “singing” painting without disturbing it, and new Spaces are born before our eyes. Stella’s painting is the quintessence of oil paint, in which you hear the rhythm of breathing and the heartbeat of the artist. This is an outpouring of some kind of energy, either of the sun, or of fire, or of water. Looking at her canvases, you recall the French impressionists, Vincent van Gogh regarding not only stylistics, coloristic decisions, plastic expression, pasty smear, etude of the composition, but also internal strength and dedication. The style of Shalumova’s works can be called an approximation to the essence itself, the texture of oil painting, its blood, its explosion. This is the dominant means of the art form, through which both the content and mood are transmitted, like a language, the speech of a person who no longer has the time to select words for a long time and carefully. He spontaneously and without a doubt splashes them onto the canvas in the form of oil paint, creating his kingdom of color, overflow and shades. And with this stone the smooth surface of a frozen lake breaks into smithereens - in circles, splashes, waves.

Plunging into the world of art by Shalumova, surrendering to this endless stream of consciousness and sensations of the artist, you naturally create for yourself a certain image of the author, enter into an internal, silent, in-depth dialogue with him. Looking through the pictures as if you were studying someone’s photo blog, with thoughts about life and what is happening.

Now let’s talk with Stella Shalumova and try to penetrate her creative sense of life.

Please tell us something about yourself first.

When they ask me to tell something about myself, I always first ask my interlocutor to express an opinion about me, about my work. In fact, these canvases speak much more about me than I myself can tell.

When and how did you start painting?

Before I turned directly to painting, I was engaged in the technology of manufacturing glass and ceramics. At the same time, I was fond of graphics: I drew ink on paper. At some point, I remember, I did not have enough color, and then I turned to painting, to color. I did not receive an academic art education, but at the same time I do not have such a feeling that I lack some skills or knowledge for self-expression. I do not have an internal need for art education, because so far I have enough of the painting techniques that I own. In life, in the world, everything is very closely connected, but we are not given to know for certain about these connections, we can only guess about them. Each person has his own answer to the question of interconnections and mutual influences. It is obvious to me that everything that happens to a person during his life, one way or another, affects "him today." It is the same with me: everything that I did before I started writing directly affects my painting.

What tasks do you set in your work?

I do not think that in creativity, in particular in painting, one can generally speak of specific goals. Conventionally, I can designate my inner super-goal as the lightening (in all senses of the word) of space. In my opinion, the artist is not the kind of person who sets himself a number of tasks and systematically, consistently performing them in certain time and other frames. The artist either writes, because he cannot help but do so, or does not write if he is not written. For example, here is what I am doing. A certain connection with the audience is carried out through their perception of my painting, through their reactions, emotions, and most importantly, the most joyful thing is that my paintings somehow reveal the bright sides of the human personality, its positive facets from different, even negatively minded people. I understand that my works cannot fundamentally change the world, but the fact that they enlighten it makes it easier for people, for me it is a great joy. I do not consider this “result” as my achievement, as the fulfillment of a direct task, because as an artist I don’t have any tasks at all (in the standard sense of the word). I paint pictures simply because I can’t help but paint them. I always had inner knowledge, confidence that I would be an artist, and now I have no doubt in the expediency and necessity (for myself and for those around me) of my choice. I know for sure that this is my way.

Is your technique, the method of working with oil, with acrylic - is it a conscious choice or an accidentally found form?

I am sure that in life there is nothing accidental. After all, I do not paint in oil and acrylic in the same way, it can be said that I work with these materials in different techniques, because it all depends on the topic that I am revealing, on the state that I would like to convey in this particular case. Naturally, for each work, I choose my characteristic, my tonality, because I feel it this way, and not otherwise. Of course, another artist in my place would have developed the same theme in a different way, but I see it that way. For me it doesn’t really matter how the method is called, which I use in my painting. I just feel that this is the most appropriate form of expression of my inner messages, that’s all. I finally left the graphics, because in color I find much more opportunities for self-disclosure. I travel a lot around the world and in general I am familiar with contemporary art. I did not see analogues of my technique or a similar pictorial language. Specialists - art critics and spectators also say that this technique of relief - sculptural painting is my own, original way of working with oil and acrylic paint. Despite this, I do not patent it as my own invention, but simply work as I like, as I see fit.

Do you accept such a modern phenomenon as the conditional division of a work of art into form and content?

I believe that this separation is completely impossible. When I come to a blank canvas, I already have a pretty clear idea of ​​what I will depict now and how I will do it. We can say that I already have the image of the future work, its textured and plastic vision. I see in general terms how it should be, and I know how it should not be.

Please tell me if you have any role models in the art world?

I do not imitate anyone, at least on a conscious level. And my favorite artists at every stage of my life, like my favorite writers or favorite musicians, I had different ones. I can not name among the classics, nor among contemporaries, not a single master as my "myself - myself." Indeed, over time, over the course of life - every second - a person changes, his addictions and sympathies change, everything changes. Probably the most important thing is that everything that happens to a person, in his fate, is somehow refracted in his personality, therefore everything in life is significant and significant, any trifle, any seemingly random encounter, any “detail of being. " In this sense, it can be repeated, there are no accidents or trifles in the world.

What, in your opinion, is the artist’s mission in the modern world, in the cultural process?

The world you are talking about is a single system, in fact, a space filled, or rather, built on all kinds of connections, and we cannot even imagine how much and how we are dependent on each other and how much each of us can influence metaphysically to world events. I am sure that the main task of every person, no matter what business he does in life or just lives, is to lighten his space - in those ways, with the help of those abilities and the understanding that is given to him. If everyone in his place will fulfill this human task, then our world will come to light.

What is your source of inspiration?

We will not, I think, discuss on a philosophical topic where the inspiration comes from, of course, we can talk about it as much as you like, but we still don’t know anything for sure. Most of all I am inspired by people, lively communication with them.

Does it matter to you which culture of your country is your painting?

No, I can’t single out such a country and basically do not compare nations and cultures, I think that these differences are very arbitrary. Indeed, I completely and completely share the position of cosmopolitanism and believe that people in all countries are essentially the same, and they are separated only by traditions and geography, climatic conditions. Everywhere the human, I would say, human factor comes to the fore as the basis of psychology, and, therefore, of the person himself. The emotions of all are the same, and people can disagree on worldview issues, in life principles, but not by nationality or origin. Such a question does not exist for me. And my many acquaintances around the world only confirm this.

How has your life changed since the moment you started painting all the time?

At the exhibitions that we organize in different countries of the world, I meet and get acquainted with wonderful, bright, beautiful and subtle people, and this brings me, probably, the greatest joy.

Let’s talk a little more about your exhibition activities. How large is it in relation to the time that you devote to the actual work?

As I said before, everything is interconnected, and I would not share these things. I take exhibitions as a tour, with one difference: unlike musicians or actors, I don’t need to rehearse before going on stage (that is, in exhibition halls). My "rehearsals" end when the picture is signed. I am grateful to all the spectators who come to my "concerts", because it is always nice to feel my demand.

You had an interesting exhibition at the Museum of the East, tell me, why was the name “Space” chosen for the works selected for it?

At the exhibition at the Museum of the East, I collected works on a variety of topics, in different techniques, and with this title I wanted to emphasize the versatility, innumerableness and infinity, the unlimited spaces, their diversity, and hence the variety of images. We can only guess about the secrets of metaphysics, and I can only understand one thing: the facets of being are not numbered.

Where in the near future are you going to exhibit?

The next big solo exhibition is scheduled for me in New York, we are negotiating an exhibition in Switzerland, and we are also planning an exhibition in the halls of the Moscow Union of Artists.

What is your philosophy of life?

I believe that a person should not do harm, should not go over their heads, trying to achieve their goal. Everyone should consciously do good, if there is such an opportunity. Often we think that our interlocutor understands everything, and we are sure that we can trace the logic of his thinking, and we draw our own conclusions from our, in essence, conjectures. I believe that it is very important to clarify the slightest disagreement, misunderstanding in the discussion. Problems need to be solved, not wait, letting everything go by itself. It is better for a person to immediately explain his own position and listen to his opinion. If circumstances do not allow to fulfill the plan, do not be upset. Perhaps this is at some stage, in some form unknown to you now, that can interfere with more important and necessary processes. I believe that a person should not take on too much, he should decide only what is entrusted to him, and do only what he is called to. I believe that light and creativity are inherent in each person, art should help a person discover this light and not be frightened of it, develop a bright beginning of the soul.

The conversation was led by Ksenia Alexandrova