Fedor Petrik. Debut "Man - Pleats" Painting

Plain paper fresh sheet! / You are white as chalk. Do not crumple and clean.
Your surface until / Draw touched the hand
(S. Mikhalkov, 1977)

The Fine Art Gallery presents the FIRST TIME within its walls a personal project of the young artist Fyodor Petrik. The exhibition includes 10 paintings, the author’s name of the project “MAN - FOLDERS”. However, the viewer will not see a person on any of the paintings. In each work, a crumpled, folded sheet of paper depicted hyperrealistically emerges from the deep black space of the canvas. All sheets are monochrome, painted extremely sophisticatedly both in form and in color scheme, built on the finest nuances of the colors of each grisaille - white, blue, gray, green. No leaf is like another. Relate these works to the genre of still life desire does not arise. When examining the depicted objects, there is a sharp contrast between the understanding of the inanimate nature of paper sheets and the sensory perception of them as living, dynamic organisms. It seems that now instantly the sheet will straighten out and again turn out differently. Of course, a crumpled paper sheet is a metaphor, so Fedor Petrik conveys his thoughts about the nature of man, the philosophy of his inner and outer life.

Researcher of the artist’s work Pyotr Baranov writes: “The theme“ MAN - FOLDERS ”has already become a hallmark in the work of Fedor Petrik. For the author, this is a kind of internal philosophical approach. He, like every artist, is in search of his attitude and the transmission of his thoughts through painting to the viewer. "He chooses the subject of PERSONALITY of a person and his life and existence, no one person is ever like the other, and a crumpled sheet of paper never looks like another sheet." The author himself about his concept reports: “In my paintings I create an artistic world that does not resemble anyone, neither in meaning nor in manner. I often reflect on images of people, animals, and objects. It is the synthesis of philosophical searches that I am trying to portray in my work. ” When analyzing the art of F. Petrik, an association arises with the aesthetics of metaphysical painting, created in the 20s of the last century by Giorgio de Chirico and his followers, as opposed to the prevailing futurism. So Petrik distanced himself from the onslaught of modern trends based on technologies that quickly emerge and become outdated even faster. This is a very bold and radical artistic gesture.

The works of the last year are united under the general name "Symmetry". The author depicts both the paper sheet itself and its reflection in the mirror. As you know, with mirror symmetry, an object and its display cannot be compatible and are antipodes. Is it because, not even knowing the physics of mirror symmetry, on a subconscious level, a person looks at himself in the mirror somewhat alienated, sees a face that is not quite like his imaginary, for example, more courageous, younger, kinder than visible. When looking at oneself, a person can recall events from the past and think about the future. Probably, this context is very important for the artist, because looking through the looking glass can lead to a rethinking of oneself as a person, to the transformation of life philosophy. But another context is also possible - according to Dante, when “Earthly life has passed halfway”, a person suddenly realized that he “found himself in a gloomy forest / Having lost the right path…”. And into which moat, into what circle of hell will a man fall? Or, on the contrary, ascend? Two halves of life - in reality and in an imaginary looking glass.

The works of Fedor Petrik carry a lot of deep meanings, not immediately apparent, but require reflection. In addition, they are magnificent and provide aesthetic pleasure when looking at them.

Irina Filatova