Exhibition "Picturesque Depth". Yu.A. Epishin (1937-2007) and A.M. Volkov (1947-1980). Painting

March 10 at 16-00 in the exhibition hall of the Kaluga Museum of Fine Arts (Lenin St., 104) the grand opening of the exhibition "Picturesque Depth" will take place. Yu.A. Epishin (1937-2007) and A.M. Volkov (1947-1980). Painting.

Within the framework of the exhibition project “Masters of Kaluga Fine Arts”

The 1960s and 1970s are perhaps the most fruitful in the history of Kaluga fine art. It was at this time that the masters of "pictorial realism" began to set the tone in local artistic life. First of all - Yuri Epishin and Anatoly Volkov.

These were like-minded artists. Also, friends. And this despite the fact that their fate was not at all similar, that they were quite original artists. And their searches are united not by some external signs, but by deep creative principles. And above all - the ability to think artistically and knowledge of the language of painting.

Yuri Epishin is a native Kaluga. He received his artistic education at the Yelets Art School, which was an island of artistic freedom in the post-war era (for which it was eliminated in 1957 - and Yepishin received his diploma at the Ivanovo Art School).

The most powerful, most charming works of Epishin are his sketches from nature, always fresh, full of colorful sounds. It is in direct communication with nature, with life and being, that he is maximally sincere, maximally revealed as a person.

However, no matter how sincere the artistic narrative in his landscapes and still lifes, it usually remains restrained, "laconic." The most fluid states of the soul and nature are conveyed by mean expressive means.

Any image created by Epishin is first of all a wonderful “piece” of energetic and emotional painting. And at the same time, the colorful masses are saturated not only with the artist’s experiences, but also with his thoughts. Yepishin reproduces the internal form of things and elements, their properties that sometimes seem unreconstructable: the waters here are flowing and heavy, the rocks are indestructible, the trees, hills, and houses are massive.

But, of course, the greatest desire to turn painting into a developing, developing thought was manifested in the work of Epishin on thematic paintings: these are the triptych "Builders" and the triptych "K. E. Tsiolkovsky. ” The artist, sharpening and generalizing colorful forms, built a kind of artistic formulas - souls and deeds.

Anatoly Volkov is a native of Latnoye, Voronezh Region. And he moved to Kaluga in 1968: here by this time his own sister Zinaida Timofeeva, a wonderful artist, was already working here.

Once in the artistic circle, Volkov decided to become an artist himself. Decided - and became. Since 1970, Volkov - an artist-designer of the art and production workshops of the RSFSR Art Fund. And already in 1976 his paintings were exhibited at the republican and all-Union exhibitions of young artists.

And this gave the right to join the Union of Artists of the USSR - but did not have time to join the Union of Wolves: he died unexpectedly for everyone - at the age of 32.

Nevertheless, he managed to do the most important thing: he created a number of paintings, without which it is now impossible to imagine the history of Kaluga art. And almost all of these works are united by a somewhat unusual theme: Puppet Theater.

It is clear that the warehouse of these paintings is metaphorical. Uncomplicated still-life productions are embodied in developing picturesque images: dolls seem to come to life and animate. Something extremely serious is revealed for the masks that become faces, for conditional, puppet, being. The artist indirectly tells about the innermost: about feelings, feelings that would be embarrassing to speak out loud - frankly, directly. This is a confession, but as if not seriously, as if for fun.

And all this sophisticated and intimate plot is immersed in the elements and depths of painting, not spectacular, but felt, sincere in every bit of it.

In Paul Valerie’s notebooks, the following record was preserved: “Painting allows you to see things as they once were when they looked at them with love.”

Both Epishin and Volkov looked at the world they recreated, not only with love - with trepidation.

This year, Yuri Epishin would have turned 80

And Anatoly Volkov would have turned 70 years old.

Obukhov V.M.

The exhibition runs until April 9th.

Museum Hours: Daily, except Mondays,

From 10-00 to 18-00

Saturday from 11-00 to 19-00