Personal exhibition at ART 14 Gallery introduces viewers to the works by Gagik Kurginian, an Armenian and Ukrainian artist, who is rich in talent.
His painting is diverse and vibrant, it harmoniously combines motifs of different traditions and cultures. According to the author, it is “cultural cosmopolitanism.” For example,”- the author writes, “there is a definition of cosmopolitanism, which involves extending the mental outlook and tastes beyond ethnic cultural horizon. Recently this definition has been considered negative, used to label a tendency to the West. But I have “Eastern cosmopolitanism” within the cultural, ethical and aesthetic borders of Eastern Europe. From the XIX century and to the present. From Poland and Lithuania, through Ukraine and Belarus, Russia to the Urals and, in fact, Georgia and Armenia. / … / That way, within a single canvas, I unite memories of different lives, pieces of different dreams.”
Kurginian’s paintings’ emotionalism is striking; it overcomes the professional guidance in building compositions, creating images and use of colors. That is, instead of common, traditional and well-learnt “how to” the author’s artistic means declare the relaxedness in feelings sincerity. This rousing author’s game with the rules of the profession for the sake of openness, shatters peace and quiet of his fellow artists and inspires us, spectators, with its creative work’s energy.
“My style recipe is simple”, – writes G. Kurginian – “it is a cocktail of my mistakes, inability, complete freedom of brushes and paints actions, because they know best what to do. The main thing is not to interfere with them, well forget everything you know how and learn new things all the time… and, especially, less pathos! “.
Glib Vyshe-Slavsky
