They say that modern journalism is based on the “three S’s”: Death, Sex, Scandal. The same can sometimes be said about contemporary art. And although on the one hand classical still lifes, landscapes, and portraits remain “eternal values,” on the other hand, contemporary art is impossible without emotional explosions and elements of provocation.
Now every Kherson resident can “weigh” these two factors on the internal aesthetic scales by visiting the 2nd floor of the Kherson Regional Library named after Honchar, in the new arrivals section. Here, the Youth Initiatives Center “Totem” organized an exhibition of their favorite graphic artists – productive, relevant artists who are – most importantly – absolutely different. Different in approaches, views, artistic style, communication and everyday life, age, attitude towards art, and this difference is visible at first glance — the exhibition features both deliberately professional ex-libris (bookplates) and simple pencil drawings where clumsy Cheburashkas hammer nails into themselves.
These are completely different artists – Felix Kider, Stas and Yulia Volyazlovskiy. How did the idea come about to combine in one exhibition what seems practically incompatible – a kind of artistic hooliganism and mastery of the highest level? I asked this question to the art director of “Totem,” Max Afanasyev:
– The Volyazlovskiy family (Stas and Yulia) are interesting to us primarily for their fashionableness and reflexive responsiveness, deliberate sexual awareness, and the degree of artistic freedom limited only by minor provincial taboos of the authors. Felix Kider – for his mastery and depth of images, deep sense of responsibility, humanism, and poetic nature. He skillfully hides true innovation behind his devotion to the ideals of academism. If individuality of the author and their declared creative position are recognized as the only criteria in contemporary art, then Felix Kider is the main avant-gardist of the region.
The opening of the exhibition was timed to the visit of the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Robert Brinkley. The ambassador was clearly amused by the mischievous sculptures of Stas Volyazlovskiy. He lingered for a long time near Felix Kider’s erotic ex-libris, some of which were exhibited in the London Library, which also greatly pleased the ambassador. However, Robert Brinkley did not get a chance to talk about his homeland – the artist himself has not yet had the opportunity to visit London.
After viewing the exhibition, at a press conference Robert Brinkley admitted that in Donetsk he was impressed by factories, and in Kherson – by the information fair and the artists.
The Youth Initiatives Center “Totem” sincerely thanks the management and staff of the Kherson Regional Library named after Honchar for their initiative and assistance in organizing the exhibition. The exhibition is open from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission is free.Link
