ORELART PARIS Art Contemporain Russe et International

The “Sacred Figures” series was created in 1999. It consists of eight images of contemporary celebrities “projected” onto works of old masters. Such juxtaposition of two different types of portraits not only allows the spectator to contemplate an ideal image but also subjects him or her to the powerful impact of the classical art by means of creating an illusion of the first-time discovery.

Classical art always implied idealisation of spiritual qualities that were reflected in portraits, whereas the 20th century art got carried away with matter. The matter became more interesting and immediate. A new form of heroism - self-sacrifice for the sake of a perfect showcase - came into being. A new religion has been formed in which possession/consumption of a product is the initiation while a skillful showman/woman is an ideal. A contemporary portrait fails to covey an important message or to make a deep sensual impression; they have acquired qualities of a frozen theatre mask. The blend of an ideal created by mass culture and a timeless ideal incarnated in a classical masterpiece emphasises eternal appeal of the classical art and activates sense of beauty (often latent) in a contemporary mind.

Over the past hundred years artists have been trying to bring the media of painting and photography closer together and recent development of advanced computer technologies provided the basis for a giant step forward in this direction. A new art movement called “Digital Proportions” came into being. Created on this very basis the “Sacred Figures” series integrate everyday symbolism, Greek mythology, cult imagery and contemporary advertisement billboards.

Identifying these images with real pseudo-familiar personalities helps us to break free from the preconceived awe we normally feel standing in front of a masterpiece. This makes room for certain lightness and novelty of perception, a chance to take a fresh look at the old. In “St. Sebastian” for instance the space surrounding the figure of the saint is filled with advertisement banners and posters bringing in the energy of today: the drama is taking place NOW. The Antonello da Messina painting of St. Sebastian shows the martyr at the moment of his execution. Substitution of a familiar image (Leonardo di Caprio) for that of the saint displaces semantic accents of the artwork: our attention is drawn away from the religious context, instead we sympathise with the tragedy of a man idolised by means of mass media. This technique allows the artist to give a spotlight to experiences and feelings of the contemporary hero however the reason for his tragedy does not bear any trace of a mission, which makes the entire subject absurd. This is an image of the 20th century with its artificial ideals and false aspirations.