2010-2016/42-48, 2023
Oil, canvas, collage.
Autobiographical still lifes 1968 – 2023
A person receives mixed signals from society. On the one hand, it is required that you have to make superhuman efforts and become successful in every sphere. On the other hand, it is confirmed that you have to value yourself as you are, even if you are the ultimate loser. In this world of conflicting demands, it can get crazy if you start making choices based on emotions and values. The solution is sober analysis, rigorous mathematics and tangible things. This is exactly what the exhibition Autobiographical Still Lifes deals with. First of all, some order must be created in this messy matter. According to self-help teachings inspired by Rudolf Steiner, human life is divided into 7-year cycles. In this case, the result is as follows: 1968-1974/0-6 1975-1981/7-13 1982-1988/14-20 1989-1995/21-27 1996-2002/28-34 2003-2009/35-41 2010- 2016/42-48 2017-2023/49-55 I chose still life as the most neutral genre in fine art to interpret life cycles. Each painting, corresponding to a life cycle, depicts objects from that period, painted in a realistic style directly on canvas with natural oils. The objects are selected based on three criteria: they must be meaningful, paintable and still. So these are important things, but they are not the most important things of each period, because the latter can be destroyed, immaterial or hideous in appearance. The compositions that have reached the pictures contain elements that should be easily understandable to the viewer, as well as elements whose meaning only I know. Nothing can be helped, life is like that, we will never know everything. What is the result of the performed visual analysis? Based on the Douglas Adams school, the answer should be 42, but time has moved on in the meantime. The answer is 55.