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Munich Vienna gallery by the castle Heidenreichstein
Igor Smirnov
Symbolic art of Igor Smirnov expresses the new tendency of art perception and interpretation. At the same time it is focused on eternal values and affects the emotional and mental state of the viewer through the process of associative thinking. The relationships between time and space always were at the forefront of philosophical thinking and found expression in visual art. It may be said that the twentieth century had indeed manifested an insatiable thirst for the interpretations and reinterpretations of time. There were a number of attempts of reformation, transformation and even refutation of the basic concepts of art in the search for the fourth dimension reverberating echoes of time in visual art. Following the new theories of philosophy, physics and psychology which appeared in this century, the visual art created a new language for the representation of time. Thus, time became not only the key point of life but of art as well, allowing us to evaluate art in the light of its relationship to the temporality. In the beginning of the third millennium the tendency to immerse in fin du siecle esthetics became very popular and is reflected in the content of visual art. The apocalyptic nature of this era creates emotional stress and the feeling of instability. The artist finds himself in an almost unforeseeable situation, when everything in his world tumbles out of control without stability in a state of permanent flux. Moreover, the course of global events and the radical increase of tempo of modern life lead to the transformation of consciousness and the alteration of the processes of perception, evaluation and interpretation of art by the audience. As a result, in order to find a place in the context of modern art, the artist has to realize how he can create the symbolic equivalent of a constantly changing external world. Due to the desire to reflect the values and ‘realities’ of the world around them, many artists create the art that is restless and momentary. However, if we examine the artworks that are considered to be masterpieces, such as the art of Italian Renaissance, Classicism, and the art of the beginning of the twentieth century, we will find that they always reflect eternal values along with the concrete moments of time and life. The act of evaluation and interpretation of art, and by extension the creation of great art, is not a momentary act of observation and passive acceptance. It is an active immersion in the art work and in your own subconscious. Contemporary art demands the same involvement and, in fact, is even more pretentious in its own way than already culturally assimilated old masters, but the technique for evaluation is absolutely different. The contemporary art viewer is brought up in a computerized, technological environment and is familiar with virtual space from his childhood. The viewer is accustomed to deal with symbolic forms through the associative thought process as well as through the modern technology. In the modern world art and technology are mixed and coexist together. The audience of the twenty first century can perceive art in both ways – as a piece of art and as a source of information presented in symbolic form. Solo Exhibits 2018 ANTONIJA gallery , Riga, Latvia 2016 Art Expo San Diego 2006 TIMMONS Gallery, Rancho Santa Fe, California 2005 Galerie GEORGE International, San Clemente, California 2003 SUNJIN Gallery, Singapore 2000 GALERIE MICHELANGELO in Caesars Palace Hotel, Las Vegas 1997 JAN Galleria, La Jolla, California ART SELLERS, Inc., San Juan Capistrano, California ART ENTERPRISE Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada 1996 ART BRILLANT, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 1995 ART BRILLANT, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 1993 GAIL ROFF Fine Art, Seal Beach, California 1992 ARTEXPO CAL'92, Los Angeles, California 1991 ARTEXPO CAL'91, Los Angeles, California 1990 ARTEXPO CAL'90, Los Angeles, California 1988 LA CHAISE Gallery, Beverly Hills, California
Picnic at the beach 2017, 55x70 cm mixed media on cardboard
Selected Group Shows 2021 Pinter Gallery, Budapest, Hungary 2018 ART Expo Riga, Latvia 2015 Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, Las Vegas 2013 Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, Las Vegas 2008 OSTROV EXPO, Union of Russian Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia ARTEXPO New York'08, New York 2005-06 TIMMONS Gallery, Rancho Santa Fe, California 2004 Galerie MICHELANGELO in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada 2003 MARSHALL Gallery, Laguna Beach, California 2001 GALERIE MICHELANGELO in Caesars Palace Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada 1999 ARTEXPO NEW YORK'99, New York WENTWORTH Galleries, Miami, Florida 1998 JAN Galleria, La Jolla, California 1997 ART BRILLANT Gallery, Beverly Hills, California 1995-96 COLLECTORS EDITIONS, Inc., Los Angeles, California 1995 ARTEXPO NEW YORK'95, New York 1994 ARTEXPO CAL'94, Las Vegas, Nevada 1991-94 GAIL ROFF Fine Art, Seal Beach, California 1991 SUNSET Galleries, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii FRANKLIN Gallery of Art, Sacramento, California CORNERSTONE Galleries, Beverly Hills, California PRINT MERCHANTS in Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, California 1990 ROSOVSKY Gallery, Laguna Beach, California 1989 UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France FUND OF RUSSIAN CONTEMPORARY ART, Munich and Frankfurt, Germany 1982-87 Major 'Underground Art' Shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia
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