Exhibition > Past > Haus Gallery

Haus Gallery 08.10.2002-28.10.2002

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REFLECTIONS

In case of Anatoli Strahhov is often mentioned the depiction of harmonious dream worlds that constantly searches in the manner of romantics timeless beauty, not dependant on the human culture.

Anatoli Strahhov (born in 1946) was born in the Ukraine and in 1967 graduated from the Zhinvali Art School in Georgia, South-Ossetia. Wanting to gain more freedom  for creation and better information of the changes in the Western art, Strahhov came to Estonia in the 1970ies and in 1971 took up studies in  the Estonian State Art Institute. At around the same period learned or worked in the same school also other Russian-origin artists as Nikolai Kormashov, Slava Semerikov, Vladislav Stanishevski, Valeri Lauri, who have now integrated into the Estonian artistic landscape and also have found here recognition. In the year 1973 moved to Tallinn internationally known Volodimir Makarenko, who is currently residing in Paris. Art specialist Mai Levin can see first of all the influence of  Volodimir Makarenko, whose example helped in the 1970ies to so-called determine themselves several Russian and Russian-speaking artists. Since mid-1970ies Strahhov started to participate in the local group exhibitions, becoming quickly famous thanks to his original and easily recognisable \"Strahhov-style\" handwriting.

 

Similarily to several already mentioned Russian artists, having studied in the ESAI, also Strahhov has received considerable influence from Paris. French elegance and suppleness of form are reflected in the works of the body of friends quite differently from those having studied in Pallas. Here we can find escapist retreat from everyday life and emphasizing of aesthetic-poetic values, as Mai Levin has marked it. Often are connected erotics and religious thematics, which gets a romantic-mythological shade in the subtle surface and colour handling of the painting. Both Strahhov and the whole group is characterized by a Baroque-style exuberant handwriting, possessing the Slavonic sense of images that gives the pictures a highly poetical and metaphorical general impression. Painters\' examples lie in addition to the French art also in the iconography of Byelorussia and pre-Reneissance painting that can first of all be seen in the endeavour to depict holyness through painting style, which aspires to reach unearthly traits.

 

In case of Anatoli Strahhov is often mentioned the depiction of harmonious dream worlds that constantly searches in the manner of romantics timeless beauty, not dependant on the human culture. The artist continues the research of his favourite topics in paintings, having been painted mainly in this year: mythological and timeless essence of things and people. On his pictures female nudes are symbols that carry a message of the existence of charming beauty, charged with religion. Still, Strahhov does not try to get directly into the heart of mysticism and poetry - instead he reflects. In the nudes the figures often glow through each other or twine with each other in a dream-like mood. Also the landscapes do not depict concrete places, but are concentrated on depicting of ideal landscapes of fantastic texture. The delightful mood of Strahhov\'s works seems at the first glance to be restrained, but instead carries in itself a powerful message. While being emotional in a Slavonic manner, Strahhov constantly seems to be aspiring towards unreachable eternal harmony. With the exhibition Reflections he gets quite close to it.

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