Olga Terri
(1916–2011)
Boulevard. 1950s
Oil, cardboard. Lm 34.4 x 49.4 cm (framed)
Olga Terri was in spiritual opposition throughout the Soviet period and never obeyed official demands regarding art. Her approach to painting was very personal, reflecting Terri's travel experiences or existential tensions. In the 1940s, largely due to the scarcity of materials, but also due to the prevailing atmosphere, she reached almost monochrome works, but in the 1950s she moved in a different direction. We now see much more light-rich landscapes and city views, where a bright light floods over the entire surface of the painting. The colors are vivid, even the background is lit up, and since the light is spread everywhere, the shadows are also gone. It might be too much to associate such omnipotence of light with a special optimism for life, but it is interesting to notice Terri's ability to associate bright tonality and abundance of light with a certain melancholic attitude.