[Flora]

Whenever you get acquainted with the new exposition of Nizhny Novgorod artists, always with interest stops at the paintings of Joan Sementsova, attracting the attention of uncharacteristic painters our latitude bright, open color, transforming the objective world of forms, or a mysterious strangers, which features thinly veiled portrait of the author paintings. Themselves raised questions that are willing to find an answer: where did such an active light color palette? why the artist, received a classical art education, even in the ordinary landscape motif does not want to part with the two-dimensional plane of the canvas? What caused such a game with the shape of objects in a variety of still life ..?
    Landscape and still life - the two main thematic predilections Jeanne Sementsova. More rare visit to her canvases - harlequins, carnival masks and the mysterious stranger. Different life experiences cause the treatment to a particular theme, emotional feelings are pushing to create an artistic image attuned to them. Therefore, there are paintings on canvases whole series, reflecting the passions of the mind repeatedly and performance artist's soul.
    Over the past three years painting Jean Sementsova developed a recognizable extraordinary author's handwriting, which you can see the increasing use of techniques characteristic of the visual language of neo-primitivism. Expressiveness of the artistic image and the transfer of subjective emotional experiences of the artist is put at the forefront. This circumstance dictated a departure from the classical postulates of spatial composition and color palette. The correct proportions of the human body, volume, aerial perspective, etc. lose their importance. In their stead come the in-plane solution space, decorative color, naive conventional image.

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work in the genre of landscape has its own history, closely connected with the biography of the author. For Jeanne, whose childhood was in the Caucasus, the nature of the south was the starting point for creative comprehension beauty of the world. Bright colors, transparent shadows, powerful, devoid of nuance, and all his subordinates sunlight formed the basis of a landscape image of the southern latitudes. Abandoned edge for a long time did not let the artist remaining in the palette of her work the embodiment of eternal holiday blooms. It is no accident, and now Jeanne eagerly wrote kinds of Crimean towns, the beauty of the sea. In a series of papers in 2006 on Bakhchisaraj composite vertical minarets, use a sharp color tone and a dangerous neighborhood open blue, pink and green do not just create an image of the southern city, and allow the viewer to feel his hot air, the bright midday sun, lazy over time deserted morning streets ("Morning Bakhchisarai", "Enamel Bakhchisarai", "Morning Bakhchisaraysky palace", all 2006)..
    Creative interpretation of the northern nature of Russia did not happen immediately. Only a few years of observing the hidden beauty of the expanses of Russian artist fascinated by subtle nuances of color, smooth rhythm lines, rich deep light. In 2007-2008, were written cityscapes Nizhny Novgorod monastery cloisters, blooming spring gardens and parks of nooks. In the landscape motifs, along with the plastic problem can be read clearly the concept of emotional images transmitted by a wide range of shades. Initially, the artist comes from nature, drawing on the reality of the motives and objects of the visible world. But this relationship with the surrounding reality for it is tantamount to the internal feelings and experiences of this reality. Silence, peace, peace are the essence of such works as J. Sementsova "Quiet Day", 2007. "Seasonable," 2008. "Quiet evening", 2008. Her landscapes are almost always empty. Man in them is present invisibly, just in the mood, which is transmitted to the viewer. Author's style in such landscapes, gaining new features. Conventionality and deliberately simplified representation of creating a good clear image from childhood; planar solution space, with no apparent cut-off modelirovok and, consequently, the volume of kin paintings of Joan Sementsova with examples of folk art, musical lines and live pasty mass of colorful nostalgic for a bygone leisurely and joyful city life. Such a wealth of spectator associations and sentiments, of course, is the result of deep emotional experiences of subjects by the author and the result of successful implementation of her paintings. The color is a decision by the artist landscape motifs, often unusual and unexpected. Active backgrounds do not allow to forget about the two-dimensionality of the canvas. Manner of handling a mass of colorful, gives different densities within a single track, sometimes, and the outlines of a subject, becomes acting face painting. The choice of color often on the verge of dissonance, but surprisingly given the author in harmony. This sort of contrast with the bright light, eliminating shadows and generates a feeling of constant half-day, when shadows disappear, leaving only footprints, a hint of its presence.
    Kind of message of inspiration J. Sementsova gets acquainted with the nature of other countries. In the series of landscapes depicting the distant cities and coasts arises a unique image with its own specific space and color harmony. So, in a series of works in Prague broken melodious lines of medieval houses, cheerful rhythm of tiled roofs and the blue sky affable pass chamber cozy old streets ("Prague corner", 2007).
    Every artist has their own historical - artistic affection, loved the era and styles in art development. For the recognition of Joan, for her most important source of creative inspiration is old Russian painting and decorative arts. Working in the historical and architectural museum, she has a great opportunity to keep in the hands of history. Tactile, physical contact with the original - witness past life given the chance to experience the beauty of forms, ornaments, feel the warmth of texture objects. Attention and love of antiques could not be reflected in the work of J. Sementsova. Her still-life - not just a dead nature before the eyes of the fixing the reality of the author. Rather, it is attractive shape the perception and experience are important for the artist and the canvas they are open and full of movement, with the rehash of lines and shapes. Still lifes are almost always full of things, this is especially characteristic of works from the eastern theme: "Taste of Turkish Delight," "Coffee in the east, both of 2006. The abundance of beautiful dishes, oriental sweets, fruits, flowers - a kind of fairy tale luxury East. Bright, exotic flavor reveals a resounding polyphony of the objective world. Rhythm arrangement of things so chaotic at first glance. In fact, he has always strongly built, and repeats the shape of the plane of the table, thereby balancing the intense color chord work. Nostrum Jeanne Sementsova - inclusion in the composition of still life piece interior certainly contains ornamental motifs. Regardless of whether he is introduced as a background or environment of the object, its main objective to strengthen the plane, not to dissolve the world of objects of still life in the illusory three-dimensional space, barely meeting the canvas ("Still Life with Pears" 2002. "Old Chest, 2006)..
    Many still lifes to enhance the emotional component of the image the author transforms the shape, making way to revive a dead nature, whether it's a chair, stool or a porcelain vase. Of even greater significance of such plastic language gets in the figurative composition J. Sementsova. Going from an image sequence to an expression, the artist decides is not so fine as emotional - psychological problems. Elongated necks and faces of characters, the generalized representation of the eyes, mouth, ears - a kind of plastic language of grief, a way to denote the fact that the hero's stay in the surreal world, whether it's a masquerade or a fragile dream. Particularly close to Joan of female characters are almost always vested portrait features the author. Woman as the center of a perfect spiritual world appears in the "Conversation", where it is easy to read compositional and figurative parallels to the famous Rublev's "Trinity".
    Permanent author's search for harmony of form, line, color is an artist by resorting to different genres and subjects. Another precondition for creativity, according to Joan, the emotional experience of the seen and the opportunity to recreate it in yourself while you work. Without it, the picture is born.
    Currently works of the painter enters into maturity. We wish the artist to success in this is not an easy path, and its fans new bright meetings with artistic images of Joan Sementsova.

Natalia Sokolova, art,
Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum