Shemyakin close to Russia

[Тютчев]

Shemyakin closer to Russia

Yuri Kovalenko (Paris)

In the Norman castle, Vasco, not far from Rouen, opened a retrospective exhibition of the artist Mikhail Shemyakin. The exhibition features paintings, including six meters huge canvases, sculptures, paintings, porcelain, made the drawings of the master. After the vernissage artist gave an exclusive interview to the Paris correspondent of "Izvestia".

News: Three years ago you moved from America to France and settled in his own castle Chamousset. Since then, the Old World in all its senses has come close to you New?

Mikhail Shemyakin: I still love America, but moved to France, not for the sake of Europe, but in order to be closer to Russia. For me Europe is a large museum with an endangered people. It's very nice - no matter where you go around the historical monuments, and the French - beautiful museum workers, who include them in a perfect cleanliness and order. Unfortunately, the creative potential in France has long sought is not necessary.

and: Where's he gone?

Shemyakin: What do you want? All great civilizations pass through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and then comes their quiet extinction. The last hundred years the most interesting in the arts in France made by foreigners. This is Paris and interesting.

and: Where in the world now have such a creative potential?

Shemyakin: Colossal - of course, in Russia. But he, unfortunately, is not moving in that direction. Were started hunting for the purses of the new Russian and crooks worldwide who sell all kinds of shit, try to correct them quickly zombie part of the Russians. Now for the marketing of writing naked behinds and polupornuhu. The worst thing is that as a result of the artists may lose their professionalism, but it would be a great tragedy for Russia.

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and: So, do not fail talented Russian land?

Shemyakin: No, of course. There is a brilliant artist Gennady Reischach, who lives in the Khanty-Mansiysk, and has his own museum. There is a great Siberian school, but she has no choice. Any leaders make these artists that they will not take in the future.

and: Do you still anxious attitude to their historic homeland?

Shemyakin: How can it be otherwise? Home did not choose. She served.

and: What would you put a monument to a Russian?

Shemyakin: The Russian soul is so multifaceted, so scary and frightening in its mystery, that one piece I would have never treated. It would be a very complex composition.

and: has recently opened in Vladikavkaz thy monument terror. I understand that you gave it to North Ossetia?

Shemyakin: I give my work, but the state pays for the production of bronze - I myself can not afford it. The monument was opened Alexander Khloponin (RF Presidential Plenipotentiary in the North Caucasus federal district. - "The News"). But most of all I touched the arrival of mothers from Beslan, who wept at the opening of the monument and brought flowers. I consider myself a Caucasian man (the artist's father came from Kabardian princes. - "The News"). Caucasus - my pain and love.

and: Part of the exhibition in the castle Vaske dedicated ballet - sculptures to "The Nutcracker" and sketches to various productions. What attracts you so Terpsichore?

Shemyakin: so that the ballet laid tremendous opportunities for the expression of plastic images. For me the basis of everything - this figure, which waved the modern art world. It is in the ballet I realize some creative ideas - creating a shape, mask or drawing movement for the choreographer. That is, in fact I'm doing performances of his works, which come to life, dance, leap and become a whole act. We like Oleg Kulik - only he himself, portraying a dog, jumping naked, but I make jump actors in tights.

and: Your last theatrical premiere - the ballet "Coppelia."

Shemyakin: He goes to the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Lithuania and is confined to his anniversary. "Coppelia" showed 70 years ago at the opening of the theater. Now we have created a completely new version of the ballet. Starting from the libretto and ending with masks and buttons on clothes, it's all my work with several masters of the Mariinsky. A choreographer of ballet - Kirill Simonov, with whom we have set "The Nutcracker" in St. Petersburg.

and: When finally released in Russia in two volumes dedicated to your creativity?

Shemyakin: On September'm going to Moscow International Book Fair. There will be a presentation of two volumes. It publishes the "ABC". This is the story of my creativity from the end of 1950 to the present day: painting, portraits, theater, book graphics, drawings Zen.

and: As far as I know, your first job - a brand of galoshes for the "Red Triangle"?

Shemyakin: Before I was entrusted such an important task, I long to learn to draw. Yes, and fiddled with the stigma. Maybe someone has not endured these galoshes, not suspecting that offered them a hand servant of God, Michael.

and: When you show their new work in Russia?

Shemyakin: The Russian Museum is preparing an exhibition "Sidewalks of Paris - my photographs, traced and prescribed in watercolor and gouache. This is my new hypostasis, which I called "photographica." I have created a whole series - garbage, spider webs, leaves hanging and trampled leaves, bird droppings, dog urine, which, spreading, forming fantastic shapes. I follow the covenant of Leonardo da Vinci, who said to his disciples about the following: "More peer at spots on the old walls. You'll find fantastic images.

and: Recently, in Paris held a major auction of Russian art, which exhibited mostly Sixties nonconformist. The prices were moderate, but failure was spectacular. Except for your paintings and works Steinberg 90 percent of work there was no public.

Shemyakin: When I saw inflate prices, competing at Sotheby's and Christie's, a handful of very wealthy Russian, I was just very disturbing. Prices should rise gradually. For those untwisted in the West and expensive artists as Jeff Koons, are a lot of money and powerful office. For the same Russian artists should not be one - except that a few collectors. And when the crisis erupted, they naturally stopped buying our modern painting, which, and the Western world by and large does not get. It is from his point of view, until tested. That ran for a game of Russian artists in the crazy prices.

and: Has the masters of our new creative heights after their freedom?

Shemyakin: "Yesterday I was given his freedom. What do I do with it going?" - Ask questions Vysotsky. I think that not only artists, but all post-Soviet society - except for a few cheats - is in some kind of confusion. Let us recall the difficult 1960, becoming nonconformism. Then each artist had its own unique face. Recall Oleg Tselkov with his face, Oscar Rabin, with dark still-life and their political overtones, Boris Sveshnikov with camp work and morbid fantasies. There were not many, but today artists - black berries. Many are looking for scandal, but serious almost nothing done. A new breed of artists who perform under the banner of "anything the market?". Come back tomorrow, the communist system, they might as well start writing lively farmers and Stakhanovites.

and: How often do art becomes a protest?

Shemyakin: The appeal may be different. When Cezanne wrote to his apples, they infuriated some of the more than political cartoons. But the group "Blue Noses" drew Brezhnev in his underpants - they are so fun today, knowing that their ass is not even spank. I also gnoili in the nuthouse and expelled from the country for his illustrations for Hofmann, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, a criminal desire to see the world through their eyes.

and: autumn Louvre organizes exhibitions of contemporary Russian artists.

Shemyakin: I am - as Oleg Tselkov and Oscar Rabin - was not in the exhibition "Russia!" New York's Guggenheim Museum. It would not be me and the Louvre.

and: fell victim to intrigues?

Shemyakin: If you had me fighting the Union of Artists, in which, at least, worked serious professionals, now stands against me, some kind of game, which is much worse. As a result, I became an absolute outsider, who does not tusuetsya in fashionable salons. Outsider - it always sounds proud. Art do such rogue states as Van Gogh or Cezanne. They worked for eternity.

and: Why you no longer exhibited in galleries?

Shemyakin: With them I do not work for a quarter century. Galleries are always under pressure. If in Soviet times was the dictate of social realism, today dictates conceptualism, installation. Many gallery owners as a result of refusing to deal with the pictures. But I prefer to be independent, to work with the theater or perform sculptural orders.

and: Nevertheless, the market is flooded thy fakes. Do you fight with them?

Shemyakin: Fakes come from Russia, and deal with them is useless. I even turned to the Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika. I know someone who has bought an entire exhibition of my false papers. But he, laughing, recently told my friend: "In Russia I were not in danger!" When I won the case in a French gallery, the forgery had been destroyed in the presence of police and TV cameras. In Russia it is still impossible. Nobody is able to protect their copyrights. Many people are wearing bribery and theft.

and: One of your eternal themes - the image of death. Perhaps, for this you and a collection of skulls. "For the sage as a companion, he is the head live" - believed Pushkin.

Shemyakin: During the study, we studied the anatomy on cadavers, which were brought from the Medical Institute. And they were all hunters and skulls - everyone wanted to have your own to learn to depict a human head. I began to collect skulls in France, and in my collection of about twenty - and the people and animals. They are a symbol not only transitory, but eternal life.

and: Do you have a whole collection of medals and decorations, which you generously rewarded in different countries.

Shemyakin: I respectfully indifferent to the orders and only wear Cossack icon in honor of my grandfather's execution. I put on the occasional receptions Order of Chevalier of Arts and Letters, which I was awarded France.

and: Your old estate in Klaverake, not far from New York, where you have lived for many years, not more overgrown with weeds?

Shemyakin: No, I live there are people who care for it. I have a dream, sooner or later there to create a grand center of Russian art and its expansion in the United States. As long as I breathe - I hope. Another such center, I created a castle Chamousset, where I otzanimalis first graduate of the Khanty-Mansiysk.

and: In contrast to many of your fellow guild you're the last two decades living sober. Kept watch over your health?

Shemyakin: One day after a heavy hangover, I went to his workshop and could not understand. I was horrified to discover, as I am far from sober Shemyakin. And I said to myself: "Enough!" Point! " Since I do not drink.

and: However, in Russia firmly believes that talent does not drink.

Shemyakin: Even as propesh! And not only talent, but also the conscience and reason ...


http://www.izvestia.ru/person/article3144497/