Agin steppe. At the summer camp 1951

Mikhail Olennikov made this scene of a summer camp using oil on some kind of board, probably in the latter half of the 20th century. It has a real lightness to it, but I can see the artist has also worked hard to get the colours and shapes just right. Look at the way the ochres, greens, and greys have been dragged and dabbed across the surface. I can almost feel the sun beating down and the breeze rippling through the long grass. The paint isn’t too thick, but it’s definitely there, doing its job of conjuring a particular place and time. I love how Olennikov has captured a real sense of everyday life out on the steppe. You can see the influence of other painters like the Impressionists here. Artists are always looking at each other’s work, taking ideas, and pushing them in new directions. Painting is like a big conversation that never ends, with each artist adding their own voice and perspective. It’s all about responding, experimenting, and finding your own way of seeing and feeling.