Avers –revers 2010

Andrey Remnev’s Avers-revers offers us a glimpse into a melancholic world with oil on canvas. The painting has a muted palette and detailed brushwork. There's a real intimacy here, and the level of control Remnev has is quite something. Look at the faces. The skin has an almost porcelain quality, and the subtle gradations of tone give the faces a sculptural feel. The single teardrop on one of the faces is so smooth and perfectly formed that it’s almost unreal, a crystallized moment of sadness. Notice the way the harlequin ruffs are painted, each fold and pleat meticulously rendered, creating a tactile sense of depth. I'm reminded of Balthus, especially in the stillness and quiet drama. Both artists share a sense of timelessness, creating dreamlike scenes that invite you to project your own feelings and experiences onto them. It's this ambiguity that keeps us coming back, searching for new meanings in the same old gestures.