I'll Be Back! 2018

Curator: The scale and hyperreal detail give this work an almost photographic quality; it's quite disorienting, actually. The composition is sharply cropped, focusing our attention on two figures in the back of what appears to be a limousine. Editor: Let's contextualize. This compelling oil painting, crafted by Babak-Matveev in 2018, is titled "I'll Be Back!". It immediately struck me with its layered meanings; it’s like a modern take on a vanitas still life, a momento mori placed squarely within a political context. Curator: Absolutely. We see former presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev engaged with a skull—an unmistakable symbol of mortality. Obama holds the skull up, mimicking Hamlet, while Medvedev looks on, seemingly unfazed. There's a theatricality, a performance captured within this private space. Editor: Precisely, this skull speaks volumes. Traditionally, it symbolizes the transience of earthly power and possessions, and a reminder that death comes for everyone. Here, that reminder is underscored by the trappings of power in the limo: a sterile and sleek interior. It questions the enduring legacy of these political figures, no matter their authority. Curator: Notice too, the body language. Obama's open, inquisitive posture versus Medvedev’s detached, almost clinical observation. The stark contrast speaks to different attitudes towards power, responsibility, and even mortality itself. Editor: Furthermore, the title “I’ll Be Back!” complicates the image, introducing a playful, almost sarcastic note. Is it a comment on political comebacks? The cyclical nature of history? Perhaps a warning, disguised as a promise? Curator: It definitely pushes the piece beyond simple portraiture. The artist skillfully uses allegory and history painting to prompt viewers to question political narratives, and individual leaders, from a psychological vantage. This challenges the usual representation of historical figures. Editor: A masterful blend of technical skill and conceptual depth then, sparking debate on legacies and our fleeting moment on the stage of power. The artist creates such an engagement. Curator: It certainly does. And that subtle critique delivered with striking clarity makes this contemporary piece deeply resonant.