Arshile Gorky 2015

Curator: Welcome. Before us is Andrey Allakhverdov's piece "Arshile Gorky", created in 2015. It appears to be an oil painting, perhaps with some acrylic on canvas as well, depicting three figures in what seems to be a studio setting. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the raw honesty and almost naive approach. The colours feel very muted, and each character seems to be burdened by an indescribable grief. The perspective feels slightly off-kilter too. Curator: It is interesting to observe Allakhverdov engaging in modernism, and arguably a portrait in the traditional sense while still evoking a style we might categorize as figuration, but pushing it towards something more raw and contemporary. How do you read this choice? Editor: By using modernism in such a recent portrait, Allakhverdov forces us to confront historical styles, the construction of the "artist persona," and our expectations around representation. There's a tension between tradition and innovation here. I see three individuals but wonder who they really are. What do they signify? Is this meant to make the artist, Allakhverdov or perhaps Gorky, approachable, even though they still look distant? Curator: Indeed. By framing these figures as a possible nod to Gorky, in a context so self-consciously "artistic", Allakhverdov also addresses the role of artists themselves, placing their individual experiences in relation to this greater artistic landscape, even engaging in historical dialogue with modernist conventions and predecessors. Editor: I can't help but notice the prominent bottle and glass of wine. I wonder about ideas around the ‘tortured artist’, alcohol, class, gender. Where does the symbolism of wine intersect with our perception, making these faces perhaps more familiar than they otherwise would be? What stereotypes are subtly reinforced? Curator: The inclusion of alcohol could be Allakhverdov prompting the viewer to really engage with these pre-conceived stereotypes that are connected with ‘the art world’. How does the introduction of Gorky impact on the cultural production within 21st Century art, particularly Russian art of this period? Editor: Perhaps it reflects anxieties around art and identity within an historical artistic trajectory. "Arshile Gorky", seems to speak not only of those anxieties but the beauty inherent within a group and an identity. It presents, too, what these all entail across time. Curator: Indeed, the act of revisiting and reframing historical styles opens an insightful perspective. Editor: It's been truly illuminating.