Alupka City 2007

Curator: Arsen Savadov’s "Alupka City," an oil painting from 2007, presents an immediately arresting, somewhat unsettling vision. My first impression is dominated by the unsettling composition. It’s a bizarre juxtaposition. Editor: The initial shock gives way to symbolic interpretation. What do you make of the oversized pencil seemingly piercing the mouths of these figures, and the vinyl records floating in the sky? Curator: From a purely formal standpoint, the rendering of the figures’ flesh is quite masterful. Savadov employs a rather loose, almost gestural application of paint that nonetheless manages to convey a sense of volume and weight, particularly in the cheekbones and jawlines. Note how the vibrant colored "tears," contrast sharply with the otherwise muted palette. Editor: Those tears evoke so many ideas—perhaps the shedding of one’s identity or creativity. The pencil’s piercing evokes suppression of voice, and, paired with those record symbols hovering like kites, hints at artistic oppression, censorship. Curator: It’s undeniably surreal in its juxtaposition of disparate elements. We could engage with its compositional structure and consider the weighting and balancing in the spatial organization. Note, for instance, the pencil acts almost as a fulcrum dividing the plane, while the face in the upper part functions as its compositional ‘keystone’. The way the figures and pencil take up nearly the entire field flattens the depth and draws the viewers' eyes to every shape. Editor: The details seem pregnant with possibilities. Is the string of pearls a traditional signifier of wealth, here perhaps indicating co-option of voice? The overall effect is powerfully, almost painfully evocative of strangled creative expression. Curator: Perhaps it’s worth considering the effect the medium, oil on canvas, contributes. Savadov has taken full advantage of oils, and it creates a visual depth, in a way that underscores the themes of repression, almost weighing the image down. Editor: It seems undeniable this dream-like landscape uses the power of archetypes. From the figures’ passive eyes and open mouths to the weapon-like pencil and dangling records, we begin to unlock themes about power, creativity, and a certain melancholic beauty. Curator: Ultimately, this artwork leaves us to consider the intersection of the technical mastery, representational strategy, and surreal juxtaposition. A challenging work to walk away from. Editor: Yes, the image haunts, lingering beyond mere formal construction to ask urgent questions about our voices.