Geneology 2009

Editor: Here we have Andrey Remnev's "Geneology" from 2009. It's a painting of two figures. I'm really drawn to the texture and the way their dresses fall; they seem to exist within a timeless space, although they're probably painted using modern mediums and ideas. How do you see the composition working in this piece? Curator: Observe how the artist has utilized a muted palette, confining the visual experience primarily to earth tones which brings focus to the symbolic construction, wouldn't you agree? The visual rhyme, of course, extends through a series of curvilinear forms, the leaves. Editor: The repeated leaf shapes are striking! What do they signify, especially as they differ from the darker green to the more golden form? Is the contrast essential to grasping a formal significance? Curator: Quite astute, this visual divergence underscores the theme implied by the artwork's title. Genealogy as branching connections of difference; the lighter form being gilded implying both inherent and constructed worth. The use of verticality in this manner enhances the impression of ascending origin. How does the layering effect the feeling of this painting for you? Editor: The darker background seems to be pushing the subjects forward, emphasizing their shapes. Curator: Precisely. That compositional decision adds to the symbolism inherent in the painting, and the shapes which remind of Pre-Raphaelite figurative artwork. The interplay between figure and ground adds another layer to its visual and semantic impact. Editor: It’s amazing how a few color and line choices can give such a feeling of timelessness, something modern, yet so figurative at its core. I’m struck by the elegant composition after our talk. Curator: Yes, that’s what I love most; even in the apparent simplicity of the thematic presence, there’s an extraordinary, carefully constructed reality created out of lines, colours, and forms.