Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka 2014

Ilya Isupov made "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka" using what looks like watercolor or gouache, and maybe some ink. The approach is delicate, almost like a medieval miniature, but the content is wildly contemporary. Look at the way the devil figure is drawn with thin, precise lines, and then filled in with washes of color. You can almost see the ghost of the artist's hand in the controlled way the colors bleed into one another. The coins on the tail and the ornate frame, the devil snacking under a crescent moon – the colors feel both muted and intense, creating this otherworldly atmosphere, like a dream you can’t quite shake off. That little pink star in the corner, it’s just a tiny dash of color, but it tips the whole picture into this zone of playful unease. It reminds me a bit of the early work of Peter Doig, this blend of folk narrative and a kind of surrealist sensibility. It's a weird and wonderful piece, isn't it?