Ivan Slavinsky was born in 1968 in Leningrad. As a professional artist he has been working for about twenty years. He began to draw in childhood, he received further skills as an artist at an art school at the Academy of Arts. The talent of the artist, presumably, was adopted from his father Dmitry Obozenko, who was a well-known battle painter in Leningrad.
In 1990, the first exhibition of works by Ivan Slavinsky was held in St. Petersburg in the art gallery "Association of Free Artists". Both viewers and critics recognized the unique talent in the artist, after which he immediately became famous in the city on the Neva. Since then, he has been invited to various galleries in Moscow and abroad.
Then Ivan worked abroad, lived in Paris for seven years. His canvases have become a permanent decoration of private collections in Italy, France, Holland. In France, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Holland he is considered one of the best Russian artists.
The starting price for paintings by Ivan Slavinsky is $20,000. In his works, many notice at the same time something from Vrubel, Degas and Petrov-Vodkin. For such a powerful "mixture" many are willing to pay a lot of money. Some critics speculate about him, whether it is decent to call an artist a genius while alive.
Ivan himself tells about his artistic history… He did not start in the Association of Free Artists, but on the so-called panel. It was at Katya's garden. The artists themselves sold their work. From early morning they came, like on a fishing trip, to take a “fish” place, hang pictures. And soon it went dry that everyone would be expelled if they did not become a member of the Association of Free Artists. Nobody then knew what it was. But Ivan decided to enter into a partnership so as not to run from the policemen ...
With regard to art studies ... He did not succeed with the Academy. However, at that time his father, a Leningrad battle painter, taught there. And Ivan learned a lot from him. This was facilitated by large orders of military paintings. The father was always critical of his son's work. Almost never praised. But later he began to trust to finish something on his works. At that very moment, Ivan realized that he himself could write something.
Ivan wrote in his father's workshop. He kind of taught him. Will fix it. He asks if his son understands. He nods. And at that moment, the father erases everything: “Write!”
Ivan Slavinsky came to France in 1993. Went only to look for four days. But these days were not enough. It was then the New Year. Walked hard. For the first couple of days, Ivan lay in bed, thinking with horror that I would not have time to see anything. Then everyone got ready to go back. And Ivan met his future friend, a Russian guide, who told him: “Why do you need to walk around Paris with a headache? Let's change the tickets." And he stayed in Paris with an expired visa.
A new friend showed all those places that, from his point of view, had to be seen. And in the end, he invited me to live with him, so as not to overpay for the hotel. He was filming a tiny 2x2 cage with his girlfriend. But the view was on the Eiffel Tower. There was a tiny window there. But looking at it, you immediately realized that you were in Paris.
Ivan was in Paris with his first wife. The four of us were very crowded in that room. The exit was found at a nearby construction site. They made bunks there. As a result, there are many memories.
Soon Ivan bought paints, sat down in a corner and began to write something. Then I found a gallery where a Russian girl was engaged in the sale of paintings napped in Russia. It turned out that the girl knows his last name, saw his work in the gallery on Nevsky. And Ivan wrote her a small collection. Money was made from the first auction. By that time, the initial money had dried up. A couple ate different canned food ..
Ivan tried to write in different directions. But, as it turned out, the French are very difficult to understand. If the artist wrote in a different manner, then this, and their representation, should be at least stretched out in time. As a result, the pseudonym Marina Ivanova was born. That was the name of his first wife. But the gallery did not want to take the work of the mythical author. Ivan said - here's the author, pointing to his wife. These were works of a new direction, and, at some stage, the paintings of Marina Ivanova slightly overshadowed the works of Ivan Slavinsky. Ivan even envied himself. He said: “Masha, look how famous you have become!” Acidly familiar artists gave Ivan the nickname Plum, thus uniting the names of Slavinsky and Ivanova.
For a year and a half of living in France, no one asked Ivan for a visa. He even managed to buy a car and register it without having any documents.
He attributes his success in this to his ability to speak. He was mistaken for a Parisian. Plus, the French are very naive. If Ivan was asked for documents, he said that the visa had already expired, and the documents were being processed now. So I lived for some time with an expired four-day tourist visa.
But a little later they declassified it at the customs point. A day in the French bullpen. As a result, I had to return to Russia. But I already had an invitation to France in my pocket. Further, everything was formalized as expected through the consulate.
A number of works by Ivan Slavinsky were bought for Bill Gates. Maybe. Not for Bill himself, but they definitely have them in their Swiss office ... Also, the famous Formula 1 driver Schumacher has his work.
Ivan does not make copies from his paintings. I think we should always move forward. He does not understand the artists who hung the walls of the house with their paintings. Ivan had several of his paintings, which he considered brilliant, but he sold them. He only left them in his mind as pictures, to the level of which one must strive. And then, a year later, when he saw them, he thought that they were somehow weak. And if it hung in front of my eyes, it would slow down a lot ..
Ivan does not like to give pictures. Not because it's a pity. He just doesn't like to adapt to the viewer. But if you give, then it is necessary that the person experiences positive emotions, that is, write under him ...
When asked what else he could earn in life, Ivan replied that he would fix cars, play tennis for children.
And he could fix cars. It's easy. Well, and also, probably, to teach children to play tennis.
When asked how Ivan is looking for models for paintings, he replied that he initially had an image in his mind, and he needed just such a girl for a portrait. It is impossible to invite them on the street, because they are afraid. As a result, they hire professionals. Selects from photographs. But in the end it's all plastic. There are beautiful, but not plastic, not convincing. Some sit down right away so that the picture is ready, while others have to spend hours looking for successful plastic poses. And it is important that a person is not insecure. Artists have always painted nudes. And I don’t want to spend an hour persuading the model to undress ...
For a long time I thought about who to tell next. But after a recent trip to St. Petersburg, the choice became obvious. I will be very happy if I show this artist for the first time for someone. It's amazing how beautiful, large-scale and talented he is, but so little is said about him in Russia. I have known him for a long time, a few years ago I even went to Vasilyevsky Island to see his personal gallery in person. And I don’t remember how I heard the name of Ivan Slavinsky for the first time ... But it was love at first sight.
Although something is remembered ... It seems that it was a television interview.
He is young, handsome, mysterious. There is so little to find on the Internet about him, to read. There are not even sensible reproductions of paintings, they are all of dubious quality. However, I found an interview for Cosmo, where he is called the most expensive artist in Russia. Here it is, the dream come true of any artist, to sell his paintings for millions of rubles, to give interviews to glamorous magazines. But that's certainly not the goal :)
Now he is 44 years old, he lives and works in St. Petersburg. Lived in France for ten years. Probably, because of this, there is so much impressionism in it, Paris, strange images, beautiful women shrouded in a halo of love ... Being St. Petersburg and European at the same time, he creates his own style of painting, which art historians call "Fantastic Realism". Although, it will seem to many, it could not have done without surrealism and postmodernism.
It seems that such paintings, complex in detail and elaboration, are written for a long time and sadly, however, something tells me that he writes them very easily. Putting amazing energy, talent, love, power of feeling into your painting, because when you look at the paintings live, they literally knock you down. Scope, purity of color, brightness of images.
Ivan Slavinsky clearly wants to amaze and save the world with beauty and perfection. And in my opinion, he, like no one else, succeeds ...
"Master of Time"
"The eternal river of time gives and takes life, plays in the flows of energy, rolls along the bends of matter, splitting atoms and throwing up worlds in the void. From a thin stream of the beginning, not pressed down by a stone at birth, having gained strength, this stream unceasingly takes the past into the future or vice versa .. And to us, rushing past distant shores, sometimes it seems that we see the one who carries the stone to the source."
CITY
STILL LIFES
FANTASTIC LANDSCAPES
PORTRAITS
Interview from Cosmo
IVAN SLAVINSKY. Window to Paris
The most expensive artist in Russia does not comply with the visa regime, does not like to give paintings and is not going to persuade the girl to undress
The starting price for paintings by Ivan Slavinsky is $20,000. In his paintings, at the same time, there is something from Vrubel, and from Degas, and from Petrov-Vodkin. The strong school of realism plus the unclipped wings of the imagination make fantasies real. And connoisseurs of art are ready to pay any amount for this effect. Critics, on the other hand, are puzzling over whether it is decent to call an artist a genius during his lifetime.
COSMO Did you exhibit for the first time in St. Petersburg in 1991?
IVAN Yes. It was the Association of Free Artists on Nevsky, 20. But in general, I started, like many artists then, on the panel.
C And where was your panel?
And at Katya's garden. It all began with the fact that the artists themselves were selling. At six in the morning, as for good fishing, a cool place to score, hang yourself. And then there was a rumor that everyone would be expelled if they did not become a member of the Association of Free Artists. Nobody even knew what it was. But I thought that if I'm selling paintings on the street, and the police will start chasing me, then it's probably better to join this partnership.
C Where did you study? In Academy?
And the Academy failed. But, in spite of everything, I went to my father. He taught at the Academy - Dmitry Oboznenko, a very famous battle painter. In principle, I studied with him all my life. At a time when he still had orders for large military paintings. He was always critical of what I did, almost never praised. But when he began to ask me to add something to his paintings, I realized that this means that I can already do something myself.
C It turns out, as in the old days, the master has an apprentice, and no academy is needed.
And that's how my father taught me? I painted my works in his studio. And he looks, understands that I am still studying, he will come up: “This is how it should be.” And shows. "Well, that's it, - I think, - the five are provided to me." He understood?" - "Understood". He will wipe everything with a rag: “Write!” And you start to remember how he did it. I think he trained me that way.
C And why is your surname not your father's?
And oh, complicated story. My mother is generally Patrabolova. The fact is that her first husband, Slavinsky, emigrated to England long ago. And he emigrated so hastily that he and his mother did not have time to divorce. In those days, it was necessary to pay some kind of insane state duty for divorce. And when I was born, he remained in her passport. And my father and mother were never officially married. Apparently, there was still no great love between them, and they never lived together. He, as a creative nature, was an enthusiastic person. But my father always helped. He wasted his time and money on me.
C How did you get to France?
And It was the 93rd year. Basically, I went there just to look for four days. But those days were clearly not enough. It was New Year's. They walked hard. The first two days I lay there, thinking with horror that I did not have time to see anything. Then everyone pulled back. And I met my future friend, the guide, who said: "What are you going to run around Paris with a headache, let's change tickets."
C I understand that you stayed there much longer? Didn't you have to come back and get a new visa?
And I had to, of course. But we, fools, the law is not written. The visa ran out, and God bless her. Another week went by very quickly. Our friend showed us places that, from his point of view, we should have seen: discos, clubs, bars, various friends. Time has passed in some parties. And then he said: “Why do you need to live in a hotel and pay a hundred euros every day. Let's move in with me."
C Was he French or Russian?
And Russian, of course! His father worked at the representative office of Aeroflot. And he was a guide and for his money he rented a cell with a girlfriend - she probably wasn’t even two by two. Two by one and a half. Facilities in the hallway. Attic. But the view is strictly on the Eiffel Tower,
14th district. Romance was all right. There was a window there, through which the cat could barely get through. But it was immediately clear that you were in Paris. I was my first with my wife, and he was with a girlfriend. What to do? It had to be placed somehow. There was a construction site nearby. We went there, made bunk beds. Well, he gave us a place of honor downstairs, and he and his girlfriend upstairs. We had a lot of stories there, of course. For the rest of my life I remember how I sleep, and in the middle of the night my wife pushes me in the side, points up and whispers: “Listen, they will fall now! Do something". Well, there is no need to interfere. I had to get up and hold the bunks with my back. Play the role of Atlanta.
C And how did you start working?
And very soon I went, bought paints, crouched in a corner and began to write something. And I found a gallery in which a Russian girl was selling paintings that were painted in Russia. It turned out that she knows my last name, she saw it in the gallery on Nevsky. And I made her a small collection. And from the very first auction some money earned. And I must say, by this time I was already completely financially exhausted in Paris. We already ate some canned food, almost like cat food. I tried to work in different directions. But it turned out that the French are very difficult to understand. If the artist works in a different manner, then it should be at least spaced apart in time. First you have a pink stage, then a blue one. And at the same time you can not have all the stages at once. What should I do? So the pseudonym Marina Ivanova was born. That was my first wife's name. The gallery could not take the paintings of the mythical author. Well, I said - here's the author, if anything. These were paintings of a new direction, and, I think, at a certain stage, the paintings of Marina Ivanova overshadowed the paintings of Ivan Slavinsky. I even envied myself. He said: “Masha, look how famous you are!” And familiar artists, caustic, gave me the nickname Plum - Slavinsky-Ivanova.
C Did you live there without a visa?
And in principle, no one asked me for a visa for a year and a half. I even managed to buy a car and register it without having any documents on hand.
C I have no idea how you did it. Probably solely on personal charm.
And I'm in something, maybe a capable person. There is no voice and hearing, but language mimicry is good. And for the first five minutes, when I started talking, they took me for a Parisian. Then, of course, there were blunders. But for all their bureaucracy, the French are very naive. If they asked me for documents, I said that the visa had expired and the documents were being processed now. It never occurred to them that a person could own a car, get and pay bills, live like a Frenchman, and still get by on an expired four-day tourist visa.
C How were you declassified?
And the next year we decided to drive a car to the south. From Paris we drove to Biarritz. Since Europe is a single economic zone, there are no borders there. But there are mobile customs points. And when we passed the turnstiles, I didn’t even see the customs officers, but there was some kind of leapfrog with traffic lights. In general, I drove somewhere not there. And they thought that we saw them and tried to hide. Well, they demanded documents. They were taken to sort it out in a village near Bordeaux. There are computers. Well, it's normal - the whole day with his wife in the French bullpen!
C And how did it end?
And we had to go back. But I already had an invitation back in my pocket. And here in St. Petersburg, I went to the consulate and arranged everything.
C They say Schumacher has your paintings. Who else is a famous person?
And A number of works were bought for Bill Gates. Well, maybe not Bill Gates himself has them, but they have them in their Swiss office - this is a scientific fact. In general, gallery owners never say who they sold your work to. Therefore, you can know about your customers in a very abstract way.
C Have you ever made replicas of your paintings?
And I don't make copies. If someone needs a copy of my painting, let him turn to another artist. I believe that one should always move
forward. Therefore, I do not understand artists who have all the walls of their houses hung with their paintings. The work is good - I understand, it's a pity for a person. But it seems to me that this is still not entirely correct. I had several works that I considered, without false modesty, well, brilliant! Then I sold them, but in my head they were put aside as works, to the level of which I need to strive. And then somehow it turned out that in a year or two I saw them. And I thought: “Somehow, all this is weak ...” And if she hung in front of my eyes, I would be calm - no, it slows down very much.
C Have you ever had to give pictures as gifts?
And Yes. But I don't really like doing it. Not because they can be sold, not why! When you write a work, you do what you like. And when you give a gift, you want to please the person. So that not your cockroaches run away from the picture to him, but so that he looks at it and experiences positive emotions. And you are trying to understand this person, to adapt to him. And the picture is a little bit not yours.
C What else could you do to earn a living?
And he could fix cars. It's easy. Well, and also, probably, to teach children to play tennis.
C They say that in order to get into your model, you need to go through a tough casting. This is true?
And (Laughs.) I don't have a strict selection, like fashion designers. I just - and this applies not only to women - it is unpleasant to write ugly things. I know that there is such a trend. The whole West is sick of this nonsense - people write what should cause disgust. Shocking the public is okay. And you try to write beautiful, for real. Try not to spoil the beauty, keep it, and maybe enhance it. What is the meaning of a modern portrait? I don't mean the portraits drawn from photographs. Even if a person is not very handsome, a good artist will still give him something attractive. Everyone is beautiful at some point. You just need to find this moment and pass it on.
C So how are you looking for models?
And I have an image in my head - I need such a girl for this picture. So where can I look for it? What, stick on the street? How many such cases have been - you see, you stop. And she: “Yeah, an artist? It's clear. I have already been written once ... I know how it all ends. Well, why go, waste magical energy (Laughs.), When you can invite professionals who understand what is needed from them. You select from photographs. But there is another thing - plastic. One girl will come, sit down and nothing is needed - the finished picture. No need to bend her fingers, she sat down and that's it. Another will come - like beauty, but sit down, and everything is clear - which means that I will try to twist you into some kind of position for two hours. Not our choice. Therefore, there is no standard. Plasticity is probably the most important thing. No 90-60-90. I need a person to be fairly uncomplexed. From time immemorial, artists have painted nudes. If I spend half a day trying to convince a girl to undress not for something, but for work - well, just imagine!
Ivan Slavinsky was born in 1968 in Leningrad. Father - battle painter Dmitry Oboznenko inherited the artistic gift of the painter by inheritance to his son. At the age of 5, the boy already had a good command of a pencil and paints. Ivan received his first skills in fine arts at the art school at the Academy of Arts. The father was very critical of his son's first works. But soon he began to trust Ivan to write small details on the edges of his canvases. And later I realized that my son is very talented, and he can create.
City at sunset.
Night city lights.
During the formation of the young artist, he was sometimes referred to as realists, sometimes as postmodernists, sometimes as surrealists: it was very difficult, looking at Slavinsky's early works, to say that this was the hand of the same master. And only years later, having brought together all these styles and techniques of art on a canvas, he created his own style, his own unique handwriting.
Winter.
At his first exhibition in 1991, arranged in the gallery of the "Association of Free Artists", Ivan was recognized by both the audience and art critics. The owner of a unique painting talent immediately became famous and recognizable in the city on the Neva, and later in Moscow.
Still life with a sailboat.
Once, having traveled with his wife on a 4-day tourist visa to France for the New Year holidays, he stayed there for ten whole years. At first, he and his wife stayed with a friend in a tiny room overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Then they lived at an unfinished construction site, sleeping on bunks made of boards.
Parisian.
The artist gradually began to earn a living by painting: he rented his works to a small gallery for sale. As it turned out, the owner of this gallery knew the artist's work well - she saw his work on Nevsky. Cooperation was fruitful and brought money. The couple were even able to rent a small apartment. The inspired artist began to paint in different styles, which immediately became incomprehensible to the naive French: how is it possible for a painter to paint in several techniques at the same time. So the work of Ivan in manner and style were different from each other.
Saxophonist.
It was then that Russian ingenuity came to the rescue: the painter began to sign part of the work done in a different technique with the name of his wife. So the pseudonym "Marina Ivanova" appeared. Friends who know this story gave Ivan the nickname "Plum", which was a derivative of two surnames: Slavinsky and Ivanova. Some works signed with the name of his wife were more successful, to which Ivan, as if envious, said: “Mashka, look how famous you have become!”
Oddly enough, everyone took the Russian artist for a Parisian. Thanks to his good French during his illegal residence in France, no one asked Slavinsky for a visa. He even managed, without any documents, to buy a car and register it. But soon he was declassified by customs and expelled from the country. But at the same time, an invitation to France was already in his pocket. And Slavinsky, having passed all the documents through the consulate, returned to Paris already on legal grounds.
Ancient books and statuette of a knight.
And for about eight years he lived in Paris and worked on exclusive contracts with several European galleries. With solo exhibitions, he traveled almost all of Europe. Expositions of his paintings were a great success in Luxembourg, Dublin, Stockholm, Marseille and Paris. All canvases of the Parisian period were successfully sold.
Santa Maria De La Salute. Venice.
His unique paintings have replenished the private collections of art connoisseurs in Italy, France, Holland, England, and the USA. The initial cost of paintings by Ivan Slavinsky was from twenty thousand dollars. Buyers were impressed by the “mixture” of techniques taken from Vrubel, Degas and Petrov-Vodkin, and they were ready to pay good money for this.
Still life.
While still living abroad, in 1997 he received membership in the Union of Artists of Russia. And upon returning to his homeland in 2002, he settled in St. Petersburg. In 2007, he opened an art gallery under his own name, which was later renamed "SLAVINSKY ART". And since 2016, a new gallery of the painter has been opened in St. Petersburg - "SLAVINSKY PROJECT".
Girl with lilies.
The genre of fantastic realism, based on metamorphoses, symbols, allegory, on the most complex compositions, and on the use of a rich palette of colors, is reflected in classical still lifes, in urban landscapes, and in the artist's impressionistic portraits.
Then Ivan worked abroad, lived in Paris for seven years. His canvases have become a permanent decoration of private collections in Italy, France, Holland. In France, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Holland he is considered one of the best Russian artists.
The starting price for paintings by Ivan Slavinsky is $20,000. In his works, many notice at the same time something from Vrubel, Degas and Petrov-Vodkin. For such a powerful "mixture" many are willing to pay a lot of money. Some critics speculate about him, whether it is decent to call an artist a genius while alive.
Ivan himself tells about his artistic history… He did not start in the Association of Free Artists, but on the so-called panel. It was at Katya's garden. The artists themselves sold their work. From early morning they came, like on a fishing trip, to take a “fish” place, hang pictures. And soon it went dry that everyone would be expelled if they did not become a member of the Association of Free Artists. Nobody then knew what it was. But Ivan decided to enter into a partnership so as not to run from the policemen ...
With regard to art studies ... He did not succeed with the Academy. However, at that time his father, a Leningrad battle painter, taught there. And Ivan learned a lot from him. This was facilitated by large orders of military paintings. The father was always critical of his son's work. Almost never praised. But later he began to trust to finish something on his works. At that very moment, Ivan realized that he himself could write something.
Ivan wrote in his father's workshop. He kind of taught him. Will fix it. He asks if his son understands. He nods. And at that moment, the father erases everything: “Write!”
Ivan Slavinsky came to France in 1993. Went only to look for four days. But these days were not enough. It was then the New Year. Walked hard. For the first couple of days, Ivan lay in bed, thinking with horror that I would not have time to see anything. Then everyone got ready to go back. And Ivan met his future friend, a Russian guide, who told him: “Why do you need to walk around Paris with a headache? Let's change the tickets." And he stayed in Paris with an expired visa.
A new friend showed all those places that, from his point of view, had to be seen. And in the end, he invited me to live with him, so as not to overpay for the hotel. He was filming a tiny 2x2 cage with his girlfriend. But the view was on the Eiffel Tower. There was a tiny window there. But looking at it, you immediately realized that you were in Paris.
Ivan was in Paris with his first wife. The four of us were very crowded in that room. The exit was found at a nearby construction site. They made bunks there. As a result, there are many memories.
Soon Ivan bought paints, sat down in a corner and began to write something. Then I found a gallery where a Russian girl was engaged in the sale of paintings napped in Russia. It turned out that the girl knows his last name, saw his work in the gallery on Nevsky. And Ivan wrote her a small collection. Money was made from the first auction. By that time, the initial money had dried up. A couple ate different canned food ..
Ivan tried to write in different directions. But, as it turned out, the French are very difficult to understand. If the artist wrote in a different manner, then this, and their representation, should be at least stretched out in time. As a result, the pseudonym Marina Ivanova was born. That was the name of his first wife. But the gallery did not want to take the work of the mythical author. Ivan said - here's the author, pointing to his wife. These were works of a new direction, and, at some stage, the paintings of Marina Ivanova slightly overshadowed the works of Ivan Slavinsky. Ivan even envied himself. He said: “Masha, look how famous you have become!” Acidly familiar artists gave Ivan the nickname Plum, thus uniting the names of Slavinsky and Ivanova.
For a year and a half of living in France, no one asked Ivan for a visa. He even managed to buy a car and register it without having any documents.
He attributes his success in this to his ability to speak. He was mistaken for a Parisian. Plus, the French are very naive. If Ivan was asked for documents, he said that the visa had already expired, and the documents were being processed now. So I lived for some time with an expired four-day tourist visa.
But a little later they declassified it at the customs point. A day in the French bullpen. As a result, I had to return to Russia. But I already had an invitation to France in my pocket. Further, everything was formalized as expected through the consulate.
A number of works by Ivan Slavinsky were bought for Bill Gates. Maybe. Not for Bill himself, but they definitely have them in their Swiss office ... Also, the famous Formula 1 driver Schumacher has his work.
Ivan does not make copies from his paintings. I think we should always move forward. He does not understand the artists who hung the walls of the house with their paintings. Ivan had several of his paintings, which he considered brilliant, but he sold them. He only left them in his mind as pictures, to the level of which one must strive. And then, a year later, when he saw them, he thought that they were somehow weak. And if it hung in front of my eyes, it would slow down a lot ..
Ivan does not like to give pictures. Not because it's a pity. He just doesn't like to adapt to the viewer. But if you give, then it is necessary that the person experiences positive emotions, that is, write under him ...
When asked what else he could earn in life, Ivan replied that he would fix cars, play tennis for children.
And he could fix cars. It's easy. Well, and also, probably, to teach children to play tennis.
When asked how Ivan is looking for models for paintings, he replied that he initially had an image in his mind, and he needed just such a girl for a portrait. It is impossible to invite them on the street, because they are afraid. As a result, they hire professionals. Selects from photographs. But in the end it's all plastic. There are beautiful, but not plastic, not convincing. Some sit down right away so that the picture is ready, while others have to spend hours looking for successful plastic poses. And it is important that a person is not insecure. Artists have always painted nudes. And I don’t want to spend an hour persuading the model to undress ...
I found an interesting artist on the net a few years ago. At first glance, it was very reminiscent of the manner of painting by the artist Vrubel. After looking at a few more paintings, I suddenly remembered the artist Degas ... Yesterday I saw his work again on the net. Viewed. The feeling of the work is not very inspiring (not mine), but I really liked the technique of execution and the original style. Great talent. In addition, I liked some parts of his biography.
Slavinsky was born in 1968 in Leningrad. As a professional artist he has been working for about twenty years. He began to draw in childhood, he received further skills as an artist at an art school at the Academy of Arts. The talent of the artist, presumably, was adopted from his father Dmitry Obozenko, who was a well-known battle painter in Leningrad.
In 1990, the first exhibition of works by Ivan Slavinsky was held in St. Petersburg in the art gallery "Association of Free Artists". Both viewers and critics recognized the unique talent in the artist, after which he immediately became famous in the city on the Neva. Since then, he has been invited to various galleries in Moscow and abroad.
Then Ivan worked abroad, lived in Paris for seven years. His canvases have become a permanent decoration of private collections in Italy, France, Holland. In France, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Holland he is considered one of the best Russian artists.
The starting price for paintings by Ivan Slavinsky is $20,000. In his works, many notice at the same time something from Vrubel, Degas and Petrov-Vodkin. For such a powerful "mixture" many are willing to pay a lot of money. Some critics speculate about him, whether it is decent to call an artist a genius while alive.
Biography of Ivan Slavinsky
Ivan himself tells about his artistic history… He did not start in the Association of Free Artists, but on the so-called panel. It was at Katya's garden. The artists themselves sold their work. From early morning they came, like on a fishing trip, to take a “fish” place, hang pictures. And soon it went dry that everyone would be expelled if they did not become a member of the Association of Free Artists. Nobody then knew what it was. But Ivan decided to enter into a partnership so as not to run from the policemen ...
With regard to art studies ... He did not succeed with the Academy. However, at that time his father, a Leningrad battle painter, taught there. And Ivan learned a lot from him. This was facilitated by large orders of military paintings. The father was always critical of his son's work. Almost never praised. But later he began to trust to finish something on his works. At that very moment, Ivan realized that he himself could write something.
Ivan wrote in his father's workshop. He kind of taught him. Will fix it. He asks if his son understands. He nods. And at that moment, the father erases everything: “Write!”
Ivan Slavinsky came to France in 1993. Went only to look for four days. But these days were not enough. It was then the New Year. Walked hard. For the first couple of days, Ivan lay in bed, thinking with horror that I would not have time to see anything. Then everyone got ready to go back. And Ivan met his future friend, a Russian guide, who told him: “Why do you need to walk around Paris with a headache? Let's change the tickets." And he stayed in Paris with an expired visa. A new friend showed all those places that, from his point of view, had to be seen. And in the end he invited me to live with him so as not to overpay for the hotel. He was filming a tiny 2x2 cage with his girlfriend. But the view was on the Eiffel Tower. There was a tiny window there. But looking at it, you immediately realized that you were in Paris.
Ivan was in Paris with his first wife. The four of us were very crowded in that room. The exit was found at a nearby construction site. They made bunks there. As a result, there are many memories.
Soon Ivan bought paints, sat down in a corner and began to write something. Then I found a gallery where a Russian girl was engaged in the sale of paintings napped in Russia. It turned out that the girl knows his last name, saw his work in the gallery on Nevsky. And Ivan wrote her a small collection. Money was made from the first auction. By that time, the initial money had dried up. A couple ate different canned food ..
Ivan tried to write in different directions. But, as it turned out, the French are very difficult to understand. If the artist wrote in a different manner, then this, and their representation, should be at least stretched out in time. As a result, the pseudonym Marina Ivanova was born. That was the name of his first wife. But the gallery did not want to take the work of the mythical author. Ivan said - here's the author, pointing to his wife. These were works of a new direction, and, at some stage, the paintings of Marina Ivanova slightly overshadowed the works of Ivan Slavinsky. Ivan even envied himself. He said: “Masha, look how famous you have become!” Acidly familiar artists gave Ivan the nickname Plum, thus uniting the names of Slavinsky and Ivanova.
For a year and a half of living in France, no one asked Ivan for a visa. He even managed to buy a car and register it without having any documents.
He attributes his success in this to his ability to speak. He was mistaken for a Parisian. Plus, the French are very naive. If Ivan was asked for documents, he said that the visa had already expired, and the documents were being processed now. So I lived for some time with an expired four-day tourist visa.
But a little later they declassified it at the customs point. A day in the French bullpen. As a result, I had to return to Russia. But I already had an invitation to France in my pocket. Further, everything was formalized as expected through the consulate.
A number of works by Ivan Slavinsky Bought for Bill Gates. Maybe. Not for Bill himself, but they definitely have them in their Swiss office ... Also, the famous Formula 1 driver Schumacher has his work.
Ivan does not make copies from his paintings. He believes that we must always move forward. He does not understand the artists who hung the walls of the house with their paintings. Ivan had several of his paintings, which he considered brilliant, but he sold them. He only left them in his mind as pictures, to the level of which one must strive. And then, a year later, when he saw them, he thought that they were somehow weak. And if they hung in front of my eyes, they would slow down a lot ..
Ivan does not like to give pictures. Not because it's a pity. He just doesn't like to adapt to the viewer. But if you give, then it is necessary that the person experiences positive emotions, that is, write under him ...
When asked what else he could earn in life, Ivan replied that he would repair cars and teach children to play tennis.
When asked how Ivan is looking for models for paintings, he replied that he initially had an image in his mind, and he needed just such a girl for a portrait. It is impossible to invite them on the street, because they are afraid. As a result, they hire professionals. Selects from photographs. But in the end it's all plastic. There are beautiful, but not plastic, not convincing. Some sit down right away so that the picture is ready, while others have to look for successful plastic poses for hours. And it is important that a person is not insecure. Artists have always painted nudes. And I don’t want to spend an hour persuading the model to undress ...
