Still Life With Books

Samir Rakhmanov's Artist Statement:

As Russian artist Vladimir Weisberg once stated: “Don’t try to see the harmony in nature, reveal it on your canvas”. I have found myself going back to that statement over and over again while working. As time passes, I realize that anything can be a subject as long as an artist reaches the formalistic harmony on the canvas. Focusing on two-dimensional mediums makes me understand that the Abstract and Decorativeness is the core of everything we transfer onto the canvas. It can be a portrait of a beautiful woman, minimalistic still life or a sunny landscape, all of it consists of abstract symbols. And my pursuit of working with the decorativeness in the context of realistic painting has been the story of my art for the past year.

While being a strong advocate of realistic traditions I rarely follow a step-by-step approach to painting. I often choose different starting points in my work. Sometimes the subject suggests a more abstract and expressive start, other times it’s the opposite: beginning with a rigorous drawing base. The subject always dictates the way work is going to pan out. While the process plays a significant part, the result is the goal. I reach that result through a formal approach, not the literature. The aesthetic communication between the subject, artist, canvas, and the viewer is essential in representational art. And I’m always directing my painting process at reaching that aesthetic quality of storytelling. Most of the time I spend many hours, days, and even months working on one picture. Each work is a painful battle. I experience a mix of different emotions during my process. And overcoming the struggle is thrilling and inspiring. It’s this cycle of struggle and triumph that plays an important role in my art experience.

By getting to the essence of things through the representational approach I can communicate with the audience. To awaken the sense of beauty and harmony in the viewer. That search for the basis of visual experience through art motivates me. Life around keeps me inspired and pushes me further. And of course, looking back at old masters and learning from them is also in the backbone of my art. Passing the knowledge from one generation to the next is fundamental for future reformations and advancements in art.

To move forward, we must know where to start.