Project concept “Difficult Relationship”
In the art project “Difficult Relationships” Vasily Zenko refers to the theme of a person’s inner world, which consists of the finest interweaving of feelings, experiences and reflection on external events and circumstances. The artist believes that emotions govern people’s lives and their actions. It is often very difficult for a person to cope with them, and he is captured by his feelings. Being in their power, we perform certain actions, we interact with each other. Therefore, human relations are of a diverse nature: some bind people with strong bonds of friendship, respect, love, spiritual and blood relationship, while others are more fleeting. In addition, a person can conduct an internal dialogue with himself, completely surrendering to the feeling that has arisen, or else trying to get rid of it. In other words, relationships can be difficult and … very difficult! This is a whole “element”, consisting of various nuances and semitones.
In his works, Vasily Zenko visualizes the feelings of people in the images of animals and birds. The artist skillfully stylizes the characters in the paintings, deliberately exaggerates their external characteristics. The behavior of the main characters of the paintings largely copies the relationship of people. Such a creative technique used by Vasily in revealing the topic is not accidental: a person often tries to hide the true motives of his actions, and animals are deprived of this. They are very natural in their desires and actions. Of course, the personification of the qualities of the human character in the images of representatives of the fauna was used in art long before the creation of this project (for example, in many tales and myths of the peoples of the world, in which the behavior of the main characters – animals and birds – was a projection of the model of human relationships). However, there is something in life that each person must experience and rethink himself again and again, according to his own experience. And no amount of theoretical knowledge can replace people with a direct feeling of a wide variety of emotions. Therefore, the artist in the project “Difficult Relationships” sincerely shares with the viewer his perception and understanding of the amazing world of feelings.
The canvases of Vasily Zenko presented at the exhibition are distinguished by high professionalism and a pronounced aesthetic orientation. They are made using the author’s technique. The compositions are interesting for their individual color scheme, plastic form, rich texture.
In addition to picturesque paintings, the author of the project, wishing to immerse the viewer as much as possible in the artistic and ideological space of the exhibition, places real birdcages in the exposition. These art objects are a kind of semantic accents, with the help of which Vasily emphasizes that we are all, to one degree or another, hostages of our feelings. And it’s not so bad if Love, Respect, Good reigns in our souls. But on the other hand, the cage is also a symbol of the fact that, having mastered his negative emotions, a person can get the best of them and leave them behind the door of oblivion.
In general, Vasily Zenko reveals the topic of the project “Difficult Relationships” easily and naturally, with a great deal of artistry, in the absence of even a hint of any didacticity.
