Keys to Alexander Melnikov
Natalya Sukholit
Creativity of Kiev artist Oleksandr Melnikov is imbued with symbolism. In each work, there are hidden keys to understanding the aspirations that the artist puts into the canvas space, generously endowing with its decorative character, carefully inscribing each centimeter. Melnikov's paintings are timeless and sacred. The palette is defined by the baptismal mood of the author, who positions himself as an artist of "warm" tones.
Alexander Melnikov has a solid track record and collaborates with the best world galleries and art centers (Canada, France, Switzerland, Monaco). The author rightly notes that finding another artist who works in the same manner is unrealistic. At least in Ukraine and the near abroad. The artist has developed a unique author's technical approach to work with paints and solvents, which give the painting a unique color and transparency. Acquiring forestry techniques did not happen suddenly and did not become an unexpected illusion, but was the consequence and result of long and painstaking searches that lasted more than one year.
Alexander Melnikov received a classical academic education at the Odessa State Art School named after. Grekov and at the National Academy of Arts and Architecture (workshop of academician VV Shatalin). However, the main educational process took place not in the walls of respected institutions. The young artist admired and watched, studied and literally picked up the works of Mikhail Nesterov and Pavel Korin, Dmitry Zhilinsky and Victor Popkov. Later, the enthusiasm of Dahl, Rossetti, Mill, and others came. The deep immersion in different epochs and directions resulted in an entirely new vision of art and of what I would like to create. Today we can say that Alexander Melnikov formed his own author's style and original pictorial language, which can be found in many echoes, such as hyperrealism, pre-Raphaelites and even barely invisible strokes that lead to thin invisible threads in the gothic. But, nevertheless, the paintings by Alexander Melnikov are surprisingly modern and relevant, literally saturated with symbolism, romance and mysteries.
Who are they, the heroes of Alexander Melnikov? What is their magnetism? The author is notorious, invites the viewer to reflect on his own and only emphasizes that in the works do not meet the portraits of specific people. All insults - prefabricated. Men's images, moving from work to work, often, though not always, are clothed in knight armor and armor, as a symbol of courage and courage, a symbol that makes it clear that the defender is pictured, the person who makes the decision and takes responsibility. If you go deep into the analysis of individual works, you can meet the echoes of knightly narrative novels and meet the elements of that era on the canvas - perhaps the sword of King Roland, or even the legendary Escalibur of King Arthur, a bowl of the Grail. Often there are patricians - men who are full of wisdom, dignity and honor, in the corresponding aristocratic status of clothes. Only in some works the author gives clues about the heroes, which are read in the names of works, such as "Philosopher" (2008) or "Pirate" (2006).
Often, male images arise in the context of the presence of the Beautiful Lady - the female image, which is the majority in the work of Alexander Melnikov. Beautiful Ladies - music, girlfriends, lovers, rivals - they are all wonderful and marked by unearthly weightlessness and spirituality. Each of them is gifted by the artist with beautiful features of the face and royal garments. Each of them is accompanied by a story, a fairy tale, a legend, written, as here and now, so many millennia ago. The canvas of the "Witch" (2011), we can quite correlate, for example, with the mythical Cullipso, for many years the magic captivated Odyssey on his island. In "Witch" Melnikov all the same traditional witchcraft set - mystical balls, vessels with magic potions, sea shells, can cause man hallucinations and insanity, as well as animal at the feet - as a symbol of creature and the flesh of all living things. In the "Charm" Melnikov animal - a leopard, insidious and dangerous. It can destroy a person. The artist does not illustrate a particular legend, he only tries to help understand the components that exist in the world. And the fact that they are externally beautiful does not diminish the true terrible component of the object and does not write down defects at the expense of merits. The picture clearly reads literally the sacred horror of the author himself, trying to prevent and prevent. All of this is in a bright red background and in pencil-half shapes that can be read in the background.
Images of Alexander Melnikov contemplative and static, remotely resembling frozen statues and looking at the world as if from the side, giving him an estimate. Practically in every work - theatricality of the production and ceremony. In front of us is a gallery of images of contemporaries, in which deliberately not entered emotions, there are no personal characteristics. The plot of the picture can be read only in the context of perception and study of all work and its symbols. And what history to come out of - to decide on the viewer himself. Alexander Melnikov is sure that the public expression of emotions is the fate of the plebeians, and therefore the sensual component is absent in his canvases. But only occasionally, in some of the works you can find an alarming, inquisitive look. The British writer, artist and theoretician of art, John Reskin (XIX century), wrote: "The supreme power that art can do is to present the true image of a noble human being. It never did more than that; it should not do less than that."
In separate works of Alexander Melnikov there are many sensualities and passions. Often, female images appear to be semi-arranged before the viewer. As an author, he can not resist the temptation to convey the beauty of a wonderful shepherdess (Shepherd's, 2009) or a grace of plastic actress (Actress, 2000). Oh, this is a sentimental-romantic "unknown", which under the brush Melnikov becomes so "attractive"! We do not know the real reasons that the author was guided by creating these paintings. But we can understand that under the dispassionate, almost casual kiss lies the Forbidden and the temptation - the source of inspiration and fall ("Kiss", 2003). We do not know how the "Morning" (2006) heroine spent the night, but we guess that she will give the heroine a wonderful future in which she believed, to which she sought and made a lot of effort to make it happen.
Pictures of Alexander Melnikov endowed with special force and instantly magnetising, it is worth only throw a look at them. Attention are able to touch a lot of details and elements. Whether it's a terrible leopard or just a home white rhino. However, animals are present in almost every picture of Alexander Melnikov and can be considered the "keys" that give a lot of hints in the difficult world of the symbolism and romance of the author. Often on the canvas of Melnikova a cat is depicted. The author does not hide his sympathy for these home pets and does not comment on their constant presence in the paintings. In the mythologies of various epochs - the ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian, Roman, Scandinavian and Chinese cats, it appears to be a powerful mystical animal capable of managing and managing, communicating with the world of otherworldly forces. It is a cat endowed with royal powers and symbolizes that fertility and fertility, on the contrary, the destructive forces carrying evil and the forces of darkness. Cats of Alexander Melnikov creative and calm, looking at the viewer with royal majesty. They are good friends and constant phlegmatic infantile companions of heroes in different life situations. What is not a cat's view, then a solid stage drama - is it really crafty fluffy friend under the mask of melancholia and simplicity?
The appearance in some paintings of tigers and leopards looks like a continuation of the "cat" theme with a hint of ambiguity and the danger of situations. What were the intentions of ladies before lonely gentleman in the "Guests" (2010)? We can assume that the presence of a tiger in the space of the picture indicates true intentions. But the more distrustful view of the host brings anxiety to the true intentions of the guests of the uninvited.
Still life - a separate page of the creative biography of Alexander Melnikov, although, on a rare canvas artist events unfolding not on a background of still life. The composition of the still life is practically the same - metal vessels, glass bulbs, flowers - and transforms from a picture into a picture all with the same subtle hint of events, feelings and emotions, to which the characters of Melnikov's paintings are involved. It was a little bit unspoken of Melnyk's novels, although such a wording would be close to the spirit and spirit of the author. Melnikov is the author of a deep and insightful story, history, legend, which you can read, think and change for the better. The artist allows the viewer to be independent and not in a hurry to open the maps and give keys to understanding the works - in many respects it is necessary to work to understand the world of incomparable images, grace and stunning skill of Alexander Melnikov.
09.08.2018