«Not the gods burn pots» (Russian proverb). The Light.
Without light in space and on earth everything would not be discernible. Due to natural and artificial light, a form (volume, composition) and color appear. I was interested in the fact that if you change the light source, then the volume and color perception will change. For example, Egyptian frescoes painted with live fire, as well as Old Russian icons. If we now light them with artificial light, we will still see them differently than people of that period. In the course of time, it is possible to trace the change in the light source, so there was only fire in the period of the rock paintings, after many millennia an electric lamp appeared, then many other kinds of lighting devices, "digital art", which includes various digital media in itself a stream of light.
Light, significantly affects our perception of a work of art. There is no light, no work - black objects will be in the black room. The light is so obvious that it does not need to bother and examine or to see through. It is objective, we do not think about it.
In Russia, from early childhood, a mother explains and inspires faith in the miracle of the icon and teaches to distinguish and feel the light and/or energy coming from it. Favorsky light was the basic technique of Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. Hesychastic practice, which was popular in Russia, also assigned a special place to this mystical light.
I started looking for a "different light," not obvious, a light that affects not only the physical change of color or form, but also the intangible, mystical. Why do we see this way? Why do insects and animals see differently? They do not need ability to see more, but if mankind has this ability are we using it fully? Where are the limits?
Once, in search of a different light, I tried meditative practices in China. And after a long time I learned to see this light that surrounds a person. For me it became obvious that man himself is a source of light.
To convey this idea, I stopped at the black light (lamp). Artificial light, created by man, generates the outgoing light from an inanimate object. Thus, until the "definite" light appears, the colours and the object will not be fully seen. This metaphor of perception I aspire to show in works with reflected light. But what else can be a source of light – a man? an icon? what else? And how exactly it can be represented?
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