The Fresh Post-Impressionism of Aleksandr Fayvisovich

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Aleksandr Fayvisovich, art criticism, Claudia Moscovici, contemporary art, Impressionism, painting, perspective, post-Impressionism, realism in art, Russian art, the art of Aleksandr Fayvisovich, The Fresh Post-Impressionism of Aleksandr Fayvisovich

Harvard Students

Aleksandr Fayvisovich puts a fresh spin on Post-Impressionist painting. Born and raised in Moscow, he studied at the Moscow State Academic Art College under Victor Slatinsky (who is currently the Dean of Painting at the Moscow Art Institute) and benefitted from the mentoriship of Nikolai K. Solomin, a master of realism. Fayvisovich uses bright strokes of color that our eyes mix from afar, similarly to the Impressionists. Like Renoir, he often paints city scenes: people captured in natural light, unposed, as if caught unaware. In Harvard Students, above, the focal point of the painting is a young woman reading at a cafe on a sunny day. A few broad strokes of vivid green and brown capture her absorption in a book, while the edges of the painting remain blurry, out of focus.

by Aleksandr Fayvisovich

The still life of the violin above, however, is sharply delineated: a study of form. Here Fayvisovich empasizes sharp contours and clean geometric lines rather than color. This painting is also an experiment in perspective, as we see the soft brown reflection of the table and a sliver of dark brown of the violin in the clear glass half-filled with water.

Quiet Island by Aleksandr Fayvisovich

The painting Quiet Island, above, reveals yet another facet of the artist’s talent. Post-Impressionist in style and reminiscent in many respects of Cezanne’s style, in a few broad, rapid strokes of contrasting colors, Fayvisovich takes us back to the beauty and tranquility of nature. This is reflected not only in the serene, light blue water but also in the features of the young woman in the foreground. Wearing no clothes that viewers can see, she appears contemplative, peaceful, one with nature. The absence of gestures, or of movement in general, only reinforces the sense of tranquility of the natural environment.

Wine and Apples by Aleksandr Fayvisovich

Wine and Apples, above, combines several of Fayvisovich’s styles and strengths: the realist study of perspective of the glasses, knives, apples, tray and wine bottle on the table; the pop of bright colors; along with the broad angularity of form, somewhat less realistic in style, of the paper bag in the background.

In his use of bright, contrasting colors in figure painting, Fayvisovich emphasizes expression, emotion, mood and state of being. His still life studies, however–almost minimalist and understated in their color schemes–place emphasis upon shape and perspective.  And his sketches are studies in movement captured in a few fluid lines, similar to Rodin’s drawings. Reflecting versatility and talent, Aleksandr Fayvisovich’s paintings are a Post-Impressionist tour de force. You can view samples of the artist’s work on his website, below.

http://aleksandrfayvisovich.com/

Claudia Moscovici, postromanticism.com

http://www.amazon.com/Romanticism-Postromanticism-Claudia-Moscovici/dp/0739116754

Vali Hotea: A Rising Star in European Cinema

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cinema, cinematographer Vali Hotea, Claudia Moscovici, Dan Necsulea, Diana Dumbrava, Diderot, Diderot's La Religieuse, Diderot's The Nun, European cinema, European film, film director Vali Hotea, Hot Snow, Intre Doua Lumi, La Religieuse, Marea Aventura, Romanian cinema, Romanian film, Roxanne by the Police, Stefan Dimitriu, The Big Adventure, The Lives of Others, The Nun, TVR Cinema, Valentin Hotea, Vali Hotea, Vali Hotea's films, Vali Hotea's movies, Vali Hotea: A Rising Star in European Cinema, Velvet Totalitarianism, Zapada Fierbinte

Vali Hotea

The Romanian director Valentin (Vali) Hotea is not new to the film scene. He made his debut in the 1990’s with his short film The Big Adventure (Marea Aventura). This movie depicts with stark frankness and a picture-perfect, photographic style a young couple having an affair. It does not make a statement about love, nor does it deliver any kind of moral lesson about infidelity.

The Big Adventure

The affair between the young protagonists is as intense as it is short-lived. Hence the irony of the title, since the so-called “big adventure” turns out to be completely insignificant. In fact, right after making love, the couple doesn’t even seem to like each other and can’t wait to leave.

Vali Hotea explains that the story “was inspired by some events that me and my film school friends lived at the same age, during our youth. We strung these stories together”. He recalls with fondness and nostalgia those film school days during the early 1990’s, stating that “for me the entire school experience was a beautiful adventure, which brought me the first award I ever won, at Costinesti. For this I thank Radu Ionescu, Radu Muntean, and Max Lemnij“.  What is perhaps most remarkable about The Big Adventure, other than its freshness and honesty, is the way it oozes sensuality without indulging in either  explicit eroticism or sentimentality in its depiction of a romantic liaison:

The Big Adventure won the budding Romanian director the Arte TV Prix Poitier in France in 1994. Continuing in this continental tradition, perhaps the most reminiscent of French culture is Vali Hotea’s short film Hot Snow (Zapada Fierbinte), produced in 2000 by TVR Cinema. Based on a screenplay by Stefan Dimitriu, Hot Snow was produced by the TVR Film Studio, under the leadership of Dan Necsulea, which gave many new film directors the opportunity to produce their first films. This movie strikes me as a contemporary rendition of Diderot’s famous eighteenth century novel, The Nun (La Religieuse, 1796). However, while Diderot’s novel unmasks the hidden corruption of the seemingly pure cloister life, Vali Hotea’s movie does just the opposite. “What attracted me most,” Vali Hotea states, “was the contrast between what we considered the constraints of this religious life and the playful glee of the nuns. So this title is an oxymoron, in which snow becomes  “hot,” like a wave of warm water by which the young nuns allow themselves to be caressed.”

Hot Snow

Hot Snow depicts in a characteristically artistic and photographic style the freshness and innocence of the nuns, from the youngest and most inexperienced to the oldest and most jaded. Viewers witness the young nuns carry the casket of their beloved Mother Superior through the woods, in the middle of a snowy winter day. Initially the group of women appear dejected and serious, as befits such a somber occasion. Little by little, however, they are awakened to the sensual beauty and delight of life. The younger ones begin to frolic in the glistening snow with a childlike innocence. While an older nun berates them for their “inappropriate” conduct, even she, by the end of the movie, is touched by their joie de vivre, as are the viewers. The movie, once again, doesn’t deliver any moral–nor amoral–message about the religious life. It is rather a celebration of life even in the most seemingly austere places.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xj1v3c_hot-snow-zypady-fierbinte_shortfilms

Recently, Vali Hotea has been awarded a large prize by the National Center for Cinematography (Centrul National al Cinematografiei) for his upcoming film about life in communist Romania, called Roxanne by the Police. This movie is of particular interest to me, having recently published my own novel on the subject, Velvet Totalitarianism (Intre Doua Lumi, Curtea Veche Publishing, 2011). Vali’s new movie is inspired by true events during the communist era in Romania, a few years before the revolution. After dedicating on Radio Free Europe (Radio Europa Libera) the song Roxanne by the popular rock group The Police , Vali–who was then a highschool student–received “a visit” from the Secret Police (Securitate).

The rest of the story, however, is pure fiction. The main plot of the film takes place twenty years later, in 2009, when the protagonist finds out who turned him to the Securitate and that he has a child about which he didn’t know. Rather than resuscitating the communist era under the Ceausescu regime, however, Vali Hotea states that this movie is more about “the consequences of that epoch in today’s world. It’s a movie about love, betrayal and duplicity”. Far more than a period piece, this movie will be a slice of life–and of history–that focuses on universal themes, similar in style to the unforgettable German classic, The Lives of Others (2006).

The Lives of Others

The leading lady in the film will be played by Diana Dumbrava, a talented actress that has won, in 2003, the prize The Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival and received a nomination for “best actress” at the 2004 European Film Academy Awards. The movie will be released sometime in 2013 (Vali can’t tell us yet the precise date yet).

Diana Dumbrava

Artistic, sensitive, understated, photographic and delving into the depth of human lives and emotions, Vali’s movies are bound to capture our attention, hearts and imaginations. Vali Hotea is a rising star in European cinema, where Romanian film directors have been shining for years.

Claudia Moscovici, postromanticism.com