Irena Kononova
I intend to provoke the viewers into contemplating the ever widening gap between our civilization and eternal world of nature through an exploration of the form ofexpansive landscapes and their juxtaposition with human-made interiors.By placing viewers within the walls of a room, I invite them to look at what lies beyond the open doorway and evoke a Platonic myth where dwellers, confined to their cave, yearn to know the outside world.
I think about my works both as Utopias and Dystopias. They are intended to evoke a peaceful and contemplative mood, and also instill the shadow side that forebodes the deterioration of the land and alludes to the possible loss of the Earth as we know it.
These landscapes are void of figures, but I manifest human presence by subtle, sometimes ominous signs. I fill my compositions with biomorphic shapes that blur the boundaries between organic flesh and crystalline mass and merge life with dead matter. The multiple layers of paint correspond to the geological layers of soil.
My materials carry with them the realization of the metaphor: turpentine leaks like flowing water and the sand, that is a product of long interaction between stones and waves, is one of the physical components of my work. My process of mixing sand with paint to create textures, becomes a symbolic gesture of reconciliation between the world of art and the world of nature.
Irena Kononova
