Artist
From Moscow, Russia
Based in Barcelona, Spain
"I can’t be fully happy without fulfilling my need to express myself through art; and secondly - the outer help which arose from many places simultaneously at certain point of my life, such as: opportunities, people and events that helped me return to this path.."
A: What brought you into art?
Y: I would rephrase this question into ‘what brought me back to art’. Because I think art has always been intrinsic to me since I was very little. Yet, many circumstances, delusions and insecurities distanced me from it. So my answer would be - the collision of two things: realization I can’t be fully happy without fulfilling my need to express myself through art; and secondly - the outer help which arose from many places simultaneously at certain point of my life, such as: opportunities, people and events that helped me return to this path.
A: What inspires you the most?
Y: The process of making art itself. I draw some visual and emotional inspiration from literature, nature and artworks of others. But the most powerful drive is the creative process itself, this moment of connection with something greater than I.
A: Do you have any specific rituals while working(creating)?
Y: For a while it was listening to specific electronic, neoclassical or experimental music without lyrics while working. I get used to it while I was sharing the studio with other artists, because I needed to establish some way of not being distracted. So for some years it was my way to tune in into the process - my headphones. Now, however, I dropped this habit. I returned to work in complete silence. And as I’m not sharing studio with anyone now I can allow this empty space. Another ritual for me would be to switch of the internet on my devices while working. But it’s just a dream, I’m quite bad at it :)
A: What would you recommend to someone new to art (an artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?
Y: Find or create your art community! Make friends with artists: amateur, professionals, doesn’t matter. Exchange your thoughts with other artists is healing the anxiety of being lost in the creative uncertainty. All the rest of the advises will come through these people.
A: Your top 3 adjectives related to art?
Y: Vulnerable, meaningful, calling
A: The best angle to look at art is from..?
Y: This question reminds me of the advice from a Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland about biting the mushroom for different results.
“Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question.”
I feel art being this metaphorical round thing, even spherical. So for me there are no best or worse angles to look at it. Art is so subjective.
A: The Perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is:.?
Y: Maybe “What do you dislike about art?”. I find questions navigating meaning from negative emotions surprisingly revealing.
A: Must-read books to talk about art (or do we even need them)?
Y: I’m not in the position of judging if we need them. I believe, If those were written it means the world needed them. And I, personally, love reading about art and artists.
I would suggest reading:
Hans Ulrich Obrist “Lives of the artists, lives of the architects”
Marina Abramovic “Walk through walls”
Rick Rubin “The creative act: A way of being”
Jerry Saltz “Art is life”
And generally I love biographies and autobiographies of the artists. Any of them. Helps me a lot to make peace with my struggles.
And if that seems too much please start with Simon Shama “Power of Art”. I find it difficult to not fall in love with art books after that one
A: What would it be if you could change one thing in the art world?
Y: I would make art education much more accessible somehow.
A: Please, share your favorite quote (not necessarily related to art)
Y: It's a shabby one one but works perfectly for me -
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”
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