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Yuri Dyakonov and Susan Dyakonova-Francis: |
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An important role in art of Yuri Dyakonov and Susan Francis during the period of several years is played by India, where in 1992 a future married couple first met. Susan's works give the sincere spectators the opportunity to feel from inside the country which is situated "over the three seas", look at it in the light of spiritual values of the mentality, formed during thousands of years, plunge into the kingdom of blossoming lotus, heady fragrance of the unknown plants and songs of birds of paradise ("Dancing peacock", 1991; "Paradise birds", 1991; "Green parrot", 1992; "Those in love", 1993). They can be considered both as autonomous easel paintings and as precious fragments of a single-whole mural of the fairy oriental palace filled with atmosphere of "One thousand and one nights" or magic chambers of the "Purple flower" by Aksakov. The peculiarity of these paintings are the same as that of the oriental painters: carpet-like colour combinations, decorative flatness and ornamental space composition, careful detail painting. Distinctive peculiarity of Susan's original manner is her muffled western turme which is based in the first place on high culture of realistic drawing being a foundation of her colourful paintings. She has learnt constructive forming and expressive opportunities of the academic adjusted line during her studies at the Art college of Jaipur. But knowledge of realistic language allowed Susan to do away with the common drawbacks of oriental ornamental and ethnography conditional character and maintain delicate sensation of natural beauty of flowers, birds and other characters of her paintings, and at the same time she feels free using personal imagination and interpretation of earthly realities. This made her entrance into Moscow artistic life much easier, especially when she dared turn to Russian themes ("Winter", "Autumn" 1996). Of much help was also the fact that by upbringing and belief S. Dyakonova-Fransis is the daughter of the Christian Church. Her belief is both a family tradition and personal spiritual choice of the artist who has apprehended only bright sides of this religious doctrine excluding from it sinful scenes, penance and Doomsday. The works of her Biblical series, for example the canvas "Paradise garden" (1991) are governed by a hedonistic, almost a la Krishnaites happy melody, not spoiled by the shadow of the Fall and Adam and Eve's banishment from Heaven. There is no place there for the very possibility of existing of some dark vicious forces. Here rule the happy feeling of existence, integral harmony of all the creatures, including human beings and hence the author with both Earth and Heaven. Susan's husband Yuri Dyakonov is without doubt well-versed in the trends of the post-perestroika period art fashion, he is more tightly bound to its history. More vast is the list of his exhibitions - more than a dozen exhibitions both in our country and abroad. More weighty is his expressive means, which includes very different means of aesthetic influence on the spectator, ranging from realistic to almost abstract ones, from monumental paintings and works in theatre to book illustrations. The expostion shows only a small part of extensive range of works of this master. Nevertheless it can be considered an example of multi-conceptional of Yuri Dyakonov's creative search and his multicoloured figurative palette. Susan's childish integrity, purity and somewhat naive and cheerful perception of the real world is not also characteristic of Yuri. A person, for whom ideals, commandments and sacraments of Russian Orthodox Church became guiding and determining for his destiny in his works, among which we could name may be one of the most buoyant Indian series ("Perceptions of India", 1990- 1994; "Flowers of India", 1990-1995) shows life as some cosmic arena for eternal impact, struggle and mixing of absolute contradictions - the light and the darkness, the good and the evil, the birth and the death... That is why the movement in its physical, philosophical and sacred forms is one of the leading subject matters of Yuri Dyakonov's paintings. There is no static peace, symmetrical balance or complete finishing in them. Colour scheme, form and composition are constantly in the process of forming, rivalry and inter-penetration, reminding us the Earth in the first days of the Creation. Yuri's works according to the mode of painting can be divided into two independent parts - oil painting and mixed media paintings. But even within one and the same series ("Untitled", 1990-1995; "Point of balance", 1990-1995; "Reflections", 1990-1994; "Movements", 1991-1994) there is a tendency towards debates, conflict-bearing and uneasy coexistence that finds its reflection in the names, such as "Awakening" and "Falling asleep"; or "Thunderstorm", "After the thunderstorm", "In the sun rays". Not at all easy, covered with thorns of doubts and illuminated by stars of revelations the path of the Master towards personal conviction in Tightness of the Gospel's truths can be clearly seen through the comparative reviewing of his paintings of 1990-s and 80-s. In the latter the author also can't give a simple answer to the guestions put forward by himself or the time; although the pictures have been painted in the realistic manner and they have certain historical background ("Pigeon-loft", 1983; "The birth of the truth", 1985-1986 and others). Metaphorical manner of Dyakonov, his rich imagination, enthusiastic improvisation and ability at first sight easily change his manner in the spirit of often absolutely different formal systems gives him an opportunity to express with utmost adeguacy and with outlined personality many-faced forms and not at all akin manifestations of personal apparition of everlasting recurrence of life in not less unpredictable dynamic and mobile plasticity of his paintings. President's Assistent Russian Academy of Art A. Sidorov |
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