"Classics are usually not offended"

"Classics of painting." This is the name of the exhibition of Andrei Biljo, which was opened at the State Institute of Art of Art with the support of Krokin Gallery

Based on the picture of Ilya Repin “Burlaki on the Volga” /photo provided by Krokin Gallery

The main section of the exposition is eighteen new works by the artist-cartoonist. In an interview with The New Times, Andrei Biljo talked about why he “plays classics” and why you need to re -“color” famous paintings.

I am interested in "playing classics." Because the classic is a little that still connects different generations. With difficulty, but still connects.

I often recall the story that happened to me in one of the Moscow restaurants. There, a girl with a plate came up to me, on which my drawing was printed with the inscription "You had a Christmas tree." The girl says: “You know, I like all your drawings, but I don’t understand this one. What does it mean? " I answer: “Well, do you not know the song“ A Christmas tree was born in the forest ”?” “No, I don't know.” I was surprised: "Did you go to kindergarten?" - “I went. Only my kindergarten was in New York. ”
Then I realized how important the context in which my work exist and perceives. This is generally important for understanding the caricature - a certain cultural level of the audience, its participation in today's life.

Based on the painting of Vladimir Serov "Hodoki by Lenin"	Based on the picture of Boris Kustodiev "Kupchikha for tea"

And everyone knows the classics. Well, tell me, what idiot does not know the paintings: “Burglaki on the Volga”, “Morning in a pine forest” or “Unequal marriage”? And if some idiot does not know, then I do not need him. I can’t teach him anything.

So, I wonder when the characters of these paintings begin to speak. I wonder: what does Ivan the Terrible say when the murdered son lies in his arms? What will Kustodievskaya Kupchikha say? I endure these people and animals to date, and they begin to speak.

Based on the picture of Boris Kustodiev "Portrait of Chaliapin"	Based on the picture of Alexander Deineki "Future pilots"

Think in color

In the new series of works, I did not try to repeat the colors of “original” paintings. I painted the way I wanted it. Because today many people began to think with flowers. Behind a combination of orange and black stripes, they see a St. George ribbon, not a bee in the yellow-black bee, but Beeline. If today your clothing is “yellow -blue bottom” - this means what kind of Ukraine you are.

There are no neutral colors at all. Red-Soviet color, red-brown-“plague”, green-“green” or Muslims, white-white-white, black-anarchists ... We collect colors in a rainbow-we get sex minorities.

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I wonder: what does Ivan the Terrible say when the murdered son lies in his arms? What will Kustodievskaya Kupchikha say?/Span>

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But this is a violation of consciousness. The color combination today carries information, and in such a perception of color there is a moment of schizophrenia. And if I just like this combination of colors - “yellow top -blue bottom”? And in these works I chose the colors that I like - regardless of their modern "semantic load".

The classic picture, as a classic play, can be interpreted differently. Yes, and painted too. Classics are usually not offended. They are not fools.

Based on the picture of Ilya Repin, “Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan”	Based on the picture of Pablo Picasso "Girl on the Ball"

Enjoy

Once Volodya Sorokin, whom I know for a very long time and who has not yet created his famous books, said that he writes for himself and thereby solves his own internal psychiatric problems. Probably, when I painted these pictures, I solved my problems. Because it is impossible to think about what is happening around, worry about it - and I worry quite seriously.

What is happening today in society resembles induced nonsense. When one mentally ill is in the family or team, but the rest are quite healthy people - they cannot, they do not want to understand that he is sick. Others love him, respect, believe in stories - about his meetings with the Martians, for example. And they understand that a person is sick only when he goes beyond a certain edge - he hides in the corner, for example.

Red-Soviet color, red-brown-“plague”, green-Muslims, white-white-white ...

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This analogy comes to mind when you see people who endlessly watch TV and believe in state propaganda - in this sense they are very similar to induced delirium. So the situation is quite complicated. And to think about her is constantly not easy for me ...

I was spending time drawing these pictures and enjoying it. I generally enjoy everything I do. Here I am such a selfish.

Photos provided by Krokin Gallery