Artist criticized for emphasizing the negative aspects of modern society.
The work of Basil Shulzhenko from Moscow is commonly described as scandalous. Some advocate the truth in his paintings, the ability to convey those moments that are somehow familiar to everyone. Others accuse the artist behind too much attention to the ugly side of life as art is supposed to cultivate in the hearts of the audience high, beautiful, and there are drunken faces and ugly bodies.
“I’ve never lived among the people portrayed, and did not try to climb them in the soul,” writes Vasily Shulzhenko. Basil lives in Moscow, but most of the heroes of his paintings – the desperate residents of the villages, where in addition to drinking, to entertain themselves by themselves, and nothing. As recognized by the artist, the images themselves such heroes originate in his childhood, when Vasily spent his summers in the country under gasymovym. And draw them he became much later.
Many accuse Shulzhenko that he does not like Russian – why not depict great men, beauty, or at least chic Russian nature, why pay attention to obvious vices of society. “And for that we love? says Shulzhenko. Yes we are the worst people in the world – the evil, lazy, envious! For example, Americans will say, “My neighbor Sam fellow, he is successful!” And our village drunkard will hate and despise the hard-working wealthy man.”
Shulzhenko says that the difference between cultures is evident not only in behavior towards more successful neighbors, but also in how to take the Americans and Russians themselves his paintings. Russian is often frustrating to see a “cattle”, they want not to see such scenes as if they never existed. The Americans, seeing his work, you begin to feel sorry for the Russians, they say, what they have to endure the harshness of the conditions necessary to survive. “As the poet Nekrasov, who, after a sumptuous dinner, and party poker loved to look at the peasants from the window of his mansion, and sorry about the bitter dolyushka women.”
How differently his paintings in different countries, Shulzhenko knows firsthand – his paintings were exhibited at a gallery in Chicago. But, as the artist says, even the owner of the gallery asked him if less vodka and cigarettes, and that in modern society, such attributes are unpopular. “Do you think my men can imagine sober, without a cigarette in his mouth?!” exclaims the artist.
Of course, pictures Shulzhenko stand out against the background of works by other artists their shocking. Their are many ways to evaluate different ways to perceive, but we must admit – they are really different. At the same time the artist himself is sure that shocking is not about him. “But what is there shocking! Here the artist Kulik, who publicly heap under the picture, ” Yes.”
