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Nicholas Chistiakov, Belarusian-American. Conceptual artist, curator and painter. Chistiakov was born in Minsk on November 3rd, 1981. Great-grandfather of the artist Alexander Stashevsky served as the minister of justice in post-revolutionary Belarus and was subjected to repressions in 1930s by People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. In the mid-2000's Chistiakov moved to the United States. For several years of living in New York artist worked in construction and advertising. Chistiakov produced new body of work under the influence of impressive contrasts of life of ultramodern New York and isolated Italian suburbia. In 2005 artist visited Germany. This travel significantly affected the themes in the artist's oeuvre. In May of 2007 he had a debut solo exhibition in New York: Time and Measures. This exhibition expressed a radical approach of the artist to the theory of art. Artist had a troubled period afterwards. Crisis lasted for a several years. Nicholas Chistiakov searched for the new themes: sensational and contemporary. Science, psychology, totem and taboo became the enduring subjects of his art. In 2008 artist created a series of realist painting executed in expressionist manner focused on the painterly incidents and interplays of semi-abstracted form. Early works of this cycle were roughly influenced by the art of Francis Bacon and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Chistiakov's art questioning sexuality, psychological criteria for moral, conceptions of modernity, purpose of existence. This art, sometime, is a satirical take on the cynicism and crisis of humanity. Chistiakov searches for a visual complexness, symbolism, perceptual shock, highly refined aesthetics and color harmonies. Among his most important works: The Genesis (2011), Deoxyribonucleic Acid series (2011), The Hysteria (2009), The Midday Suicide (2009), The Psychosis (2009), The Presence (2009), The Last Judgement (2007-2010), Human organs series (2007-2012). Nicholas Chistiakov studied painting at The Belarusian State Academy of Arts in Minsk. Solo exhibitions included: Time and Measures (2007), New York, USA. His works included in the international group exhibitions. Artist's oeuvre is represented in a private collections in New York (USA), Moscow (Russia), Minsk (Belarus), Stockholm (Sweden), United Kingdom.
Some Questions about Art answered
Q: Nicholas could you try to briefly describe your work
A: My work is a reflection of the realities of my life. The experiences accumulated over the years of hard life in Belarus and the United States. My work is very multifaceted and involves a lot of styles, ranging from photorealism to expressionism, and ending with geometric abstraction. It is the result of my life's journey, and my philosophical vision of the world. My creations is life itself, reflected and a bit transformed in some lens of human perception.
Q: Nicholas, some of your work rather contradictory, how can you get people to accept these ideas? People often prefer Banality isn't it?
A: Certainly, I have many works of a very controversial character. Many of them on themes of terror, suicide, murder and some of them on the issues of medical ethics and general fundamentals of humanity. I can not force anyone to accept my art. All I can is just to explain the work and give the people an opportunity to look at the problem through my eyes. Such works as the Torment and Murder in Istanbul wery much autobiographical. Torment is kind of resounding to the scene of crusifixion of Christ, but also is a sort of self-portraiture, depiction of a being whose life is tormented by many impossibilities. Murder in Istanbul is about murder and love. Such works as The Last Judgment is a vision of society and science of the future, it's a quite different world where issues of death are often dealt with the use of advanced surgery and implantation of the cloned human organs. Thus death temporary surrender to science. The science has possibilities to repeatedly extend the life of a man. Hence the name - The Last Judgement, by analogy with the biblical story of the forthcoming resurrection and the Judgment Day. Undoubtedly, extended possibilities of medicine raise an ethical questions - no matter how good or bad person is, extension of life will be possible to purchase for everyone posessing, more likely, large sum of money. It has nothing to deal with life in heaven deserved by living the life without sin, more likely there will be more rich sinners in this medical heaven.
Q: Beside your expressionist oeuvres you produce a lot of a photo based paintings, especially the images of museums. Tell us more about this paintings.
A: Yes, of course, many people might have a question why the artist has several styles in his work. My photo based paintings reflect the external world, whereas the expressionistic tend to penetrate into the complex world of the human soul. Why are so many images of museums - the question is easily answered. Museums with visitors is a metaphor of human life. The past and present, and the future - all could be found in my museums. Also, of course, a museums is a very visually rich and complex material, a great subject for painting.
Q: Nicholas, how do you explain works such as a Thousand years and Midday suicide?
A: A Thousand Years, this sculpture is just a drop of semen on a square of glass. Thousands of millions of years this sperm transmitted life of one organism to another, hence the name. Midday suicide is very cruel piece of art. It depicts the collapse of a young and sexually attractive woman. The reason - the midday heat, excess hormones just an unfortunate accident ... Death can happen always, and nothing will stop the cruelty of death. Such is the material world...I don't think my work is difficult to understand. I think they quite iconic for the modern life
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Nicholas Chistiakov, 2011
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