ROMANTIC COLLECTION. LOVE SONGS by OLEYNIKOV
Three recent series of ink graphics.
– Her Name Was Alyosha Ilyich, or the Red Striped Panties, 2013, black ink, red pencil, pen on paper, 8 spreads, 40x60cm each
– I Magre, 2013, indigo and red ink on paper, 7 sheets, 100×80 cm, and 80x50cm
– The Ear, 2012, black ink on paper, 5 spreads, 60x80cn each
(from the press release) The show Romantic Collection features a selection of graphics works of the artist and a brand new series of graphics which will be included in his upcoming publication Sex of the Oppressed. The title of the selection of presented works is eloquent; a collection can be defined as a self-portrait, a synthesis of ideas and interest, dreams and utopias. It is deeply personal. So Oleynikov’s Romantic Collection evokes a more intimate dimension, witnessed by the format of the works. Each one is like a refrain; a part of a song that becomes an intimate narration. Using the very intimate medium of hand drawings and ink on paper, Oleynikov brings together personal reactions and intimacy in a very political way, reflecting the dramatic changes recently experienced by Russian society, and more precisely resonating with the so called “anti-gay law” and its possible consequences.
previously published in russian
Her Name was Alyosha Ilyich, or the Red Striped Panties
Nikolay Oleynikov 