Diary
Project “Gates and civilizations” by Dimitri Semakov
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 180 cm x 110 cm, 2003 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 180 cm x 110 cm, 2003 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 160 cm x 90 cm, 1998 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 300 cm x 120 cm, 2001 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 170 cm x 100 cm, 1997 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 120 cm x 80 cm, 2011 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 110 cm x 90 cm, 2012 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Series “Gates and civilizations”, Untitled, canvas, oil, mixed media, size 300 cm x 110 cm, 2008 © Dimitri Semakov www.semakov.com
Project “Gates and civilizations” by Dimitri Semakov develops a direction that the artist himself defines as “conceptual expressionism”, existing on the edge of figurative and abstract art. Architecture has always been and remains the main theme of the artist’s work, whose grandfather’s architect Joseph Zakov works are stored in the collections of the Shchusev State Museum of Architecture. Some of these works will be presented at the exhibition, along with the paintings of Dimitri Semakov.
“Architecture is the best way to feel the pulse of passed civilizations. For me, all the structures of the past are primarily the works of art, created by the best architects, stonemasons, sculptors and artists of the time. Arches, columns, stairs, entrances, the contours, proportions and décor are the expressions of tastes of an era. Every country, every culture has its own evident style, which, in my opinion, architecture demonstrates brighter than other arts.
My gates – are not a specific entrance, it is an allegorical generalized character of styles in architecture, it is a link of times, it is a philosophical symbol of a civilization and progress, development and knowledge. A man wants to go through the doors and find out what is behind them. A man opens the door to come to life, and closes it behind him when the time comes”, the artist Dimitri Semakov.
“The hero of Semakov’s art is not just an architecture, and even not high or great architecture. His art’s hero is very rare in modern painting. This is the great handmade space, created by man. (…) This is the space of meanings, which are endowed with basic archetypes of the cultural landscape – the wall and the road, boundary and path and exciting place of their meeting, the crossing point which becomes an aperture, a door, a window, a portal, gate and an altar, a transition place from one world to another…” Andrey Bokov, President of the Union of Architects of Russia.
Dimitri Semakov is the graduate of Art School of the Memory of 1905 in Moscow, he worked in Europe and USA, now lives between New York, Brussels and Moscow. His personal exhibitions, held in Cologne,Tokyo, Moscow and New York, presented paintings, drawings, sculptures and video installations.
April 18 – June 2, 2014
Shchusev State Museum of Architecture
Enfilade of the main building
Vozdvizhenka 5/25
muar.ru
