Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presents an exhibition by Vera Mylnikova whose striking canvases address the phenomena of ecstasy, temptation, and faith
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Well-known stories and archetypes redefined through the artist’s own spiritual journey
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Dramatic neo-romanticism: a love blending the sensual with the horrible and the ignoble with the sublime
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Classical compositions, meticulously orchestrated palette, and flamboyant theatrical effects
Philosopher Mircea Eliade claimed that only in the state of ecstasy can one fully establish one’s place in the world and one’s ultimate destiny. Vera Mylnikova’s exhibition stands as compelling proof for his words. Within the artist’s oeuvre, ecstasy manifests itself as the key sensation foundational to the protagonist’s tragedy.
Far from a mere ‘out-of-body experience’ or loss of identity, ecstasy implies transfiguration and unity with the Divine. This allows us to infer that the artist also addresses sacral subjects, offering a philosophical rethinking of archetypes.
The show mostly comprises works of the past decade sharing a common theme of spiritual questing, with The Mocking of Christ and The Temptation of St. Anthony finding parallels in the ancient myth of Attis and Cybele, the fall of Simon Magus, and the mysterious escape of Giacomo Casanova.
To a certain degree, Vera Mylnikova’s artistic sensibility can be classified as neo-romanticism in its celebration of a rebellious love amalgamating sensuality with cruelty. It is a condition most aptly described by the words attributed to Charles Baudelaire: ‘Love is a rose. Every petal an illusion. Every thorn a reality.’
From the painterly perspective, Mylnikova continues in the steps of her father Andrey Mylnikov and the tradition of the Russian Academy of Arts, attaching particular importance to chromatic harmony and composition and conjuring a singularly theatrical space.
Over the years of instructing the Academy’s mural painting workshop, Vera Mylnikova has raised a succession of young talents, each with a remarkable signature style and a distinct creative voice. As the artist herself is fond of saying, ‘Classical training lays the groundwork of the painting practice, but the spiritual dimension is entirely up to the individual.’
Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, holder of the honorary title of Distinguished Artist of the Russian Federation, head of the Russian Academy of Arts’ mural painting workshop, Vera Mylnikova was born in Leningrad. In 1975, she graduated with honours from the Repin Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (mural painting class of Andrey Mylnikov).
Member of the Artists’ Union of the USSR/Russia since 1978, Mylnikova created several large-scale murals, mosaics, and other monumental projects (including a series of tapestries for the Reception Hall at the Russian White House in Moscow) and took part in numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, including Japan, China, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, and Germany. The artist’s works were acquired by the Russian Museum, Tretyakov Gallery, Academic Research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, ROSIZO State Museum and Exhibition Centre, as well as for other museum and private collections in Russia and internationally.
