Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presents the first solo exhibition by the prominent rock musician and Russian hip-hop pioneer Vasya Vasin
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Fish as a recurring motif and symbol of transition: from elongated shapes to complex abstractions
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The hypnotic force of colour
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A world of questing and experiment
Visual arts have always been part of Vasya Vasin’s creative universe: having received solid artistic training as a kid, he still closely follows the local art scene.
A recurring image throughout this series of paintings (the artist has been working on it for a number of years until finally deciding to present it to a wider audience) is fish. Rendered by Vasin, these creatures of the deep form intricate compositions, at times turning his canvases into near abstractions. This dreamlike, irrational world pulses with the spirit of questing and experiment.
Intentionally choosing several clean-cut forms as a kind of ‘bricks’ to build his spatial compositions, Vasin gets carried away by the elemental force of colour, as befits any true painter. Just like a hypnotic beat or a catchy guitar riff, colour has an almost physiological effect on the audience – a feature readily embraced by the artist who turns the contemplation of his works into a sensual treat, virtually treading in the steps of the great Wassily Kandinsky.
‘How did I come to be a fish painter? Fish are my recurring dream. They inhabit an environment that remains alien to humans: we see its surface, but have no idea what goes on beneath it. Fish symbolises transition. Any sketched oblong complete with a tail and an eye becomes a fish: fish is simple, and yet incredibly complicated. Fish is smart and mute, it is the epitome of wise silence, which is wonderful. Perhaps this is a strange thing to say for someone who became famous for what is essentially blabbing.’ (Vasya V. commenting on his works).
