The work of Russian-born husband-and-wife team Igor Kozlovsky and Marina Sharapova is characterized by a remarkable fusion of seemingly discordant elements: past and present, figurative and abstract, traditional and avant-garde In images of striking beauty and depth, Renaissance-era figures float over backgrounds of cryptic text and pattern while areas of intricate, realistic detail coexist with expanses of layered color. Igor and Marina strive to “give new meaning to familiar images, placing them in unexpected frames.” Synthesizing the modes and motifs of various art historical periods into coherent, arresting images, they cause great distances of time and geography to collapse. The theme of fusion is not limited to the content of Igor and Marina’s work—it is also integral to their art-making process. Each painting represents an extraordinary feat of collaboration between two artistic minds. The result is an entirely unique artistic landscape where tradition and innovation, old and new, real and fantastic, collide. In this new body of work, Igor and Marina delve still further into our collective human conscience, into the realm of theatricality and dreams. The paintings capture “the moment historical personages remove their costumes and makeup,” says Igor, “but you don’t have to take it too literally - we like questions to be left unanswered. As people say, kept secrets have power. Revealed secrets have none.”
Text by Caldwell Snyder Gallery |
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