Michael SOLOVYEV
THE
CODA
SERIES
A unique painting series that offers a new perspective on our world.
Concept of the Exhibition
This is a story about a world that has already slipped away from us. Not just my personal regrets and nostalgia, but the collective memory and emotions of an entire generation. Yes, vinyl records made their comeback. But you must admit, they're only a small part of what was lost, and still completely different from what they used to be. Digital tablets replaced paper and pencils, and the doomscrolling on a small cell phone screen made the comfort of an evening with a book obsolete.
I'm not at all opposed to technological progress, despite what you might have concluded. I adore MacBook’s convenience. And yet, I remember with warmth and regret the evenings I wrote letters to my loved ones and friends, sitting at my desk by lamplight, my fingers tired as I filled out page four in my compact handwriting.
The fall and the twilight of trinkets, objects, habits, the entire strata of culture leave only a faint trace in our memories, as it all fades. This series of artworks is my way of thanking the past, reminding you, but most of all myself, of what we have irrevocably lost. Forever. Gradually, these memories and observations of the contemporary world have shaped this exhibition, which I present to you.
You can learn the story and the interesting details behind the creation of this series in the "Behind the Scenes" section
The Story - Behind the Scenes
It all started when my family and I reread the Strugatsky Brothers' novel Roadside Picnic aloud to introduce it to my son Alexander. The next evening, I saw my beloved wife wrapped in a blanket and happily reading Ivan Bunin by the warm light of a wall lamp. I caught myself feeling envious - it has been too long since I last put the world on pause just to leisurely reread my favorite books.
It forced me to look around and see cultural strata, objects, phenomena, and even habits that may still exist, but have ceased their integral role in our world. Much of this series is deeply personal, such as the artworks about theater, which was a big part of my life. No one directs the lights or changes the filters by hand anymore. It is all done by computer. The curtain rises with a button, and the sound of a MacBook keyboard is nothing like the click of a Remington typewriter.
This series of artworks brings together a great deal of personal influence - parts of my biography, favorite books, and favorite creators: the Strugatsky Brothers, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Bach, Kieślowski. I make an appearance in each artwork - if you look just long enough, you can find a smoking pipe or other objects that make up my world on each canvas. Each painting also contains the title of the entire series. The title itself, incidentally, comes from my theatrical practice - in the score of a play, it was the title of the final scene, the last thing the audience sees and what remains of the performance...
In my work on this project, I employed a complex and signature technique that allows me to use textures and intricate detailing simultaneously. This visual language is the result of a synthesis of theatrical techniques and the academic school of oil painting.
The project took a very long time, simply because my time was booked several years in advance: workshops, exhibitions, festivals… But returning to the studio, I always immersed myself in this autumnal feeling of loss - and recovered through it.
I really want you to see the world that slips through our fingers – so that you could remember it and thank it as it forever passes.
Now it's time to get acquainted with the collection.
About Michael Solovyev
Michael Solovyev's traditional academic art education, extensive experience as a head theater stage designer, and oil painter career now inform his versatile artistic expression and unorthodox techniques and methods, in oil, watercolor, and other media. Michael is an artist of great renown, with exhibitions and workshops all over the world, from Bolivia to France to Australia.
Michael sees his work as an artist as exploration and observation of the world and its presentation in such way the others can see the things he saw. He considers being an artist as one of the most interesting jobs in the world. Since theater is his background, it is all done through the prism of theatrical art.
First and foremost, Michael is a head theater stage designer, where he started his career and made more than 50 plays before his move to Canada. The idea of theater art is still with him – that is where his understanding of visual arts originates from. In theater, everything is different – the main part is the light and how subjects present in it, and not the subjects in themselves. He was responsible for light, sets, furniture, costumes, props, and makeup – all the visual aspects, from A to Z, that the audience can see when they go to the theater.
Michael considers adrenaline and experimentation the necessities of the creative process, always challenging himself with new techniques, ideas, stories, and materials.
Michael’s prolific artistry translates into 16 personal and over 70 group exhibitions around the world, where he won multiple awards and recognitions. In recent years, he represented Canada at many renowned art festivals in Hong Kong, Slovenia, India, Italy, France, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, Bolivia, Hungary, and Portugal among other countries.
He is a signature member of six prestigious art societies – Canadian Society of Painters in Water Color, Canada (CSPWC), National Watercolor Society, USA (NWS), Society of Canadian Artists, Canada (SCA), North East Watercolor Society, USA (NEWS), International Watercolor Society (IWS), and Philadelphia Water Color Society, USA (PWCS).
