Yury-To-Yuri (Y2Y) Show at the Market Street Gallery

A few photos from the 2-person show I and another Yuri (Shiller) staged in the Market Street Gallery, San Francisco (April-May, 2007). Here are a few thoughtful words from the official press release:

Two Yuris, two names – two artistic journeys spanning different continents, countries, cultures. Both were born and raised in the former USSR, both lived in the United States for almost two decades, both settled in San Francisco. While Frolov and Shiller share interest in the non-verbal, subliminal, symbolic aspects of reality, they bring their strikingly individual approaches to this two-person art show.

Yury (Frolov) explores archetypal symbolism through semi-abstract signs and shapes assembled in enigmatic visual “texts” and powerful mandala-like compositions. His creative sources are personal dreamscapes: the inward-oriented mind-structures evoking associations with tribal ritual, collective unconscious, and the visual aspects of political propaganda and psychedelically-inspired graffiti art. Building upon an intricate symbol-based vocabulary Yury (Frolov) exhibits a wide range of prints, which can be described as two-dimensional art objects suitable both for casual contemplation and focused power-meditation.

Yuri (Shiller) derives excitement from free-flowing colors, shapes and textures. His “art-ornaments” are sensual enough to extend beyond pure art and lend themselves to fashion objects: in addition to art prints Yuri (Shiller) shows a variety of wearable art – dresses, shirts, T-shirts, and more.

Art Formulae No.2

….Just thought this image would be a good addition to the previous post. Art-Furmula does not have to use alphanumeric symbols, substituting semi-abstract shapes for alphanumerics produces pretty cool effect, yeah?

Art Formulae

I noticed lately that my art-doodles (which I also call “table-top graffiti”) contain shapes that resemble scientific or mathematical formulas. These images, in many cases generated semi-automatically, say, while speaking on the phone, consist of variety of abstract symbols: various brackets ( (), [], {} ) , “plus”, “minus”, “equal”, “square root” ( +, -, =, √) and such. Interestingly, these symbols were intertwined with more representational symbol-pictograms (hearts, wings, crowns, fire, arrows, etc.) that seemed to come from different – but also heavily “formulaic” – realms such as propaganda-art, urban graffiti, etc.

After collecting hundreds of those scribbles I became intrigued by the fact that these “formulas” materialized in my mind – which is frankly not too mathematically-endowed :). An easy explanation, I would guess, is that in mathematics the meaning for the terms “formula” and “expression” is almost identical. It is only logical to suppose that in our age of Science – which plays a role of ubiquitous “know-it-all” quasi-religion – the graphic representation of scientific thought inadvertently becomes the material of artistic exploration. Formulas, by their “… concise way of expressing information symbolically,” are destined to find even more prominent place in visual urban scapes already littered with symbolic messages from advertisers, graffiti artists and other propaganda wizards. Needless to say, I was greatly entertained by converting these symbols of scientific “objectivity” into deliberate works of subjective “self-expression.”

What is Psychedelic Art Anyway?

Recently I happened to design a few art-patterns for Start Mobile (the online gallery that allows to download digital art “wallpaper” to mobile phones). I received a few interesting comments on this work referring to these designs as “psychedelic.” This was quite surprising since the psychedelic experience in general and psychedelic art in particular weren’t on my mind at all when I was working on these.

Wikipedia defines “psychedelic experience” as one that is “[…] characterized by the perception of aspects of one’s mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ordinary fetters.” This triggered a bit of thinking on my part and drove me to a quick conclusion that ALL human output that has some artistic merit is bound to be psychedelic in its essence – i.e. revealing something unknown – be it an interesting take on something already familiar (Lucian Freud); or breaking a new conceptual ground (Marcel Duchamp). Anywhere you look, be it the reality-based art of Italian Renaissanse or the pompous official paintings of 18th century French Academy, creative output is inevitably “colored” by some mind-altering “substances” such as religion, humanistic philosophy – or perhaps anxiety produced by close proximity of the royal court. Even the most “illustrative” socially-conscious realists of the Russian Peredvizhniki movement failed to stay completely mundane to fit the “non-psychedelic” art category that I am trying to imagine… :)

Spirit Diagrams

All right, I guess one can call these “organizational charts”, “flow diagrams”, or “navigational maps” of internal spiritual events. Arranging a limited set of shapes and patterns in a diagram manner allows to record a wide variety of psychological events impossible to show otherwise. Spatial arrangement, orientation, scale, directional properties implied by arrow-like shapes make it possible to suggest various mythical meanings, though not quite direct literal explanations. Who could have thought that working in information architecture field would bring me closer to understanding the shaman’s mind! I guess there IS a need in each individual’s life to mythologize hers (his) own experience. If you are familiar with Joseph Campbell’s work, no further explanation is needed. If you never had a pleasure of reading his stuff or watching his interviews, you are in for a rare intellectual and metaphysical treat!

Distorted Symmetry

I like the Yin-Yang symbol. Simple. Powerful. Ultimate.
To me though, the mirror effects are even more fascinating when they are not the exact reflections or inversions, but rather “tweaked evolutions” of the “source”. Repeated reflection-distortion cycles turn basic shapes into complex multidirectional “power signs.” Interestingly, they gain some “organic” qualities due to subtle additional distortions of their almost totalitarian symmetry.

Imagined Alphabets

Shapes arranged in linear sequential manner tend to evoke a sense of written language. The fact that message cannot be understood does not really change its emotional appeal. Moreover, the less message can be deciphered the more seems to be the appeal – for it triggers our imagination. In fact we may not want to know the actual meaning because deep inside we are afraid that this might be just another alien dry-cleaning receipt. :)

Wings, Snakes and Heart over Seascape

OK, here is a multilayer impression where semi-abstract constructions overlay the stylized seascape image. It is clear that imagery from very different “realms” may naturally co-exist, mix and interact. Interesting “meanings” may arise.