Art of England, Issue 64, 2009

Classic Sculptures & Contemporary Contours

A superb collection of some of the most iconic pieces of the famed sculptor Auguste Rodin and an exhibition of the contemporary figurative paintings of Sveta Yavorsky are two major shows to enjoy this season.

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Spectral Presence - The Latest Work by Sveta Yavorsky

"One of the major elements in my work," says Sveta Yavorsky, "is the contour." It is the figurative outline that enables her paintings to contain a multiplicity of abstract detail and patterning - a touch of chaos - whilst at the same time maintaining a visual coherence and consequent dynamic tension.

Sveta Yavorsky was born in Russia and studied at the Moscow University of Architecture. Strongly influenced by a tradition of painters within her family, on graduating she was drawn to studying visual art in a number of private studios. She moved to London in 1992 to pursue a career as a fine artist. Her architectural training, however, contributed to a continued fascination with the use of geometric patterns within figurative compositions.

"For me the challenge of being a contemporary figurative painter," says Sveta, "lies in the channelling of the sensation and impact of abstract expression into the firm framework of realistic contours, thereby giving a focus for the energy of the paintings." This method also enables Sveta to select the most vital elements of a figurative composition, leaving out the details that distract from the essence of the subject, and enhancing this core meaning by substituting them with the mystery and power of emotionally charged abstract patterns and colours. In this she echoes the film director Werner Herzog's idea that 'facts do not give you truths' and that in art one must bring out an 'ecstatic' or essential truth through the manipulation of reality.

Within the figurative contours, Sveta keeps only that which she believes to be integral to the inner meaning of the composition: poses, gestures and facial expressions, symbols by which we decode and understand emotional states. Taking her inspiration from ancient Egyptian art, as well as Japanese woodblock prints, Sveta confines these figurative components to the plane of the painting. This allows for a balance or fusion between the layers of patterning and perforation, and the silhouetted figures, with each element tempering and enhancing the other.

Through her palette of optical abstract patterns, Sveta is able to create a variety of rhythms within her paintings. The perforations encourage a feeling of stasis, while the flowing stripes suggest a dynamic inner movement. Other more amorphous patterning is used to relax and soften the sharpness of the figurative contours, dissolving the distinction between pattern and image.

The central approach behind this particular exhibition is the heraldic use of colour: the simple juxtaposition of two or three colours to create an instantly recognisable motif. The cornerstones of the exhibition are four paintings of knights, paired together and shown in a frozen movement midway to each other, a journey whose culmination we cannot witness, but whose vibrating energy is expressed through the layers of detail placed over, and interacting with, the contours of each figure.

Sveta Yavorsky is one of the most interesting and important contemporary artists working in London and her exhibition, along with Rodin's magnificent sculptures, should not be missed.

Auguste Rodin - Sculptures runs until summer 2010 and Sveta Yavorsky: Spectral Presence runs 7 - 24 December. Both are to be found at Hay Hill Gallery, 23 Cork Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3NJ. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7734 7010, www.hayhill.com

This is London, Issue 2774, 4 December 2009

SPECTRAL PRESENCE - SOLO SHOW OF SVETA YAVORSKY
'Spectral Presence' pairs the work of London based artist Sveta Yavorsky with an iconic private collection of Rodin bronzes cast from foundry plasters. The exhibition will run from 7-24 December at the Hay Hill Gallery, 23 Cork Street, W1

Sveta Yavorsky studied art and architecture at the Moscow University of Architecture. Initially architecture had a profound impact on her work, as she began to use geometrical shapes and patterns, which surrounded and blended with the surreal and floating figures that formed the centrepiece of the works. After graduating from university, she took part in several exhibitions both in Moscow and abroad, eventually moving to London permanently. With the cultural change came a new direction in her work. She started to concentrate more on the interaction of colours in her paintings, and the creation of a dynamic inner movement within the static composition of her figures. She carefully studied Kandinsky's theory of colour, and developed from this her own idea of how colours and their various combinations affect the psyche.

For further information, telephone the Hay Hill Gallery on 020 7734 7010.