Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea 2012

This is a photographic artwork by Arsen Savadov, called Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea. It’s unclear exactly when it was made, or what process he used to create this image, but there are definite layers to it. There’s a backdrop of a dramatic seascape, then the performers or ‘players’ in the foreground, and finally there's a graffitied rock, with a diver fighting an octopus, that seems superimposed over everything else. I find myself drawn to the surface of this work. The textures and colours speak to a sense of fantasy and play. The artist isn’t trying to hide the layers, so the piece feels like a performance, a stage set, or a dreamscape. The overall feeling is one of artifice and invention. I’m reminded of the paintings of David Salle, with their superimposed layers and juxtaposed imagery. Like Salle, Savadov seems interested in the way that images can be layered and combined to create new meanings and associations, a kind of conversation across time. And as with all art worth its salt, it leaves you with more questions than answers, which is just the way I like it.