Arshan 1995

'Arshan' was painted by Mikhail Olennikov using oil on canvas. The paint has been applied in short, thick strokes in this landscape. The texture of the visible brushwork gives a lively quality to the scene, a moment captured in time. Olennikov uses this painterly approach to depict the imposing, majestic mountains, creating an ethereal impression. The foreground scene is a cluster of river rocks and verdant treescape, punctuated by modest structures suggesting the presence of human life within this seemingly untouched environment. The use of oil paint in this way belongs to a long history of landscape painting, especially in Russia, where the land itself is such a powerful presence. Olennikov appears to have used both traditional and contemporary techniques to create this scene. This approach invites us to consider the interplay between human labor and the natural world, and to value these different forms of making equally.