Polya 2011

Curator: This is Andrey Remnev's painting, "Polya," completed in 2011. It presents a surreal portrait of a young girl surrounded by lush, dreamlike imagery. Editor: The color palette really strikes me first, it has such depth. The dark, almost bruised background throws the girl's fair skin and the vibrant green of the grass into sharp relief. Curator: Absolutely. Notice the attention Remnev pays to the textures—the smooth skin of the girl against the intricate wrought iron of the chair, the bristly grass, and the sleek fur of the cat. All appear very deliberately constructed using oil paint. The technique creates a striking interplay of manufactured and organic forms. Editor: The positioning of Polya with animals feels very intentional. The placid gray cat and a curious chameleon become more than decorative additions; I read them as participants of the moment being staged by Remnev. The birds—some seem pinned into the scene—make me think about freedom, but a captivity of sorts. Curator: An astute reading. Remnev’s compositions often incorporate folkloric elements blended with surrealist touches, all through a carefully constructed method. It appears his paintings often depict figures posed within very constructed environments, seemingly questioning humanity's relationship with the manufactured versus organic world. Consider the chair—its very function as a mass-produced item placed directly into the pastoral setting… Editor: Yes! It's that collision that I find so intriguing. Is Remnev perhaps critiquing our contemporary estrangement from the natural world, setting a privileged "Polya" apart from the reality of how such art materials and other goods are extracted and manufactured? It certainly makes you think. Curator: Remnev, in many ways, provides a perspective to contemplate the intersection between tradition and progress, folklore and modern society by emphasizing contrasts and inviting us to ponder those contradictions. Editor: Exactly, and the tension that creates… a beautiful, disquieting reflection on where we situate ourselves. Curator: Agreed. I think understanding the process, materials, and construction lends much to its layered interpretations. Editor: I will walk away contemplating the social narratives this painting opens up, questioning the idyllic presentation versus possible critiques.