Plein Air 2015

Editor: Arsen Savadov’s "Plein Air," created in 2015 using mixed media and oil paint, presents a surreal scene. A ballerina is seated in what looks like a dream landscape. There is so much going on in this painting – what do you make of it? Curator: Indeed. The jarring juxtaposition of anatomical diagrams, musical instruments, a ballet dancer, and elements of domesticity immediately speaks to the fractured nature of memory and cultural inheritance. The ballerina herself is a potent symbol. Editor: In what way? Curator: Balerina is simultaneously representing ethereal grace and rigid discipline, reflecting both artistic expression and societal expectation. It reminds us how identity is shaped. Then look at the open hand diagram hovering. This image asks you what meaning resides at your fingertips and in the palm of your own hands? This surreal and contradictory symbolism evokes a deep sense of unease and disorientation. Editor: It almost feels like these diverse symbols are battling for dominance, creating tension. Curator: Exactly! It’s a psychological space. And in that respect, “Plein Air” challenges us to unpack our own inherited and cultural memory and biases through our understanding of symbolism and archetypes. Editor: So, decoding the symbols is almost a key to understanding the piece and also to ourselves? Curator: Precisely. Editor: This has given me so much to think about. I'm seeing the painting completely differently now. Thanks!