Kabakov's Workshop. From the Album 'Actors' 1996

Viktor Pivovarov created "Kabakov's Workshop" as part of his 'Actors' album. It's like he’s painted a stage set, hasn’t he? A stage set for the theatre of the mind. I can imagine him sketching, rubbing out, trying to capture the essence of this artistic milieu. What was he thinking, what was he feeling? There’s a real mix of characters here, all caught in their own little worlds. The colors are muted, the lines are delicate, and the space is shallow. It’s all tightly packed. The figure with the raised arm and the wooden plank over its face could almost be from another painting—maybe a Cubist-inspired work by Picasso or Braque. It reminds me of the way that artists can pull imagery from their memory and bring it into the present. It's a beautiful illustration, bringing a narrative to life. The way the figures interact, or don't, creates a sense of mystery. It makes you wonder about the relationships between them and the stories that lie beneath the surface.