Interior 1917

Curator: The work before us is entitled "Interior" painted in 1917 by Konstantin Gorbatov, a Russian artist working around the time of the Russian Avant-Garde. He chose oil paints to craft it. Editor: Oh my. I am immediately struck by its intimacy, despite being, well, an "interior." It feels incredibly personal. The jewel tones, the patterns, the crowded placement of furniture… It's almost theatrical, like a stage set waiting for the players to enter. Curator: I see what you mean by theatrical. Note the prevalence of reflections here – in the mirror, on the polished surfaces. Mirrors symbolize introspection but, in drama, mirrors can be used for reveals or surprises… perhaps a narrative hint? Editor: The portraits clustered on the wall amplify that narrative pull. We are in someone's inner sanctum here and they are, very deliberately, sharing it with us. Even the flowers, their colours, strike me as consciously chosen, not just casually arranged. They become signifiers of affection and love, like stage props. Curator: Right. We understand why paintings of rooms like these became so significant within Symbolist and even pre-Surrealist art. The placement of items or people acts almost as clues towards inner feelings of the occupant or artist, much like you suggest, as characters in a story. Gorbatov may have simply desired to recreate a pleasant bourgeois interior. But the arrangement… yes, you’re on to something. Look closely, one notices things, then finds more within. It creates a feeling – more than is explicitly shown, but deeply understood. Editor: Ultimately, it is the layering that speaks. Each surface vying for your attention. The room becomes a puzzle that might yield all kinds of symbolic treasure if given enough attention. I feel both comforted and claustrophobic viewing this image. Gorbatov really managed to put an essence on canvas, far beyond representation of an Interior. Curator: It certainly has layers, in every sense. An open invitation, I think, to bring one’s own reading to its contents, it creates its very own, small personal story in each viewer's mind. Thank you for bringing those treasures out.