Untitled 1990

Curator: Well, hello. Today we are looking at a 1990 untitled piece by Arsen Savadov. It’s a mixed-media composition with visible impasto using acrylic paint on what appears to be canvas. Editor: My initial reaction is...chaos, but a strangely ordered chaos. There’s a lot happening here; I'm drawn to the large red figure eight, but it almost seems to struggle against the overall frenzy of line and form. Curator: I agree, it is visually overwhelming. Considering Savadov’s social and political context, specifically his emergence from within the Soviet Union and his relationship to the post-Soviet art scene, you can observe clear parallels between the upheaval of that era and the work’s construction. This really appears like the tension of shifting social landscapes rendered on canvas. Editor: Right, that background becomes interesting given how many different visual components Savadov uses: landscape elements, graffiti influence, touches of figuration, and definitely expressionistic application. Can we break down that palette, though? Curator: Materially, we can consider the fairly widespread use of acrylics in the late 20th century, particularly in terms of their accessibility and quick-drying nature. These aspects lend themselves well to the immediacy associated with graffiti art and the layering seen here, which also is quite interesting. There’s something fascinating about that layering – like a palimpsest of artistic gestures mirroring societal strata. Editor: Definitely! Notice how the lighter washes underneath get obscured or violently scratched over? It feels like Savadov is consciously creating depth with material and, to a certain extent, deliberately erasing himself. The figure eight, although vibrant, also has areas where that underpainting peeks through, again challenging its visual authority. Curator: I’m intrigued by the notion of deliberate self-erasure mirroring perhaps an effort to grapple with previous artistic approaches in favor of something completely revolutionary given shifting political climates at the time. The materials enable him to quickly explore, express, then suppress ideas… Editor: Well, no matter his particular impulse, I think we can both agree on one thing; Savadov provides a striking example of artistic innovation that plays with material application and visual language to capture its moment. Curator: Agreed. The energy is unmistakable. This artwork is an artifact, if you will, from that precise historical and cultural juncture, frozen in acrylics.