Gray August 2004

Andrey Remnev made this painting, Gray August, with oil on canvas. Look how Remnev builds the world here with subtle gradations. The colours are muted, almost greyed out, but that doesn’t make them dull. Instead, it gives the whole scene this dreamy, otherworldly feel. He’s so interested in the surface, isn’t he? He creates the houses, the ropes, the faces, all with a gentle, almost porcelain-like touch. Then you notice those ropes - how the artist painstakingly rendered every twist and turn. It's as though he's inviting us to trace them with our eyes, to get lost in their intricate patterns. It's this kind of close looking and quiet consideration that sets him apart. I see in Remnev some of Balthus's eerie calmness, but with a distinct Russian soul. And while it's easy to pin down influences, the best art always throws us off balance and lives in the space of ambiguity.