GROUP CELEBRATION 2016

Babak-Matveev made Group Celebration around 2014, using photography and digital manipulation. It’s a riot of color, isn't it? The way the purples and greens pop against the golds and reds, it’s like a visual feast, a party on a screen. Look at the texture of the image. It’s smooth, almost too perfect, which gives it this surreal quality. The colors are bold and saturated, like they've been turned up to eleven. And those figures – they’re like characters out of a folk tale, dressed in these outlandish costumes, each one a walking, talking color block. Take the man with the accordion, for example. His purple jacket clashes so wonderfully with his bright green trousers, a detail which pulls you right into the scene. This is kind of like the work of David Hockney - both artists share a love for bright, clashing colors and a playful approach to perspective. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue across time and styles.