Orpheus' Laboratory 2010

Arsen Savadov made this painting, Orpheus’ Laboratory, with what looks like acrylic or gouache, layering thin washes to create a busy scene. It feels like an explosion in a body-building library! Looking closely, you can see how Savadov uses thin washes of color to build up the forms, like the muscles floating in the air. It’s a delicate touch, but the overall effect is anything but subtle. The texture is smooth, almost slick, which contrasts with the chaotic subject matter. Those brightly colored muscles – they’re not just anatomical studies, they’re like brushstrokes, full of energy and movement. And those stacks of books? They're like plinths or stages for this absurd drama. I find myself drawn to the single muscle floating near the bottom, casting a shadow on the stack of books. It’s a small detail, but it anchors the whole composition, giving it a sense of weight and gravity. This piece makes me think of Ilya Kabakov’s installations, with their mix of the mundane and the surreal. Both artists create worlds that are both familiar and utterly strange, inviting us to question the boundaries of reality.