Yenisey River Banks 1987

Curator: Here we have Petros Malayan's "Yenisey River Banks" painted in 1987. Look at how the artist captures the scene. Editor: Woah, it feels...stark. Is 'wistful abandonment' a mood? Because if so, this painting nails it. The palette is so muted and desaturated, makes the scene looks forgotten, but peaceful. Curator: Absolutely. The Yenisey River in Siberia holds great cultural significance, serving as a vital artery for transportation and trade, which carries centuries of human activity. In his choice of muted colors, one sees Malayan’s expression of solitude, capturing the mood and spirit of the soviet-nonconformist art movement during the late 1980s. Editor: You can almost feel the bite of the Siberian wind. What's striking is that despite the limited color range, it feels so alive. It reminds me of those old black and white films where you fill in the colours yourself – you know, based on feeling. There's something deeply human in its incompleteness. The turquoise windows give an unreal and uncanny view of the picture, even if that may not have been his original intention! Curator: The boats, for instance – their presence might be interpreted as the end of a journey, representing themes of impermanence, of moving on. These objects have been re-imagined and immortalized. The ladders too suggest transition or reaching some destination. All rendered beautifully in watercolor. Editor: Transition... right. And the two figures in the background. Are they leaving? Or arriving? This could tell us something more! There's a whole narrative implied within that composition, but the cool restraint forces you to slow down. To imagine it into being, a shared history or culture now gone to waste! Curator: The 'impressionist landscape' style definitely gives the artwork a more subtle and gentle appeal. I agree. Editor: Yeah. Well, it feels like uncovering a faded photograph in your grandparents' attic. There is an honesty, an almost humble beauty in witnessing it through his eyes that is actually compelling, and that leaves you in the mood to wonder if one knows everything. It leaves its door ajar! Curator: Yes. There are subtle, meaningful undertones about what it means to connect to nature, society and art. It also gives us a peek into Malayan’s state of mind at that time in 1987. It makes you think! Editor: Art with that personal signature gets my vote. You know, that "thinking-made-visible" type of art. I enjoyed that! Curator: Likewise! The composition is what leaves its permanent mark, or so I think!