Artist's world 1987

Curator: Standing before us is Georgi Kovachev's "Artist's World," an oil painting he completed in 1987. Editor: It strikes me as an almost dreamlike portrait. The palette is soft, pastel hues that create a somewhat ethereal, even nostalgic, mood. Curator: Kovachev, while clearly engaging with figuration, seems also deeply rooted in the romanticism movement. We must note, in viewing Kovachev's works in the late 80s, the deep artistic suppression in the soviet regime. Artists then did not have true freedom to explore. Editor: I agree. There's something very interior about it. I see the central figure, a woman holding what looks like a small figurine, but she seems isolated despite the surrounding motifs. Is the figurine representative of something specific to you? Curator: Perhaps. It could very well represent her own artistic creations and her vision. She seems a protector of ideas and creations. In viewing romantic art in repressive regimes, we often find these embedded layers of individual representation. Editor: I notice how the other abstract, seemingly primitive figures in the composition are displayed, similar to statues, behind her. Perhaps it does imply an artist presenting her work. The symbolism evokes a feeling of deep personal investment, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Most definitely. The entire composition speaks of Kovachev's investment in the role of the artist, and moreover, an insight of Kovachev's reflection on the state and perception of romantic artistry during his period. Editor: Ultimately, I leave "Artist's World" appreciating its ability to blend reality and symbolic depth so compellingly. I will carry with me its image as a reminder that art offers many views into our selves and our cultural world. Curator: Agreed, a beautiful painting reflecting both interior worlds and Kovachev's social and cultural landscape.