Echo 2011

Andrey Remnev painted 'Echo' using oil on canvas, and what strikes me is the almost dreamlike quality achieved through a kind of hyper-realism. The colours are so vivid, so saturated, they pop right out, creating this otherworldly feel. Look at how Remnev renders the woman's skin, it is luminous, like porcelain, and the folds of the golden sash and the mask have a weight and solidity that contrast with the flatness of the background. The brushstrokes are almost invisible, the surface smooth, like glass. Then, amidst these details, notice the birds with red tail feathers, which become abstracted into lines, a decorative motif. The birds, plants, and mask, against a backdrop of both natural and imagined. It reminds me a little of Balthus, especially his portraits of young girls, but with a distinctly Russian flavour. Remnev embraces paradox, creating a world that feels both familiar and utterly strange.