Unplugged 2020

Editor: Timur Akhriev’s "Unplugged," from 2020, really caught my eye. It's a mixed-media piece featuring a figure in a dreamy state, maybe asleep, surrounded by these luminous, almost bioluminescent shapes... It's got this sense of quiet introspection, like diving deep into your own thoughts. What do you see in this work? Curator: You know, "Unplugged" resonates with me on several levels. I feel this painting has something to tell us about modern life; perhaps it’s a comment about needing to disconnect and finding refuge in our inner world. Akhriev captures a certain vulnerability in his figure, the surrounding forms feel protective and otherworldly. Editor: I love how the forms create a kind of sanctuary, yet the lurking cat kind of hints there's also some agitation or stress lurking in this mental space. It reminds me of trying to fall asleep when there's so much going on in your mind. Curator: Precisely! That cat acts as the id that is present even at times when you think you have your thoughts managed. Akhriev’s impasto style creates such beautiful surface texture. Each brushstroke contributes to this dreamlike world; don’t you feel it's like you are peering through a kaleidoscope into someone's mind? What colors jump out at you? Editor: Definitely the blues, deep indigos and the splashes of pink within the "bubbles". Curator: Mmh, that intense contrast between dark and light amplifies the emotional tension. I can imagine that neo-expressionistic impulse combined with hints of fauvism is to present those emotional undertones through abstraction rather than explicit subject matter. You said introspection earlier, what if the bubbles themselves symbolize an internal processing, like meditation? Editor: I hadn't thought of that, but I totally see it! Thanks so much for these perspectives. I think it invites deeper introspection. Curator: Absolutely. And perhaps the invitation to all of us, to simply, "unplug". A reminder of what we all desperately need.