Rhinoceros tamer 2016

"Rhinoceros tamer" by Babak-Matveev, created in 2014, seems to play with color as a portal to another world. The artist dives headfirst into the process of world-building. Color and light are applied in ways that render depth as a concept rather than a reality. The palette is hyper-saturated and intensely vibrant. Look at the woman's stance, she is self-assured and strong, yet the rhino looks almost docile, even decorated with a floral anklet. This piece is all about contrasts and unexpected harmony. Consider that background! It gives me the same feeling as those backdrops in old photography studios, like something out of a dream. Overall the piece embraces ambiguity, welcoming multiple interpretations. It's an invitation to explore the boundless possibilities of art, where the real and the imagined blur into one. It reminds me of Rousseau, a self taught artist who worked with similar imagery and palette to evoke a sense of the surreal.