Diptych «Poppy. Flower of Hypnos and Tanatos and sons of the night» 2020

Editor: This is Yulia Mamontova’s “Diptych \u00abPoppy. Flower of Hypnos and Tanatos and sons of the night\u00bb,” created in 2020 using matter and oil paints. The dark background really makes the flowers pop—pun intended, I suppose. I'm struck by how both vibrant and kind of melancholic it feels at the same time. What story do you think this piece is telling? Curator: Ah, yes. You noticed it too. I find this diptych utterly bewitching. Mamontova really conjures the ancient world in this painting; those saturated reds of the poppies practically hum against the darkness, a darkness full of latent dreams. Those “sons of the night” become almost palpable. The poppy, linked to Hypnos and Thanatos, sleep and death, is already laden with meaning. But why two panels, I wonder? Editor: Is that why there is a division in the art? Is the artist separating sleep and death or maybe intertwining them in some way? Curator: Precisely! Maybe the separation is a mere fragile membrane, a space where those states commune. Those textural layers— the way the oil almost seems built up — invite a slow, tactile engagement, urging us towards contemplation rather than quick viewing. It reminds me of those Byzantine icons that asked to be pondered and lived with, rather than merely admired. What do you make of it? Does that feel right to you? Editor: I can see that. It's more than just pretty flowers; there's definitely something deeper going on. Curator: Indeed. It feels less like observation and more like incantation. Editor: This makes me want to revisit my mythology textbook. It sounds like there's so much to unpack! Curator: Absolutely! The language of flowers is only just beginning to reveal itself.