Monologues and Prayers
12.01.2021 - 02.02.2021
The Monologues and Prayers series of 2019-2020 unites the artist’s previous explorations and seems to include everything that has brought a spark to his life so far. The works derive their impact from the contrast between two sensations. The horizontal fields, strong colours, decorative feel and repeating motifs create an impression of olden rugs that mix elements from different folklores. At the same time, the straight-as-an-arrow military ranks and the intrusively repetitive geometric shapes are like a futuristic movie that has already happened. The warmth of the former contrasts with the cool precision of the latter. The individual images are dynamic and vivid, but also stuffed, dried and turned into a monument to themselves. The artist’s story moves between the cheerful and the sinister. His attempt to make the world look orderly and organised cannot hide its contradictions and complicated relationships.
The graphic sheet resembles a modern electronic circuit board, but also reminds us of ancient civilisations. The colours are strong, direct and optimistic. However, a certain anxiety lies behind this optimism – people have become sigla; they no longer dominate, but are simply an element of all technological structures. The robotic look is “warmed” by the decorative colours, which serve as a reference to folk crafts and historical accumulations. They also serve as a guarantor of eternity and promise us not to allow the worst predictions for the future of humanity to come true. The prayers in the title are another reference to that.
Philip Popoff creates his works on a computer, using vector graphics.
National Culture Fund: “One-year program to support private professional organizations in the field of arts”
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