(Reproductions of works)
(Comments of art critics)
(With full list of exhibitions)
Russia is rich in people of great talent. In any part of it one can
across unusual people of natural gifts, whose life and art sanctify the places
where they live. They are persistent and purposeful and follow the chosen way by
storing knowledge and experience to finally achieve mastery and glory. At the
beginning of way to art is always hard: lack of professional artistic education,
constant feeling of being rejected by professionals. They come to recognition,
fame, and people’s love with dignity and, first of all, confidence in the
correctness of chosen path. All this bears a direct relation to the life and art
of Gennady Maistrenko.
Gennady Maistrenko was born in the village of Yermolaevo, in
Southern Urals. After finishing school with physico-mathematical bias, he
studied at the physical-technical department of the Novosibirsk Electrotechnical
Institute in 1970-1975. He defends his diploma at the famous Institute of
Nuclear Physics in Akademgorodok (Novosibirsk Scientific Center). After the
institute he was engaged in the problems of aerophysics, went to field trips and
more frequently than ordinary people looked into the sky. This contemplation
helped him to become not only a scientist but an artist as well.
The first incitement to art was given by books about artists, which
Gennady read attentively, more and more plunging into the attractive and
extraordinary world - world of art. He entered the courses of drawing in the
Institute of Civil Engineering and delved into every detail of drawing,
painting, composition, and plastic art. Later he studied in the art school of
the Chkalov House of Culture under the guidance of the member of the Artist’s
Union of Russia Mr. A.S. Chernobrovtsev. Gennady considers him his first
teacher. Concurrently he studied at the Postal Tuition University of Arts in
Moscow, department of easel painting.
Everywhere Gennady was persistent in learning, he absorbed the most
important things, missing no word and movement of his teachers. He pays most of
his attention to technical properties of materials: how paints interact with a
basis, what might be done to improve the technique of painting with the help of
modern scientific procedures. The scientist experience prompts him very accurate
and correct conclusions from his meditations and experiments which he carries
out in his studio. Afterwards there appears an integral theory on technological
aspects of various painting techniques. And, naturally, he works a lot: training
and experimental works combined with original sketches. Landscapes and still
life became favorite themes for this artist. “The sky and the Earth, the sky
and water, interaction of these bases..., heaven over the domes of Russia, and
clouds reflected in pure water of rivers and lakes inspired me and gave the joy
of creation...”. This is the way the artist was conceived and formed. He made
his final decidion to leave science in 1990. Being a rather well-known scientist
(published papers and nearly finished Thesis of Ph. D), Gennady in 1990 comes
back from his trip to Yaroslavl and devotes his life to painting engrossed only
in one passion - to paint, paint, and paint.
The cycle of works under a common name “Temples of Russia”
appeared after his trip to Yaroslavl, where Gennady created a lot of sketches
and drawings which turned into pictures in his workshop. From Yaroslavl he
travelled to Uglich, Rostov Veliky, and Kostroma. He suddenly realized that only
ancient Russian architecture and landscape on which it was build by ancient
masters can be the subject of his creation. He started travelling to ancient
Russian towns, villages, and monasteries a lot according to preliminary made-up
plan. “I had a desire to carefully, step by step, study the work of Russian
architects which created monasteries and chapels in such a beautiful harmony
with the landscape. I wanted to make a cycle of paintings in which each work
would be the total of varied impressions..”. This is how the work on this
cycle started.
In 1992 - a trip to Kizhi, Novgorod, Pskov. In 1993 -
Vladimir, Suzdal. 1994 - again Vladimir, Suzdal and “discovery” of suburbs
of Moscow: Zvenigorod, Kolomna, Abramtsevo, Tarusa, and Polenovo.
In 1995 - Vologda, Kirillov, and Ferapontovo.
Each of these towns is devoted a cycle of works which compose a symphony
under the name “Temples of Russia”.
When coming to a town or monastery with the century-old history, Gennady
as though investigates it: walks a lot, gets to know historical materials, and
makes sketches. Tries to find an unusual opinion about the memorial under study.
Later, in the workshop he creates a peculiar “portrait” of the landscape or
architectural motif. This is the way he honestly reproduces a temple, a chapel,
or a large space panorama of a monastery, which are accurate in plastic art and
compositionally true. Remaining a scientist at heart, he is also thorough in
art: as though consciously
guards himself (and spectators) from superfluous emotions. Gennady speaks
about his art as about “rationalistic”, i.e. reflecting this or that
phenomenon, by being restricted to the fact of its honest reproduction. One
might have agreed with this statement after seeing one or two of his pictures.
But when visiting his workshop or art exhibition, one gets to the atmosphere of
a particular peace of mind and stability of this state. You feel protected from
alarm of outer world and inner anxiety. Once, when visiting Ferapontovo for the
first time, Gennady exclaimed: “ As though I have been to another century!”.
Exactly this feeling of being present in another century fills your heart at
Gennady’s art exhibition “Temples of Russia”. No one can say it better
than he did: “After visiting these places I feel that my soul is cleaned from
fuss and haste, there appear forces to withstand temptations, secret wishes,
doubts, and unrestrained deeds..”. The spectators experience the same feelings
after they get acquainted with Gennady’s pictures. When reflecting on the
cycle “Temples of Russia”, there comes another, may be a more literary name
“Cognition of Russia”. I believe this name more precisely fits the essence
of the master’s creation,
the person who loves his motherland and carries his love with beauty to
people. Gennady Maistrenko is worth of the name of original People’s artist.