Monday, November 10, 2014

The Fascinating Paintings Of Peter Panov

By Christa Jarvis


The 1920s was a time when a revolution was being experienced in many areas of life, including art. Peter Panov is an artist who is fascinated by this era and his paintings reflect this. At the same time they are appreciated because of their contemporary feel. Peter studied fine art in Moscow and later settled in Canada.

He creates memorable characters in his paintings although they also give one the feeling of being familiar. His scenes come from all the ordinary events of daily life and are made special. Men read newspapers, women sit in cafes and drink wine or walk in the street. Jazz musicians, stars of the silver screen and city scenes are all subjects he enjoys painting.

The artist typically works in acrylic, with some mixed-media pieces. Cubism features in his work and this is perhaps what gives it its contemporary edge. His paintings almost have the look of collages, particularly with the way in which he uses newsprint. His flat forms and blocks of color are also typical of cubism. They are extremely flat and yet still seem to have depth.

His canvas is filled with intricate details and he juxtaposes elements in unexpected ways. Large figures of musicians are seated in the sky playing their instruments with the city below them. Others stand alongside buildings and almost seem part of them. This makes one wonder about whether the inhabitants are molded by the city or whether they create its image around them.

The textures are created with the use of palette knife and brush and colors are combined in a sophisticated manner. He takes the routine of city life and manages to capture moments in time to tell a story. Someone moves behind the curtains, a woman battles against the wind in the street with her umbrella, two lovers embrace in a telephone booth and a woman sits at a cafe applying her lipstick with a small mirror.

Josephine Baker, an icon of the 1920s appears in some of his paintings. She was an actress, dancer and singer who became famous for her daring outfits and dance routines. Mary Pickford, probably the most famous movie star of the time, is another subject he chose to portray.

Crowd scenes are a favorite of this artist. He finds a way to depict collective memory but at the same time to make it distinctive. A number of paintings depict men in hats and suits facing away from the viewer. They all look the same but on closer examination, the tiniest details are diverse. Many of his crowd scenes are like this with a recognizable sameness and yet many subtle differences.

The works of this artist are available for purchase from online galleries. His fans eagerly await his latest paintings. They love them for their intricacy and narrative detail. These works go far beyond the mere creation of images on canvas, having a depth and a timeless quality to them.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment