Ilya Zorkin
Beyong time
lya Zorkin is a representative of a new generation of artists who continue the tradition of the Russian classical school of painting. It's interesting he wasn't going to be an artist. He supposed to go to the military academy after school for continue the family tradition. But something went wrong. He studied mathematics, changed universities and faculties. Finally he entered the Repin Academy of Arts. He was already 25 years old! He successfully graduated the Academy at thirty. He was offered to stay at the University. Today he has a course for first-year students. This is a very serious confession. To be a teacher at the Academy of Arts is not only honorable, but very honorable. You can rise from the position of assistant to professor. A professor doesn't retire. This is a permanent contract.
The Academy of Arts itself is unique as an architectural project, as a part of the Russian history, as an educational institution. It isn't much has changed here the last 260 years since its foundation. The Academy has changed its name a few times, experienced a variety of shocks, but survived. After Perestroika contemporary Russian art became fashionable in the West. But the "academics" sold poorly. Today the pendulum swung again the other way. Students from the world come to Russia to study classical painting. In fact, it was preserved only here.
The Academy of Arts itself is unique as an architectural project, as a part of the Russian history, as an educational institution. It isn't much has changed here the last 260 years since its foundation. The Academy has changed its name a few times, experienced a variety of shocks, but survived. After Perestroika contemporary Russian art became fashionable in the West. But the "academics" sold poorly. Today the pendulum swung again the other way. Students from the world come to Russia to study classical painting. In fact, it was preserved only here.
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canvas / oil, 200 х 350 см
MOSCOW. 1698
This is the graduate work of Ilya Zorkin. It dedicated the rather dark period of Russian history - the Streltsy uprising during the Peter Great's transformations. Not all streltsy executed. Many of them were deported from Moscow without property. In the front of the picture we see the streltsy, who leads his horse by the bridle. There are his family and children on the cart. It's all that was allowed to take. This is the officer's caftan over his son. The horse is resisting. But the man keeps silent stubbornly. He walks down a narrow passage through the crowd. Someone looks with sympathy, someone disapproves, someone quietly whispers. Strained faces, clenched fists ...
This is Moscow landscape in the background. The silvery colors of the city are like echo the same color of the icon in the foreground . In general, the work is made in dark gray-umber colors. And the red color is like the strikes of a tuning tonometer.
This is Moscow landscape in the background. The silvery colors of the city are like echo the same color of the icon in the foreground . In general, the work is made in dark gray-umber colors. And the red color is like the strikes of a tuning tonometer.
"I made my painting with the "Feshinsky" special ground. Because I wonted not a glossy, but a matte surface, when the light seemed to drown in the texture. The darkest picturesque "moments" disappear in the picture. And you can see them up close only ...
I wanted the picture to be hard for perception. Such a complex subject cannot be written "sweetly". Glossy painting isn't possible here. In the picture is red paint, like strokes, like tuning forks. The whole it works for color."
I wanted the picture to be hard for perception. Such a complex subject cannot be written "sweetly". Glossy painting isn't possible here. In the picture is red paint, like strokes, like tuning forks. The whole it works for color."
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The work is in the Foundation of the St. Petersburg Repin Academy of Arts
Here are my painting which painted in different time. There are Italy workshops's pictures. There are my St. Petersburg's landscapes. I have a lot of my landscapes and sketches on my Instagram. I worked even during the quarantine at home. Therefore I painted portraits of my family and self-portraits.
"Thirty pieces of silver" is my new big work. It's better to look at it in real size. Usually I make such paiting for a very long time. Therefore there is a big canvas on the malbrett in my studio.
"Thirty pieces of silver" is my new big work. It's better to look at it in real size. Usually I make such paiting for a very long time. Therefore there is a big canvas on the malbrett in my studio.
Inna Dmitrieva
St. Petersburg, 05/09/2020
I like St. Petersburg more and more. Maybe because I'm getting older. Since I was child, I heard lovely stories about intelligent grandmothers and grandfathers which walk along the streets, holding hands. I haven't meet them yet. But walking along The English Embankment it seems to me that someone wears a hat with a veil passed behind me. St. Petersburg is a city of stories and legends. It doesn't matter it's true or not. Everything creates an inexplicable atmosphere here. Even permanent rains and fogs which blur the outlines of the city. The architecture is amazingly beautiful here. You can walk for hours along the wide streets and avenues and always find something new. It's just a miracle that all has survived! Always looking for a reason to come here again. And this time a reason was found ... I was introduced to Ilya Zorkin. And he invited me to the famous State Academic Institute of Repin. Although the name "Imperial Academy" suits better to Petersburg ...
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