Художник - Алексей Кузьмич

Известность, слава. Они пришли к Алексею Кузьмичу на втором десятке лет творческой жизни, когда начал проясняться её общий замысел, неведомый поначалу и самому художнику.

По мере создания, картина за картиной, как страница за страницей, складывается книга творческой жизни живописца. В первой её части художественный мир Алексея Кузьмича конкретен, ощутима тяга к портрету, тематической картине. Непосредственные впечатления от встреч с родными местами, людьми входят в плоть его произведений: "У окна" (1974), "Воскресный день" , "Девушка и цветы" (обе 1976), "В мастерской художника" (1977) и другие. Не отрываясь от непосредственного чувственного опыта, художник хочет самоопределиться: схватить и выразить пластический характер человека, образ или сущность вещи, её материал, энергию и т.д.

Простые жизненные наблюдения, простые жизненные начала. Как это часто бывает в начале пути, иные работы подражательны. В них угадываются лица великих кумиров-учителей, ценимых с ученической скамьи - Тициана, Эль-Греко, Ван Гога. Но это подражание не слепое, не формальное. Молодой художник как бы проходит ступени, возведённые до него, чтобы затем подняться на уровень, где зазвучит уже его, только его мотив. Впереди обретение мастерства, выход к серьёзным гражданским и общечеловеческим проблемам. С круга житейских забот центр тяжести перемещается на темы большого философского звучания; о смысле присутствия человека, о его нравственном долге, о предназначении женщины - матери - Мадонны, о духовной роли славянских народов в общечеловеческой эволюции. Художник пристально всматривается в людские судьбы, чтобы лучше понять жизнь и время.

В 1980 году Кузьмич пишет портрет ярчайшей белорусской актрисы, народной артистки СССР С.М.Станюты, в 1983-м - портреты народных артистов СССР Г.К.Макаровой и З.Ф.Стомы, в 1988-89 годах - портреты скульптора, лауреата Ленинской премии СССР В.П.Занковича, народного артиста БССР, кинорежиссёра М.П.Пташука. В них художник старается передать индивидуальность, своеобразие и неповторимость моделей.

"Кто мы? Откуда и куда идём?" - эти вопросы рождают картины: "Памяти Гусовского" (1981), "Живи и помни", "Противостояние" (обе 1985), "Посвящается Чернобылю" (1988), "Жертвоприношение" (1989).

Проблемы духовного совершенствования человека, идеи добра и зла - вот предмет размышлений художника. Композиция картин усложняется. Экспрессия уступает место смягченным закругленным линейным ритмам, возрастающей насыщенности цветом и прозрачности живописной ткани.

В стилистике произведений явственно видны отблески иконной образности. Живописец старается придать изображению такую силу художественного воздействия, чтобы оно взяло душу в плен, входило бы в сознание, захватывало, открывая сущность явления. "Искусство должно быть внутренне напряжённым, - полагает художник, - иначе восторжествует холодная безликая изобразительность".

Творческие поиски Кузьмича всё чаще выходят за пределы общепринятых рамок и форм. Порой кисть не успевает за бегущей мыслью.

Картины, портреты... В полотнах "Опрокинутый мир" (1987-89), "Памяти узников ГУЛАГа" (1985-89 - из цикла "Памяти невинно убиенных"), "Детям Чернобыля" (1990), "Реквием" (1991-92) переплетаются и переосмысливаются страницы истории и современности. Теснят друг друга новые замыслы. Увлечённость искусством становится стилем и смыслом его жизни. Иные картины уходят, начинают жить собственной самостоятельной жизнью. Их место в мастерской тут же занимают новые - завидная плодовитость!

С удивляющим постоянством Алексей Кузьмич возвращается и возвращается к теме Мадонны. Он словно соревнуется с мастерами Ренессанса, справедливо полагая, что высокое искусство Возрождения и сегодня облагораживает и очищает, несёт успокоение, продолжает нести добро людям, в котором всегда нуждался человек.

Начало развития темы было положено в 1983 году картиной "Будущие мадонны". В ней молодость словно всматривается в мир, открывая неизведанное. Образы естественны и жизненны, почти конкретны. В последующих работах художник уделяет внимание не столько тщательной проработке деталей, широте передачи реальных пространственных отношений, сколько продуманной гармонии света и цвета. Живописец стремится к утончённости и изысканности изображения. Импульсивный энергичный мазок, вибрирующий свет увеличивают эмоциональную насыщенность картин. В полотнах "Мадонна Киевской Руси", "Мадонна над миром" (1987), "Сошедшая с небес" (1988), "Мадонна над Минском", "Чернобыльская Мадонна", "Мадонна. Вознесение" (все 1989), "Мадонна и ангелы" (1990) - радость и удивление, терпение и сострадание, страх и надежда. Главная же идея этих произведении - торжество и величие духа, жертвенность и страдание во имя людей. Именно ей посвящены картины "Плач Ефросиньи Полоцкой". "Плач княжны Рогнеды" (обе 1990), весь цикл работ "Плачущие мадонны".

Мир Мадонны для художника - это и его мир. В нем ответ на бесцветность и хаос нашего времени.

"Сейчас общество испытывает огромную потребность в реставрации духовных ценностей, - говорит художник, - самой высокой целью искусства является утверждение красоты, Божественного в человеке. Искусство должно нести миру Свечу Духовности, потому что, как и много веков назад, человек и сегодня стремится к свету и любви".

Природная стойкость и чувство сопротивления заставляют художника снова и снова обращаться не только к теме возрождения корней, но и к утраченным связям между человеком и природой, человеком и Космосом. Это всеобъемлющая идея также находит воплощение в дорогом для художника образе Мадонны.

Тарковский говорил, что в лучших произведениях поэзии наличествует триединство: мир, язык, художник. В полной мере это относится и к живописи. Недостаточность одного из компонентов этого единства делает произведение неполноценным, немощным.

Потеря кровной связи со своей землей всегда гибельна для творца. Осознанно или не вполне Алексею Кузьмичу удалось это избежать. Устоял он и перед бурным натиском всевозможных авангардных течений, сохранив в своем изобразительном языке чистоту и поэзию.

Introduction article of art critic Salavej L. F.

Alexei Kuzmich ! Today this name is seen more often on the pages of our publications. The reproductions of his paintings can be found in small and big magazines. Famous writers, artists, producers and public figures used to sit for him.

Recently the artist has visited the USA at the invitation of Paul and Sheron Moor, president and vice-president of "City-Hope" Society. Money from charitable exhibition was directed for the treatment of children, who suffered from Chernobyl.

Popularity, fame! They came to Alexei Kuzmich at the second decade of his creative life when he himself came to understand his artist's intention, which he hadn't been able to clarity before.

His creative life is composed of the periods during which he painted one picture after another. At first the artistic world of Alexei Kuzmich was completely realistic; we can observe his strive for portraying and thematic pictures. His own impressions after his meetings with the native places and people became the essence of his painting: "By the window" (1974), "Sunday", "A Girl and Flowers" (both in 1976), "At the Artist's Studio" (1977), etc.

The mere life observations, the mere beginning of life. How often we meet them at the start of our life, hence some of Alexei's works were the imitations of other artists. We can see the faces of great ideals, who have been his teachers since his school years: Titian, El Greco. Van Gogh. But it wasn't a pure imitation, the young artist has persistently been climbing the steps leading to the top were he would find his own style of painting. Then he became a real master of art and the problems lie touched upon in his works were very serious. Having left aside these problems the artist became interested in great philosophical issues about concerning the sense of human existence in the world, the civic duty of woman - mother - Madonna, the spiritual role of Slavs in the evolution, common to all mankind. The artist deeply examined men's fates in order to understand their life.

In 1980 Kuzmich painted the portrait of a talented Belarus actress, People's actress of the USSR S.M. Staniuta. then in 1983 he created the portraits of People's Actresses of ttie USSR G.K. Macarava and Z. Sterna, in 1988-89 - the portraits of a sculptor, Lenin Prize Winner, V.P. Zankovich. of the Peoples Actor of the USSR. a producer V.T. Turau and of Peoples Actor of the USSR, a producer M.N. Ptasliuk. In these pictures the artist tried to convey individuality, originality and peculiarity of these people. His pictures: "Devoted to Gusovski" (1981), "Live and Remember", "Opposition" (both in 1985), "Devoted to Chernobyl" (1988), "Offering" (1989) became famous.

The problems of spiritual improvement of man, the ideas of good and evil were always the subjects of the artist's thinking. The composition of the pictures became more complicated. His expression changed to soft oval lines, to growing colorfulness and transparency of the art stuff.

In their style we can vividly see the gleams of icons figurativeness. The painter tried to add such force to his pictures as to capture the soul and the mind of a man, to open the width of this phenomenon. Art must be alive inside, otherwise it becomes cold and indifferent, the painter thinks.

The creative search of Kuzmich is often unlimited and sometimes the brush can't even catch up with the artist thought.

Paintings, Portraits ... "The Upset World" (1987-89), "In Memory of GULAG Prisoners" (1985-89) - form a series of "In the Memory of Innocently Murdered", "To the Chernobyl Children" (1990); "The Requiem" (1991-92). They urged the artist to change his views on history and contemporary life. The new ideas followed the others. His interest in art becomes the style and the essence of his life. Some pictures go away and begin their own life. And in the studio they are immediately replaced by other pictures. A.Kuzmich's work is so fruitful. Again and again, with a surprising persistence Alexei Kuzmich turns to the theme of Madonna. He does it as if competing with great masters of the Renaissance who even today make people honest, generous and continue to bring consolation and kindness to people.

The picture "The Future Madonnas" was a starting point of the development of the new theme in 1983. In this picture the youth is observing the world, discovering unknown. The images are real and lively, almost realistic. In his next paintings the artist paid much attention not to thorough details and broad transmission of real space relations, but to the harmony of light and colour. The painter aims at refinement of representation, to quick energetic strokes and light double emotional saturation of the pictures. In the canvases; "The Madonna of Kiev Rus", "The Madonna of the World", (1987), "Coming Down The Heaves" (1988), "Madonna Ascension" (all in 1989), "Madonna and the Angles" (1990) -joy and surprise, patience and compassion, fear and hope. The main idea of all the pictures is the triumph and sublimity of spirit, sufferings and sacrifice for the sake of people. And Kuzmich devoted some of his pictures to it, such as: "The Weeping of Ehprasinja Polatskaya", "The Weeping of the Princess Ragneda" (both in 1990) - it is a series of works "The Weeping Madonnas" .

The world of the artist's Madonna is the world of the artist himself. It is the answer to the insipidity and chaos of our time.

"Now our state suffers a great need in restoration of spiritual values, - the artist said, - and the highest goal of art is the affirmation of beauty, something divine in man. Art must light a Candle of Spirit for the whole world, because, as many years ago, people are always striving for spiritual light and love".

The artist's determination and his feeling of struggle make him turn not only to the restoration of roots but to the lost ties between a man and nature, man and Cosmos and this general idea finds its incarnation in the image of Madonna, which is too dear to the artist.

Tarkovski said that there are three things in the best pictures: peace, language and artist. To the full extension it can be applied to art, as a whole. The lack of one of these components makes art weak and powerless. The loss of connection with the soil is always disastrous for any creator. Alexei Kuzmich succeeded in escaping it. He withstood different attacks of "vanguard" tendencies, preserving realistic clarity and poetry in his artistic language. His creative work is a temple, erected by his upbringing, his evolution, his culture and his memory. Let success attend you, Alexei Kuzmich. Larysa Salavej.

Introduction article of Sabina P.I.

The artist was bom in 1945, in a large, beautiful Polesian village of Mokhro, the Brest Region. He was too small to remember his father who on returning home from the war soon died. The boy was raised and taken care of by his mother Alexandra Maximovna.

Alyaxei began to flex his muscles in painting from green years being boosted by his elder brother Stepan, a self-taught artist, by Anatoli Pavlovich Rubanovich, a drawing teacher at a local school, by his five sisters.

On finishing 9 classes at a secondary school the would-be artist leaved for a distant Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk. He longed not only for big money and adventures but for knowledge. Krasnoyarsk is a birth-town of the great Russian artist Vasili Surikov. Much is connected with the name of that artist. There are an art college named after V. Surikov, a wonderful art gallery. Kuzmich would often come there and pass hours admiring the works done by the master of great unsurpassable talent. Apart from the art college there also was an art school named after V. Surikov. Kuzmich was lucky to enter this institution. As soon as he finished the art school, he got call-up papers. The spell of service over, Alyaxei came to Minsk to enter the Theatre and Arts Institute. Unfortunately, he got late for the entrance examinations and had to accept job at the ball-bearing plant. There he happened to know that the Palace of culture at the plant had a nice art studio headed by A. V. Baranovski. The lad hurried to show his works to the master. Anatoli Vasilievich praised them highly and admitted Alyaxei to the studio. While at the studio, Kuzmich got a still stronger belief in his talent, and endowment.

Next year Alyaxei Kuzmich entered the Theatre and Arts Institute. All the exams he passed excellently. He studied there with ardour, and after graduating from the Institute, was left there to lecture. In no time Alyaxei understood that lecturing was not his predestination and left the Institute. All his aspirations he drived to self-expression and creativity.

For 15 years Alyaxei Kuzmich was not acknowledged and wasn't permitted to have shows for the only, reason: On his pictures the artist boldly represented the mistery of the spell of a woman's body dovetailed with high morals and inspiration. Only in 1989 he had his first one-man show. It was a tremendous success. After that the works done by Alyaxei Kuzmich enjoyed great popularity in Vitebsk, Babruisk, Baranavichi, Grodna, Mahilyow, Gomel, Brest and other towns of the Republic. The bestshow-roomin Moscow was given to Kuzmich by the USSR Union of Artists. Then he felt especially accutely how necessary were his paintings for people.

A serious, attentive analysis makes it possible to divide the whole of the creative work of Alyaxei Kuzmich into two stages. At the first stage the artist opposes the Madonna to a woman the labourer and shock-worker condemned by the revolution and so-called social mode of life to the living conditions of a slave. The woman on the pictures by Kuzmich is depicted boldly, in a romantic and lofty way. Actually, he renovates in art-painting not only the woman the way she is by nature but the lost morality of the people.

At the second stage of Kuzmich artmanship the Madonna is depicted in a more real, earthly, histori-cally concrete manner. The artist feels the necessity to show the tragedy of events at definite historical breakdowns.

The picture "The Red Madonna" not only produces a great impact on the viewer, it shakes. The head of the kind, sincere woman is clad in a red kerchief. It tightly outlines the shoulders of the heroine and fells down to her waist, producing a distorted picture of a deformed ideological circle the halo. And it is beyond the Madonna's ability to break through this evil circle which suffocates, oppresses and himiliates her. On loosing the belief to become free and independent, the Madonna weeps in despare. The planetary sorrow is expressed on her beautiful face.

In the picture "Raghneda", the Polatsk princess is also weeping. And her weeping is historically justified. Raghneda is as if elevated over time and space. Her wide-open eyes bear sorrow and horror, a rebuke and a plea. Her hair done in locks, resembling a fan, strive into the sky. As if from the heavens the woman descended to see what had changed on the earth while she was absent, what people now look like. She brought from the depth of centuries her offence and anguish, her protest.

The weeping Madonnas appeared for the first time on the canvases done by Kuzmich. It is difficult to revive, whether in the world history of art exists a weeping Madonna. The Belarusian artist breaks all the settled canons, he goes from the opposite. The Madonna's weeping is the weep of his own soul, which violently seeks the way out, the wounded soul driven to the extreme extent of protest in numerous collisions with the contradictions of developmnent of our society. One should be grateful to the artist for his great civic courage, patriotism, his staunch desire to see his people free and happy.

Quite unexpectedly Alyaxei Kuzinich showed himself as a portraitist. The portraits of Stefaniya Stanyura, Zdislav Stomma, Galina Makarova, a well as the portraits of film directors Victor Turov, Mikhail Ptashuk and some others, are done in no hurry, with a deep show of the characters, are painted artistically precise and with expression. We don't notice ourselves that we open the most essential in their souls. We are glad for the artist that he helps us, prompts the way to understand better these prominent and esteemed people.

In pure tones, by contrast colors paints Alyaxei Kuzmich his pictures. The white, the red, the blue, the green are his favourite colors. As he believes, these colors are the hymn to rebirth. He puts the paints on the canvas not by separate dabs but with compactness, solidly. His pictures contain much lighl, warmth, softness, tenderness. Nothing evokes the feeling of something artificial, nothing irritates. First of all, Kuzinich is realistic and therefore is precise. His colors and strokes of the paint-brush are filled with passion, strength, expressiveness.

The color palette of the artist emits sunny energy. It is as if squashed in the frames of the pictures. It actively rushes into the space and freedom and it impresses the viewer with such a might, that one feels it with the soul, it warms the heart to never get tired in the lofty combat for rebirth of our spiritual life, culture, our national sacred possessions.

Artist's biography

Alexei Kuzmich spent his childhood in a village of Marhrosa in Brest region in a religious family of farmers. June 1, 1945, the day of his birth, was memorized by all the villagers because the fire happened then. If was said that Alexei's mother look it for a God's sign then, and understood that her son would he a great man.

As for his father, Vasili Fedorovich Kuzmich, he came from an ancient noble family. He died when the boy was a year and a half because of the wounds he had got at the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.

Alexandra Maksimovna had to bring up her seven children alone relying on God, hard work and kind people. Sisters got interested in needlework. Despite of the difficulties they used to sing at home. But the main recollections of Alexei's childhood were connected with the most respectable man in Ihe village, Rubanovich Analoly Paulavich, an artist and a friend of his father. He wan really a very interesting, well-educated and highly-cultured man, who had got his education in Warsaw, Paris and Viena. The boy and the artist became devoted friends and it was Rubanovich who acquainted Alexei with art. He heard the names of Titian, Velasques, Van Gogh and saw their reproductions for the first time in his life. And there was one more man who helped to develop the abilities of the gifted boy. lie was Alexei's cousin, Slepan Kuzmich, a talented amateur artist.

Very soon senior children started their independent life. Alexei was fond of travelling. And in 1962 a 16-year old boy went to Krasnoyarsk, where his distant relatives lived. He worked there, attending the art studio. After the army service in 1968 he returned to Belarus to live and work in Minsk. Here he began his systematic art education. At first he studied at the studio of a remarkable teacher and artist Baranovsky Anatoly Vasilievich and then at the Theatrical - Art Institute were V. Sukhoverkhov, P. Kvorholev, N.Voronov were his teachers. A.Kuzmich adopted free style of painting from N.Voronov. The lessons of A.Baranovsky, whom Alexei considered the best, one made a great impression on the young artist, both professionally and spiritually.

After graduating from the Institute the artist led an active creative life. Since 1975 Kuzmich has been a participant of many art exhibitions. In 1981 People's artist of Belarus L.Shmeljov and Honoured Art Workers P.Krokhalev and I.Stasevich recommended Kuzmich to the Artists' Union. The same year his personal exhibition was held. The pictures of Alexei Kuzmich were brought by the State Museum of our Republic and abroad. The present exhibition houses Kuzmich's works of the last decade and gives us the opportunity to estimate the artist's talent and potential.

Следующая картина