Gostev | Gallery
At first, it was the world of a child, a world of discovery, immediate but without knowledge and experience. Impressions from the first artistic experiences turned into a vague desire to learn this mesmerizing craft, to convey the world with colors. A foolish desire.
I diligently studied for a long time, and they taught me socialist realism, proper perspective, correct composition, and realistic depiction of the environment, diligently erasing the world of the child and replacing it with templates understandable to everyone. Such a beautiful road leading to a dead end.
In parallel, I studied music, and only music later helped me not to throw the brushes into the corner. Classical music helped with the harmony of colors, and jazz with improvisation of form. It took 20 years to find the language.
Music helped me forget the canons and templates, combining the world of childhood with the feelings of an adult and the desire to convey a simple truth... A painting is not for 5 minutes, it hangs on the wall and people live with it, it helps to live, evoking ONLY POSITIVE EMOTIONS and then... I stood behind the canvas (like in an ancient Russian icon, with its sincerity, reverse perspective, and desire to help). Already living in Europe, I conducted an experiment - I started selling paintings with the condition that the buyer could return the painting and get the money back within a week. Not a single painting was returned.
I'm standing there, behind the canvas, in my every pictures and talk to you. Successfully or not - it's not for me to judge. This is my language and every time I paint, it feels like the last time. This has been going on for many years.
- Anatoli Gostev (1946 - 2022)
I don't have much time left, and it is very important for me that those for whom I paint — whoever they are — see that I give them all that I have. And I expect the same from them.
I like painting and I love to paint. I guess I was born to do this.
gostev.org Biography Articles Gallery in pdf
Project for Investors
Destruction of the Spirit in Art
Ownership of an artwork
Art inspiration
