Alexander Smirnov

Alexander Smirnov was born on 9 April 1947.  Alexander Smirnov is a member Russian Academy of Arts. Alexander Smirnov is a member of the Artists' Union of Russia and the International Arts Fund.  In 2009 he was awarded with Gold Award "For Serving the Arts" of International Academy of Culture and Arts. Alexander Smirnov draws landscapes, portraits, and genre scenes, religious and symbolic compositions. In his landscapes one distinctly traces harmony between nature and the soul of the artist who constantly seeks truth and beauty.

Article from Arts Directory, "Belyi Gorod" Publishing House, Masters of Drawing Series by Ludmila Kandalova, Arts Expert.

 

Alexander Smirnov's vreative wors is multifaceted; he worked in various styles and genres. His art truly opens  the way for studying human nature. The creative process for the artist is transformation of their own experiences as objective information that reflects events stored in the collective memory of humankind.

Alexander Smirnov always puts into his work certain meanings dedicated to ontological, historical, religious, philosophical and ethical problems. Alexander Smirnov was born on 9 April 1947 in Yerevan, where his family was evacuated during WWII. Childhood and youth he spent in Voronezh Region. Having changed a few blue-collar occupations and served in the Soviet Army he enrolled at Penza Arts College named after Savitsky and graduated in 1975. Later he studied at Kharkov Institute's Department of Monumental Painting. Alexander Smirnov is a member of the Artists' Union of Russia and the International Arts Fund.  In 2009 he was awarded with Gold Award "For Serving the Arts" of International Academy of Culture and Arts.

Alexander Smirnov draws landscapes, portraits, and genre scenes, religious and symbolic compositions. In his landscapes one distinctly traces harmony between nature and the soul of the artist who constantly seeks truth and beauty.

The artist's landscapes are painted in the tradition of Russian Realism. These traditions have always reminded Russian artists of the human soul and love for their environment - from the boundless Russian expanses to the interiors of village huts. In his work we find sincere admiration for the beauty and splendor of the nature of Central Russia. He always paints what he knows and loves realizing an organic inner connection of the natural world with human spiritual world and ethical values of existence. Retaining the first impression of the nature the master finds his intonation, his plastic solution corresponding to his state of mind. The ability to see even the mundane in a new way, not through specularly reflected light but through extraordinarily refracted in the heart and soul - this is his natural artistic talent, his emotional subtlety, visual acuity and intuition. Many of his landscapes are marked with philosophical and symbolic meaning -- "Flight of Birds," "Death of a Tree," "The Birth of Rainbow", "Spring Easter".

A strong and original painter, he draws nature masterfully, creating a meaningful and spiritually intense work. A significant part of the master's paintings are devoted to the genre featuring Russian countryside. With great trepidation and warmth he creates images of Russian women with countryside in the background.  In "Father's House", "Washerwomen", "In the Garden", "Grandmother's Chest", "August", "The Prayer" we can trace man's connection to his native land, original traits of Russian character, the memory of generations rooted in the traditions of Russian culture and spirituality. As hymn for the beauty of Russian women sound the paintings "Summer", "Pray for the Living", "In the Garden", "August" - they reflect the symbol of Russian character with wisdom, patience, hard work, love for his land.

In the portraits of the elderly and children we see penetration into their inner life, creation of individual.

Religious and symbolic compositions have a special place in the work of this artist. Religious subjects chosen by the artist are not merely a pretext for painting and they are not just mere illustrations for the Scriptures. They are meditations about eternal questions of good and evil, time and eternity, of life and death; it is the generalization of humanity's experience formulated in Christian doctrines. In such triptychs as "Christmas", "Epiphany" or in "Ascension", "Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom..." master creates a special dynamics and composition but at the same time we also find here pure and sincere disclosure of God's Word. They are confession of the artist. Here is what Balobanov V.N., Arts Academy Member said: "Smirnov's art is filled with eternal truths and symbols. A character the way the artist sees is connection between the divine and the earthly. ... And they open spiritual sight, hearts and souls are filled with love and human compassion".  Alexander Smirnov's art confirms the beauty of the world, reveals the eternal questions of life; spiritual energy of his canvases, their humanistic energy confront chaos, decay and despair

By Lyudmila Kandalova, Arts Expert