Taidemaalari Vladimir Fomin

Orlando Sentinel
24.02-02. 03.2006
30 seconds with Vladimir Fomin
Rebecca Swain Vadnie
rswan@orlandosentinei.com

This weekend will be your last chance to see Russian artist Vladimir Fomin's colorful paintings at the Albin Polasek Museum. 'Vladimir Fomin: Amazing Lubok" finishes its run Sunday. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday; admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 students with ID, free for members and age 12 and younger. The museum is at 633 Osceola Ave., Winter Park. For more information, call 407 647-6294.

How did your particular artistic style develop?
My style is a combination of several elements: the Russian popular print (lubok), characterized by bold and decorative compositions colored brightly by hand; the traditions of the Russian avant-garde; the Northern ornament; and the colors and stylistic discoveries of famous painters, for instance Gauguin, Monet, Kandinsky, Malevich, Filonov, Saryan, Swemps, Dali and many others. My style is a conscious combination, elaboration and transformation of these elements into a coherent and unique personal style.

What has been the biggest chalenge for you as an artist?
The biggest challenges are the challenges common to human nature - to be understood by others, to find people who appreci ate and enjoy my creations, that is, who can relate to the topics, compositions, ideas, philosophies and the spiritual depth of my works. As any other artist, I would like to be successful in selling my paintings not only in the West but also in my own country. However, selling works in the West excludes the possibility of selling them in Petrozavodsk, where I live, because of the discrepancy between the prices of my aintings and average Russian salaries. Another challenge is dealing with the bureaucrats who are in charge of the art market in our country and have no training in art appreciation or art history. They often make decisions based on outdated if not completely irrelevant criteria.

When did you first know you wanted to pursue painting seriously?
I was 19 years old and was attending evening art classes. I painted my first still-life, and it was bold and unusual. Since I had some experience with art because my brother was a good painter, I knew I would also become a painter.

What was your first experience with art?
My mother was interested in art, and that could have been an important factor in my interest in art. In the second grade, I found an encyclopedia of art, and the works by Renoir, Monet, Gauguin and some Russian painters (Briullov) immediately attracted my attention. When I was in the fourth or fifth grade, I saw an exhibition of Greek painting of the 19th century. The excellence and the abundant details of these realistic landscapes probably had much to do with my love of art.

Who has had the biggest influence on your work?
Besides all the painters whose art influenced me... my wife has the biggest influence on my life (therefore also on my art). Thanks to her dedication, I never had to do anything else but paint, and her intellect and knowledge were often instrumental in developing my painting series.