Our first dispatch from Russia comes from Allison Hill-Edgar MFA 2017
The icons. The light. The people. The food. The
architecture. The history. I find that
every day I have a new obsession. Today it is the sound of the canal and the
cool light on the pink and ochre buildings just outside our window; Monday it
was the bursting fruit at the farmstand just over the footbridge -- actually, it was our
greeting to St. Petersburg by the “district alcoholic” whose joie de vivre sent
him leaping off the footbridge into the murky canal, fully attired in his
clothes, combat boots, ruddy cheeks and infectious smile. His friends, and we,
were so happy when he reached the stone steps back to land. He has since
reappeared out our window to sing us to sleep at night.
It is difficult to believe we have only been in Russia just
over a week. We have seen, done, and tasted so much, it feels as if we have
been immersed in this culture much longer.
Our first week was spent in Moscow – a week that I will remember for its
intensity and vibrancy. Every day we traversed the city and absorbed as much as
we could, visiting as many museums, churches, monuments, metro stations, parks,
and abandoned buildings
as our feet could handle. These excursions were peppered with adventure,
such as climbing onto a rooftop so we could end our long day with an unimpeded
panorama of the Moscow skyline and vertiginous view of Patriarch’s Pond, or
following our guide, Nikita, into a restricted area of the Kremlin,
so he could catch a Pokémon. At times, it felt like the most dangerous
adventure was the check-out line at the “grumpy grocery” on the corner. We survived and are stronger for it.
Particular Muscovian highlights for me were visiting the two
State Tretyakov Galleries, in which we were able to see Russian art treasures
spanning the early 12th century to the present. In the first gallery, which highlights
Russian art before the 20th century, we were able to take in a full
array of Russian art history – their gorgeous, elaborate icons, history
paintings, portraits, myths and heroes. Although European influence was often
evident, I was constantly enthralled by the particular Russian flair for story
telling, expression, and personality.
In the New Tretyakov Gallery and surrounding sculpture
gardens, we saw a vast range
of 20th-century Russian art -- the early 20th-century
works being my favorite period both aesthetically and conceptually. Each
immense room offered a new, mind-blowing experience of color, form, and
experimentation. On a personal level, I was particularly fascinated by a room
full of early Chagall paintings that I had never seen before. These paintings
revealed that the themes, colors, and forms characteristic of his later works
were ever-present in his early work, even as he experimented with the
prevailing aesthetic and formal approaches of the time. Just when I thought I
couldn’t be further inspired, I turned the corner and… Malevich! It was then that I realized I had only seen a
fraction of the museum – ahead of me, the Lenin years… the Stalin years…! I
persevered but I clearly need to go back.
Perhaps one of the greatest experiences for me in Moscow was
getting to know the family we stayed with while there. Not only did this give
us a view into daily family life in Moscow and access to their opinions on Russia
and the larger world, but also it gave us the opportunity to meet a truly
extraordinary group of people. I was inspired by how warm, open, worldly,
informed, and inclusive they were. Given
that they have seven children, there was constant activity and conversation in
all corners of their apartment. Everyday new faces appeared around the table or
in the little courtyard outside; we met some people who had never left Moscow,
and others who were getting their PhDs in mathematics from Yale. There was never a shortage of interesting
conversation or food, and there was always a massive pile of dirty dishes and
empty bottles.
Towards the end of our week in Moscow, the family invited us
to their country house in Tarusa – a 13th-century village that has been
the site of many historical events and movements, including being a
home for famous dissidents during the Soviet era. Out of the city, we were able to relax and
get to know the family and their broad group of friends. Much of the day was spent
gathered around the dining table, helping chop food for the next meal, talking,
eating, and drinking coffee, wine or vodka – or all three in no particular
order. At any moment, several other people would stop by to say hello or eat,
and often would end up staying the night – flexible sleeping habits, whether on
a couch or in a corner, were essential. As one visiting man told me over his
hot, delicious pumpkin soup, “large families are magic.” When not gathered
around the table, the family took us around town to introduce us to their
friends, many of whom are artists. We met a woman who paints vibrant floral
scenes and portraits and who is the daughter of two famous artists of the
Soviet era (one of her mother’s posters shown below). We met a performance
artist and his circle of friends, who shared not only their whiskey, but also
hilarious stories of living in Tarusa and rebuilding houses. We visited a
foundation that supports a famous mosaic artist and hosts contemporary art
exhibits, concerts, and workshops. We took a walk along the river, saw old
churches nestled in ravines, and picked flowers and vegetables from small
gardens. Indeed, it was magic.
Now here we are in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage awaits us.
As I gather my strength to take it on, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the
Academy for giving us this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only are we
seeing incredible art, architecture, landscapes, and treasures, but also we are
meeting incredible people and absorbing their world. This experience has provided me
a chance to put aside the routines, habits, and responsibilities of daily life
in New York, and immerse myself in a period of freedom, inspiration, reflection, and
experimentation. In the moments I have between adventures in the city, I am
trying to explore new color combinations and paint application techniques
through what I’m calling my daily “Rorschach tests” – small, quick
self-portraits that I fold on themselves, blot, and rework, layer upon layer.
The process of painting, obliteration, reflection, and reanalysis has allowed
me to process much of the visual stimuli and inspiration around me. I am
encouraged by Chagall – that through exposure and experimentation, one’s
themes, colors, and forms will alter and mature, leading to a richer expression
of one’s vision.
