Curiosity of Pandora, Russian Artist Gely Korzhev, and Abduction of Europa
Curiosity of Pandora, a Gift from the Gods [detail]
30 October 2019 (Original Publish Date)
CONTENTS of Borsheim Art News:
* NEW Painting: The Curiosity of Pandora
* 2020 Art and Tour Workshops in Tuscany
* Vasily Fedorouk: Abduction of Europa
* Russian in Venezia: Gely Korzhev
* Youtube, Instagram, and FineArtAmerica
* Blog Highlights: Selling Stone
* Subscription Info.
Dear Art Lover,
Oooohhh… just a short time before my favorite holiday, Halloween! This originally Celtic festival was intended as a protective device for the safe passage of our deceased loved ones. Today, there are many costume ideas for how to do that, as well as reach several other objectives. My favorite part about costumes is to be someone else [or more accurately, perhaps, to explore a side of yourself that you are not willing to embrace each day].
So, it is a good time to present to you this new painting, inspired by my curiosity. That quality often leads me to new adventures, sometimes to things really amazing, while other times, are not actually the stuff of dreams.
Here is The Curiosity of Pandora. Dimension: 120 x 100 cm or about 43 x 39 inches, oil on linen. Like many of my more complicated compositions, I am expressing that while many of the myths and old stories about human existence and qualities seem to put much of the blame for the evils in the world onto a female figure, there is often a male character involved as well. It does take two to tango!
If you would like to see the story of how my version of Pandora came to be, please click here.
The work is available, and as usual, my LayAway Plan gives you the opportunity to set your own terms to receive the art that moves you. This makes life so much more enjoyable! Just write me if this piece or any other interests you and let us grow your own personal art collection.
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2020 Art and Tour Workshops in Tuscany:
How fun would it be to come to Tuscany, learn something about taking pictures that move you while you explore lovely places, and then we make paintings of your visions during your trip here. With charming places to stay and eat, my local friends and I will make your time in Valleriana and surrounding areas interesting, relaxing, and joyful.
I have been working on plans for next summer, and making partnerships to show you this little unknown area of Tuscany in Italy, Valleriana aka Swiss Pescia. I love living here! We are situated between the amazing Renaissance City (Florence) and the intriguing walled city of Lucca.
Each month, from May through October 2020, for one week, we will host an art travel experience. By my next newsletter, we will have ironed out the details and I will post them here. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, this site makes a good introduction to our area:
http://pleinairvalleriana.blogspot.com/p/whowhere.html
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Original Marble Sculpture by Vasily Fedorouk
Abduction of Europa
13 x 14 x 6.5 inches
Zebra Marble with Colorado Yule Marble
copyright Vasily Fedorouk
The Abduction of Europa is a popular subject in Greek mythology and with artists for centuries. Vasily's stone carving on the subject features zebra marble as the body of the bull [the Greek God Zeus, in disguise]. The figure of Europa, as well as the base is carved from a white marble. The horns are metal with gold over. This one-of-a-kind sculpture weighs 45.4 pounds and will ship from the Chicago, USA, area. Thank you for your interest and for sharing.
I love the movement that Vasily created in the shape and pose of the bull. It is an interesting mixture of balance and movement. Often I see in artists’ compositions that Europa seems to be willing to be abducted, or at least is not giving a valid fight. But then, how does one resist a running bull? Perhaps it is safer to see where he takes her while the ride is still going on. Hahah. 
Please visit the site and contact either Dilbara, Vasily’s wife, or me, if you are interested in collecting any of his available works.
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Russian Art in Venezia: Gely Korzhev
I was so happy that this month, my friend Dilya Arapova, came to visit me in Italy for ten days. She is the wife of my late friend and mentor Vasily Fedorouk, both from Ukraine before moving to the USA where his art led him.
We stayed in my home the first week, making day trips to Lucca, Volterra, and other lovely and smaller towns in Tuscany. Then we headed up to her beloved Venezia (Venice) that she first saw with another friend and me in the fall of 2013.
Thanks to the gift of a dear friend, Dilya and I were able to enter the Garden section of the famous Venice Biennale of Art. However, I must say that it was a huge disappointment and a bit depressing for both of us. Around the middle of this month, I posted a selection of images I took of some of the better art or curiosities on Facebook, if you wish to have a look. A few of the exhibits were well done and thoughtful, but in general we both had the sensation that today’s artists are just spewing thoughts or random ugliness. Is art a reflection of life or leading the way? I shudder to consider either, frankly.
Luckily, we went there our first full day in Venezia. Thus, the day after was sooooo much better. We visited La Scuola Grande di San Rocco, to view lovely large paintings by Tintoretto, and saw the most marvelous wood carvings in the incredibly designed and decorated room on the floor above.
In walking to another locale or two, we accidentally found a Russian art exhibit, coordinated to coincide with the Venice Biennale. This exhibit features a solo show of more than 50 paintings by Gely Korzhev. It continues through 3 November and is free to view. This show at a Venetian university takes place 57 years after the artist presented a triptych of paintings at the Venice Biennale. You will see those three large paintings below.
The palette of Gely Korzhev was mostly the traditional: red, white, and neutrals. I really love the red! However, some of my favorites omitted the red. He painted in a rough texture and his works seem dramatic and often political. But that would be normal since many of these paintings were created around the time of the Second World War. I was lucky to see this exhibit with Dilya because she explained to me much of the symbolism in the objects depicted. For example, this image of the reclining nude woman with the red scarf is a comment on the struggles of the labor force in the USSR. Dilya knew that the red scarf was traditionally worn by laborers. I would have just seen that as a great compositional tool.
The Judas painting (the suicide by hanging with the coins lying spilt upon the ground) was the most powerful piece of several powerful pieces. I have to say that this was a tremendous show (in a good way). I did not need to know the details of what each piece was about to appreciate the humanity in each work. Hearing Dilya’s explanations of Russian culture was pure bonus. Enjoy the works here if you cannot be in Venice this week.
Gely Korzhev, Ca' Foscari Esposizioni
Dorsoduro 3246 Venezia
https://www.unive.it/data/agenda/1/29144 (in English)
Marusya, 1983-1989 
Judas, 1985-1995 Story-telling zoomed in, plenty of details to understand visually
Rise, Ivan! 1997
Yegorka the Flyer, 1976-1980
Look at the texture.
New Slogan, 1998
The Dump, 2007
Triumphators (I think they mean the translation to be 'Triumphers'), 1993-1996
Victory of the Living and the Dead. In Memory of the Fallen, 2001
Shared between Three, 1987
Still Life with Red Objects, 2007
Knights of the Tea Party, 2010 [I love the use of the red border at the bottom!]
Above: These are the three from the Venice Biennale 57 years ago. The middle became an iconic symbol.
1962 Venice Biennale
Communists (1957-1960), triptych
First, right:
Internationale, 1957-58: two soldiers in the Red Army
Second, center:
Raising the Banner, 1960: a civilian kneels to raise the flag from fallen comrade
Third, left:
Homer (The Studio), 1958-60: a sculptor in military garb sculpting the Greek poet
It is unclear what the artist intended by putting these three canvases together.
[excerpts from the exhibition text]
The Artist 1961 and my friend Dilya.
Venice: On the last day of our visit, Dilya and I splurged. Late in the afternoon, we went decadent: Venetian desserts with Prosecco. A few hours later, we ate a proper dinner at "La Patatina" and it was really lovely!
Dilya and I walked to the taxi stop for her early flight back to the States. After she was on her way, I walked back to our hotel to get some sleep. It was 4 a.m. in Venice! How truly lovely. Can you see the constellation of Orion up in this sky? What a marvel is this universe!
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You are so necessary for the culture you desire.
There are many ways to support the art that you enjoy seeing and touching. Here are a few suggestions:
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Even $1 a month does a lot.
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https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-kelly-borsheim.html
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* Sculptors and students: Buy my uncut stone that exists in central Texas: I have a variety of rocks that I hate to part with, but it is more difficult to work in two countries and much of it I must allow other carvers to turn into lovely art.
* Oh, and the obvious: BUY art when you can; BUY when something moves you. Or just BUY art and hang it over your couch. It is the choices we make that show off our personalities and it is a joy to create your surroundings to your own liking.
Peace,
Kelly Borsheim
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