About Friends, art, contemporary...
In Sweden there is an old expression about death. When speaking of the deceased, we say that he has departed time. This statement gives me a reason to ponder a bit. The sad space created by Dmitry Shuvalov’s departure from time is gradually being filled by a vast gratitude for the fact that he was such a friend, a teacher, and (though older) so close to me personally. His works, his status as a devotee of arts, and his life experience will never leave time.
Wherever he held classes with his students — in the Summer Garden, in the Academy, or in a private studio — it was a joyous time. His was such a rare talent. He had only to glance at a sketch, then pick up a brush and, with a few simple motions or the blending of colors turn a dilettante’s work into something technically immaculate and unexpectedly alive.
His love for art and for his students left an indelible impression. To speak perhaps a bit grandiloquently, he lived by this work.
In moments when he would take a break from his work in his studio, we would enter conversations about the impenetrable mysteries of life. And his arrival in Sweden gave us the opportunity to compare the historical developments of our two countries. At the same time he also managed to enjoy the beauties of the forests, waters, and country life of Scandinavia. We met for the first time in the Summer Garden on a gorgeous fall morning. I was participating in the courses he was running, and learned a great deal. I found out that my paintings were done rather like technical diagrams. As well, I needed to remember that, when working on a landscape, I must see its perspective from the level of the ground. The freedom given to the artist will lend greater meaning to the things that strike the eye, and to the things the artist wants to convey to others. In order to choose the right color tones, one must differentiate the cloudy days from the sunny ones. I think that the first are characterized by a silver shimmer, the second by gold. My memory of this master will also be covered in gold. He taught me to catch the successions of colors and the play of shadows. Thanks to my contact with Dmitry Shuvalov, my understanding of Russian art, and the evo- lution of my thought about it, acquired a new dimension. I am especially grateful to him for this.