ARTEM TOLSTUKHIN
Summer Nostalgia
Growing up on the Crimean Peninsula, Artem Tolstukhin was surrounded by the sun. His newest series of paintings, Summer Nostalgia, was derived from his desire to extend summer for as long as possible. Depicted in his paintings are women wearing sunhats surrounded by flowers and lush gardens while they soak
up the rays. “I decided to create from my memory my feelings of the beauty of the summer,” he says, adding that the women also radiate the warmth and light of the sun.
All of Tolstukhin’s pieces are a combination of three elements—decoration, graphics and simplicity—to form a style that he calls “degrazh.” In his series, viewers will notice the mosaic-like backgrounds of soft yellows, pinks and purples, some with greens and reds, mimicking the bolder color palette but in different shades. The style is modern and filled with intricate details.
“Paintings enriched with many small details draw the viewers and make them
immerse themselves in examining the patterns, facts and plasticity of the figures,” he explains. The look is similar to the paintings of Gustav Klimt, who the artist admires. He says that by emulating the past artist he “wants to get closer to something great.”
The female form is an important component in Tolstukhin’s paintings, as he finds it brings a brighter image in his artwork. “It is also interesting to work on the synthesis of the figure and the environment, as the female form can interact with different decorative elements of plants or geometrics,” he says, “creating an interesting story for people, and I let this story be for each viewer.”
Paintings from Summer Nostalgia will be on view at Los Angeles-based Maxwell Alexander Gallery September 7 to 28.