“Secret Gift” is the title of the exhibition, which opened the season at the South Ural State University Art Gallery on September 23rd. The exhibition included more than 50 wonderful creations by an extraordinary Chelyabinsk artist Vladislav Vaganov. This is just half of the works that the artist gifted to the SUSU Art Gallery, and the fact that they got to be exhibited is a significant accomplishment by the former head of the museum Galina Trifonova, a famous Chelyabinsk art historian.
By the way, the creations by Vladislav Vaganov have been presented many times in various exhibition halls, including at our university in 2007. In particular, his work is included in the collection of the Chelyabinsk Museum of Fine Arts.
The pieces presented in the current exhibition were created using different techniques over a period of time since the 1970s. Thematically, they can be divided into several groups. Most of the works are on biblical, Evangelical subjects: "The Nativity of the Virgin", "The Annunciation", "Baptism of Christ", "Crucifixion of Christ". Others are thematically adjacent to these and are dedicated to the life of the Orthodox Church. One interesting characteristic is that the figures of the characters are often stretched vertically, as if they are flowing, running over, and floating in the air, reflecting the artist's desire for supreme harmony, heavenly purity, truth, and God.
The other cycle transfers the viewers into the world of ancient myths: the flight of Icarus, depictions of Hercules and Antaeus… The artist is able to subtly notice the beautiful in the everyday, as shown in the wonderful still life pieces: “Irises”, “Peonies”, “Lilac”, and vistas of Chelyabinsk, where even an ordinary street is illuminated as if by a light silvery glow.
According to Vladislav Vaganov himself, the Italian masters of the Renaissance age greatly influenced him. Among his favourite painters he names Rubens, Velazquez, and Rembrandt.
The Art Gallery is simultaneously a teaching laboratory for the SUSU Department of Theology, Culture, and Arts (research head is Doctor of Sciences (Art), Honoured Artist of Russia Natalya Parfenteva). When speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Natalya Parfenteva noted that these shows are important for familiarizing young people with the best examples of Russian and international artistic culture, and are also necessary to train specialists in the field of art history.
As Head of the SUSU Museum Anatoliy Razuev explained, the exhibition will be open until the end of October. Admission is open for all who wish to view the works. A tour can be offered for student groups.