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Paths Of Creatives...

Paths Of Creatives...

The path of creative work is endless and often lacks logics. But art critics wish to place an artist into a well-known niche, compare him with someone, attach some label and later study the phenomena. What is Marina Balych?
Born in Moscow, Russia, she began her drawing & painting studies at 13 with a wonderful professor - animal painter Kukunov M.M., who used to repeat: "One can teach any human being to draw, but it's impossible to teach anyone to be an artist. Artist is an independent character, who is constantly in opposition to the life routine and tries to speak his own language to the people who don't want to listen to him. It's a very difficult task." He was the first to notice an artist in Marina.

M. Balych entered the Ceramics Department of Moscow University of Industrial and Applied Arts named after Stroganoff. She was only 15 and became the youngest student there. Marina got professional skills in working with glass, ceramics, oil painting, photo and design. She had talented professors: Luksht I.V., Burganova M.A., Tatarintsev O.V., Antipova G.N.; Salnikov I .L . She wanted to learn everything! But the choice of her future was done during the fifth year. Rough and soft essence of clay, unbelievably big layers of chamotte (fire clay), which were difficult for putting up, under glaze painting by salts, attracted the young artist. She made something unexpected for her diploma work - two huge clay objects covered with the words of Shevchuk's song about true art. The objects were connected with black arrows - strings. The defending of diploma turned into a scandal. After switching on Shevchuk's song, Marina tried to explain her outlook on art synthesis. Prominent artists on examination board divided into admirers and opponents. Such attitude has been following her since then.
After graduation there were exhibitions in Moscow and France, hard work in art - groups at Moscow and Gzhel Industrial Art Factories together with experienced ceramists, entrance to the Moscow Artists Union in 2004, where she became the youngest member. She worked in France side by side with the artists from different countries and left her works in Museum of Pottery of Quimper and in Art Association of St-Henri.
Chamotte works by Marina Balych follow the philosophy of the material. She doesn't create any scheme beforehand. Material leads the way. On the creative will of the artist clay turns into unusual creatures with their own emotions and feelings. They occupy the surroundings separately and in groups repeating the shapes and colours of each other. Their rhythm makes the illusion of movement "Bolero"
Who are those two singing a love song? ("Just married…") May be they are two lovers, or two singing golden trumpets? "Blank sheets" - the two figures wrapped in clear blue sky. Will those sheets turn into poems, confessions or songs? " Are we together or am I alone? We are so much alike, but something separates us? …Space? …Time?" - the questions being asked since the time of Creation. Paying attention to the abstract forms, Balych makes us remember symbols and signs from our subconscious depth. "In the Beginning…" What does your imagination prompt you? The world of signs is mysterious. "The sign of the Top", "Lawns" - hieroglyphs or real objects? "Matrix", "The Light of Babylon", "The Square shot", "The Mystery of Fish". These signs help us to remember about human spirit in the age of cold reason, computers, money and wars.
Or an ironic awkward "Bridegroom" with the endless intricate pockets... "Slow Life in Stripes" - the family on a holiday or slow-moving aliens? All of them suggest the development of the plot and demonstrate artist's sense of humour, variety of techniques unexpected details and laconism.
Marina's style is unique in many ways. She proves that intensity of an abstract form can fill up the space around it. "Discussion" - the couple in gleaming greenish glaze are piercing each other by the arguments ready to kill for an idea. It's not so simple to decorate the interior with her creatures. They are PERSONALITIES. They are closer to sculptures.
Her impressive energetic objects can't stand fussing. I'd demonstrate her works on the moving platform to the music of Ravel's "Bolero". The light could take Marina's creatures one by one out of darkness and the rhythm would make them alive. It could be a fantastic performance.
As for her art label…. Marina Balych is young, but her imagination, fresh approach to the form and exquisite feeling of material impress. The path of art is endless. Let the artist follow it, though it won't be easy!
Bedareva Helen