My interest in iconography has been changing and shifting over many years now. There was intellectual interest based on inverted perspective theory. Movie interest based on Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublow film. Sensual interest, which came from physical presence of being next to icons, surrounded by them. I always get this chill when I see beautifully harmonized warm colors in an icon illuminated by a candle light. Spiritual interest based on a human artistic attempt to describe something indescribable.
I made few attempts to start writing icon myself, but there was always something on the way. Over the last few months, thanks to global circumstances I gained more time and less obligations. All my interest came together and exploded on many levels. My fascination found the right time.
The more I try to write (because I still don’t write Icons), the more I see and understand how Icon was present in my whole life. How on different levels tried to reach me. I come back to a central aspect of icon and look closer at it. Recently I come back to Nowosielski’s art. He was a great painter who combined modern art with orthodox iconography. He was an artist who was able to stay in icon canon and be himself in this. Find his own way. His works, both icons and paintings, are extraordinary.
Being under the influence of Nowosielski’s polychromatic art I made my own few icons. I was “breaking“ few rules like not using correct wood board or painting straight on wood but still I really like the results of my work. Maybe this is the way to iconography? Doing this straight from your heart, where the light is? I read somewhere that Rublow didn’t care about canon when he was writing icons. This art was the only art he knew. Nowosielski knew different art, but he also just used canon as a guidance to describe his own understanding of light. Is it what all artist try to do at the end of the day? We have canons, rules, guidance which are suppose to help us. But at the end there is only an artist and the attempt to describe something indescribable.

The Annunciation

 

The Archangel Michael

The Mother of God, Oranta