Vlad Kulkov is an artist born in Latvia, Liepaya in 1986. He graduated from Saint-Petersburg Art and Industry academy. His work has been exhibited in Arterloga,- Moscow, The Armory show, Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow Museum of Modern Art and The Hort Family Collection. Kulkov now lives, studies and works in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Untitled, 2010 - marker on paper
- 120 x 185cm
This piece is created using different coloured markers, producing both harsh and rounded marks. In the centre of the piece, the marks are rounded and appear almost bubble-like, this could perhaps be representing clouds. The majority of the centre is dark green, but a dark blue is providing harmony to this. However, accents of fluorescent pink contrast the green and provide an interesting element to the piece with makes the observer inquisitive to what this is representing. It could represent pollution in the clouds or sea. The way that the rounded marks interlock is similar to the way that camouflage interlocks with each other or the way a squadron work as a solid team. The rounded marks could present a soldier's expansive skillset. As you look outwards, the marks become straighter and sharper, the piece becomes less dense, yet dense areas begin to form in collations near the top.
The marks made in this piece vary and the short, straight marks arranged in a curved nature moves the observer's eye around the piece so that it is all analysed. The contrasting marks are somewhat confusing but allow the observer to question the meaning behind them. The colours are kept quite dark, for example green,blue and purple, allowing a dense figure to be formed in the centre of the piece. The harmonious colours create are compacted figure that features in the centre. Accents of fluorescent pink and yellow create several points of interest. There is heavy tonal representation created by Kulkov in the centre of the piece which is developed by layering the markers. This piece is 2D but dimension is created within it through shading and highlighting.
The subject in the centre looks free-flowing, perhaps mimicking the growth of an organic structure. Although most of the colour is dark and rich, the fluorescent colours could portray coral in the depths of the sea. However, the contrasting marks could depict a chaotic battleground and the fluorescent colours representing explosions and sparks.
Whilst looking at this piece, I realised that there could be more contrast by using a thicker substance such as ink to create a denser centre. Also, ink is thin enough to be able to create movement. However, when doing further research into Kulkov, I came across work that did use ink in a similar way to this. Ink can create a transparency of perhaps hiding identity or shielding others from the details of war. I think ink would be successful in pursuing this concept further in my work.
I have been influenced by Kulkov's work as the unity between the marks interests me and reminds me of camouflage. Accents of fluorescent pink contrast the green and provide an interesting element to the piece with makes the observer inquisitive to what this is representing. I began using permanent markers but I found that these marks were too thick for the small scale that I was working on. The piece that I am currently working on is a mixed media drawing of a fusilier. I have used newspaper, photographs from London, white emulsion paint, 6B pencil, graphite and black biro in this drawing. Over the top of this I am working in the style of Kulkov by creating similar rounded marks using ball point pen and crayon as this is a finer medium for the scale that I am working on. I am using black biro to create the darker areas and crosshatching areas to add more tonal representation. Using a green crayon adds subtle colour to the background, these marks are short and straight but arranged in a curved fashion like Kulkov does. A bright pink ball point pen is providing most of the colour but I think I am going use red,yellow and blue over this as these are the colours that are in the photographs on the page.
No comments:
Post a Comment