Description:
Attempting to visually express the idea of an infinite space enclosed in it the artist refused to embody it on an ordinary flat canvas on a stretcher. Instead he used non-standard volumetric six-side canvas of a cube shape. The construction of hook suspended cubic framework with dismountable canvases was specially elaborated by Dr. Veaceslav Albu, PhD in Mathematics and Computer Science. The artwork renders the idea of great cosmogonic beginning. Although each side can be viewed independently the image flows from one canvas onto four collateral sides. The artist also creates the association of connectedness of individual shapes using real ropes. And only all the six sides of the cubic stretcher constitute a whole boundless and continual entity.
BIO:
Victor Cuzmenco is a contemporary mixed media artist, the author of Ontologic Painting concept, which comprises the idea of fundamental philosophical questions studied by ontology. Through his art for the last thirty years, he has explored “being” rather than simply existing. Victor visualizes such broad philosophic categories as space, time, structure, movement, spiritual states, and interactions among them in our constantly changing dynamic world.
Ontologic Painting is characterized by three main principles. First, it depicts simple geometrical shapes like lines, squares, circles, irregular forms, which are associated with essential and generalized categories. Second, Victor abundantly uses such mixed natural media as sand, earth, clay, grated shell limestone, and wood calling them primary ontologic substances taken directly from nature with no chemical processing. Apart from it, the artist introduces powders of bronze and aluminium, spray paints and gold leaf. He also applies oil and acrylic paints with thick impasto and bold strokes to emphasize their viscosity, fluidity and texture. The mix of textures and volumetric elements creates the impression of 3D paintings on flat canvases. Third, Victor applies mainly primary colors in vivid and contrast spots of blue, red and yellow. The combinations of monochromatic natural tones and vibrant colors bring various associations, from confrontation to dialogue.
Victor embodies his ideas by means of abstract and sometimes symbolic shapes referred as Perceptual Objects. Rather often one can hardly distinguish between top and bottom, left and right side of a painting. Created compositions have a broad sense e.g., the images of opposition, overcoming, process and the like are perceived in general as categories of being. Even though objects appear as real life entities, they refer to metaphorical meanings. Thus, the compositions are open for multiple interpretations. One can see macro world of infinitely large universes, structures or galaxies, while the other may associate the depicted images with micro world of cells, atoms, nuclei, photons and microelements. The artworks may show imaginary parallel worlds and blended realms interacting with one another.
Victor Cuzmenco was born in 1948 in Divizia settlement, Odessa region, Ukraine. He graduated from Moscow State Institute of Fine Arts named after V. Surikov in 1974. His paintings are in the funds of National Art Museum of Moldova, CIS museums, the funds of Russian Ministry of Culture, private collections in USA, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, Israel, Singapore, Russia and Ukraine. His personal shows were held in Moldova (2016-2018, 2000, 1994, 1991), Korbeins Galerie – Frankfurt, Germany (1993), the Central House of Artists, Moscow (1991). The artist was awarded the Diploma of Moldovan Artists Union “for the best coverage of creative theme”; his art was also included in Art Encyclopedia of Moldova.
Victor’s artworks were exhibited at such group shows as VIII and IX International Exhibitions in Lion Cultural Centre, France (2002, 2003), the exhibition of Moldovan avant-guard artists in Dusseldorf, Germany (1996), «Art-Myth-93» in the Central House of Artists, Moscow (1993), group exhibition at Uppsala Contemporary Art Museum, Sweden (1992), the Exhibition of creative group “Fantom” in Ismail, Ukraine (1990), the exhibition of Moldovan artists in Aachen, Germany (1990), group exhibition in “Art Base” gallery, Singapore (1989).
Victor Cuzmenco exhibited his artworks at over 200 expositions in Moldova and internationally. In 2019 he was awarded the Prize of Art and Culture Center – Bacau, Romania.
In 2020 Victor’s artworks were included in more than 15 group exhibitions of online galleries and published at art magazines in USA, Canada, UK, and Italy. The selected paintings became award-winning and gained Special Merit and Honorable Mention.