Many people have already spoken about how far an artist can go in his own fantasies within the framework of the battle theme here, on "VO". Someone thinks that "fantasy is the quality of the greatest value", and as an artist sees, so let him see. Others believe that some framework is nevertheless necessary, and in any case, if you are depicting a specific historical event, then at least you need to draw horses of the appropriate size. That is, everything depends on the super-task … If the super-task is an idea in its purest form, as, for example, in Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of the painting "The Battle of Anghiara", then here both antique-looking armor and other liberties are permissible, which, however, are undesirable if you have a purely historical painting like The Battle on the Ice. There can be no burgonet or sallet type helmets of the 1470 model, as well as crossbows for the "Nuremberg gate". But what is this, another supporter of creative freedom will say, and what if the artist sees it like that? Well, there are examples of how you can see the world around us in your own way and at the same time depict armor, weapons and other details of the world around us so that their reliability will not cause questions. And the idea will also be visible. It all depends, as always, on the talent!
Well, in support of this idea of mine, I would like to tell you about one of our Penza artist, German Mikhailovich Feoktistov. He was born on December 6, 1962 in the city of Penza. For two years I went to the art studio at the House of Pioneers, and in 1980-1985. studied at the Penza Civil Engineering Institute at the Faculty of Architecture. But already in the same 1985, he did not take up architecture at all, but small plastic, using wood, ceramics and bronze as materials. Then, since 1988, he began to participate in exhibitions and competitions held in Russia, Bulgaria, Canada and Ukraine. In 1996, at the exhibition of jewelry art in St. Petersburg, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Carl Faberge, three of his works were awarded a 1st degree diploma in the category "Interior Decoration". Well, as a result, the works of German Feoktistov can be seen in the House of Satire and Humor (Bulgaria), in museums of Canada, in the Museum of Moscow History, in such a prestigious place as the gift fund of the Federation Council, well, and about the collection of lovers of this kind of creativity, you can also do not speak. He is a member of the Union of Artists, that is, a recognized master in his work.
As for the military theme, he did his first work dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino almost 20 years ago. “I wanted to portray Suvorov, - said Herman. - Well, I wanted to, and that's it. But if you do Suvorov, then it means you can't do without Kutuzov. And then Barclay must be done, and Platov, and all the others who were in hats and with epaulets. But, it will, therefore, be a gallery of generals, and who bore all the hardships of the war on their shoulders? Who won the victory with their bayonets? Soldiers! " Therefore, Herman decided not to sculpt the high army command, but to make a series of sculptures of "people from the common people." That is why there are only two chief officers in his collection "Brava lads". And all the rest are privates.
He conceived exactly 100 "figures". But since he had both pair and group compositions, in the end it came out 104. And all his soldiers differ not only in their form and rank, but also in character. And the author did not offend them with a sense of humor. For example, the miniature "Tsar Baba" is filled with humor to the limit. This is about women's trousers of a huge size that our servicemen got during their overseas trips. As an author who has the right to freedom of creativity, our sculptor has attached the faces of his acquaintances to many of the heroes.
For example, a Cossack from the Penza militia is the spitting image of the Penza ethnographer and collector Igor Shishkin, and the cuirassier is a caster who also cast it. Among the sculptures there is also German Feoktistov himself - in the form of a simple huntsman. “Of course, I wanted to make myself in the form of some kind of hussar, in cords and etiquette, or to present myself as a lancer, but no. The huntsman of the Penza militia is just for me. Shoe in bast shoes, protects state boots, hung them on a gun and carries them - saves shoes, which means saves boots. I would have done so myself, since I would have fought at that time,”says German Feoktistov about his sculptures.
The "military theme" for a master who works in small plastic, in his opinion, is the most fertile business. And above all because of the abundance of various small details that can be shown and shown which in bronze are just very interesting. But all the subtleties of that era that you show, of course, you need to know, this is his firm conviction.
Therefore, Herman not only studied all the available historical literature, but also traveled to the Borodino field for four years in a row. There he felt the grandeur of the battle that took place there 200 years ago, and said in this regard that 200 years, they say, is not enough for history. Therefore, on the Borodino field, I really felt that I was involved in everything with this - with history, and with traditions, and with our culture. And if so, then how can all this not be reflected in the metal ?!
As a result, an exhibition of his sculptures dedicated to the anniversary of the war of 1812 was held in Penza, his work was appreciated by both experts and amateurs, but now the artist has a new idea.
The fact is that another of its themes is the culture of the Indians of North America. He rides on paw-wow, and corresponds with Indianists, but most importantly, he casts sculptures of Indians. And again, take a closer look: the figures are small, but the horses are much smaller than their actual size, just like many soldiers of the 1812 war have disproportionately large heads. Is that grotesque? "And I see it that way!" - answers the master, and what is most surprising, this very "disproportion" does not spoil his sculpture! So in this case, probably, everything again depends on the super task set by the artist. And here his works are on a par with the statue of Peter the Great, dressed in a Roman toga, and Minin with Pozharsky, who, after all, was also dressed in an incomprehensible way and armed with worldly swords, but here it is justified. But in detail, according to his sculptures, you can study the life of the Russian army in 1812, and the culture of the North American Indian tribes!
Herman has already had an exhibition of sculptures of Indians in Penza. At the opening, his Indianist friends danced an exciting "bear dance", honored guests were presented with tomahawks and "dream catchers", admired his bronze and excellent color photos with pow-wow, and all this took place in the regional art gallery. Savitsky.
But over the past time Feoktistov learned something more deeply, rethought some of his works (here they are, there are some artists!) And decided to finish something, alter something, and make some sculptures anew! To release a new album with photographs of his "Indians", since the past sold out like "hot cakes of homemade baking", well, now he is working on them at full speed. “Right here,” he explains to me, pointing to a wax figure, “is not the same pattern! This US soldier should be in full dress - they wore it on purpose, as it made a strong impression on the poor Indians. And here is a revolver of the wrong time …”This is the truth of life in German Feoktistov, and this is how he sees it in the past!
