I am a Russian artist and I have lived in Italy for many years, enough
to become an Italian citizen. I have recently discovered the MUM on the
Web and I would like to give my personal contribution to it, as a token
of my admiration for Mr. Finley's idea and also to thank him for all the
efforts he has done to carry it out.
My first work is called PORTRAIT OF A SHARED SECRET [above].
It is a picture (mixed technique on paper) I made long ago, in the summer
1997. I had known my girlfriend, who is now my wife, only for a few months.
One morning she told me of a dream she had had, which she remembered quite
clearly as it had left a strong impression on her. She was alone, standing,
when blood started to flow copiously from her. It was a haemorrhage, not
a normal menstruation, but she was not frightened. While the blood continued
to flow, she lay down. It was strange and natural at the same time, and
when she woke up she felt as if she had given birth to someone, to herself.
In the attempt to translate her emotions into images, I made this picture
and gave it to her. When I told her about the MUM, she agreed it was the
place where the picture should be.
The second work, CATHARSIS [next page],
is a small painted sculpture in Piasentina Stone (a typical stone of Friuli,
the area where I live). I made it only a few weeks ago specially for the
MUM. I thought of Russian traditional dolls (matrioskas) as symbols of
the multiple secrets of women's nature, and wanted to combine the idea
of immortality and endless reproduction suggested by the phoenix, the legendary
and mysterious bird who is consumed in fire and rises from her (as she
is undoubtedly female) own ashes. The matrioska and the phoenix stand also
for the magic that I perceive, without totally understanding it, in the
female body. The style of the painting in acrylic colour is meant to evoke
the art of ancient civilizations and emphasize the continuity, through
procreation, of the history of humanity. All these elements, and the menstrual
blood, concur to represent a deeply felt need for catharsis and renewal.
Vladislav Shabalin
For some information on my work: www.easternartgallery.com
The artist's next work, "Catharsis."