ArtYourJourney

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Vision of the City
In this work Kir explores the interconnectedness of 2 visions of the city – the abstracted New York skyline that was seen initially by many immigrants through centuries, as the vision of New Jerusalem – the Promised land.

The idea of yearning for a return to the homeland and of finding a new homeland is implied in the phrase “next year in Jerusalem”, that is sang and repeated by Hebrews at the end of the Passover Seder, and serves as a reminder of living in exile.

For Kir, New York initially become an exile when he emigrated to the USA in 1994 as a refugee. But slowly that vision morphed into the new vision of New York as a new homeland and a new place to be.

The layered silhouette of NYC in this work is symbolic of the life’s experiences and dramas of living in NYC as an immigrant.  This work is a celebration of finding a new home and a new life and a new destiny in a foreign land that with time becomes loved and cherished.  It becomes the Promised land for those that have the courage and vision.

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Dreamer’s vision is presented after watching a how O at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegal

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From the review by Metropolis Contemporary gallery in London:

The digital painting “Metamorphosis of a Dream” for example, is an introspective work that explores the subconscious, a recurring theme of the 20th century’s Avant-garde, especially Surrealism. But it approaches the subject not only from a psychological perspective, it actually portraits the mind of the dreamer. The different layers, forms and lines are the depiction of the brain’s neural activities, they highlight the multiple visions that occur during a dream. The colours play a pivotal role in the construction of the image. The cold palette that ranges from lilac to turquoise and mint creates a dreamlike atmosphere, whilst the purple, red, orange and yellow solid colors create interferences and therefore activate a reaction in the viewer’s brain. As Kandinksy theorized in his “Concernig the spiritual in art” colors on the painter’s palette evoke a double effect: a purely physical effect on the eye and a spiritual effect in which the colour touches the soul itself. This is precisely what Sergey Kir achieves through this artwork. Moreover, through his unique techniques, the artist is able to create fluid forms that accompany the eye of the viewer in a pleasant and reassuring exploration of the whole image. The combination of shades and shapes create a dynamic surface on the canvas that results in an enchanting optical energy. This painting is the perfect example of Sergey Kir’s Conceptivism, an art form that aims to elevate the visual art aesthetics to a much higher degree and to engage the spectator on a much deeper level by triggering many of their senses and emotions.

https://metropoliscontemporary.com/sergey-kir-the-artist-that-is-revolutionising-abstraction/

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Unexpected Parlay” – life’s spontaneous interplay is highlighted, echoing the philosophy of a whimsical existence and the unpredictable path we traverse. A life is injected into the abstract concept of a random walk, inviting viewers to ponder the intricate dance of chance and circumstance that shapes our journey

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“Consuming Fire” made in an abstract, neo-contemporary style is the depiction of the Consuming Fire, a detailed meticulously done work that, as Kir explains, is inspired by the Biblical story of the spies, which Kir believes to be one of the most dramatic and illogical stories of the entire Bible. The work is referring to the story when, after miraculously escaping from Egypt, and after wandering for 12 months in the desert, the 12 tribes of Israel are finally on the banks of the river Jordan, ready to cross into the promised land, and send 12 spies into the land of Canaan to see what awaits them. The spies are coming back and 10 out of 12 claiming that crossing the river, to occupy the land, would be a suicide mission for Israelites, because Canaanites are powerful and strong. They suggest Israel return back to Egypt or face destruction and annihilation.

The spies advise the return after for 12 months or wondering in the desert, when Almighty provided food, shelter, and protection from the wild beasts and snakes in the desert, performed miracles to convince the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and even made the waters of the Red Sea(Sea of Reeds) to split, allowing for a safe passage. And it is at this point that Moses pleads that God Almighty is the Consuming Fire, and will help Israelites, as He did many times before and that they must, after going through so much pain and suffering, cross the river and complete the mission they set to do despite the possible losses they may face. Yet, the tribes still refuse and that is when they are set for 40 more years of wandering in the desert, until all members of the generation that suggested the return are gone.

In “Consuming Fire,” Kir  sought to encapsulate the ethereal essence of fire as both a transformative Biblical symbol and a philosophical concept. The rendering breathes with an intensity reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with Most High, where the flames both beckon and consume. The artwork ignites introspection, inviting viewers to ponder the paradox of destruction and renewal inherent in fire’s embrace.

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“Transformative Power” unveils the quiet struggle of existence through mundane actions, subtly echoing Nietzsche’s notions of the eternal recurrence.  It is contemplative reminder of life’s cyclical nature and the transformative power hidden within the ordinary.

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In this rendering, I sought to capture the essence of a boat house nestled within a tranquil park, an oasis where reality and reverie harmoniously intertwine. The boat house stands as a metaphorical threshold between the conscious and the subconscious.

The boat house, perched at the water’s edge, emerges as a bridge between these realms, embodying the philosophy of transcendence advocated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Ultimately, this work is about the duality of existence, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in interplay between the structured industrial boat house and the untamed wilderness beyond.

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“LA Folia” gracefully dances on the edge of comprehension, its abstract strokes a whisper of Mozart’s brilliance and Popper’s challenges to certainty. Within its enigmatic embrace, the elusive interplay of fleeting ideas takes flight, leaving behind a trail of mystery for those who dare to explore its depths.

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Loneliness is New York’s leitmotif. This feeling is palpable everywhere in New York City—a place filled with 8 million people, many of whom are immigrants and transplants. Streets of New York are full of people from all walks of life going about their business, not paying attention of what everyone else is doing, speaking many different languages. This bizarre symbolic Tower of Babel is a constant struggle: one day, the city can fascinate, the next, it can be felt as energy draining beast. So many people here are focused on money or their careers. It often feels like no one has any energy left for emotional conversation, for relationships. Although it isn’t difficult to find company, many of the interactions new-yorkers have with each other are empty and meaningless. It’s easy to be lonely and anonymous in a city like this and, ironically, one can feel that more than anywhere, but on Times Square, while being constantly surrounded by huge crowds.
Yes, there are some people who in pursuit of their dreams, inspire others and give the city a touch of humanity. Like a high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who on 7th of August 1974 performed an unauthorized high-wire crossing between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and became a symbol of the free-spirited daring aspiration that draw people to New York. He was later celebrated by New York and given a free lifetime pass to the Twin Tower’s Observation Desk.

Kir imagined how Philippe Petit would see New York if his daring act had been done at night.

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In “Another Episode of an Exciting/Boring Reality TV Show”, Kir again is reinterpreting the biblical idea that God is omnipresent and continuously watches over our lives and actions. NYC city (viewed from the Governor Island, it seems) is shown as a stage/set where individuals are performing in their self-chosen and self-directed reality TV shows, as the set is engrossed into the networks of interconnected neuro-grids, presumably transforming the information, thoughts, desires and prayers of individuals to the Creator. The piece is speculating that the Almighty, perhaps having grabbed a bag of popcorn, or a glass of wine, is continuously watching how moral dilemmas humans face affect our thoughts, judgements, and, ultimately, actions. The title of the work also seems to underlines Kir’s concern that we are to try to make each of our own reality TV shows, a more interesting and exhilarating experience for the Creator, injecting suspense, resourcefulness, agility and ability to overcome trauma and pain.

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“Dreams by the Rivers of Water” is alluding to one of the most poetic books in the Bible – the Song of Songs full of sensual and erotic poetry. There are discussions as to what that book means and what is it doing in a Bible, but Kir’s interpretation seems to appeal to its direct meaning of a sensual context with fleeting curves and abstract and frivolous shapes of different undertone completed in a pink and magenta palette of colors, underlying the suggestiveness of the work. It is not 100% clear where the title connects to the image, however Kir claims that if you look at the painting from a particular point of view you will see a man, leaning over a book (of sensual poetry as Kir claims) with the streams of water running under his shape, with sensual female form looming over him. Kir suggests that we are to explore the meaning of the work and to find our own interpretations of it, including, among other things, but turning the wok over its center in 360 degrees.