This time the gallery presented paintings of a famous contemporary artist from N.Novgorod (Russia) Sergey Sorokin in project "VAST IS MY NATIVE LAND..."
Artist Sergey SOROKIN:
..."Homeless people are my heroes?! - I know many of them personally! There was a period in my life, when I lived for weeks among these people, side by side... I was a welcomed guest in the "hot spots" of Nizhniy, and I know that sometimes you feel more secure there than in the big and "safe" world. I see no difference between a well off personality and a bum. Wherever faith brings him, he is still a human being. He feels the same, he loves the same. My heroes aren't bums!!! I personally know kind, trustful, and educated people among them. But their destiny is far from perfect. I knew a guy - a former musician, he had three higher educations. He tried to be independent in the 1990 - and+ that's where he lost his independence. Bums are truly independent. They are hopelessly free. No family, no work. Self dependant. Self destroying. In this aspect these characters are harmless. It's been a decade that we are together. They haven't changed a bit, except, and, maybe became more colorful. They were, as the country itself, grey and dull. And now they are quite humorous. More or less well dressed, and not so sad at all! Leshka - bum. My favorite! His suite is a fairytale! A glamorous guy. One would never think that he would spend the night under the bridge. They are more positive then we are. Even those who are clowning in the street to make a penny are quite obviously sincere. Nothing to hide, simple-hearted. Came out to make a buck - and, incidentally, shows ones soul. What's the sense in painting cute women's faces? Beauties cover up signs of passion on their faces with makeup, while I paint true sensations. I once invited some of my characters to an opening of an exhibition. Art critiques were super complementary, and the astonished bums, staring at the paintings could only exclaim: "Serega, you're a God damn painter!!!"...
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