opening night may 29th at 35 mm

This exhibition is a confrontation between the works of a French painter, Michael Brunet, and a Canadian photographer, David Macgillivray.

We are lucky to have met each other and discovered that we have much in common both in our works and life. It goes without saying that friends and portraits are the main reasons for our stay in Russia. This is why we have decided to dedicate this exhibition to our friends. Before the thought of an exhibition came to mind, we had already produced several works with the same models, so it was obvious to compile them and to steer our works in this direction. Our friends who have served as models will be attending this exhibition, so you’ll have the chance to see them in the flesh. You’ll see that although paintings and photographs can be quite far from the truth, it is purely the artist’s interpretation. The aim of an artist is not to show reality as it is, but to express himself and his perception through his works. Our duet is based on friendship and the respect of two different sensibilities.

I think it’s very interesting to observe that a photograph can sometimes be more unfaithful than a painting. The black and white paintings were born after the idea of the exhibition. I want to show how new mediums change the approach of old art. I can say that I really like Dave’s picturesque form of portrayal, and I can’t deny that my manner of painting is directly influenced by photography. I work with photographs, and the framing of my paintings are inspired by them. “Don’t look at them look at my view”.

Michael Brunet

I studied painting long before I picked up a camera. So, as Misha’s work has been influenced by photography, mine has been influenced by painting. For me, the black and white portraits began in my living room this winter, when for the first time, I started to photograph the people around me. Previously, I had only worked with models, so this project has been very special for me. I had seen Misha’s works (of people I knew) before actually meeting him. I was inspired by his taste and the expressions he’d chosen to show. I felt taken by their looks of familiarity. Ultimately, I had no choice but to depict them myself.

David Macgillivray

*Special thanks to Kirill Kulakov, Anna Kanaeva, 35 mm, prolab, Masha, Olya and our friends for their help.

dead letter mail

Haim Sokol exhibited his work in Moscow two nights ago. We had a very pleasant evening, strolling through Triumph Gallery viewing the works and sipping red wine.

 ”Sokol’s development as an artist has taken place in two societies – post Soviet Russia and Israel. Similar in few respects other than in the demands that seismic change makes upon the individual. Sokol has moved between these two cultures at a time when both are undergoing extreme forms of upheaval, developing a personal language to express the alienating effect of change upon the individual specifically within the context of his own experience and that of his immediate family.” 1

“…….Sokol explores the position of “other”; his identity as a Jew in Russia and a Russian in Israel.” 2

 The theme of the exhibition is ‘Dead Letter Mail’, which consists of several different parts. When first entering the gallery, we found ourselves in a rather dark room; one bright spotlight at the end, shining on a vibrant red wall. The spotlight drew us to what appeared to be a window partially covered with a curtain in rough shape. Upon closer inspection, the fabric became rusted tin, and below the hovering piece was an old wooden table; a steel clock situated left. About twelve feet in front of the window (Untitled: Invisible) were two glass cases containing rusty tin envelopes and letters. In my memory, they were in near darkness in contrast to the window.

 ”As usual it is about the loss of memory, about the situation when communication with the past is impossible. Post and letters symbolize for me some different perception of time and space. The waiting has disappeared from our life. The waiting as a pause between two events was really the most important event itself.” 3

  Next we walked through a hall which lead us to a Russian mail box strapped as a backpack, supported by a  brown fur coat hanging from the ceiling.  Soon after, I felt like we’d barged in on a funeral at a cemetery as we slowly drifted into another dark room. This one darker, the message more clear; a burial ground for the post. It was this installation (Poste Restante) which commanded me to take off my backpack, switch lenses and begin taking photos. The experience was to some extent hair-raising.

 ”Through metaphors of deaf mail boxes and letters which have lost their addresses and senders, letters that are lost in time, in other words <<dead letters>>, the artist informs us………….about lost connections with the past, which happened, for instance, during wartime, when life changed rapidly.” 4

 ” The mail boxes are inert, they lack the vitality, energy and intent that letters normally give them. Rather than the bearers of information they are tombstones, standing as lifeless reminders of failure.” 5

 Moving on, the last room boasted two large metal arches (Arch), each standing 1.54 m x 1.35 m. One solid, the other cage-like; holding the viewer from access to the decaying letters encased within it. To the guests fortune, there were sharply bound information books (more like novels), at the entrance. For the past two days, I’ve been absorbing it’s text and images. All of the above quotes have been referrenced from this book. If you’re interested in gaining greater insight into Sokol and his work, proceed to his website here

One last quote from the artist:

“I am a consciousness affected by total amnesia. My means of existence consists of painful rememberings. The process of “remembering” is radically different from the process of “not forgetting”, which is a characteristic of the traditional world. The traditional Jewish world knew what not to forget, how and why. I don’t have the answer to any of these questions. I don’t know what I remember, how I do this and, most importantly, why. But I simply must remember.” 6

1, 2 , 5: David Thorp, 3, 6:Haim Sokol, 4: Alexander Evangely