What are we seeing when we observe a simple object like a scarf? Is it the colour, the folds in the fabric and the way it reflects the light? Or is it the memories that come with it, the experiences of the person who wore it? That’s what Alina Gorokhovodatskaia, who goes by the art name of Art Liard, is asking of us when we look at her works.
It’s the same question she’s asking when we see the fish lying on a surface. It’s now being prepped for dinner, but what life did it lead, what did it experience underwater before it was wrenched from its domain? It’s a nod to the memento mori paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, which included fish and other perishable foods as a reminder that our time on this earth is fleeting and we should make the most of the limited time we have.
Her sketch of a tree asks us to consider that a tree’s timescale of change and overall life span hundreds of years, while a single human life is a mere portion of a tree’s existence, with some predating the birth of major religions and witnessing the rise and fall of civilisations. Each tree carries a history that we can only speculate about, and Art Liard is trying to capture a slice of it and convey it through her drawing.
It’s a similar idea in her painting of a raven. Corvids are some of the smartest animals and, therefore, must be capable of higher thoughts and emotions, but at least for now, their knowledge is incomprehensible to us, as all we have are paintings such as these to contemplate what they are thinking, both about their own life and what they see in us.
Some of her simpler compositions, such as a flower pot, remind us of the simple still lifes painted by the likes of Giorgio Morandi and Paul Cézanne. They encourage slow-looking, asking to notice the subtle shadows that dance across the surface, the light it catches and the beauty in the everyday.
When painting her series on roses, she uses heavy impasto to create a rich texture that makes you want to run your hands over them; the ridges in the painting contrast with the soft petals, more akin to the thorns.
As her work evolves, I’d like to see her incorporate more personal elements, asking how her paintings and drawings channel a part of her life and thus set her apart from other still-life artists currently practising. What is it in her heritage and life story that creates a signature that allows us to identify her work as uniquely hers?
More information about Art Liard is available on her website and Instagram.
All images are copyright of the artist.
