"EXHIBITIONIN THE RUSSIAN MUSEUM"
'The Past, the Present and the Future all findexpression at the same time in my paintings,' says the soft-spokenRussian-born painter Edward Tabachnik. The calm, thoughtful eyesreflect intelligence and an eventful life. Born in 1936 in St.Petersburg (in the old days, renamed to Leningrad), where he studiedart and architecture at the famous St. Petersburg Academy of Arts andArchitecture, one of the world leading art universities. Founded bythe Empress Catherine the Great more than 250 years ago, it is ahistoric center of Russian arts and culture. It was in those studentyears that he would often visit the nearby Hermitage with its greatart collection.
Here, in St. Petersburg he also met the love ofhis life, Galina, who studied there to become a metallurgicalengineer. Together, they left the Soviet Union in 1972 for Israel,then lived briefly in Belgium and finally ended up in Toronto in1975, where they have lived ever since.
'In the Soviet Union, just like everybody else,also an artist had to conform, to follow the official part line,'said Tabachnik. 'Political correctness' was invented in the SovietUnion...they called the official style the 'Socialist Realism' inthose days. It was a very, very rigid style, which had to glorify thesocialist workers, collective farmers and Lenin, of course. For thoseartists who did not conform, there was very little opportunity forexhibitions or public recognition. A couple of paintings hanging in acafe was all one could hope for.
'My style was very different then,' recalls theartist. 'But let me tell you: when we were getting ready to leave theSoviet Union, I had to get an official permit for each of mypaintings that I wanted to take with me. I had to go to the Ministryof Culture with photos and description of the paintings. And then, Ihad to pay the state the value of the paintings -- my paintings,which I myself created! Fortunately, I discovered that a bottle ortwo of vodka to the apparatchik in charge did wonders in reducing theofficial value of my works! Such was the life in the Soviet Union inthose days.'
Edward Tabachnik has lived in Toronto for the pasttwenty-five years with his wife Galina. While always workingprofessionally as an architect, whether designing residential housesin Belgium or apartment buildings and commercial buildings inToronto, he never stopped painting. Over the years, the significantchanges in his lifestyle were accompanied also by changes in hisartistic style. 'I was never a conformist', he says with a smile.'Not in Russia, and not in Toronto.'
In the past decade, he has been painting in thestyle of 'Romantic Expressionism.' We all know Dali's surrealiststyle or the style of 'Fantastic Realism' of the Viennese painterErnst Fuchs, but what is this new style of Edward Tabachnik? Heexplains it this way: 'Modern art has come to the dead end. The artrevolution happened a hundred years ago, and is now dead.Unfigurative art is exhausted, and is repeating itself. We need to goback to figurative art forms, with its unlimited possibilities. Weneed to turn away from the flat "paper-thin" art, and create deepdimensional art, with light and shadow forms traveling in time,'explains the artist. 'You see, the major art laws have neverchanged-- composition, balance, proportions, color harmony, time andspace -- shall always be present. Art is a form of energy thatspreads through the Universe, and the artist is connected to the'universal art energy' and reveals its presence through hisinspiration. Actually, we are traveling through time from the Past tothe Future through the Present, back and forth, back and forth. Timein the 'art energy' does not have any direction -- the Past, thePresent and the Future can coexist together,' concludes thepainter.
One of his well-known paintings, "Exhibition inthe Russian Museum" shows the main exhibition hall in one of St.Petersburg's great art museums. In the painting the Past, the Presentand the Future are depicted together, a characteristic of many of hispaintings of the past decade: on the walls of the hall hang paintingsby Edward Tabachnik. Two soldiers in the red parade uniforms of theCzar's guard are admiring the paintings while overhead, through alarge glass ceiling one can see a flying 'celestial city of the gods'as it hovers over the city of St. Petersburg.
Just what is this flying city doing in thepainting, anyway? 'I will explain this to you,' says the artist. 'Yousee, not everybody in the world believes the currently 'politicallycorrect' myth that people came from apes. I, for one, do notsubscribe to this naive theory. How could it be? For hundreds ofthousands of years, there was not much happening on this Earth, butthen, some 5,000 years ago, things started happening fast, very fast.Soon, there were various civilizations, men were able to computedistances to the planets, discovered sciences and the arts. Who cansay for sure, that in the past some gods from other planets did notcome down to Earth in their flying 'celestial cities' and broughthuman life, culture and science with them?
'This idea has become a central theme, even anobsession in many of my recent paintings. You will find this idearepresented in all my paintings by the flying 'celestial city ofgods.' Sometimes you see it right away as a prominent feature in thepainting, sometimes you have to look very hard to find it--but it isalways there! This 'celestial city' moves freely in time, and thusconnects the Past with the Present and the Future. It is a unifyingelement in all my paintings.'
This 'celestial city of the gods' appears veryprominently in another of Edward Tabachnik's paintings, "High Waterin St. Mark's Square." 'Venice is one of my very favorite places inthe world. I painted its famous St. Mark's Square on severaloccasions. This painting is a night scene during one of thoseoccasional times when the whole square gets flooded under three orfour feet of water. It was such a powerful image that I just had topaint it. It is one of my favorite paintings,' says Edward Tabachnik.Venetian chandeliers, celestial cities and a flaming comet completethe picture, along with a mysterious torch procession.
'I love old masters,' says the artist. 'A paintershould study them, see their works often in art galleries and artmuseums. One gets much inspiration from them. Especially learning thedrawing technique is essential for a painter. Formal instruction indrawing and painting techniques and styles is a must for every youngaspiring artist. For one to become an accomplished pianist, one hasto study and practice for years and years. Why should it be anydifferent for painters and sculptors?
So, I visit art galleries and museums every chanceI get. Especially Italy is my favorite, so rich in art and culture --Florence, Venice, and the whole northern part of Italy. Even in smallvillages, in their ancient churches one finds great paintingsinside.
Painted in the style of 'Romantic Expressionism,'these two paintings are the key to one's understanding andappreciation of Edward Tabachnik's unique and intriguing art. 'Forme, Romantic Expressionism' is a way to express myself in a totallyindividual way. I get inspiration from the timeless motives of theold masters - painters, architects, and sculptors, and make a newinterpretation of the timeless theme in a modern way.
'His art gives you something to think about,' saysa young woman admiring a collection of eight of his paintings at theMuseum of European Art, 'and that is really what all great works ofart have in common.'
Clarence, New York
April 20, 2000
Several paintings of Edward Tabachnik are now on exhibition atthe Museum of European Art, 10545 Main Street, Clarence, New York.The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 1-5 p.m. and Saturdays,1-4 p.m. Free admission.
Copyright C 2000, Museum of European Art.