Painting Aubrey “Oten gelecek”

My relationship with painting and fine arts had been changing throughout my life. I adored different artists. But it was British artist Aubrey Beardsley, one of the brightest representatives of English estheticism and modern, who made the first and the strongest impression on me.
I was about eight years old when I saw the book with his works for the first time. It happened by accident at my school teacher’s home. We were buddies, she used to invite me over to her house which was full of many interesting things. Once, while she was in kitchen, I spotted some foreign volume on the table in the living room, it seemed expensive and rare. I opened it — and couldn’t stop examining the pictures which I have seen for the first time. They absolutely struck me. First of all, I was impressed by technique, although I didn’t even know this term at that time. The pictures seemed elaborately scratched with a sharp object on smoked glass. I was bewitched by the movement of these lines, they looked incredible. I remember myself being embarrassed and exalted by the provocative adult plots.
Many years later a boy came to my photo shoot. I clearly recognized myself in his face, his behavior. This look! He was approaching, touching the camera, examining it, opening the suitcases with my equipment. And those eyes! I instantly remembered myself opening Aubrey Beardsley’s book for the first time. At that exact moment I got the idea of creating portraits with the contemporary personalities. They could be transferred to my past to play the roles of my childhood acquaintances. This is how the exposition “Past future” was born. This triptych named “Aubrey” is the main piece.

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ASLAN
AHMADOV'S STUDIO
Moscow