Vika Prokopaviciute interview // People // Added 2009/05/11 at 16:13
Remember, last week we told you about a young russian artist named Vika Prokopaviciute, whose we especially liked the work. We wanted to know more about her and her creative universe, so we send her a few questions. Thank you Vika!
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Vika Prokopaviciute, I live in Moscow and I am intoxicated by unconscious colours and ordinary things now!
How did you start painting? Is it your job or just a hobby?
I was studying at the University of Architecture in Samara (it's a city in Russia on river Volga, do you know anything about this? Haha!), it was necessary to paint a lot to enter the University, at that time I discovered impressionism and cubism for me. We were trying to understand how colours work, cold shadows, warm lights, how forms rotate and separate, what is the grid inside painting space. It was an analytic study painting to understand the process deeply and to use this knowledge for architecture and design projects. After the University I moved to Moscow, I didn't paint much, only some illustrations from time to time. But recently my friend Tanya and me, we've decided to paint together, I don't know why, just to have some fun in process.
We started with portraits, we met every sunday and so — called this 'Every Sunday Sketches'. And we still do it! We are like a small painting band. It's not my job unfortunately, all week long I work as a designer, sometimes I have an illustrator freelance offers, but painting is not just a hobby, though it's better to think it's for fun, not a hard work, haha, just painting in a single breath and not being afraid that the result would be awful.
I really appreciate your Before & After series and the Brand Still Life one, is there any message in it?
Thanks, I'm really glad! I don't know about any message, really. We just paint stuff around us. We thought about still-life in any century, and there were certain food, certain plates, well — certain objects for this very period. Still Life paintings about the Brands were the first — simple, just bright bottles and packs from kitchen and bathroom. We want more everyday common things, more decay, not something interesting and unusual, but just the opposite. Simple things around us are beautiful, no matter what they are: flowers, fruits, hamburgers, drops of ketchup, wrinkled paper tissues.
I personally like the second part of series — 'After' — more, it's more abstract, you can't understand what is there without first looking at 'Before'.
Your news? Your projects?
'Rubbish Self-portraits'! Again in collaboration with Tanya, we started to make a series about ourselves. These are keyhole portraits from waste-basket, maybe it's not so interesting to see my rubbish, but I think it can be more honest and open than nude portrait, for example.
Here are my first two pieces http://prokopaviciute.com/project/rubbish-self-portrait/
What artists (music, photo, fashion, etc...) should our readers discover?
Recently in my bookmarks these inspiring fantastic female artists:
of course, my paintmate Tanya Kirichenko
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirichenko_tanya/sets/72157608697295004/
http://www.mgubia.com/
http://mayabloch.carbonmade.com/
Now on my playlist:
Sieg Über Die Sonne — +1 (2004)
Tobacco — Fucked Up Friends (2008)
LFO — Frequencies (1991)
Microbunny — Dead Stars (2004)
Wishmountain — Wishmountain Is Dead (1998)
Suicide — Suicide (1977)
And check this russian sci-fi movie about Mars from the 60s. It's in Russian, but the visuals are astonishing!
Your favorite adresses in your city?
The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, especially part of the exhibition with inspiring Impressionists' works, Boulevard Ring, Moscow's centremost ring road, Apothecaries' Garden, night view of Moscow-City, Zamoskvorechye, lovely area in the center, 'Ketama' Cafe, Moroccan cafe with incredible interior ! Shanti Club, soulful and secret atmosphere on the grotto dance-floor.
Favorite drink?
Hot chocolate!
Describe a successful evening/night (party)?
Painting, painting, painting, partying, partying.
Your last concert?
Crazy P! Hahahaha!
Your last exhibition?
Hooligans of the 80s, amazing photos of russian underground youth.
One last word?
Na zdorovie!
Discover Vika Prokopaviciute's works on http://www.prokopaviciute.com/
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