PROJECT HIGH ART
https://projecthighart.net/exploring-the-surreal-world-of-alex-berdysheff/
SHOUTOUTATLANTA : MEET ALEX BERDYSHEFF/VISUAL ARTIST
https://shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-alex-berdysheff-visual-artist/
http://magazine.pambianconews.com/pambianco-design-magazine/
http://magazine.pambianconews.com/design-n42016/
L’ETERNO CONFLITTO NELLA POETICA DI BERDYSHEFF
Alexander Berdysheff nasce a Tbilisi, capitale della Repubblica della Georgia, nel 1964 dove attualmente lavora e vive. Ha conseguito un diploma in Graphic Design alla Tbilisi State Academy of Fine Arts ed un MFA alla Glasgow School of Art (UK). L’artista definito ‘surrealista contemporaneo’ nei suoi dipinti mette in scena il dialogo tra humor e satira denunciando le guerre, le persecuzioni e la corruzione mondiale e coniugando oggetti distorti e forme astratte. Le immagini di conflitti politici, di guerre civili e della pulizia etnica in Est Europa hanno influenzato significativamente la creatività di Berdysheff. Tutti questi elementi coesistono, quindi, nelle sue opere oltre ogni limite fisico o logico, rivelando la tensione invisibile e l’eterno conflitto insito in ogni elemento della realtà, sollevando dubbi sulla veridicità dell’esistente. Le opere di Berdysheff sono state esposte in numerose gallerie d’arte, tra L’ETERNO CONFLITTO NELLA POETICA DI BERDYSHEFF Cover STORY le quali, Vanda Art Gallery, a Tbilisi, Georgia; Arundel Art Room in West Sussex, U.K.; Galerie Kandinsky a Vienna in Austria; Art Bridge, Almaty in Kazakistan e The Royal Scottish Academy a Edinburgo in Scozia. Numerose sono, inoltre, le mostre dell’artista all’interno di pubbliche istituzioni, come l’Azerbaijan National Museum of Art a Baku in Azerbaijan, il Georgian National Museum, il Tbilisi State History Museum, l’Achara Art Museum a Batumi, l’Achara, the Karvasla Tbilisi State History Museum, in Georgia, Karmelklooster, Drachten e il Netherlands and Central House of the Artists, a Moscow.
Pambianco Design Magazine
http://georgiatoday.ge/news/3893/Humble-Talent-Who-Respects-Mistakes-in-Art?9254
Humble Talent Who Respects Mistakes in Art
Alexander Berdysheff is in his early 50s, an experienced artist whose background is in graphic design.
He complements his psychological knowledge of colors with his own unique ideas. His ‘Edges’ exhibition at the ‘Vanda’ Gallery is on from May 20 to June 6, at Chonkadze 14, Sololaki.
Berdysheff's creative use of colors makes his style instantly recognizable, his works having been exhibited at galleries and exhibitions in the UK, Austria, Germany, Azerbaijan, Russia and, last year, the USA; this humble painter from Georgia recently participated at the esteemed Art Basel Miami international art fair.
“It gave me a lot in terms of professional experience. It takes place annually. It was a cultural shock, I'd never been to an event like it, but it was a wonderful experience. I was lucky enough to participate thanks to some personal contacts,” the artist says.
Berdysheff's the international success story began in Scotland. Depressed by the political and economic instability of Georgia and the art market in his homeland, the painter was invited by friends to move to Edinburgh. The artist admits that this was where he was recognized as a painter. The British East-West Journal wrote an article with the headline “Georgian painter makes impact in Scotland”, a testament to his success. However, he later returned home and continued working in Georgia.
As all big painters, he does not like to be qualified as the follower of one concrete genre.“I like experiments. I make series too. The series of the numbers represented here is more pop-art, in the vain of Jasper Johns. I get inspired by traveling, as it is a basis for new forms and colors. Also, my personal changes of beliefs about life impact my works.”
Alexander Berdysheff was one of the first painters of his generation who managed to escape the turmoil of post-Soviet Georgia, and believes this is why he is so open-minded - a real artist who does not have any concrete aims, never obsessed whether this or that picture will be sold or not. Alex fully dedicates himself to the creative process, but claims the noisy atmosphere of the city can damage his inspiration.
“On leaving the city, I become instantly revived in nature. I fully agree with Tchaikovsky's expression that muses do not visit the lazy. My inspiration comes in the process of working. A painting has its own energetic charge, and painting is an interactive process. I respect mistakes in painting very much, as it gives birth to a totally different painting. I am not an artisan who knows everything, the perfectionist type for whom mistakes constitute failure. For a creative person, mistakes should be welcome.”
GEORGIA TODAY inquires about the taste of Georgians, whether it is getting more exquisite. With regards to the artistic tastes of Georgians, Berdysheff says: “I am glad that among the buyers of my paintings there are more and more youngsters, which gives me hope. As for artists, I am happy there are more and more young illustraors.”
Berdysheff says that he was very much inspired by surrealists, though he thinks that all artistic directions are crucial, and he has been influenced by the classical period such as Rembrandt. “But primeval art in the caves is very important for me too, as they give very strong symbols,” he adds.
GEORGIA TODAY also spoke to Mr. David Gerrard, the former Chairman of the Chartered Society of Designers in Scotland who first visited Georgia in 1987 and now came to Berdysheff's exhibition to Tbilisi. Years ago, his Georgian counterparts invited him to Georgia. They decided to exchange students to make bilateral links tighter, which was when he first met Beryshev. It was the very first art students exchange, but Georgia's conflicts of the 1990s put a stop to the practice.
However, in 1997, he and the British Council organized Berdysheff’s solo exhibition during the Edinburgh Festival. “Georgian students went to four art schools and then worked in design offices of Scotland.
Alex lived with us. During this time, I did six exhibitions of his work. I’ve always liked what he does. He has changed very much. His Georgian roots are very important, but his work can be favourably compared with artists of all nationalities.”
Berdysheff's exhibition is shown at the Vanda gallery from May 20 to June 6. The gallery is open daily with free admission.
By Maka Lomadze
Photo: Small Silhouette by Alexander Berdysheff
29 May 2016 17:15
http://www.observer.com.ge/en/2016/05/25/3628/
SURREALIST PAINTER’S EMOTIONAL EXHIBITION AT ART GALLERY VANDA
By adminadmin on MAY 25, 2016
Painter Alexander Berysheff often indulges art lovers with interesting exhibitions. “Edges” is a solo exhibition of his new art works that was opened on May 20 at Art Gallery Vanda and will continue until June 6. Up to 30 abstract and surrealist art works are presented at the exhibition, most of which have been created by the artist in the last two years. One of them – “Déjà vu” – is still wet.
“Since I work on several paintings simultaneously, it is hard to determine when and which would be finished,” – the painter pointed out.
The idea of holding an exhibition arose in autumn, however, you can view Alexander Berdysheff’s paintings at Art Gallery Vanda biannually. The painter has been in cooperation with this gallery for 20 years, hence, he has held several personal exhibitions.
The word “edges” represents a particular dimensional angle and intrinsic tension, thus, the artist chose this particular name for his personal exhibition.
“With the art works presented at this exhibition, I would like to express my state and mood. I laid the main importance on emotions,” Alexander Berdysheff remarked.
He believes that a painter is an ordinary person who must be filled with humane characteristics. An artist should be self-critical and hardworking for their continuous professional development. An artist cannot rely solely on talent.
“In order to start work, I need an inspiration, which I can easily get through the internet. At the same time, I really like traveling, and this is my main source of inspiration. You can develop any word or picture by your fantasy. As usual, I paint 8 hours a day,” said the artist.
Masterpieces are created according to seasons; the painter considers winter the worst period for working, while summer is the ideal time for him to create something new.
In his opinion, an artist who is never given instructions about what to do and when is a happy one.
“Alexander grows, changes and develops from exhibition to exhibition thanks to his constant feeling of dissatisfaction with himself. Any work of the artist – be it graphics, painting or design – every small detail is known to everyone and everywhere” – Art critic Sopho Kilasonia states.
Berdysheff has been painting since childhood, however, his personal or group exhibitions are the ones to set a benchmark for his professional achievements. One of such group exhibitions were toured to Spain in 1990.
It is noteworthy that the artist’s first personal exhibition was held in 1994 in Edinburgh, and in 1998 in Georgia, at Art Gallery Vanda.
Alexander Berdysheff was awarded the John Murray Thompson Award in 2000; the artist has held exhibitions in various countries worldwide.
He believes that an artist should not aspire to rapid professional development and should not imitate others; everyone should create their personal art for which he deems getting more and more information to be essential.
Relatively early works of his will be exhibited in England in June. He will also be participating in a group exhibition where one his paintings will be presented.
He plans another interesting exhibition in the USA in winter. Alexander Berdysheff cooperates with Rimonim Art Gallery in Miami and he holds an annual presentation of his art there. Since, there is specific climate in Miami with very hot summers, exhibitions are mainly planned in winter, starting from November.
Alexander Berdysheff was born in Tbilisi; in 1988, having studied graphic design, he graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. In 1990, he matriculated at the Glasgow School of Art as an exchange student at postgraduate level.
For him, the most important aspects in the creative process are the game, ritual, lifestyle – art includes everything. Each of his collections present the fruit of his intuition and the creative studies he has been doing for decades.
“Having worked on collages and digital art, I purposefully chose methods and directions that enable me to explore strong emotions. I think it makes my life more interesting as well as gives me an opportunity to develop myself”, – says the artist.
Most of his works can be considered surrealist; The painter’s art is a pessimistic game. It creates a universe where abstract and unidentified objects co-exist, their interaction goes far beyond physical and logical thinking.
A few years ago, Alexander Berdysheff visited “Farely Farm House” in East Sussex which is a well-known house of surrealism; it is now a museum and operates as an archive where art works by Lee Miller and surrealist painter Ronald Penrose are reserved. It was after the visit that the painter said: “If earlier I was hesitant about my art, after this visit all my doubts disappeared and my prospective development became clearer”.
There are figurative, malformed objects, abstract shapes and textual components mixed in his paintings. Sometimes he creates characters and places them in different places in a way similar to the stage. All the while, he is not aware of what is going to happen there.
All images produced by the painter have their story, none of them represent him himself though. Viewers have an opportunity to perceive these images in line with their own imagination. Based on his own experience, he deems imaginations to be paving the way for interesting and different interpretations each and every time.
By Nini Matchavariani
http://www.ingenuemagazine.co.uk/alex-berdysheff-at-arundel-art-room/
Published July 2, 2014 | By Editor
Alex Berdysheff A true contemporary surrealist
A cocktail of iconic styles, Alex Berdysheff’s work pushes the parameters of surrealism. Drawing from past masters of the genre and overlaid with his own keenly felt impression of life, his paintings and mixed media compositions are vivid expressions of the human condition with all its travails.
Alex Berdysheff was born in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in 1964. In 1988 he graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Fine Arts with a diploma in Graphic Design, going on in 1990 to study at the Glasgow School of Art under a post-graduate exchange programme, where he held his first exhibition. His talent was recognised immediately by his professors and his surrealistic paintings were considered to show much future promise. Since these beginnings he has participated in solo and group exhibitions in England, Scotland, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Brazil, the USA, Canada, Kazakhstan and, of course, Georgia. In 2000 he won the John Murray Thomson Award at the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition and in 2006 he won first prize at the Coca-Cola Tbilisi Jazz Festival Poster Contest.
Berdysheff’s work is truly immersed in the surrealistic canon. Originally a philosophical, cultural and political phenomenon developed out of the Dada movement, it was expressed mainly through paintings and literature. From its epicentre in Paris, surrealism gradually expanded during the 1920s, gathering many artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers and became an international creative genre in itself. Many artists became involved in the movement, such as Dali, Ernst, Miró, de Chirico and Magritte. These and other artists’ work were at times outlandish, bizarre, eerie or downright weird, strange and fantastic. But so is the human psyche, and these artists were using painting techniques that allowed the unconscious, the id, the alter ego or the dreaming spirit to express themselves; the work was the conception of these dreamscapes.
In viewing Berdysheff’s creations, one is immediately aware that he is a ‘traditional’ surrealist, if such a thing can exist. His work echoes that of Dali, Miró et al and, apart from the occasional reference to Picasso’s cubism, shows no compromise with other genres of art. Each image, be it a painting, a mixed media creation or a digital work, is unique unto itself and contains all the illogic, incongruity, abstraction and imagination one would expect in the field; and yet they are very aesthetic and they communicate.
Profoundly emotive, the themes and tones of his work are as varied and diverse as the canvasses themselves, ranging from meta- physical paintings to social and human issues in which defiance or violent pathos coupled with deep scepticism stand in opposition to the peaceful. Some of his compositions are full of sentimentality, melancholy and sadness, some are laced with irony or humour, but he can also be whimsical.
The artist’s digital works are composed of objects created by himself and photographed, which are then layered together and digitally composed into incredibly dramatic and startling images. Many (not all) are black and white with one dominant colour. In one or two pieces, the artist appears in the background.
Berdysheff himself says, “My art is just a pessimistic game. I create worlds where identifiable and abstract objects co-exist, interacting beyond any physical or logical limits. Chaos and deformation on the one hand, and sharp lines and precisely rendered details on the other, are my main aesthetic concepts; they also reveal the invisible tension and eternal struggle between or inside all forms of matter.”
Art of England article 2
http://media.wix.com/ugd/57bdfd_89b2fadf1e4740c9b386b64ee05bcb51.pdf
Art of England article 1
http://media.wix.com/ugd/75b007_392e955d77ff4700abed7560f6a1f0ba.pdf
The Artist's Cottage project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Artist%27s_Cottage_project
North Naples' Sweet Art Gallery hosts 'Continuum' February 7
February 4, 2014
http://www.examiner.com/article/north-naples-sweet-art-gallery-hosts-continuum-february-7