WHAT I FEEL INSIDE

Fine art is probably one of the oldest on earth. This is confirmed by petroglyphs, which probably appeared before intelligible human speech. Any one of us has drawn something since childhood, which could compete with the rock paintings in expressiveness. But while some of us did not go further than standard school curricula, other fellows chose the path of an artist intentionally. As if they were connecting to a source that made it possible to see the world from a different perspective, with a different content. As if they were offering themselves as creators. To have that unique opportunity to create their own worlds and to invite others to travel there in search of new sensations. Since the first silhouette carved in stone, art has changed a lot: the harmony of the Renaissance has been replaced by the adventurousness of the avant-garde, the vagueness of Impressionism has been replaced by abstraction and more. Artists at all times have sought their own individuality. Nothing has changed in this area. They still change themselves, the world and the people around them... So it was natural to ask Emin Gahramanov, founder of EmArt Studio and SalamArt Studio, about his style of work.

“Am I not restricting myself by defining my art as a particular artistic style? I firmly believe that an artist must constantly evolve. That means trying out different visual practices. The whole history of art is the artist's search for himself, his own unique style. I am no exception. My practice includes avant-garde, abstraction, postmodernism and so on. I like experimenting and it was interesting to explore these trends through my own perception. To understand their vibes, if you wish. Today I work in a modernist style, which best reflects my present inner world. And no matter how developed historically this artistic style is, it is still a valuable source for my artistic search.”

"One can discover new things not only in the style of expression, but also in the content. For example, your series on Shusha, which was presented in an unexpected way."

"This theme has been an integral part of my art. After all, my ancestors come from there. The history of my family, like that of many families in the early last century, was tragic. My mother's great-grandfather had to leave Shusha to escape the Bolsheviks and moved to Lankaran. My grandfather often remembered the years when he loved to play at the Cıdırdüzü in Shusha. He used to say that the most beautiful sky was over Shusha, which he had always longed to see again. Alas, his wish has not come true. Maybe it was the memory of my family lore I tried to portray in this series. For me, Shusha has always been vivid—with special carpet patterns, architectural ornaments and openwork paintings on its buildings. I have literally immersed myself in the atmosphere of the city, which is rightly called the heart of Garabagh. I also have depicted the buildings only found in old photographs to my canvas. I wanted to show the uniqueness of the city on the rocks, the agility of the Garabagh horses. That’s how I got an idea to represent Shusha using motifs characteristic of the Garabagh carpets, to make them associative and readable throughout the series. And the palette emphasizes the joy of Shusha's liberation, which all our people have been anticipating for years."

"How are your storylines born?"

"Storylines are all around us. Sometimes your eye catches something pointy. But sometimes you get a sense of something voluminous that cannot limit your imagination to a single canvas. This is how artistic series are born. In general, artists are sort of an antennae tuned in to the energy of the planet, especially nowadays. Contemporary art is studied as a separate trend for a reason. I think that since the second half of the twentieth century, art has become more reactive to current events. It sort of updated its message, making it even brighter. By rejecting certain classical formats, it sort of emphasizes that which, to a certain extent, defines the civilizational development of humanity."

"Like news stories retold in colours?"

"Well, I haven't analysed them from this perspective, to be honest. I don't think that's quite an accurate definition. Creativity is more about one’s inner world—what one radiates around under certain circumstances after passing that information through himself. We live in a society and we respond to its challenges. Because of some factors we sometimes fail to catch something in everyday life or pay not enough attention to it amid the rapidly changing world today. Incidentally, many studies suggest that human thinking has become more prone to cliches. Maybe that is why contemporary art is developing so powerfully, as a mediator capturing vivid images from the information stream and adding obligatory intellectual load onto them. That is why artists today use all the arsenal of visual means that would have been simply unthinkable in a classical format. As if urging us to look closely and find meaning in the most unexpected representations and spatial solutions."

"Didn't you want to try your hand at voluminous works?"

 “Actually I did. But canvas remains the best platform to reflect my ideas. It is a constant, which has the capacity to absorb them as much as possible despite a seemingly limited plane and a rigid size. While some need a set of objects, lighting solutions or visuals to express a message, colours and inspiration are enough for me. I enjoy painting and realise that it is not a momentary creative exercise. And while installations may have a timeline and a place of reference, a canvas has an initial residence, so to speak. I would rather take the classical view in this case. But you can call me an egoist trying to evade a serious work. I admit that seeing my works in museums and private collections makes me confident that my choice of profession was correct. Yet I wouldn't go so far as to say that my portfolio will never again contain voluminous works. An artist works in mysterious ways...”

"So you can never be sure what your next job will be?"

"It's not like churning out part details! Inspiration cannot be predicted. Who knows what will serve as a trigger... Just recently I started a new series called the Warriors encouraged by the same Shusha series! I have learned a lot about the city itself, as well as the history of the area. At some point I wanted to know how many military campaigns had taken place in the territory of modern Azerbaijan. It is unbelievable how many peoples passed through this land: Romans, Arabs, Seljuks, Persians, Assyrians, Mongols, Scythians, Albanians, Russians... And it is also part of our culture. What a variety of textures! Therefore I could not pass by such richness. Plus many military campaigns were liberation campaigns, which means that in 2020 we only continued the traditions of Babek, Javanshir, Shah Ismail and other defenders of Azerbaijan."

"An artist's view of cultural development through wars?.."

"I think war is the worst thing that exists on earth. I am against all forms of violence! But unfortunately, weapons appeared in human history almost at the same time as art! While one of the guys from the same tribe was making an arrow the other one carved an animal figure on a rock. Some tattooed their bodies with battle scenes, other used charcoal and chalk to paint on the cave walls. Growing societies inevitably trigger conquests for better pastures and hunting grounds. People migrated and brought their culture to the new lands. Or assimilated with other tribes. Nothing has changed since then, except the ways of killing their own kind have become more sophisticated. The urge to show strength have survived millions of years. But instead of enriching our culture and traditions we ostentatiously destroy them. The modern history of Azerbaijan is going through a period where many monuments of cultural heritage in the former occupied areas were irrevocably or partially lost. As well as in the neighbouring territories, where Azerbaijanis have lived for centuries. By the way, the culture may be changed by a single stroke of the cutter, as we can see in the historical and architectural monuments appropriated by the invaders. So, unfortunately, not only does the war change our lives, but it also affects our cultural heritage. There is nothing attractive about the war! I hope and believe that people will come to realise that there is nothing like creating for the sake of peace and the future of our children. This is why archive evidence is so important. Again, you might wonder whether they are unbiased. After all, they were left by people who passed events to later generations through their subjective understanding and interpretation... Just like an artist who reflects current historical events through his or her empathy."

"Can we say that an artist's journey is also a reference to history?"

"Fair enough. I would even expand your definition by adding that an artist's work is inconceivable without an interest in cultural heritage. This begins at the learning stage. You cannot just start painting something on a canvas. But maybe some people think differently, I don’t know. But you cannot fool the audience, who can easily distinguish between a true art and pure profanation. You could have noticed books about artists of the past in various art studios, or albums with reproductions of their paintings, or historical popular science reviews. An artist is a carrier of information about what he encounters, what he learns from. For example, in my works you can see the Azerbaijani and Georgian motifs. I could find the latter every day when our family lived in Georgia. That’s where I began my first serious steps in painting. It is impossible to pass by historical events without noticing them, especially when you are an artist. Travelling is also enriching us. One just has to be willing to learn how to talk to the history of different nations and cultures. After all, art can be understood without translation. If you are careful enough, you’ll notice that historical processes are universal and it is necessary to refer to them. This is the only way to understand what humanity is and what is the mission of a single person in the context of the global picture. And artists should ponder these questions even more deeply."

"Or maybe we should reckon with artists contribution to the history, however subconscious it may be?"

“Art is a powerful weapon influencing minds and hearts of people, shaping their character, educating them. Am I contributing to history? Rather I pour my personal story at a particular point in time onto the canvas. My studio is a place where there is hardly room for anything else than inspiration and colours. But history... I reflect it in my stories. I learn from it. As an artist, I simply wish that my works could find their way to people's hearts. To find their (!) place in their hearts. If my Warriors or the Shusha series change their perception of events somehow, then it means my success, whatever it is. And the next one awaits me around the corner...