A young
artist, a Moscow State Academy of Printing graduate, was invited
to Prague to show his illustrations to Pushkin's "Boris Godunov
The
lithographic illustrations and the text of Pushkin's tragedy
act as a single whole which attributes to Ivan Loukianov's high
professionalism when particular technical problems are easily
solved without restraining the artist's creativity. A rare artist
possesses such a composite thinking, such a unique skill to
build the book as one piece.
Among
many works that one can find in "Russian Galleries" in Prague,
Ivan Lukianov's stand out as criteria in artistry and professionalism…they
are the works that should represent Russian Art.
"Iskusstvo"
newspaper #2(242), January 16-31, 2002 "Zapechatlennoje vremya.
Tak nazval svoju vystavky Ivan Loukianov" ("Rendered Time" -
This is How Ivan Loukianov Called His Exhibition"). V. Petrov
Stromsky:
Among
the best recent works I would name pictorial compositions -
subtle ornamental and rhythmic stylizations of European landscape
themes. These paintings are obviously based on personal impressions
that incarnate live landscape themes each shown through the
prism of an artist's memory of his own country art. Such are
the reflections about Vermeer in the "France Hals Street" landscape.
Ivan
Loukianov has fully mastered many graphics and painting techniques
as well as various compositional expression methods. He is by
all means an artist who has an impeccable taste. He's facing
substantial goals, and he is sure to produce significant works
of art.
"Dekorativnoe
iskusstvo",
newspaer #4, 2001. "Zapechatlennoje vremya Ivana Loukianova"
"Ivan Loukianov's Rendered Time":
One
may consider Loukianov's lithographs as free compositions based
on the themes of great works. The artist's position is reflected
in his modesty, independence and honesty (we should note that
at his personal exhibition in Prague, the capital of graphical
art, a professor of The Prague Academy of Art said he had never
seen such books since 1930). The artist's success lies in the
exceptional expressiveness of his characters that at the same
time greatly appeal by their dynamics. "Tsarskaya Duma" ("The
Tzar's Duma") leaves a funny impression of a collage in the
traditions of Russian print which at the same time can be regarded
as a Russian epic, a folk song or even Russian church frescos
of the times when a colorful palette reflected the vivid picture
of the world that existed in the minds of people. It is perhaps
this spirit that characterizes the style of his illustrations.
Judging
by his exhibition, Loukianov is mastering the language of the
Russian icon that represents an aesthetic system of expressive
composition techniques bound with a distinct meaning. One can
feel the artist is interested in the inner world of the icon
and is eager to understand it from the modern point of view.
This opens great possibilities and perspectives for any artist.
"UNOR" Prague-9, February 9-27, 1998. Ivan Loukianov's exhibition.
Ivan Loukianov is an artist who works with printing graphics
and designs books. His talent is reflected by his ability to
show ancient things in modern style. He is capable of bringing
the shape and the substance of a book in one whole unit.
