Andrian Gorlanov

Gorlanov's paintings, as well as the motives by which they are inspired, see, to be simple. "They seem" does not mean at all that in reality they bear any ingenuity or intricateness. The point is that this simplicity itself appears to be self-evident, something which is given in itself, and requires no extra explanation. It is this that is seeming, an illusion.

It appears the simplest to state an evident fact: here we have a landscape painter. The primary object of representation is urban landscapes. Thus, in the end it is not "nature" ("flowers, love, country, idleness, leas...") but "civilization". And if it is nature — water, skies, clouds, grass, paths, trees, leafage — than it is nature inside a city, or, as in a 1997 landscape sketch, there are  vague buildings in the distance, in between of trees, that is, nature bordering on civilization. Hence, the general subject and, consequently, the painter's determinative theme is a longstanding confrontation characterized by a very long history and by a great diversity of variations, namely "nature vs. civilization". One of these historical variations, where the model itself as a stage of a dialogue between nature and civilization is a landscape-gardening complex. Such as Summer Garden in St-Petersburg, the favorite subject of Gorlanov's paintings.

The artist's special affection may be noted to a particular corner of Summer Garden, an alleys crossing close to Krylov monument with a view of the pavilion by Rossi. It is here that he returns over and over again, as if attracted by  a dear recollection. When put in a line,  these landscapes in a way form a seasons cycle with a subtle gradation of shifts of mood (the landscape "An evening in Summer Garden" is definitely a picture of early autumn; "Gauzy April" — that of early spring; then comes late autumn and early snow, and, lastly, late spring  and a flowered lilac bush). All these landscapes, differing

by state of nature, still harbor a dominating theme — a lonely, slightly melancholic expectation. An expectation of someone (perhaps someone is to appear there or to be waiting here, on this or that bench) or something (perhaps of these very changes of the milieu of light, color and air brought about be season changes). The image aroused by these landscapes correlation could be  expressed as follows: as time passes by and changes come around, the expectation lasts on and on...

Gorlanov's St-Petersburg landscapes are in all respects  opposite to those brought from Egypt. The former contain hazy skies, figures seen in a distance as if "out of focus" , extensive distances of desolate space, a state of dissipated dreaminess, a silence... This is opposed by a bright blue or clarified  sky, a noisiness of gay throng actively advancing; all the figures are moving in a fast pace and in dynamic turns, or, if sitting, than astride moving donkeys; there is a texture's roughness, a lot of contrasting color accents — fabrics, fruits on traders trays, walls painted brightly, color-filled shadows. But the main point is probably a different ratio of "nature"  and "civilization"  in the northern (those of St-Petersburg, London, Paris) and southern views. In the former "architecture can be heard everywhere" (as Gogol once said), even if one cannot see it; everywhere in the latter , even if buildings come into view, picturesquely asymmetric nature makes itself felt aloud, even if it is not seen itself with its relief and verdure.

It should be noted that on the whole Gorlanov  is very sensitive to "genius loci", as poets and philosophers name it. Urban landscapes by the artist always contain distinctive  "portrait" features, which reproduce state, mood, pace of living of a particular city — the melancholy of St-Petersburg, the stiffness of London, the vivid elegance of Paris. I gave this comment to Gorlanov himself while looking  at this paintings. "You think so? — he smiled. — and me, I happened to hear: I can paint any city, but always get St-Petersburg.

2006. Ekaterina Allenova