NAKED PEOPLE IN A NAKED WORLD

Naked People in a Naked World

Alisa Gorelova’s art revolves around the human body, exploring its form, essence, and limitless beauty. Her journey into the world of art has been informed by a deep study of anatomy and a profound appreciation for the great painters of the past five centuries. What sets her work apart is its uncanny ability to capture the living, breathing, and evolving nature of the human form.

Gorelova’s paintings displayed at the Naked People in a Naked World exhibition are a dance of form and color, where every brushstroke seems to breathe life into the canvas. Her figures, never identical, intertwine and fill narrow canvases to the brim, reaching out to each other with an impulse reminiscent of Michelangelo’s iconic creation scene on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Much like the act of creation itself, her figures are devoid of political views or personal preferences; their distinctiveness lies within themselves.

A Choreography of Modernity

While Gorelova draws inspiration from the greats like Matisse, her choreography is undeniably modern. She explores the physical capabilities of the human body, transcending social and cultural conventions. Her works celebrate the “naked man in a naked world,” a concept that has intrigued philosophers for ages. They demand an attentive eye, capable of discerning the subtle movements beneath the skin’s surface, altering the relief and color of the figures.

The human body, as portrayed by Gorelova, is a wellspring of endless plasticity, a resource unmatched by technological advancements. She reassembles the fractured individualism of modernist art, offering a glimmer of hope for its reconstruction.

The Three-Dimensional Murals of Gorelova

Gorelova’s penchant for large-scale art is evident in her refusal to be confined by the limits of a canvas. Her creations are three-dimensional murals, each component part seemingly capable of levitating within the exhibition space. They embrace the entire room, pulling the viewer into their vibrant world.

At the heart of Gorelova’s world lies the human body, stripped of identity, devoid of facial features, gender, or isolation from other bodies. It’s a celebration of interconnectedness, often defying vertical orientation. Her works fuse robust, convulsive bodies into an inseparable oneness, where the roles of “partner” and “adversary” blur into a high-intensity metamorphosing dance of love and hostility.

The Expressive Power of Hands

The hand, with its fingers, emerges as a prominent agent in Gorelova’s canvases. Interwoven fingers palpate the malleable flesh, kneading it like “human clay.” Yet, Gorelova’s interpretation is far from the coarse physicality of Francis Bacon. She presents it as a spiritualized “corporeal foam,” splashed and spilled in streaks of paint.

Her iconography of bodies, with an ostentatiously esthetic quality, harkens back to the Old Masters’ sketches. However, this “rough copy” quality is a pure form of “becoming” for Gorelova, enabling her to merge classic draftsmanship with expressionist dripping. The interaction of bodies materializes in a riot of color, reminiscent of Yves Klein’s performances but with a diverse array of contrasting color combinations.

Liberating Subject Matter

Gorelova’s art strives to convey life as a material flow, bridging physiology and mimesis. Her portrayal of the body in its pre-gender state transcends cultural dichotomies. In her works, there’s no division between “figure” and “background” or compositional plans. It’s a form of painting that seeks to liberate its subject matter from external will, imposed order, and violations of the natural, elemental will of the world.

For more insights into Alisa Gorelova’s art, explore our Instagram, and don’t miss her work on her personal page. You can also watch a glimpse into the exhibition on YouTube.

Explore the artists and artworks displayed at the exhibition and learn about the available pieces.