Anatoly Papanyan

The work of the artist Anatoly Papanyan has been thoroughly examined at various levels of art criticism, revealing the finest facets and nuances of his art, created through both graphic and painting techniques. It has been repeatedly noted that Papanyan is a person of extraordinary talent, who perceives the world in almost elusive, phantom-like manifestations. It is difficult to draw a clear dividing line in his work between painting and graphics—between purely graphic execution and mixed media. In general, the master’s subtle, nuanced painting is graphic in nature, while his graphics, especially those using lavis and mixed media, are painterly. However, in Papanyan’s work, technique is not the focus; rather, it is the meaning derived from it: the outcomes of his works gradually evoke allusions referencing the styles of great Europeans from different eras—Rembrandt, Goya, Gerstel, Picasso, and many others—vague analogies that can even reach back to the depths of centuries, where human consciousness operated on a deeply unconscious level. These associations exist but are difficult to grasp and clearly define because they are too ephemeral and delicately materialized. Papanyan creates in thematic series, which brings the idea to full expression, yet all the series seamlessly merge into a single whole, preventing the artistic organism from being fragmented into details and parts. The images in his paintings and drawings emerge in the subtlest extravaganza of spots and lines and vanish just as easily, creating profound poetic and musical sensations. This is a case of creativity where the arts are united, syncretic, and yet inseparable, although in fact they are drawn toward the point of origin. The foundation of this gradually synchronized art is immense labor, an extraordinary mindset, and an abyss of spiritual depth.