- There is something in it. Show it will not be easy, but ... Let's just say, this is a certain shade of loneliness, which is different from what is expressed in these pictures. And, it is quite interesting. He has a different taste, he has a different story and development. I think it will be possible to work on this.

There was nothing left for me to do but shrug and poddaknut him. But he, in general, is right. That loneliness in big cities is really created by ourselves. After all, we ourselves lock ourselves in its walls. We, and no one else. If we don’t like it, what prevents to change? Make friends, chat with them. Spending more time not at home, and surrounded by people who are interesting to us. Again ... the reasons are deep in us. Well, as always. I don’t know what comes first, laziness, humility, or the fear of not being understood. And maybe just a little bit. Or everyone wants everything, at the same time, without making any effort. But even to maintain good friendships, efforts are needed.

- So, come on, you wanted to choose a picture for yourself. Choose - Arseny broke the ten-second silence that arose. While I was thinking about what I had heard, Arseny spoke about why I came here. He promised me a long time ago to give one of his paintings, but that's just the case did not seem. Now I went to him for this. He himself offered it and called me.

- Come on. - I busily threw my hands behind my back and, with a look of a sophisticated art critic, walked up to the wall on which they saw the paintings. - And you are not going to the house of the artist today? - I asked him in between times.

- Not. Not today. Next week exhibition. There's nothing to do there now. There will be preparation for the exhibition, and there will be no one guys.

- And your work will be?

- Yes. Five pictures will be.

- Total? Already decided what? There after all, it seems, the topics of work should be exhibited, right?

- Well yes. In general, it happens differently. By topic, by cycle, by plot. Yes, somehow, in fact. But to present a whole topic, not everyone can give. There are all such novice artists, or so, lovers. A mix of genres. And as you know, such surrealism is not particularly in honor. I will not give a whole wall, as they say. And how else to put the topic? And not just, but for people to come. While you do not have a name, and people do not go to you, you need to exhibit at exhibitions that are organized by houses of artists. And there I can not knock the wall.

I shook my head, not looking up from the pictures.

- Bastards, what can I say - I summed up in sympathy.

- Well ... They can be understood. I say, few fans of such a painting.

- I do not know ... Expressionists expose. And there is such a mess. And still buy these paintings for millions.

- Yeah. We have a whole war here. - He laughed. - There are a couple of such artists. It is clear that the rest of the temple twist when they see their pictures. Landscape painter or portrait painter does not understand expressionism.

- What do you want to understand? Senj, well, really, by shit, by shit, you excuse me, all of a sudden I don’t know any of your artistic solidarity. But really ... - I tried to find another bunch of offensive words, but did not. Although I knew that Arseny despised expressionism, but always tries to restrain his negative opinion about something. And even more so when it comes to paintings, paintings and similar art.

“There are a few of you there, surrealists, you said.”

- Yes, well, here, at all, and allocate a wall. And in the same place you will not stick pictures to each other. On the picture you need to contemplate, so that nothing outside would interfere. Here you come to her two meters. - Arseny portrayed it with an example, going to his work - and you look at it, and your eyes should see only her, the edge of the eye should not cling to unnecessary objects, you should feel only one picture without adding anything to it that would disturb the mood of the picture .

- Well, here you have everything in a bunch hanging, and in three tiers more. And nothing, I look, I like it.

- No, you do not understand Seryog. Have you ever been in a gallery?

- You know, that was not. I have enough here. - I just smiled. Although yes, it should have gone, otherwise I love surrealism, and in the art gallery I have never been even once, too, an admirer. These thoughts caused a slight shame for this, especially since Arseny invited me to visit the exhibition.

- Here. And when you come and walk on it, then you will understand. Differently perceived. You just come and you will feel everything.

I had been standing and looking at one of the recently painted paintings for several minutes. I have not seen her before. She caused me a slight thrill inside, understandable only to me alone. In the midst of vast endless fields, painted in a gray-black chess grid, a huge tower stood surrounded by an inaccessible monolithic wall. Arseny's corporate identity was easily noticeable, a sadistic detailed drawing of all the little things. This tower instantly reminded me of my dream, as soon as I looked at this picture. The same angularity, squareness of the walls and the tower itself, although in the picture the tower had an edging at the corners, strict, seasoned, in the form of square-like curls twisted into a spiral. The walls were decorated with huge hooks hanging outward, mounted at the top. The spike of the hook rose above the wall itself, at its end a chain was attached, which went with a slight sag to the next hook.

- This is one of the new ones. - Arseny said, seeing my interest in the picture.

- Come on this one.

By his mind, I realized that he was afraid of such a decision of mine.

- Um ... I was just wondering if I should take this one to the exhibition. - He was a little embarrassed. On the one hand, he promised to give any, and now there are some exceptions.

- Well, I will facilitate your choice, minus one option. - I saw that he did not want to give it away, but I had a wild desire to take her away. - Damn, Senya, come on this, eh? I really liked. What is the name of?

- The Citadel. Well, you, of course, chose. Okay. I promised any.

I felt a slight bite of conscience, light, easy. I can not notice it at all. I understand that he is not against giving it away, therefore I stand on my own, for him this is not a difficult choice, Arseny valued friendship and was ready to sacrifice something. Having put together two components, in the form of not so much sacrifice and friendliness of Arseny, I came to the conclusion that I could take a bit of trouble and ask for the “Citadel”. To begin with, it was as if I asked for a joke to give it away, checking how painful it would be from bites of conscience and, feeling only weak and vague scratches, I already seriously said that I wanted to take it away.

As a contented child, I received a long-awaited toy from my parents, stood and looked at the picture, with difficulty restraining a smile of joy.

“Why the“ Citadel ”? Well, of course, in the sense that there is a citadel, what this picture means.

Arseny approached me, stood beside me and stared at her with the eyes of a professional critic.

- And what do you see looking at her? He asked calmly and majestically. Whether joking or seriously. I could not make out his tone, which took an intermediate position of these two shades.

I thought. After all, I only saw my dream and my feelings of fear and uncertainty. As I did not understand my citadel in a dream, so now I looked and could not understand the Dvorak citadel.

- Well ... something inaccessible, closed. Maybe mysterious. - I began to speak the words that I just first came to mind and somehow came to the picture. Then he turned his head to Arseny to see his opinion, and in fact, just to hear the correct answer, like a student at the blackboard, not learning his homework and therefore saying stupid, frightened looks at the all-knowing and strict teacher sitting at the class table. Of course, if you think about it, sit, look at it, I could have thought of something more interesting. But it was not so easy right away. - In any case, the artist can put one, and the viewer to see another.- I tried to justify myself a little .... Read more →