Orest Kormašov’s exhibition of Rome-inspired paintings
From September to October, it is possible to enjoy paintings by the Tallinn University associate professor of painting Orest Kormašov on the second floor of the Terra building. The exhibition is called "Eternal Rome" and it depicts the artist's dream of an ideal and eternal city.
From September to October, it is possible to enjoy paintings by the Tallinn University associate professor of painting Orest Kormašov on the second floor of the Terra building. The exhibition is called "Eternal Rome" and it depicts the artist's dream of an ideal and eternal city.
"I have chosen to exhibit five paintings of real places and one "capriccio", a fantasy piece inspired by Canaletto. In these paintings I have dreamt about an "ideal town" and tried to image clear architectural shapes and the relationship between light and shade during different times of the day," Kormašov explains.
Due to the intensity of the southern sun, Kormašov painted mostly during the evening, when the city was covered with a golden warm shimmer or during mornings, when the nuances of night shades had not yet vanished from walls and streets. The paintings show beautiful clear shapes. Kormašov's Rome is static, cleared from all temporal and the bustling crowds. One can say the images rather depict the idea of an eternal city or, via architectural shapes, the idea of eternity itself. Kormašov describes his themes rather as conjuring up a timeless state from the shadows of the everyday life: "When you're in Rome, you lose track of time. Temporal becomes eternal and nothing, not even the mad traffic or the loud crowds of people, can disturb the peace that fills you."