06.08.2023
"There are few good things in life now, but there were a lot in childhood. Why not deceive nature and experience the same emotions again?"
Anton and Artyom Matveev about their favorite children's games and TV shows, memory and passion for emotions.
Anton and Artyom Matveev about their favorite children's games and TV shows, memory and passion for emotions.
Danish cookies, 2018. Oil on canvas. 80x55 cm
The personal exhibition of Anton and Artyom Matveev "Cartoons for Adults", twin brothers who call themselves artists of the Low Renaissance, opened the summer at the Anvil.
Using sometimes comical images and referring to popular childhood stories from the 90s, the brothers created their own recognizable universe, where TV allusions and naive forms balance on the verge of serious and humorous and lure the viewer into a kind of game.
"Cartoons for adults" is a frank conversation about the modern world and the passing era. We talked with Anton and Artyom to find out how to deceive nature and relive the first childhood emotions.
Using sometimes comical images and referring to popular childhood stories from the 90s, the brothers created their own recognizable universe, where TV allusions and naive forms balance on the verge of serious and humorous and lure the viewer into a kind of game.
"Cartoons for adults" is a frank conversation about the modern world and the passing era. We talked with Anton and Artyom to find out how to deceive nature and relive the first childhood emotions.
About favorite children's games
The Neverhood is the main game that influenced creativity. They made her out of plasticine, recorded her on video, Spielberg gave her his studio, cameras — and she looked amazing, not at all like the rotten Soviet cartoons. We're fans of quests, and we've been visual artists since childhood: we draw, we sculpt, we see how it's done — and it's just all cool and thought out. Even as children, we were infected with the idea of the plasticine world: we molded a shape, and it remains. Affordable, simple material for the little ones. It's beautiful and semi—finished, vibrant and colorful - it's mesmerizing.
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first game in the Warcraft series and the first real—time strategy game. It was a big step forward — a difficult, not stingy game, strategy! Not just a "runner" — it's stupid — you have to think about it. The snow chunks in the picture of Motherland are just from the snowy locations of Warcraft: snow, forest, and their mixture.
The Neverhood is the main game that influenced creativity. They made her out of plasticine, recorded her on video, Spielberg gave her his studio, cameras — and she looked amazing, not at all like the rotten Soviet cartoons. We're fans of quests, and we've been visual artists since childhood: we draw, we sculpt, we see how it's done — and it's just all cool and thought out. Even as children, we were infected with the idea of the plasticine world: we molded a shape, and it remains. Affordable, simple material for the little ones. It's beautiful and semi—finished, vibrant and colorful - it's mesmerizing.
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first game in the Warcraft series and the first real—time strategy game. It was a big step forward — a difficult, not stingy game, strategy! Not just a "runner" — it's stupid — you have to think about it. The snow chunks in the picture of Motherland are just from the snowy locations of Warcraft: snow, forest, and their mixture.
Motherland, 2022. Canvas, oil. 200x130 cm
About "thinking"
When we paint, we think a lot. How to make it unusual, how to make it so that no one imitates, how to make it exciting, catchy, how to make it vivid, how to use the Aesopian language, how to make it serious — that is, with humor and with meaning.
About the personal in art
The artist cares only about himself: he is preoccupied with himself and explores himself. We always have a task to convey our feelings: either memories or serious shocks from the present — fear, stress, nerves, worries. The "big" artist reflects a lot — he is "skinless". Getting hooked is still not the main thing. The main thing is to openly portray everything that you feel. It's unacceptable to spy on others or mow down at someone, but you still need to know what's going on in the world that came before you.
About your own style
Yes, everything has already happened, but now you have to look at everything from a different angle, develop your own style. The picture should be multi-layered: there's humor, and serious memories, and something positive, and dreams, and unpleasant.
When we paint, we think a lot. How to make it unusual, how to make it so that no one imitates, how to make it exciting, catchy, how to make it vivid, how to use the Aesopian language, how to make it serious — that is, with humor and with meaning.
About the personal in art
The artist cares only about himself: he is preoccupied with himself and explores himself. We always have a task to convey our feelings: either memories or serious shocks from the present — fear, stress, nerves, worries. The "big" artist reflects a lot — he is "skinless". Getting hooked is still not the main thing. The main thing is to openly portray everything that you feel. It's unacceptable to spy on others or mow down at someone, but you still need to know what's going on in the world that came before you.
About your own style
Yes, everything has already happened, but now you have to look at everything from a different angle, develop your own style. The picture should be multi-layered: there's humor, and serious memories, and something positive, and dreams, and unpleasant.
About layering meanings
We think a person should experience as much of the spectrum as possible — we add unpleasant details to affect as many feelings as possible. Even one painting should say a lot. There are still positive pictures, but all the feelings should work like in a good novel, there is a place to laugh and cry. To go not into escapism, but, on the contrary, into reflection.
About passion for emotions
We love clues, riddles, and puzzles: there's a great TV series called Columbo. We will not rest until we solve the problem. We're talking about an inquisitive mind — "just don't tell me the answer!" — first you need to experience an emotion, the emotion of unraveling. We are driven by a passion for receiving emotions, especially the feeling of victory from solving a puzzle.
It's the same in the paintings: you do it, you do it, it doesn't work, and then you do it — and you get such a strong emotion! At some point, you come to the peak when you get the most out of the picture - then it's ready. This feeling is incomparable to anything. This is your creation, you have fully endured it, nurtured it. I did it, and the world was enriched.
About the profession of an artist
It's especially cool when you imagine that you have such a profession — an artist. We love Renaissance artists very much. They're just gods, but our profession is the same. You can do what they did, but you're creating something that wasn't there. Then the audience comes, and you're super happy because it's your doing.
We think a person should experience as much of the spectrum as possible — we add unpleasant details to affect as many feelings as possible. Even one painting should say a lot. There are still positive pictures, but all the feelings should work like in a good novel, there is a place to laugh and cry. To go not into escapism, but, on the contrary, into reflection.
About passion for emotions
We love clues, riddles, and puzzles: there's a great TV series called Columbo. We will not rest until we solve the problem. We're talking about an inquisitive mind — "just don't tell me the answer!" — first you need to experience an emotion, the emotion of unraveling. We are driven by a passion for receiving emotions, especially the feeling of victory from solving a puzzle.
It's the same in the paintings: you do it, you do it, it doesn't work, and then you do it — and you get such a strong emotion! At some point, you come to the peak when you get the most out of the picture - then it's ready. This feeling is incomparable to anything. This is your creation, you have fully endured it, nurtured it. I did it, and the world was enriched.
About the profession of an artist
It's especially cool when you imagine that you have such a profession — an artist. We love Renaissance artists very much. They're just gods, but our profession is the same. You can do what they did, but you're creating something that wasn't there. Then the audience comes, and you're super happy because it's your doing.
About images from memory
TV has played a big role in life — in childhood it was the only source of content. We take out images from childhood, we are like a filter: we have selected something, chosen something of our own and put all the good things in memory — and now we are unpacking!
We haven't touched a cassette for 20-30 years, and now we're suddenly experiencing the same feelings again. There are few good things in life, but there were a lot in childhood. Why not deceive nature and experience the same emotions again?
About images from childhood
"Alf" — when we were little, I liked it because of the humor, because of the cool find: how did they come up with it?
"Tom and Jerry" and "The Flintstones" are currently subscribed to channels with minute-long skits from there. Buzz: I like both the aesthetics and the essence.
There is no need to babble with a child, like "guys, let's live together" — no! There must be a drive — when children feel this, they become infected and fall in love.
TV has played a big role in life — in childhood it was the only source of content. We take out images from childhood, we are like a filter: we have selected something, chosen something of our own and put all the good things in memory — and now we are unpacking!
We haven't touched a cassette for 20-30 years, and now we're suddenly experiencing the same feelings again. There are few good things in life, but there were a lot in childhood. Why not deceive nature and experience the same emotions again?
About images from childhood
"Alf" — when we were little, I liked it because of the humor, because of the cool find: how did they come up with it?
"Tom and Jerry" and "The Flintstones" are currently subscribed to channels with minute-long skits from there. Buzz: I like both the aesthetics and the essence.
There is no need to babble with a child, like "guys, let's live together" — no! There must be a drive — when children feel this, they become infected and fall in love.
