He has no expression in his eyes - no one knows what he is hiding. His face is a cold blue. Maybe he is indifferent or, on the contrary, emotional? An unnamed hero of our time called OPUS-4 in a new painting by a Moscow artist Dima Rovel . This is a contradictory image that does not have an unambiguous interpretation.

It was created in our heroless time, when the media show not the qualities of ordinary people, but the achievements of public leaders (politicians, show business stars) and criminals. They are far from the generally accepted norms of morality.
In these conditions, it is difficult for us to understand what kind of hero is in front of us. On the one hand, he seems to deliberately merge with the crowd - the blue color does not make him stand out, on the other hand, it is a shade of deep feelings.

"The number" 4 ", which is used in the name, is the number of the planet Mercury, which is closest to the Sun, and therefore the hottest. The hero is there. You can see a halo in the back - this is the Sun, which symbolizes the radiance of the mind. But sometimes we lose control over ourselves: inside of us it becomes very hot, we are in confusion or stress, we do not know what to do next. The atmosphere at such moments is the same as on Mercury. "

Then OPUS-4 appears, a new person-nobody who can hardly be called a positive or negative hero. He is who he is, a loner with a strong character, and is not afraid to be himself. In this case, blue is his icy calmness, hypertrophied cynicism, but, possibly, a share of romance. Romance for him lies in knowing himself and the world around him.

The image in the picture has no name, because no one knows what his real name is. Or maybe he has hundreds of names? One of the definitions of the word "opus" is the absence of a name for a work of art. This means the lack of emotion and action. Could it be otherwise in a world where both your name and your individuality dissolve in the everyday? At the same time, the hero seems alive, original due to the smooth lines of the face, the color and silhouette of the picture. If you look into the empty eyes of OPUS-4 for some time, then it begins to blur and the viewer feels the illusion of movement. An interesting effect arises.

An unusual picture is made by the author's use of the technique of multilayer painting, glazing (the imposition of transparent layers of paint on top of each other or on the prepared base color (layer) - author's note), oil painting techniques according to the Japanese school of Kano. Due to this, the color is deep, varied. We see shades from dark blue to light, which makes the image mobile. Despite the seeming coldness, he seems to be breathing.

"I wanted to paint a picture that would represent the phenomenon of" painting out of time ", pure concentrated postmodernity at number 4."

Indeed, the result is a person who is independent of any rules. Who knows, maybe it reflects the inner rebellious "I" of each of us. Do you just dare to release it to the surface and become free?
 

Text: Natalia Pushchinskaya
Materials provided by Dima Rovel.
September 27, 2015