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Aibek Begalin
Magnificent art of the artist Aibek Kalenovich Begalin
from Karaganda for a long time attracts attention of art critics, collectors,
forcing persistently to define his place in cultural space of the modern fine arts
of Kazakhstan and even to enter his creativity in world scales.
Pages of the biography. Once Antoine de Saint-Exupery
said unexpected words: 'Where am I from? - I am from my childhood'. Aibek
Begalin is from the childhood: he desired to become the artist at the age of
10; he told about it to his mother and did not change his. And 'mistery of
blood' give interesting moments - his father and mother in the17th generation
'are closed' on Khan Argyne, and among relatives there is mother of Abay and
composer Tattimbet.
Aibek Begalin was born on September, 13, 1963 in
Tselinograd (Astana) in the family of the geologist. In 1974 the family settled
in Karaganda. Here he received initial art education in the fine art studio of
the Palace of pioneers, then at Children's art school. The present art becoming
began in the Art institute named after V.I.Surikov in Moscow where Aibek
entered in 1983 after the Alma-Aty art school. He studied in the studio by
Boris Aleksandrovich Deghteryov, the famous Russian graphic artist. His diploma
work - a series of illustrations to Ch.Ajtmatov's novel 'And longer a century
lasts the day' deserved a praise of the State examination board under
presidency of vice-president of Academy of Arts D.S.Bisty, was marked in 1992
year by the diploma of the Russian Academy of Arts. And Chingiz Ajtmatov
inscribed a prophetical inscription on the book: 'To Aibek Begalin, the young
artist, with a wish of the big success and masterful pictures'. It was on July,
28, 1989 when A. Begalin was graduated the Art institute and got honours
degree. In 1990 he entered the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan, now is the
member of Board of Karaganda organization of the Union of Artists of
Kazakhstan. His works are in private collections and large museums of Kazakhstan,
Russia and abroad.
A.Begalin's attitude, figurative system of his
creativity were determined by Christian and East philosophy, and also
existentialism, views by Gegel, F.Dostoevsky. Absorbing the best achievements
of the world painting (I.Bosch, A.Djurer, Micelandgelo, A.Altdorfer, M.Vrubel),
he synthesizes at the same time complex difficult symbolics of art traditions
of the West and the East.
A.Begalin - the inventor of 'begaligraphiya', the most
complicated graphic technic, individual, not having analogues; the founder of
the theory of 'pattern structuralism'. Patterns are symbols, images-archetypes
are out time and there for forever.
The basic category of structuralism - is the
structural perspective, giving to an artist new opportunity to penetrate into
space by complex superposition of volumes and abstract lines against each
other.
The person of universal talent works in different
kinds and genres, as the painter creating monumental and chamber canvas, as the
easel and graphic artist; he is the artist and poet.
Steps of a creative ascention. Within a mature youth
it is possible to define steps of his creative ascention.
- At the beginning the middle of 90th years there were
his two personal exhibitions on which graphic series of "begaligraphiya"
- a visible embodiment of concreteness and abstractness of structural art of A.
Begalin had been submitted: 'Achetypes', 'Mythologems', 'Elements', 'Game of
time', 'Universe', 'the Fire world'.
- Creations on the theme "Apocalypse" (27
big canvases 180х120) - one of the main
creative lines of 1990 - 2000: 'Seven Lights', 'Three Apostles', 'Heavenly
Jerusalem', 'The Struggle of Jakob', ' The Last Supper', The Crucifixion', 'The
Ark', The Falling of the Star' and others (7 pictures of the given cycle are in
Moskow museum 'The Ark of the New Testament'. For him this philosophical theme
is out of time and space, and that is why actual. In apocalipstic canvas,
revealing the drama, the spirit of present time, centuries 'catarthis' of the
end of the XXth- the beginning of the XXI ndarise. It is the main point for
understanding the conception of his art works.
When A.Begalin had finished "Apocalypse", he
ended the large chapter of his life and creative work.
- At the personal exhibition (November, 2002) in Art gallery
(in Karaganda) the new universal series 'Time' reflecting 'limbistic' spatial
thinking of the artist and giving sensation of Eternity was represented: 'The
Knight of time', 'The place where the time is born', 'The Iron star', 'Above
the island of dreams', 'On coast of Stics'.
Picture series 'Apocalypse' and 'Time' are united by
the common composition and plastic decision, color scale - ochre-brown with
scarlet-red, ultramarine-dark blue and citreous stresses. The panoramic point
of view considerably strengthens mythocosmic scale.
- As the representative of Euroasian oykumena, А. Begalin addresses to ethnocultural problematics, an
example to that is his picturesque and graphic Turkic suite 'Kazakhstan': 'Chingizkhan',
'The leader of east Scythians', 'Buhar Szhirau', 'kazybek bi',
'Kokpar(Contention of a goat).', 'Kyz kuu', 'Shanyrak 3000', 'My uncle
Tattimbet'; the expressive graphic series "Asia", the totem signs
('Wolf', 'Golden eagle').
- In parallel A.Begalin writes the poetic landscapes
('Winter', 'Winter in Karaganda'), amazing and beautiful still-lifes, portraits
of known contemporaries - 'The Portrait of the Pope' (John Pavel II).
(25 big and
small pictures), dedicated - The Personal exhibition - 2003 to the 40th
-anniversary from his birthday, with the greatest completeness and perfection
has developed of A.Begalin's creative talent. His uncommon supererudition shown
in unusual plots of his grandiose works created during this year amazes people:
'Sultan Bejbars', 'Nomads', 'Kassandra,s vision. The Grecian Horse', 'The Tower
of the Oberon', 'Leviaphan' , 'Travel of the Categorical Imperative',
'Atlantida', 'The Megacity '," the Machine of time ", 'The Paradise',
'Soul'," Falling of the star ' - one of the most amazing pictures.
Developing in it the theme of "Apocalypse", the artist gives
sensation of space catastrophe, and there can be an anticipation of a birth of
the new worlds? And in this cycle the artist connects Ellada with the East.
Among the newest works - 'Nomads', 'Kassandra,s vision. The Grecian Horse',
sated with " primitive energy ', for tells about falling of Troy, but it
most likely - a trope of existential revolt. The Turkic theme is continued with
a heroic portrait of Sultan Bejbars; images of horsemen on tulpars in the
picture 'Nomads' - creative interpretation of the Kazakh historical epos, the
symbol of courageous nomads, in a rough attack of elements overcoming
resistance; the canvas is decorative, with judgement of skythian-saksky
tradition. Mythological consciousness of the artist is boundless: and the
mythology of Indians of Central America occupies his imagination ('КKetsalkoatle').
with romantic ones: - Mythocosmic motives invariable
make contact preraphael motives find an echo in 'Eden', by romantic moods,
fabulousness coloured his canvas: 'Aurora', 'The paradise girl', 'Amazon',
'Princess the Dream'.
- The manner of painting pictures and A.Begalin's
creative method. His painting is multycomplicated and structural. The idea of a
picture is born impulsively and instantly appears on the canvas, passing the
stage of sketches, 'acquiring' set of many details. His works are virtual: the
longer you look, the deeper you penetrate to the point, mistery of the work of
art. Graduate of the Art institute , he excellently obtains the academic
classical style, at the same time the creative way of research of the world of
A.Begalin defines as neomodern. 'The code of the plastic language,
'philosophic-romantic symbolism', philosophic -metaphorical significance of all
elements of the form - colour, light, space - are designed for multylayered
perception, invite audience to intellectual discussion; for a brush - the idea
generates complex associations.
- Creative credo: 'Impossible - is the symbol of my
inspiration, my art and psychological credo; we aspire to reach impossible, and
during any moments of truth this aspiration helps to solve the problem on
meaning of the life'.
His life and creative way as a matter of fact. In the
beginning of a century
O.Spengler in the system of world culture will name
this human type as ''faustovsky' and will define it as 'active, struggling,
overcoming'. Condition of the soul, probably, A.Begalin has transferred in a
sacral painting "Soul" - the winged soul flies above the world -
kind, virtual, covering all the world, but simultaneously there is a crystal
nucleus - a source of vital force and power as main dominants of unic person in
it.
Larisa Zolotaryeva,
Professor of Fine Arts ,
art critic
Member of Association of