Personal exhibition at The Cliff Dwellers Club, Chicago May - June, 2014

Chicago was the first American city that opened up to me in all its grandeur, and even New York, the city I visited a few years later, did not leave as great of an impression.

Finding the right artistic approach to realize my vision of the city took years and in many ways is a compilation of my life’s artistic and professional experiences. Working at an architectural firm in Chicago allowed me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the city and its architectural heritage.

“Dynamic” is the word that best relates my intentions when depicting Chicago. It began with the first impressions, drawings dating back to 1991, and continues to this day. I guess the first impressions are always right.

Traditions of the Russian Constructivism movement  inform many of my paintings. Among the works that influenced me the most are the Black Square (1914) by Kazimir Malevich, PROUN SPACE by El Lissitzky, Tatlin’s Munument to the 3rd International (1920), designs by Konstantin Melnikov of the Soviet Pavilion at the Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris (1925), and a book of Architectural Fantasies by Yakov Chernikhov, published in 1932, a work in its imaginative power decades ahead of its time.

Referencing the ideas of Constructivism, Bauhaus of the 1920’s and 30’s brought together the best elements of the European modernist art and architecture. With the relocation of Mies van der Rohe and Bauhaus school, what later became known as the International style dominates the Chicago skyline.

I continue to work in traditional paint media and utilize various graphic techniques to depict and interpret the views of this great city.