Take Me To Saint Petersburg: Modern Russian Art

So much influences what we say, how we say it or even if we say anything at all.

Fatigue, anger, fear, hunger and sadness all wreak havoc on our ability to control what comes out of our mouths, or what doesn’t. So much of our time is occupied by trying to fit in, to behave in an acceptable manner, to oppress uncomfortable, painful emotions because to express them would be inappropriate or seemingly useless.

Yesterday I went to the Erarta Gallery of Modern Russian Art on 29^th Line of Vasilevskii Island. There is bizarre art, hilarious art, touching art and rather-loosely-interpreted-concept-of-art by Russian painters, sculptors and mavericks.

I would like to say, ‘Visit Erarta, it’s fantastic!’, but it’s hard to recommend an art gallery. We project our own emotions and experiences on to that which we see. A piece of art that makes me laugh may provoke an entirely different reaction in someone else. Neither reaction is right or wrong, but appropriate for our separate experiences.

Perhaps this is why galleries can be so freeing; It is as if you are being allowed to feel, to look inwards. Introversion and self-reflection is, for however brief a moment, not a bad habit or a luxury.

You can learn a lot about yourself by your reaction to a piece of art. Some pieces of art made me recoil in disgust, others made me cry, others made me laugh so hard I thought I might have to be escorted from the building.

So, here’s sharing the artistic expression and some of my favourite pieces…