We hear the word ‘revolution’ so often these days: technological revolution, urban revolution, dozens of political ‘revolutions.’ And it’s not just because of the ‘fashionability’ of the term. The very idea of the possibility to improve the world is the key to the formation of humanity itself, as our species evolved constantly conquering unfavorable natural conditions.

Revolution is an essential part of our mentality, the driving force of changes, which inspires the greatest masterpieces, like Gericault’s Liberty Leading the People.

Ideology

The contemporary artist dedicates the oil painting to this large-scale subject. The author asks us and himself:

None of those, since the only element that unites a leader and his followers, is fighting for certain ideas, standing for the principles you believe in. Any real revolution is impossible without ideology. It is the bending substance, which turns a horde into the historical power.

Dichotomy

Ideology is about changes. Therefore, representing the subject cannot be static. The abstract art master needs no slogans, no obvious manifestations, and no for visually recognizable characters for that. He chooses active, free-flowing forms interlacing with each other, shaping up the pulsating irregular ‘conglomerate'. That conglomerate is about to fall apart, yet it is kept together by the resistance of the ‘outer’ space - the aggressively liberate, expressively rendered background. Revolutions are always the ‘reaction’ to the situation - they ‘dismantle’ a system to replace it with the new one.

Color & Energy

Along with the positive transformational aspect of revolutionary ideology, the artist is interested in showing its shadow side. At a certain point, the ideology often becomes the frozen, static system that starts defending itself, trying to overcome other types of view and oppress anyone, who’s doubting its principle. The tragic samples of the Stalinist regime are more than a convincing illustration of the point.

Wide brushstrokes oppose the contour of the shapes. The predominance of red, orange and yellow, underlined with small parts of ‘cold’ blue and purple, gives the composition a vigorous flavor. The white highlights on small yellow fragment produce the effect of the hitting substance.

The very look at the image leaves the vague impression of the boiling energy, restless spirit, along with anxiety and unconscious fear. The latter is even more obvious when you spot the silhouette of a snake on the right side of the image.

Idea

Virtosu is enthralled by the way idea sprouts itself in people’s mind and then emerge in its full power, uniting masses. The tremendous potential of the revolutionary ideology can be severe. Yet, it is almost impossible to resist. Resisting changes are resisting life.