ANASTASYA MARTYNOVA
Anastasya Martynova’s artistic practice spans across illustration, sculpture, gilding and wood carving. Currently, her work sets out to explore the boundaries of verre eglomise, as a series of contemporary illustrated portraits on glass. With a long background in Art Direction, set design as well as the working of graphics for the BBC, Anastasya has now taken suit in pursuing her own artistic practice with special interest in traditional techniques and craftsmanship
She has worked on an array of diverse projects, including a special commission of carved mannequin arms for “Utopian Bodies, Fashion Looks Forward” exhibition at Liljevalchs, Stockholm, exhibited at the Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair, London, The Drapers’ Company 650th Anniversary at the Draper’s Hall, London and The Lord Mayor’s Tree Party at Mansion House, London, and was part of a small team gilding the Royal Barge for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. She has also taken an array of private art commissions in Mayfair and Belgravia and has had her work exhibited at Clive Christian in Harrods, London.
Presently she is working towards her first solo exhibition, which will focus on gilded glass portraits and wood-carved bodies.
Tell me a little about how your personal history has worked its way into your craft?
I was very fortunate to grow up in an artistic family, my grandfather, Yuri Soloviev was a particularly great inspiration. He was was one of Russia’s leading figures in design in the second half of the 20th century as well as a founding member and the first president of the Society of Soviet Designers, amongst other things. His vision of creating aesthetic design - not just functionally, but also beautifully, taught me to appreciate good design and craftsmanship.
As a child, we would often design together - be it accessories, buildings or a comfortable chair. Really, my own interpretation of his teaching was to create an environment around yourself that makes you feel good, depending on the space - whether to feel calm, energised, desired… This feeling has certainly filtered into my work. My aim is to create artworks, sculptures and objects that create positive emotions. My childhood was also full of Russian fairytales and Pushkin poetry that I had on loop on the record player. Russia during the Perestroika was full of uncertainty, and I was aware the difficulty my parents faced while I was growing up. Despite this, I had a very romanticised view of the world and submerged myself in Russian literature and it’s illustrations by the old masters. I still feel a great connection to Russian fairytales and this is a theme that often comes up in my work.
You have a very varied art practice in which you employ a vast array of materials and mediums, how do you think this benefits your body of work overall? What are the pitfalls?
I feel that the materials and mediums I use are not what defines my work, it is the end result or the aim, which has always been the same - that is to create beautifully crafted artworks that evoke positive emotion. In my own way, I want to contribute to re-establishing the balance in how people see the world, in a more positive and optimistic light. The materials are what help me to communicate the idea. I am drawn to traditional techniques such as Verre églomisé and wood carving - I love the idea of using raw materials and giving them a new life, working with my hands, feeling connected to the material I am using. These techniques require a lot of concentration and patience. Of course that can be frustrating at times, but mostly it is very relaxing and meditative. I also find that by having two or more projects on the go that use different techniques or skills, helps me to keep my eyes fresh and create a more honest response. I do not feel that there are pitfalls of being versatile, I am very grateful for having the knowledge that I have. One of my aims this year is to do a few glass gilding workshops because I want to share what I have discovered so far with others. To inspire others into art has always been a passion.
What are you presently inspired by— are there particular things you are reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work? Previously I was mostly inspired by nature and this is still the case, nature is an eternal source of ideas, I travel quite a lot - being able to pick up ideas from other cultures is a gift. Recently I made a trip to Mexico - I was blown away by the richness of the culture - their textiles and folk art in particular. For a new project, I have been inspired by strong women, their ability to command a space, to hold attention. I am trying to capture this in my most recent series of 2D work. A technique that I have been slowly evolving. I use real models that I have got to know, women that I find have some sort of enigma about them. The techniques is Verre églomisé, with my own twist. The gold leaf gives them a sacred feel, it is a celebration of what it is to be female. My go-to artists for inspiration have always been Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, Mikhail Vrubel and Heironomous Bosch. I am also inspired by the duality of things. I love unexpected surprises. Recently I have been looking at a lot of Medieval illuminated manuscripts, to be precise not the calligraphic text, but the curious illustrations that accompany them. They are incredibly detailed but also very humorous and quite often rude. That and a lot of Earl Grey tea. If I got a Kusmi tea or Fortnum and Mason to sponsor me, that would be great!
What risks have you taken in your work, and what has been at stake?
My sanity, mainly because of my perfectionist nature. It’s a blessing and a curse. The ‘normal’ route would have been for me to join a workshop probably doing historic restoration or working with a joiner for interior details/decoration as a wood carver. Taking my skills to the art world instead as an artist has been a risk, but one that has been well received and rewarding. Apart from my own work, I enjoy taking on commissions and the challenges that brings. I find that increasingly private clients are asking for me to “go bigger” with my artwork, which is great but can be daunting at first. I have a lot of ideas and often use materials in new ways which of course involves risks. Luckily I am very patient. That is why I also usually make a small model of the bigger piece. Making samples is vital to my practice. Recently, I have been taking on less commissions and focusing more on creating a body of work to have my first solo exhibition - that is a risk, but very much a calculated and exciting one.
Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting that you can tell us about?
I am currently developing a project titled “The Adorned Body and The Body as Adornment”. The central theme of the project is the female body and is made up of two main elements: “The Adorned Body” and “ The Body as Adornment.” It’s inspired by the symbols and superstitions of past centuries as well as our current fascination with permanent body adornment. I want to create a fictional scenario and ask the question - what would the average person tattoo if they had access to modern tattooing tools? In, for example, Ancient Egypt, focusing on women and their working role in society. These “tattoos” will be displayed on wooden mannequin limbs and torsos, which will be carved into the wood, and the public will be encouraged to piece together the possible story of who that “tattoo” belonged to based on the symbols and illustrations carved on them. “ The Body as Adornment ” will be the second part of the project.
It will be illustrated as a series of framed, gilded glass etchings that will depict portraits of strong women and explore the idea of the female body as art. I am excited to be collaborating with Proportion London, a company that has been making artisanal bust forms and display figures for over 90 years on this project. Aside from this, I am also working on a commission of a stained-glass effect, gilded window for a private residence, inspired by intricate Palekh illustrations that you see on Russian lacquer boxes. I am also developing a large chandelier sculpture and wood-carved figures for The House of St Barnabas and have recently exhibited some of my glass artworks in Harrods. In the autumn, I have been invited to make a special commission and contribute to a fashion exhibition that will be held in Shanghai, based on “A Queen Within” exhibition that was previously exhibited at Christie’s, New York. Looking further ahead, I plan to develop a project based on Sacred Geometry after an incredibleexperience with a shaman. That one I’m not going to reveal just yet, you’ll just have to wait and see!
