Sight (Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-misned) Print

"A person can live without food for several days, without Art-not one." Alex Bond has been fond of drawing since early childhood. Noticing the boy's penchant for drawing, his parents strongly encouraged this hobby. His father gave him his first drawing lessons, then there was an art school, a school-studio of fine arts, lessons and lectures by honored artists. Being in the art museums of Europe, little Alex was captivated by the skill of the greatest artists. The most impressive paintings were made by Renaissance masters - Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio and Dutch artists of the XVII century-Frans Hals, Rubens, Klaas Head, Peter Klas, Jan Vermeer. His love for painting grew stronger and stronger. Familiarity with the masterpieces of the old masters led him to a scrupulous long-term study of the technique of multilayer painting, the combination of colored layers, color transparency and their practical application in his own paintings. Over the years, a deep professional understanding and implementation of the technique of multi-layered painting has increased immeasurably and has yielded results in his paintings. This manifested itself in a certain color, juiciness, sophistication and in a kind of festive mood in his canvases. The author has been working in this technique for more than 50 years. The main genres of his painting are landscape, marina, portrait, still life... And still life occupies a special place in his creative path, since the author mostly creates paintings in the "Dutch style" of canvases of the 17th and 18th centuries. "The one who, turning to the old, is able to discover the new, deserves to be a teacher" (Confucius - Kung-tzu 551 — 479 BC). The theme of the "Dutch still life" was chosen by the artist not by chance, but thanks to his creative heritage: the contemplation of paintings is a kind of intellectual game, where each object is meaningful and endowed with a certain subtext. For example, on the one hand - oysters, clearly hinting at worldly temptations, on the other hand, denote the naked soul of a person ready to leave the world, the body, and promise him salvation and eternal life. A bouquet of flowers symbolizing the impermanence of life tells us that earthly joys are as transitory as the beauty of a flower. The theme of the transience of human existence is contrasted with the immortality of the soul. Signs of the frailty of earthly life suddenly turn out to be symbols of salvation.