ArtfromBulgaria.com
V. Petrov extracts and applies Bulgarian traditions.
There are at least three artists in this generation who deserve to be
called "geniuses". They are: Atanas Yaranov, Dimitar Kazakov and
V. Petrov. A powerful strain flows through their creations and
through their own personal lives as well. These artists seek new
forms in plastic language and the artistic imagination of their
expression establishes them beyond all artistic movements and
schools of this era.
These are artists with stylistic differences beyond comparison. One
Bosh, one Goya, one Tiepolo. They are beyond evolution. They are
worlds by themselves. It has been almost impossible to grasp the
logic of their creation and the extroardinary value of their artistry.
About V. Petrov: In the early seventies, I noticed that his first
presentation was a picture with an "Orpheus" inspiration: drinking
peasants among rambling vines. I included the picture in a
documentary film on traditional ceramics. This was a scene of
poetry. At that time, I realized that this was an impressive beginning
and that a new and gifted artist had appeared. As is the case with all
remarkable creators, this first picture of V. Petrov contained
elements of his future artistic development. He has portrayed
themes of pre-Christian mythology, and our heathen antiquity. Even
more impressive was his portrayal of himself within his creation
"Confession", so that he could play a part in the conception of the
"orpheism", or of the mysteries portraying "orgies". This artist
proved to be not only an excellent interpreter of paganism, but was
living and confessing it. The mystery of that age was flowing
through his compositions. The style of his figures, of course, was
contemporary, but demonstrated those ancient spiritual lives.
In the meantime changes could be discerned taking place within the
artist himself. In my opinion it was evident in his production of
"Earth" in which the ploughing of the soil was presented as an icon.
A new sensitivity entered - the astonishing contemplation of
Christianity.
It is not myintention to review his works chronologicaly,but I would
like to include some references. From the early 80's, an incredibly
strong "Baroque" was obvious in his paintings. In principle, he has
always paid most attention to the ethnography, dress, dance,
gestures and symbolic movement of the figures.
These have always been present in his work, but now combined
with elements of ancient folk skills.
All these are now concentrated in his creations. The figures emerge
from the "Baroque" scene in the immensely complicated symbols
of the decor. These pictures constitute the structure of our
"Baroque".
They match the perfection of the icons from the middle of the 18th
century. His work is the strongest representation of the "Baroque"
style that Bulgaria has ever produced.
However, the decoration in his works has a deeper meaning:
Gold is not used for decorative purposes in Bulgarian art. It is
inherited from neoplatonism - the golden background reflects the
eternal ideas - stylistic dahlias, rambling vines, birds picking at their
grapes - all these are symbols of Paradise. This is quite clear in his
creations: "Baptism" and "The Golden Century". The background
and the earth are complete with symbols of heavenly richness.
The seemingly overdecorated landscape gives us a vision of
"blissfulness". This is "The garden of Eden" - "The Promised Land".
V. Petrov becomes the ideal messenger of the ethnic psyche
of the blood of Bulgaria in the wide sense of the word, including the
Thracian and even the preceding non-Indo- European population.
This is what archaeology calls earth still unpopulated by human
presence and this can be sensed in V. Petrov. He goes to
great depths to apply all traditions of Bulgarian soil!
Vladimir Svintila Art critic