FEATURED ARTIST: OLEG DOU

MAY 24TH, 2012

“OLEG DOU”

written by Inna Ulanova

“La fin toujours imminente, aucune transition entre être et ne plus être, la rentrée au creuset, le glissement possible à toute minute —  c’est ce précipice-là qui est la Création.” – Victor Hugo, ‘L’homme qui rit’ (1869)

Eng. trans. // “The end always impending, no transition between to be and not to be, the return into the crucible, the slip possible every minute – such is the precipice which is Creation.” //

Illustration by Jan M. Walter

A particular favorite of Oleg Dou, ‘L’homme qui rit,’ //The Man Who Laughs// by Victor Hugo, justifies this artist’s works in the most exquisite way one can imagine. Growing up with this literary masterpiece on his mind, Oleg has managed to use Gywnplaine’s eternal and grotesque smile as a motif deeply embedded within his works. Ironically so, his works that you will see, acquire no smile at all.

Here at damn nyc we’re proud to introduce a revised look into the world of Oleg Dou, a Moscovite artist working wonders in Photoshop and currently holding the cover for new Adobe Photoshop CS6. Take it in now, this young artist is rated at the top for both art value and success for his generation. Be savvy // read on. 

Oleg Dou was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984. Growing up in an artistic home, creativity came naturally, competition likewise. Oleg’s mother, who is currently a costume designer for the cinema, was at once a painter working in a studio filled with many creatives alike. As a young boy, Oleg already felt a need to create something that was perfect, aligned and better than the rest… even if that meant beating the adults to it. His father, a man with the eye for aesthetics, is also an artist as a tailor designer, more technically reconstructing costumes for the classics. Oleg states, “I have a wonderful relationship with my parents, usually people expect something different, but I can’t complain.” The freedom for expression and the creative genes fused to create a masterpiece artist. His discovery was made in 2006 by Liza Fetissova, owner of RTR gallery (Paris, France.) 

One might think, “How did he get to where he is now?” The answer is, Oleg studied at the National University of Science and Technology in Moscow (MISIS) for economic programming. Finishing his degree in 2001, he decided that as much as the post crisis situation in Russia was demanding of financial professionals, his true desire was in art. He began with graphic design, using his internet savvy mind to combine artistry with digitizing and retouching, which all led to him grabbing a camera, creating original works and now producing top of the line, diasec mounted prints with the most intriguing of subjects.

The appearance in each of his subjects are borderline lifeless, yet the beautiful pink and blue hues (anatomical, in some sense) and strong character eyes stimulate the thoughts and emotions for its’ viewers. “All artists’ works are like their self-portraits, “says Oleg. Inspired by early Renaissance works and pale skin, Oleg says, “In Renaissance works, you can see something strange happening.” Take for example, Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus…” The picture is as serene as it is alarming. As a contemporary viewer, you can’t help but look and think, ‘what IS going on?’ This psychological effect is a phenomenon in some sorts. Our relationship to beauty and perfection can sometimes be terrifying.

Oleg’s favorite artist is Francis Bacon. Now how ironic is it that the half human half grotesque strokes of Bacon have inspired the perfectly aligned and delicate details in Oleg’s portraits? It seems that the link between the two is not in the style of creation but in the meaning - - both can be beautiful and alarming in their own ways. It wouldn’t hurt to say that many of Oleg’s works are as ‘self’ as Bacon’s infamous ‘self-portraits.’ He, and his creations, are simply put… avant-garde. 

“When I finish, I don’t feel the same way as when I started…”  

For an artist that has to spend an enormous amount of time focusing on the technicalities within his work, it’s the initial sketch that fuels the process. Classic and modern art influence his vision, but it’s also personal childhood and literary memories that help envision his final product. Oleg always hated to be photographed as a child, and couldn’t bear smiling in front of the camera, not to mention he never liked the results. In effect, something like the “cubs” series can be seen as a window into the artist’s mind, as the header reads, “There was a peculiar tradition in the XIX century of doing photo shoots with dead children.” Some of you might read this and be turned off, but if you really think about it, it’s ironic. ‘The Man Who Laughs,’ a French novel written by Victor Hugo, includes a main character Gywnplaine, a man whose mouth was cut into a perpetual smile. This motif (one of Oleg’s favorites) is included in some of his work, such as in the “another face” series, yet his subjects remain with no visible smile on their faces. So as you can see, the alarming sensation that a viewer may feel when witnessing Oleg’s work is only natural – it’s embedded in its concept. 

Oleg’s works are printed under Diasec. This means the prints are mounted in between acrylic glass, making the print appear very perfect, glossy, and with more brilliant of colors. Diasec prints are now very innovative and very impressive in presentation, before it was very rare and expensive. One of the most expensive photographs ever was sold on acrylic glass (Andreas Gursky’s ’99 Cent II Diptychon.’) Diasec is even resistant to UV because of the properties in acrylic glass. Damn..

Art is like a glass between his work and his viewers. In July, Oleg will have a show at the MAMM (Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow,) connecting his own story to his collection of works. The show will include big and small pictures from Oleg’s childhood juxtaposed next to his contemporary works. Oleg says, “Art shouldn’t always be explained through words.’ 

The two fears that Oleg has in his life are this: (1) Don’t reach aim, (2) Reach aim. Movement is the most important feeling, action and accomplishment for this artist. Besides showing at a handful of galleries worldwide, Oleg is also contributing his work and sales to charities. One interesting project was his work ‘Cheburashka 2,’ made after Japan’s and Russia’s favorite cartoon, ‘Cheburashka.’ The profit its sales were donated to the Red Cross after Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The work is beautiful. It looks like the Japanese flag, and the Japanese really do go wild for this brilliant and sweet cartoon!

He’s now the current icon for the new Adobe Photoshop CS6. 

Damn..

Oleg Dou: