Alex Deno invites

Video: Alex Deno invites

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

I'll start with the main thing. Exhibition of 60 paintings, mostly cartoons, by a famous French artist Alex Deno, a passionate fighter with the current state of affairs in the European Union, starts in Gostiny Dvor October 12 … This exhibition is not simple, but auction, where perhaps all of the author's works will be sold under the hammer, except for one. Portrait of Putin the artist intends donate to your prototype personally … How it will happen and when it is not known, but I hope it will happen.

My acquaintance with Alex was accidental and unexpected. In the garden "Hermitage", the French name itself, evokes something connected with the "fifth republic", a bust of Victor Hugo, for example, confirmation. So, in the Hermitage garden on Saturday, on a holiday that was not at all related to the future - let's leave it nameless, friends of our acquaintances were walking and it turned out that, among others, under the tutelage and patronage of Pavel Aivazov (Art Planet gallery), the master of today's French caricature Alex Deno (Alex Deno). Reacting almost instantly, writer Alexander Sheyanov and I, whose workshop was located nearby, invited the artist for an interview.

Russian, English spoken, often interrupting each other, the French were usurped by the interviewer and Marina Nazarenko, who was helping him. The writer Alexander Sheyanov presented everyone with his books, including the last book of poems "The Comet of Love", and the artist (Alex Deno) tried to paint something in his spirit of protest on the title pages of all the gifts.

- How is caricature developing in France? - I asked Alex the first question.

- France is one of the most reading countries, and we don't even hear about the closure of newspapers. And in the caricature, in addition to the sensational "Charlie-Hebdo", there are many publications, and cartoons continue to appear in newspapers.

I just want to regret that in Russia, most likely with the help of the authorities, newspapers are just closing. Every official wants to see profit in the newspaper, as in any other enterprise, which often goes against the very spirit of newspapers and magazines. And as for the cartoons in publications, I do not even remember when I met something.

- Alex, how did you get to Russia, they say this is your third visit to our capital?

- I came to Moscow by car. On the plane, I could not carry out all my work, containing in places "changes" of images of Western leaders, symbols of states and flags of countries and the European Union. In France, for example, you can easily go to jail for “mocking” the country's flag. And any change in it can be interpreted as a mockery. And in my works I often use national flags, substituting some elements. This law was adopted after the Arab countries began to "break" the images of the colonial French flag. I'll tell you more, for example, the EU flag is always produced on non-combustible material, specially processed material that cannot be burned.

- And in what mode did you go? I am asking as a practical traveler who has visited several distant places from Moscow, such as Thessaloniki, Athens, Pula, Venice, … by car.

- I was driving an old trailer to accommodate all my paintings prepared for an exhibition in Moscow. I drove slowly, about 500 km a day. The journey took about a week and 3000 km.

The writer Sheyanov, having presented a book of poems to the artist, asked him to leave an autograph and a small drawing on his large portrait on the entire wall, which was done by famous and not very visitors to this workshop for many years. Thus, they left their contribution to the "history". Then those present exchanged several witticisms and jokes from the life of Dali and Picasso about the cost of the signature of great people in history.

- Picasso, once after visiting a restaurant, was asked to sign the check, - Alex told the story, - said that he was not going to buy this restaurant, because his signature costs exactly that much.

- What would you like to learn from your creative potential in Russia?

- I would like to do some large-scale bronze works here, I have some creative ideas. But I will not tell you everything …

- And where do you live here in Moscow, do you still live in a trailer?

- Yes, I live in - and for a long, long time pronounced in syllables - So-kol-ni-ki. Right in the trailer.

There's a trailer park in the park. Wonderful place.

- I know this place, because in the same place on Putyaevskie ponds I go in for sports and swim all year round, including in winter, if you don't mind, can we meet there? By the way, next to you is Beria's former dacha, which later became the building of Tsentrnauchfilm, and is now being reconstructed. Please tell us a little about yourself, briefly, in the style of born-studied-married …

- I went to school, was weak and often received cuffs from classmates. This was the reason for my choice of a sports career, one of the styles of karate, tai-do, in which he reached some heights. Became the youngest holder of a black belt at 17. Of course, everyone at school became friends. And at 19 he became the champion of France in Karate of his school, received the 2nd dan.

Then I felt an interest in politics, and at that time I moved to Belgium, literally a few kilometers to the east. He began to fight with one right-wing, but really fascist, party. I got it closed. And in revenge for this, the thugs very successfully set me up (for them), accusing me of murder. I had to go to jail. Three years ago I was released and started my political life again. In prison, I painted under the direction of Madame Lee Barth, a professional artist and teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts.

My style in painting was at first pop art, in which I painted several works from a series of female portraits. Then, realizing that art is capable of more, I began to fight against the injustice and contradictions of today's political decisions in my country and in Europe as a whole, so to speak, with the "rough language" of cartoons.

- Alex, you were released from prison 3 years ago, but how long did you spend in the prison for your beliefs?

- 15 years…