The flamboyant artist and designer reveals the secret of development of creative qualities. Andrey Bartenev admitted that his clown roles rooted in the past and said “StarHit” why you need contemporary art.

Andrey Bartenev – known Russian artist and designer who has managed to combine art and performance. Shocking – the card master. The work of the Creator is easily recognizable thanks to its three-dimensional geometric shapes and bright, even flashy colors. Bartenev was born in Norilsk, but has long been a citizen of the world. The appearance of Andrew and the manner of communication is not always clear to common public, however fans of modern art gives the artist the highest rating.

In an exclusive interview with “StarHit” Andrey Bartenev has told how his work helps recognize the power of art, and also gave advice on how to open a creative beginning.

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No one artist does not like to be identified accordingly in any category. You manage to maneuver between the fact that since the late ‘ 80s called alternative fashion, performance, and how to show your Museum and gallery exhibition, installation. If before you had the task to define the genre in which you most prefer to work, how would you call it? Live installation?
My role for a long time was… a Clown. But the children I have fun, grew up, and my jokes don’t worry, I myself is already difficult to laugh – my circus has increasingly sought from people to nature, more a theme in my work become the trees and animals. To glorify and protect them through my work see my future. And still, what method of practice selected me for this.—
Let’s define what performance is in your understanding?
Performance is a visual spectacle that has lost all its roots, but convinced that improvisation would work.—
If understand your statement as, primarily, performances, what you see the advantage of playing in not-special, not-institualisation spaces? For example, in shopping centres?
On the basis of the works with the audience question was about the number of people who stumbled on your creation. In the Moscow Museum of modern art exhibition “Say I love you!” was seen by 37,000 people. We played with my inflatable sculptures at Geek picnic in Moscow and St. Petersburg. 4 days – 50,000 people. How many two months in Kuntsevo Plaza? Visit the Mall. When you build a sculpture of large format, you have to calculate the scale of the audience, because the artist should be aware of what emotion to invest in his construction of what response to make people feel. In Kuntsevo Plaza I at the main entrance was built imposingly lounging cat white 4.5 meters tall. I asked on the first day before the official opening of the exhibition to remove all the fencing and to see what will be the end of the day. Come in the evening – a white cat is the whole bottom stained with traces of children’s shoes up to the neck. Look him in the face – and he’s happy! For him these marks of children’s shoes as medals for love. And then I realized that my cat is alive! And he loves all of his audience! And I experienced through him the power of magic arts thanks to him for that!
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What a performance you consider most successful?
The adventure of the invisible worms in Russia, where we took off in the viewer 6000 eggs, 4 tons of debris group “on-On” Bari by Alibasova 70 and vicious individuals with a difficult childhood. Dessert was invisible worms under shouting “Bartenev fool”!—
And speaking of your colleagues, artists, perhaps foreign, what a performance, made you the most vivid impression in life, etched in my memory? And why?
“Alternative Miss world” in London, which for 40 years held by my friend, the British sculptor Andrew Logan. The last time the festival was held in the Royal Shakespeare company – it was enchanting!—
What do you think, why people need contemporary art? Why do many not understand it?
Modern art is a translation of the meanings of prehistoric standards of beauty in the modern language. Don’t understand, as young languages are very difficult for learning.—
What do you want to tell the world their appearance when you could?
What I say to the Sun, the light and the moon we fly in one tube!
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You often in the metro and other public transport? As you look at this?
Looking like tortured mothballs moth.—
If you hadn’t become an artist and a fashion designer, how would you shape your destiny?
Would die quickly from boredom.—
Have you been in his native Norilsk after gained popularity?
In Norilsk visited – it is not up to me, they breathe – gas emissions because after all, doing breathing exercises and watching on TV the series “Oxygen cushion 2”.—
You – citizen of the world, and in what corner of the Earth you feel most comfortable?
In Suzdal on the ceramic smokes factory – made jars with a drawing nose of mushrooms, called “Fungi of the Caucasus.”
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How can you give advice – how to develop a creative quality?
Start with studying your naked body…—
If you had the opportunity to make an exhibition or performance with any of the artists or perhaps a theater company, musical group, who would you choose as a collaborator? Who is close to you from the modern Russian and Western art?
Slava Polunin, Andrew Logan, Robert Wilson, Arvo Pärt, Michael Clarke.—
A recent exhibition in the MMSI on Gogol Boulevard, I think, showed you like a very solid artist. What do you see as the difference between Bartenev early 90s, say, period Botanical ballet, and today?
These Barteneva different people. If they’d met in the club now, then, sneer their noses and shot each other glances, they ran to different corners of the dance floor, so as never to meet again. And how I get along with them – Bartenev from the past and Bartenev today a big mystery to me, and here maybe lies the source of my curiosity for life is what he is there, this Bartenev from the future – we must meet him and chat! Even if you only hear the snort of his nose in response to my curiosity to see him.”
Absolutely practical, utilitarian question: do you sew everyday clothes for others? Is it possible to wear anything from Barteneva?
If this still Bartenev, Yes, for him to sew clothes.