Art and Photography by Alexei Biryukoff

I went through several strong influences, like Van Gogh, Impressionism, Fauvism, Mark Rothko, Lucian Freud, Janny Saville, Damien Hurst and others, that have left visible traces in my works, but techniques are only means of expressing of what stands behind the materials. A technique comes out of what you have got to say, so it may vary from theme to theme.

After the Naked Loneliness show I got interested in conceptual art and performance very much. The experience lets me see how expressive art can become when you combine paintings, music and performance (all done by yourself) together and reach several channels of perception at a time.

I want to do art that is actual. It may be about trivial things, but they should matter in the modern world and carry some universally significant baggage. I like very much the concept of David Lynch: that people cannot see a whole picture and that is where we come from. We are only humans with lots of answers to be found yet. Art can be an attempt to widen your mind and spirit space.

At the same time art is a game, with almost no ristrictions or rules to play. Just play away and enjoy the freedom. Make your every step an act of art, make people see ordinary things from new angles. Be serious, play, then mix it all up and see if anybody understands what you are doing.