Meet the Artist | Interview with Marina Astakhova | DegreeArt.com The Original Online Art Gallery

Meet the Artist | Interview with Marina Astakhova

Marina Astakhova is a Russian artist, whose works through an imaginative color kaleidoscope transform and reflect the versatility and harmony of the world around us. Distinctive features of her creative method are shimmering and vibrating abstract geometric ornaments based on the traditions of op-art, Orphism and post-painterly, hard edge abstraction. In the artistic practice of Marina Astakhova, geometric compositions with acrylic on canvas resonate with interior sculptures and panels made of wood. The artist’s work is characterized by a constant desire to experiment with artistic techniques and materials.

1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?

I am in love with geometric abstraction. My artistic practice was influenced greatly by Russian avant-garde art – suprematism and constructivism with colorful abstract works of Kazimir Malevich and Lazar Lisitsky. Orphism with Sonya Delaunay bright circles. Apart with Vasarely’s mesmerizing optic illusions, and currently – American post-painterly abstraction.
 
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
 
I practice mostly in the morning and day in my house. I have a room with big window, which allows natural light to help me mix the desired tones of colours.
 
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
 
My creative process involves the interaction of shape and color. The basis of my work is always a frame, a net, almost a technical drawing. It is a set of geometric shapes with a clear structure. Colour fill these forms on an intuitive level - working process becomes the subject of creativity and artistic search. The result is a hypnotic, mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colours and patterns, in which the viewer’s gaze wanders and seeks its own unique path.
 
 
 
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
 
Aristarkh Lentulov, Daniel Burren, Yayoi Kusama, Frank Stella.
 
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
 
My heart always belonged to giant pieces of art. If I had a chance I would have tried to challenge myself as a theater decorator, creating fantastic scenes.
 
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
 
When at work I mostly listen to audiobooks. I don’t have enough time for reading, and listening to books and lectures is a great opportunity to rediscover classic works, as well as enrich your knowledge on art, literature and many other things. My recent finding was a Lucy Worsley book “If walls could talk”, to learn about the origin of some English words is very interesting!
 
 
 
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
 
Aristarkh Lentulov “St. Basil’s Cathedral” – it is a perfect blast of colour!
 
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
 
Tate Modern, RuArts Foundation.
 
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
 

Be yourself, do what you feel.

 

 
10) What is your favorite book of all time (fiction or non fiction)?
 
Tolkien’s adventures of a little Hobbit. Love it since childhood.
 
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non traditional art setting, where would that be?
 
I do abstract, meaning it could fit any indoor space – from railway station to furniture store...
 
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
 
Creating decent artwork is a hard job – but more difficult is to get visible to the audience, so the artist should also work hard in this direction.
 
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
 
Creating more colorful works and enjoying life!
 
 
 

Learn more about Marina and discover her collection of artworks. 

Select currency