In the name of
God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you. Leo
Tolstoy
The
inherent dichotomy expressed by Russia’s foremost literary genius in this
passionate admonishment has been resolved magnificently by his latter-day native
compatriots: Anton Glikin and Irina Shumitskaya.
That
fact is revealed well by their exhibition and accompanying catalog and I am
pleased to join in heralding its advent here in our design classrooms (the
first exhibition we’ve been yet able to feature…) and the fine continuing achievement
of both artists.
Anton
and Irina long ago learned how to stand still and observe with the patient and
discerning eyes of the draughtsman. This act informs their minds and guides
their hands.
They
stop in order to work.
Of
particular interest to the architects, designers and other classically-inclined
constituents of the Institute are their drawings of buildings and interiors,
whether old and new, which delight the viewer’s eye while also informing the
attentive practitioner in search of exemplary lessons for the sake of their own
respective design endeavors. In this way,
they record results and inspire anew; and in this way, they demonstrate above
all how drawing is a pathway to seeing.
Irina Shumitskaya, The Greek House, East View, 2004, Watercolor on paper, 40x25”
The
ICA&CA was pleased in 2003 to recognize Anton with its Arthur Ross Award in
Rendering –although it might just as well have fallen in a category of fine
art. He transcends categorization. Meanwhile, the work of his wife and fellow
traveler, Irina, reveals comparable excellence and reinforces our celebratory
impulse on behalf of each.
Anton
Glikin , A Rotunda, 2004, Pen on paper, 7 ½ x 5”
Likewise
their rigorous studies at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, where those
enrolled advance to new tasks and assignments only when each sequential
assignment has been mastered fully, constitute a fine pedagogical model for the
Institute today. This is the case in our fine arts division, the Grand Central
Academy of Art, whose curriculum demands years of cast and figure drawing
preceding the paint brush, as well as in our classical design certificate
sequence and its close ties to a well-tested progression of skills and
aptitude.
Irina Shumitskaya, An Empire Style Garden Seat, , Elevation, 2001, Watercolor on paper, 17x12”
Anton
and Irina personify the Institute’s work both in the course of study they
followed in Russia and in the results of this preparation achieved in America.
It is a joy to know that their contributions to contemporary classicism will
continue for many years to come.
Paul
Gunther
August
2009
Anton Glikin, A Mosque at Sunrise, 1995, Watercolor on paper, 18x19”