Monday, November 3, 2014

The Paintings Of Dina Shubin

By Etta Bowen


Women with elongated, irregular bodies and serene facial expressions are the trademark of a well known Russian artist. Dina Shubin originally hails from Moscow where she attended the Art Faculty of Moscow Teachers Training Institute. In 1990 she graduated and later emigrated to Canada where she continued to pursue her art career. Her art has been exhibited in many different countries around the world from Tokyo to New York. Many private collectors have also purchased her work. Today it is possible to purchase her paintings from online galleries today.

These women are elongated in a way that is reminiscent of Modigliani and this gives them an almost other-worldly appearance. Her backgrounds are abstract, contrasting with the real flesh tones of the women and this reminds one of Klimt. The way the women are posed cannot help reminding one of ancient icons. However, despite obvious influences from other great artists, the way she combines all these elements is all her own.

Her women are often portrayed playing musical instruments like the cello or the violin. Even if they are not playing them, flutes, harps, cellos and violins appear in many of her paintings. Flowers too, from lilies to tulips, often make an appearance.

It is the changed proportions of the women that give them unearthly appeal. They are like muses or spirits, evoking serenity and inner power. Beautiful veils are included in some of the paintings and the fabric of the dresses is exquisitely delicate, sometimes contrasting with the abstract background and at other times blending in with it. In one painting the dress and background blend seamlessly together and yet they are distinctive too, showing great technique.

These women are posed against abstract backgrounds. The warm colors and textures of these abstract backgrounds contrast with the smooth flesh tones. In one interesting work the dress of the woman is textured in the same way as the background so that she blends in with it and only her face and long hair forms a contrast. Also in contrast is a realistically painted violin at her feet, nestled on a warm rusty red.

The way the flowers are painted is also realistic and one can almost smell their fragrance. Music notes float in the air, flowers exude their scent and a romantic atmosphere is created where the senses are delighted. The way the artist seamlessly manages to contrast abstraction and realism creates a surrealistic quality to her art that elevates it above the commonplace.

Her works reflect a tranquility and romanticism. One piece that has an air of great tranquility is a painting of a girl leaning on the edge of a rowing boat and dangling her hand in the water. Another one shows a young woman sitting on a window seat and resting her arms on her knees. She has a pensive, reflective expression on her face and this expression is seen on the faces of many of her women.

This artist has ardent admirers from all over the world. She is constantly creating new paintings and these are available from online galleries. Her seamless contrasting of abstraction and realism as well as the way she portrays the divinity of women is part of what make her distinctive style so appealing.




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