Interpretations

This work is a remarkable example of a successful experiment in transforming an ancient Arkhangelsk region ornament into a “family” of graphically related symbols of characters

We collaborated with an architect on this project to experiment with transition of embroidered ornament’s geometry to the hard landscaping concept in the form of a summer park pavilion. The result was a very airy, aesthetic concept where elements of the ornament are filled with vertical vegetation.

The author’s interest in lace was sparked by its graphical nature and because it reminded the artist of an image created by computer algorithms, full of repeated elements that are characteristically enmeshed. This association helped to shape the experiment’s objective: to break the lace down into components and recompile the elements into new random compositions as if done by computer software.

This work was inspired by the motley and certain cartoonishness of the age-old ornament created in the filigree enamel technique. We decided to exaggerate this colorfulness and to create an ornament in the style of vivid contemporary illustration popular in the big cities. Afterwards, we applied the resulting ornament in the design of a public space to see how an urban cafe could look if this beautiful interpretation of an age-old ornament was used in its interior decoration.

In this interpretation, we proceeded from the classical ornament depicting Sirin bird, but decided to complement the pattern with the elements of completely different designs, such as the floral motifs of the Stroganov ceramics ornaments. The challenge of this interpretation was to combine the complexity of the ancient ornaments and the laconism of contemporary home decor. The result was a series of unique authentic prints and scenarios of their application in textiles, furniture and as a large-scale mural.

We sought to solve a difficult task by choosing a very detailed and ornate ornament and asking whether it can be somehow used online, as part of the visual interface. The difficulty of the task was warranted by the fact that the internet’s visual language strives to be simple and uncluttered – so how can such visually overloaded ornament fit into the alien environment?