Romanova Svetlana - Art

She has been drawing since her childhood. First – in the studio for small children, then – in the Art School for youngsters. When she was 14 she went to the Russian Art College of Petersburg where she stayed in the class of painting for 4 years. Then she finished The Academy of Design studying art glass, stained-glass windows and porcelain.
The city she comes from and lives in – Skt. Petersburg – one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Russia, has always inspired and influenced her artwork.
The mixture of Russian and European culture, own life experience, impulses of colors and emotions – are like the pieces of the puzzle that shape her images and form the end-product: the stained-glass windows.
‘Today, in times of technical progress, mass production and new artificial materials I search for inspiration in the very foundations of the Art — e.g. old Russian Orthodox icons, Renaissance or folklore. I am looking for the new shapes and images within my themes using different materials. But my favorite is glass because of its plasticity and ability to transform and to be transformed. In the process of creation I look for the metaphoric image to describe my idea.’

Why glass?
Stained-glass window images possess truly magic attributes; the luminescence of color glass fills the space with light and patches of light, which makes it so special.
I use lenses and cut glass and in my opinion only the stained-glass window possess the special decorative properties and originality. I like to work with greater formats, both in painting, and in glass – this is my ‘love scope’. I never really did any miniature glass, but I draw with pleasure miniatures of porcelain.

Painter or stained-glass windows-artist?
The painter is my first formation … the second is the glass-artist.
Painting gives certain freedom to the artist. The creation of stained-glass window is often connected with certain interior and should be coordinated with other decorative elements in same style and should have enough illumination. To switch between various materials is stimulating; one material gives the ideas for another.

Inspiration?
Nature, sometimes fiction, litterature and the supernatural. Skt. Petersburg inspires in a very special way because of its white nights. I love making travels – they often give new ideas and impressions.

Technique? I have not invented my own technique. And my hand reaches for a brush or searches for other tools when there is a concrete idea which should be realized in the given material. The image thought up for a stained-glass window, in painting would never look as sharply and intensively, in my opinion. The painters who do not know about it often do not understand this difference. It seems to them, that any picture can be transformed into a stained-glass window … but glass has its laws.

What is Glamour in Art?
I have not found such definition in the history of arts. There is a concept of the ”style” and there is a concept of the «kitsch». I see the trend of mixing the Italian furniture with other European accessories which seldom make an original composition. Just like a in a dessert, different ingredients have the right to ‘co-existence’, but there is always a danger to run into the overdoses of sugar and bad taste in case of its excessive consumption.
Glamour in art is for me when the piece of art has its history, admirers and buyers.

Artist in Russia?
It is difficult to be an artist in Russia. There is no art market, there is not enough art dealers. Therefore the artist himself must be engaged in advertising of own works and exhibitions. During Soviet times there was a system of the state orders, now the state does not support beginning artists. Clearly, the two cities where there are the best opportunities to work and sell own art are Moscow and Skt.-Petersburg. Personally I make customized orders for interiors in Moscow and Skt. Petersburg, sometimes I arrange exhibitions of my art.

Plans for the future?
I am currently preparing personal exhibition of paintings and stained-glass windows. I would be glad if I could show my art also in other parts of Russia as well as other countries .

Your style, mission?
I try, that my works bore positive energy and, getting in someone’s house, add the heat and the sun. That’s it.

(Parts of the interview on the basis of interview in the magazine ‘Ideas Designe’, Kazakchstan)