Ivan Kelarev

Funny miniatures with a highlight

                           In 2005, the beginning of the fantasy animalistic series
of graphic miniatures made in etching technology.

«Fishes» by Igor Chernyshov are fish with a highlight, fish with a mystery. Each «fish» has its own character and extraordinary abilities. So the «Fish engine» moves along the bottom of the reservoir along the rails, which are specially laid for it.

 Unlike it, the upper layers of the pond furrow the «Fish Plane» with screws on the wings and the royal «Fish Airship», in which the dorsal fin resembles a crown, and whitebaits travel in the small suspended basket of the «Fish Airship». In total, the Pisces series includes 24 works, including «advanced fish» and «Mechanical Fish».

 Since 2007, the fantasy animalistic series has been supplemented by «Elephants». Unlike Pisces, each «elephant» of Igor Chernyshov has its own filling. It is this filling, to a greater extent, distinguishes one «elephant» from the other. Each «elephant» «fills» its own plot.

So the work «Just an elephant», like all other «elephants», has a size of 8x6 cm, the main area of   the drawing is occupied by «Elephant»,  which is a kind of frame for a real picture. The picture depicts the city in the smallest detail - life is boiling in the city, people are fussing, a bus goes along the avenue, buildings rise above the avenue, a temple is visible in the distance; above the city - the sky is in clouds and birds soar.

In the series of works «Elephants», Igor Chernyshov began to form as a miniaturist artist. In «Elephants» Chernyshov's plasticity, characteristic of the Rostov school of engraving, is already noticeable. Is a unique engraving technique that combines a thin and solid line, the smallest detail and plot dynamics. Noteworthy are the works «Elephant and the Tower of Babylon» and «Elephant in Paris», where Paris and the Eiffel Tower ended up in an elephant. The Elephants series includes 20 miniatures.