The Passion of Fine Art The Life and Work of Andrei Protsouk

This book is dedicated to Andrei’s parents, Anna and Alexander Protsouk and his wonderful family.

Foreword Dennis Protsouk

My first painting “House” 1990

M

y earliest memory of being raised by an artist in Russia was painting one winter night. At least it could have been night, St. Petersburg, Russia is close to the Arctic Circle during the winter it always seemed to be night. I remember seeing gray snowflakes floating down as feathers on the sill then melting into droplets from the scalding radiators.

My father’s studio was of the top floor inside one of the many art studios of the Repin Imperial Academy. My father set up my first easel, alongside his, what would be my first experience painting with oils. I remember the distinct smell of oil paint and varnish as it would mix with the cold winter air inside my nostrils. It was my first blissful attempt at painting. I remember my strokes on the canvas as it was hard to get a consistent flow of paint on the cold canvas. Because of the cold, the paint coagulated into hard globs and wouldn’t saturate on my brush but rather smear the paint on the canvas. I had no idea that this was going to foreshadow the arduous journey for my family to immigrate and for my father, to create a name in the art world. At the time, I recall, I had no idea what an artist was. It was such an abstract idea for me, the concept, to be an artist. I was only 5. In fact, it took me until my adolescence to realize how hard it really was to be an artist. The comfort of my father’s confidence, in his presence, had always sheltered the arduous truth of an artist’s profession. It didn’t give me the impression that an artist is like a doctor, lawyer, clerk or janitor. It wasn’t until you get older that you learn how hard it is to be an artist and who a true artist is. Let alone, for me, what it would be like to be raised by my father coming from the dismal hope in Russia to an artist success story.

The fall of the Soviet Union was gloom and doom from my earliest memories. People were poor, hungry, angry and restless.

The homeless were crammed in every corner of the subway platforms. The Soviet subway platforms were adorned with the highest caliber mosaics of Stalin and Lenin, done by the best artists of the soviet union, depicting joyful worker party imagery and social realism. As I stared at them in the early 1990’s, the subway was an amphitheater of eerie rumbling of mumbling voices that echoed throughout the platforms, one distinct voice begged, “can you spare some coin, some bread, my family is hungry, we have no food to feed our children.” The long escalators down to the platforms gave more than enough time to be pensive about their current socio-economic disposition: the hunger, the lack of money and worst of all, the lack of opportunity. It made people restless on their way down the escalators from work and on their way home. There was always a clamor of people fighting their way onto the trains; shoving, yelling and some drunkenly slurring the lyrics to old soviet songs.

There was more vodka to go around than bread available at the stores. My father had to leave our apartment at 4 am everyday, sometimes, to get in line for bread and milk in the morning. By 9 am there was no more bread and milk, first come first served.

He walked in the morning to the stand that was at the end of the street of our apartment building right by the bus stop and

subway station. For my dad, family was first, but he still had a dream to bring his family to the United States and become a world famous artist. This dream was an improbability in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. He had always made it his goal to bring his family, his only son and wife, to a better place. In Russia, at the fall of the Soviet era, give to there was too much uncertainty, it painted a bleak future of poverty, food shortages, and hyperinflation. I remember my father coming back from his trips in Europe with real money, the US dollar. When he converted the currency back to the ruble, $5 bills converted to two suitcases of rubles. These US bills were a constant reminder that his dream could only be a Western one. Thankfully, him and a group of peer artists from the Repin Academy were granted a visa to visit America for the first time in 1992. While my mother and I remained back in St. Petersburg anxiously waiting, watching bootleg copies of Home Alone, Top Gun and Tom and Jerry to have our opportunity to visit; not knowing and only dreaming this future was going to become.

Andei’s artwork is not just a collection of paintings. They are images that represent a story of an artist. The paintings don’t just present their subjects to the viewers but also present artists experiences a time period, imagination and insight into the story of an artist. His style has changed significantly throughout his life so and his experiences. His paintings had darker colors and imagery during the dark times in the end of Soviet Union.

Conversely, when he was a student growing up in the Soviet Union his paintings were bright, colorful and tuned to the playful tempo, the march of the communist worker. When he first moved the United States, he took comfort from what he had learned, his paintings in the renaissance collection reminisced the masters he had studied at the Imperial Academy, his studies by the way, took up nearly 17 years of his adult life. He painted subjects that were reminiscent of the renaissance with his own textured style and humor. Later, he began to bloom as an artist and he delved into more confident colors, textures and more defined lines and compositions. His subjects became brighter, he focused on the affluence of life in the Western world. Golf, wine and martinis became the centerfolds of his paintings adorned with beautiful female figures and romance humoredly interplayed. His work is all about relationships, love and the celebration of life. He has become one of the most prolific artist of the day painting over 80 hours a week. The paintings have become his extension, the brush his appendage, and we don’t know whether the relationships are just a mere representation of his own relationship with his art. But we will let the work speak for itself.

This book is a collection of paintings that tries to convey that story through the language of fine art, perseverance and talent and as it pertains to my father as a master fine artist and his life as a contemporary painter living in the Western world. My father has produced over 7,000 original pieces of art and this is our first try at publishing some of his selected works in a book.

Opposite: “L’Amour sous L’Ombrelle” Oil on Canvas

5

Beginning

Childhood Photos

Birth to Perestroika

A

ndrei Protsouk was born in Donetsk Ukraine in 1961.

The city of Donetsk was a large coal mining city in the eastern part of Ukraine. Most citizens were destined to work in the coal mining industry but Andrei was destined to become an artist. His parents Anna and Alexander Protsouk were both artistic as well. His mother was an extremely talented embroider. His father was a watercolor artist but worked in restoration. Maybe the story of how his parents met had eventually inspired Andrei to paint such romantic subject in his paintings about love and relationships; the central theme in his works to the present day.

As the story goes, his father was restoring an old theater in Donetsk Ukraine. The old Pre-Soviet theater like most old buildings in Russia was ornate and adorned with marble and gold. Alexander worked all summer on restoring this theater where he noticed a young actress dancing on the stage. The actress as it turns out was Andrei’s mother Anna. Alexander and Anna experienced love at first sight and the rest was history.

Protsouk became their only son. They noticed his talent, his exceptional gift of drawing, from an early age. He became a student of the arts from an the age of 6. Protsouk drew what every kid that age drew, soldiers, Indians and cowboys but what set him apart from the other children in Donetsk Ukraine were his studies and still-life’s. Andrei went through high school as a normal kid growing up in the Soviet Union at the time. He went to the Young Pioneer camps during the summers which were an equivalent of Boy and Girl Scouts in the United States. He loved to play soccer and he boxed occasionally. Once again, he stood out from other students, after intermediate school when he went to an extracurricular painting program three days

6

a week where he was critiqued and trained by a professional artist. This experience really magnified his dreams of becoming an artist. His teacher recommended he attend an intermediary school after his high school diploma.

He remembered, “When I was finishing [intermediate] school in Donetsk, Ukraine, it was right before the war in Afghanistan started, my parents tried really hard to get me into another art school. Near the city of Donetsk Ukraine was the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and the Arts, where I enrolled after I received my [intermediate] school diploma. It was not far from where I grew up and I was proud to say I loved seeing my parents on the weekends.”

It was in 1977 when he enrolled in the Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts. He Studied at Lugansk for 3 years and met great peer artists such as Mihail Kudinov, Gennadi Gogoliuk, Konstantin Popovski and Sergei Dorovenko who would become his best friends and contemporaries. All of which, would later move on to St. Petersburg with Andrei to pursue the ultimate training in fine art. Protsouk would go to fulfill the dream of becoming an artist in the Soviet Union by attending the Repin Academy of Art. At the time, the Repin Imperial Academy of Fine Art was considered the best fine art training in the Soviet Union and the world. Protsouk remembers, “I was very impressed with the building. It was 300 years old and had all the traditions they kept since 1700’s when Catherine the Great built the school. They kept that fine art tradition of realistic fine art techniques in drawing, in painting classes, in anatomy classes and also focused on new technologies in fine art. It was a very hard school to get into and it took me a couple of years to get to that school and I really, really wanted to get into this school.”

Andrei, age 3 in Donetsk, Ukraine

Andrei’s parents, Anna and Alexander.

Andrei as a young boy.

Andrei with his grand parents.

Andrei working on one of his earliest pieces.

Andrei with his professor in Lugansk.

7

Imperial Academy of Art St. Petersburg, Russia

“The most

IMPORTANT thing about ART is

drawing, drawing, drawing and

MORE DRAWING!” -Andrei Protsouk

8

9

Ilya Repin Academy of Arts St. Petersburg, Russia <--Add Moiseenko Quote

T Detail description

he school was founded in St. Petersburg in 1757 by Ivan Shuvalov.

The current building was built in 1789 by Catherine the Great who renamed the school the Imperial Academy of Arts. The school focused its core curriculum on neoclassical styles and techniques and was made a requirement to complete for any student pursuing a successful art career in the Soviet Union. It was named and dedicated later to Ilya Repin, an alumni and Russia’s most prominent realist painter. The school was home to some of Russia’s most famous and reputable artists such as Ivan Aivazovsky, Alexander Laktionov and Andrei Mylnikov. Some of which Andrei Protsouk had the pleasure of learning from such as Alexander Laktionov and Yuri Neprintsev.

It was there that Andrei Protsouk went to study under his soviet idol, mentor and teacher Evsey Moiseenko.

“I know him from his artwork, of course. He was the most prolific artist in the Soviet Union and was the most talented artist in composition and the way he painted lines, same as I have in my paintings. This is my love of painting, that [defined] black outline. He [Moiseenko] loved it too. I always wanted to get to his studio. It was very hard to get into. He was the professor that I wanted to study under my whole life. He only accepted 5 to 6 students the whole year.”

Detail description

He goes on to reminisce, “the most important thing he ever told me, is you have to be very critical of yourself and what you are doing [as an artist]. As soon as you think you are a great artist you are dead.”

Moiseenko spent a lot of time with other great artists and his contemporaries such as Belarusian artist Marc Chagall. Moiseenko used to tell Andrei and his students about his romanticized trips to Paris on his visits to Picasso’s studio. This was very modern idea of the Soviet Union to allow artists to travel to Western Europe at the time.

Note About the extent of classical training

Detail description

10

11

Evsey Moiseenko b. 1916- d. 1988

Andrei working on his Red Diploma in Fine Art.

D

id you know?

Moiseenko’s perceptive input and attitude towards technical and classical teaching in painting and drawing pushed Andrei to a meticulous understanding of drawing anatomy and physiology. His understanding of the human figure is of the highest caliber. This figurative expression is seen in his use of a single line to draw the perfectly proportioned figure like second nature.

Academy of Fine Art. 1987

12

He would prepare all the pieces before they are presented to the panel of selected artist members of the socialist ministry of education.

E

vsey Moiseenko was born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in 1916.

He was nominated the People’s Artist of the USSR (1970), enrolled member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1973) and the Hero of the socialist Labor Party. He earned these endowments for being one of the most exceptional social realist artists of the Soviet Union while staying truest to the studies of the Imperial Repin Academy. He was notorious for representing the ‘romanticism of youth’ in the Soviet Union and has permanent works in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. The academy is rooted in the traditions of painting from the Italian Baroque period that transplanted itself into Russia when the school was first established by Katherine the Great. She had introduced European art as a course of study in St. Petersburg, the epicenter of Russia’s European Renaissance, by importing the top Italian masters. These painting techniques had created the credibility of the academy today of providing world class classical education to artists.

Moiseenko embraced these techniques of painting to his students.

His cut-throat program was appealing and presented Andrei with a challenge that would move on to create the master contemporary artist he is today. Moiseenko was regarded as having the best student studio in the Repin academy at the time. His studio had the most selective entrance and Protsouk had attempted to enroll several times over the course of a few years. Protsouk reminisced, “he [Moisenko] accepted one student to a couple thousand applicants a year, it was extremely difficult to get into his Master’s program.”

With due diligence and exceptional talent Andrei possessed, he was eventually accepted and was exposed to Moiseenko’s teachings after graduating the Lugansk academy in Ukraine in 1981.

As mentioned before, Moiseenko was one degree of separation from the masters of the time such as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Andrew Wyeth. Moiseenko was a colleague of these artists and they revered him as one of the most exceptional artists of the Soviet Union. Specifically, when Andrei was in his last course of study in 1987, Andrew Wyeth had an exhibition in the Repin Academy. This was the first American artist Andrei was exposed to in the Soviet Union. This fueled Andrei’s dreams of moving to America even more. Little did he know he would make his home in the United States in the same state as Wyeth, Pennsylvania.

13

Social Realism to Perestroika

P

erestroika-(former Soviet Union) the policy or practice of restructuring or reforming the economic and political system.

The first mass export of Soviet fine art to the western world.

S

ocial Realism - is a naturalistic realism focusing specifically on social issues and the hardships of everyday life.

D

Detail description

uring the late 1980’s into the 1990’s marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. The Soviet government still had a stronghold on the creative output of its artists most notably by politically charged artists. By the 1990’s, the Soviet government had combated artists for many years most notably the Bulldozer Art Movement and beyond. They were still trying to hold onto the Communist party roots and filter the creative content of its artists. The government still relied on the social realism themes of the worker party by wanting to convey soviet life as a thriving socio-economic power. Although, Protsouk had never participated in these rebellious art movements, he did incorporate their general themes in some of his artwork. These can be observed in some of the artwork he had created during these times. One piece in particular, “Blue Chicken” depicts a chicken unwrapped in the Soviet socialist paper “Pravda” with a utilitarian looking fork and knife on a rugged wooden table.

The center subject of this piece is of course the blue chicken which represents, cynically, the quality of the food sold to the people at markets throughout the Soviet Union. These chickens Andrei remembers, “were blue because who knows how long they have been dead for.” In the meantime, the Soviet government’s propaganda machine was sending messages of prosperity to the rest of global world.

Another piece to take a particular interest in with an anti-Soviet theme Protsouk produced during this time period was one titled, “Fish on the Plate.” Similarly to the “Blue Chicken” this piece also cynically comments on the fact, that, for all the work done by the Soviet workforce they are left with rationed remnants of food.

The featured nails in this piece represent the amount of hard work as they are also bent comments on the quality of the work performed or the lack thereof. The nails are useless and the fish seems as useless to hunger as it does for the nation’s identity. In addition, this piece features the “Pravda” newspaper in the background.

“Red table” is another interesting piece conveying social realism and anti-soviet life in Andrei’s early work. This piece features a table set with hammer, nails, the infamous Pravda newspaper as the centerpiece but no food. There is a bottle of alcohol on the table and nails sparsely laying on the table. It showed the vacancy of hope. A representation of how the Russian soul felt when it would feast for supper. These are some of many examples of such social realist and anti-soviet art Protsouk produced during this time period where he was able to share his frustration of life in the Soviet Union.

“Red Table” Oil on Canvas 32 in x 37 in (81.3 cm x 94 cm)

world, the Repin Imperial Academy. The school had a zero tolerance policy on artwork produced that depicted any kind of anti-soviet subjects. Some of his peers and colleagues were constantly reprimanded by the KGB for producing such work. Protsouk, on the other hand, produced this artwork out of pure self-expression and withheld it until moving to the united states in 1992. “What happened was since I had started looking for my own style and started to create my own creative paintings little ones. It was already 1990 and it was the start of the perestroika. Gorbachev came into power. Artists were looking for creative things and we started to be more creative about art and there was a lot of influence of politics and soviet propaganda. Then we started doing more shows internationally,” Protsouk remembers.

“Mannequins of Nevsky Prospect” Private Collection Denmark

“Mannequins of Nevsky Prospect” Private Collection Denmark

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the western world had sought and demanded Soviet artwork as insight to the creative minds in such a repressive nation. After he finished his studies at the academy in St. Petersburg, the Iron Curtain fell. Protsouk was able to travel outside of the USSR. He first had shows in Denmark and Germany in partnership with some art schools and galleries there. People were interested in what happened in and to the Soviet Union.

It had been clandestine to the western world and the only people who were able to portray what life was really like there during the time were the artists. They expressed themselves with their creativity about how they felt about their own regime. This was a huge opportunity for Russian artists at the time. Many collectors in Europe and the United States sought after Russian art during the early 1990’s. It was this theme that allowed Andrei the opportunity to travel abroad and eventually immigrate to the United States.

Through his artwork he portrayed his empathy towards his people back home and wanted to share his insight with the collectors abroad. Norton Dodge was one of Andrei’s biggest named collectors at the time.

Dodge was one of the biggest Soviet art collectors during the Perestroika and fancied to include Andrei’s work in his collection. Protsouk traveled back and forth from Russia and the United States exhibiting in Soho New York, the Bixler Gallery in Stroudsburg and attended art fairs in Philadelphia until 1994. It was not until then that he moved to the United States permanently with his family, his wife Marika and son Dennis. This was a turning point for his style which had pivoted towards a social commentary on the social life in the United States.

The 1980’s and 1990’s was an interesting time for Andrei to absorb.

He was a young artist in one of the most prestigious art schools in the

14

15

“Diana the Huntress”

“Oysters”

H

is transitional work was collected exceptionally well during the early 1990’s. During this period some exemplary pieces he had created “Diana the Huntress,” “Oysters” and “My Dream” were his first successful paintings and themes in the United States. Collectors had never seen anything like it before. Andrei’s themes were raw and textured, dark yet colorful all at the same time. His early work impacted viewers, gravitated collectors and he was able to sell very well.

The piece, “Diana the Huntress,” depicted his admiration for the Greek myth of Diana. He portrayed her in her majestic prowess as a strong feminine figure. Protsouk had always admired the female body and has always been known to say that, “the most beautiful thing an artist can paint is a woman’s figure,” he would always say. This was the ongoing motif in his artwork even dating back to his childhood. He had a way of romanticizing women and showing his technical skill of painting anatomy by creating such an aesthetic high quality to his work.

“My Dreams” Perestroika Collection Oil on Canvas Size Artist Private Collection

18

After the successes of many shows, Bixler Gallery management sold their business to Andrei Protsouk. Protsouk finally had his own gallery and he would be able to curate his own shows. Protsouk has since created his own trademark in the art world with his Fine Line technique, seen in most of his most contemporary works of art. Since he began operating his own gallery he was able to self publish his own art work. New printing technologies allowed for printing giclees on canvas. Andrei was one of the first artist to completely adopt the Giclee printing of his artwork and distribute to galleries all across the country and Europe. 1997 was the first year Protsouk began exhibiting at international art trade shows, such as the ArtExpo, to expand his network of galleries. From 2004-2008 protsouk saw tremendous exposure in the Art World and has since grown to the UK market with the representation of Buckingham Fine Art Publishers. He has become one of the most recognizable names in contemporary figurative art and one of the most recognizable styles the art world has ever seen.

19

20

21

Interpreting Andrei’s Works

“Study for Nu” Ink Drawing on Arches Paper 8 in x 11 in

T

his brings us to dissecting Andrei’s work. There are three key elements to examining his artwork to take note of; Composition, Texture and use of his Fine Line. These elements can be seen across all his varied time periods and collections. He uses each element to their advantage to create unique pieces of artwork unlike any artist living today.

You can see this Fine Line example in the “Pearls of Love” piece where the man’s hand disappears into the womans right shoulder. Protsouk has always been influenced by masters such as Matisse, Picasso and Rembrant for their exceptional drawing. He always agreed with the artist Ingres that the three most important pillars to art are, “drawing, drawing and drawing,” Andrei always stated as he folded his 3 last fingers into his palm. Protsouk is one of the most exceptional drawing masters of all time if you take notice of the drawings above. You can see the elements of how the lines intersect, connect or stop and begin.

Composition: During his tenure at the Imperial Academy in St. Petersburg Russia, while studying under Moiseenko, Protsouk honed the skill of using composition to his advantage. While others in his studio struggled to use composition as a central element to their painting, Protsouk was able to always produce work with the highest caliber in regards to his use of composition. Moiseenko always preached this as being a vital element in painting. Protsouk had absorbed this lesson quite well. For example, please take particular notice of how his composition always brings your eye around the outside of the painting back to the center of the image. Most of his artwork does this to tie in all the elements; from the outside to the inside.

Composition:

“Times Squares,” a more recent piece is a great example of how your eye carries in a circular painting around the canvas.

Texture: One key element to Andrei’s painting that is never amiss is his use of texture on the canvas. From Protsouk’s earliest paintings there has always been heavy use of texture to accentuate his subject matter. His earliest work exemplifies this to the highest extent as can be seen for example in the piece the flute player.

Today, he has refined his use of texture. Every original oil on canvas Andrei paints has its own identity. Like a finger print his use of texture is an identifier of his unique style. The texture creates a virtually unreproducible quality to his work. His depth of color and use of oils in conjunction to the texture adds the most unique look to his painting. Not only does it add depth it also adds a physical aesthetic element that can only be defined by Protsouk himself. One of the most iconic contemporary originals Protsouk has painted that exemplify this is his “Pearls of Love” painting from the mid-2000’s. This piece was the defining moment where he mastered his Fine Line style.

Fine Line:

Texture:

Take notice of the heavy use of texture in the, “Flute Player.” Pay attention to the significant use of texture in his other pieces as well.

22

“Study for Afternoon” Ink Drawing on Arches Paper 8 in x 11 in

Andrei can already envision his subject on an empty sheet of paper. His one off line drawings with ink are truly impressive. He really is taking off where masters such as Picasso and Matisse had left off in regards to innovative single line use. His figurative work truly exemplifies the true nature of art and shows how a technical artist’s mind works.

Fine Line:

“Pearls of Love,” one of his most iconic pieces is a great example of how Andrei cleverly interplays the lines and composition in unison.

As an indulgent art lover admire Andrei’s work by taking into consideration his powerful use of these three techniques. But we still haven’t touched upon the use of his subject matter.

His subject: The contemporary figurative artist One of the most common themes of Andrei’s subject is the figurative nature of his painting. Protsouk paints men and women and sometimes just women to depict them in their most flattering poise. Andrei has one of the highest marks in his training on anatomical drawing and studied in one of the best institutions in the world facilitating the knowledge of this caliber. As mentioned before his use of composition, texture and line all come together to create imagery of relationships and love. Many of his paintings portray playfulness of his subjects. He embellishes each painting with humor as well. His title often have an interplay with the imagery he paints.

These are just some key elements to his work worth mentioning but we will leave it to you to interpret it how you like. Like they say, “To the eye of the beholder.”

Protsouk has created his own use of line. He calls this style the Fine Line technique. This in conjunction with the use of composition to his advantage and the technical background of his Anatomical knowledge of drawing creates the dramatic images we have come to love today. Using the Pearls of love piece as an example where all three elements interplay as one of the most premier examples of this in his work. Protsouk’s defined lines end where your imagination begins. Some lines intersecting some lines coming together with a break of another hand or shoulder and then one’s mind connects the lines together to portray a full encompassing image.

23

24

Troikas, Cosmonauts and Still-Life’s Perestroika-1994

A T

roika - a Russian vehicle pulled by a team of three horses abreast.

ndrei Protsouk’s classical education at the Imperial Academy of Fine Art included the study of Iconography. Iconography is one of Russia’s most prized studies and practices in art history.

The Russian Orthodox church played a vital role in Russia’s long religious history. After the adaptation of Byzantine Christianity in the disputed year of 988 in cohort with future Greek missions to convert pagan Russia to a Christian Russia, in its infancy, Russia had become the world’s epicenter of Iconography. Some of the world’s oldest art schools in iconography still exist in many parts of Russia. Even though the Soviet Union preached Atheism, after the fall of Stalin, who destroyed some of the most important churches in the Orthodox religion, the soviet union embraced iconography again. The Soviet Union recognized it as an important art form and even restored some of the churches it previously destroyed. Although you could not go and pray in the churches during the Soviet times, citizens were still allowed to visit them for their historical significance and admiration of the artwork. The Imperial Academy of Art also taught iconography as one of its course studies to educate young artists about the nation’s most important art form, iconography. Protsouk took a heavy interest in iconography and studied many of the most famous Russian iconographers. If you look at his iconography you can see its influence in some of his own artwork. One of Protsouk’s favorite movies is about Russia’s most important Iconographer Andre Rubleev in the famous Andre Tarkovsky film ‘Andre Rubleev.’ Imperial Russia prior to Peter the Great only allowed artists to paint religious subject matter such as icons and forbid them to paint anything else. This was much how the Soviet Union only allowed artists to paint social realism and communist party related imagery. Therefore, because Andrei had an interest in iconography in his studies when he moved to the United States he had been in contact from the North American Russian Orthodox society. They wanted an artist familiar with traditional iconography and its techniques to help restore some of its churches in the US. Consequently, Andrei’s first big project in America was the full restoration of St. Michaels Church in Jermyn, PA. He repainted over 200 icons in the church and the ceiling, a project that spanned over 3 years from 1994-1997. Years later in 2010, Protsouk would go to paint a newly built Russian Orthodox Church, St. Andrew’s, coincidentally, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The project took two years was completed in 2012.

Interestingly enough, the icons Andrei painted in St. Andrew’s were completely original and Andrei’s own. The church has a strict policy on iconography and any religious imagery but Andrei took the liberty of combining various icon styles over the course of Orthodox history to create his original icons. This was also noticed by the archbishop of the orthodox church in North America and he was at first apprehensive in blessing the icons but after a discussion with Protsouk, the bishop was impressed and blessed the icons by the Russian Orthodox church.

27

Andrei’s Iconography

St. Michael’s Church. Jermyn, PA

Apart from his own work, Andrei has produced over 300 icons for the Orthodox Church in the USA.

St. Andrew’s Church. St. Petes, FL

A

ndrei Protsouk’s classical education at the Imperial Academy of Fine Art included the study of Iconography. Iconography is one of Russia’s most prized studies and practices in art history.

The Russian Orthodox church played a vital role in Russia’s long religious history. After the adaptation of Byzantine Christianity in the disputed year of 988 in cohort with future Greek missions to convert pagan Russia to a Christian Russia, in its infancy, Russia had become the world’s epicenter of Iconography. Some of the world’s oldest art schools in iconography still exist in many parts of Russia. Even though the Soviet Union preached Atheism, after the fall of Stalin, who destroyed some of the most important churches in the Orthodox religion, the soviet union embraced iconography again. The Soviet Union recognized it as an important art form and even restored some of the churches it previously destroyed. Although you could not go and pray in the churches during the Soviet times, citizens were still allowed to visit them for their historical significance and admiration of the artwork. The Imperial Academy of Art also taught iconography as one of its course studies to educate young artists about the nation’s most important art form, iconography. Protsouk took a heavy interest in iconography and studied many of the most famous Russian iconographers. If you look at his iconography you can see its influence in some of his own artwork. One of Protsouk’s favorite movies is about Russia’s most important Iconographer Andre Rubleev in the famous Andre Tarkovsky film ‘Andre Rubleev.’ Imperial Russia prior to Peter the Great only allowed artists to paint religious subject matter such as icons and forbid them to paint anything else. This was much how the Soviet Union only allowed artists to paint social realism and communist party related imagery. Therefore, because Andrei had an interest in iconography in his studies when he moved to the United States he had been in contact from the North American Russian Orthodox society. They wanted an artist familiar with traditional iconography and its techniques to help restore some of its churches in the US. Consequently, Andrei’s first big project in America was the full restoration of St. Michaels Church in Jermyn, PA. He repainted over 200 icons in the church and the ceiling, a project that spanned over 3 years from 1994-1997. Years later in 2010, Protsouk would go to paint a newly built Russian Orthodox Church, St. Andrew’s, coincidentally, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The project took two years was completed in 2012.

Interestingly enough, the icons Andrei painted in St. Andrew’s were completely original and Andrei’s own. The church has a strict policy on iconography and any religious imagery but Andrei took the liberty of combining various icon styles over the course of Orthodox history to create his original icons. This was also noticed by the archbishop of the orthodox church in North America and he was at first apprehensive in blessing the icons but after a discussion with Protsouk, the bishop was impressed and blessed the icons by the Russian Orthodox church.

Andrei’s Vast Collections

D

id you know?

Andrei estimates he had produced over 7,000 works of art so far in his life.

A

ndrei Protsouk’s collections sometimes represent a time and sometimes represent a mood. All of the time they represent a source of inspiration. Protsouk draws his inspiration from the world around him and his life experiences. He also continuously adds to these collections through time. For example, he has pieces in the wine collection he painted in the early 2000’s and has contributed many new paintings to the collection within the last year. Furthermore, as you page through each of the collections keep this in mind and note the humorous commentary through through his painting and his title’s play on words. For example, his tennis work on paper in the Gender Games Collection is titled, “Having a Ball,” in the Romantique collection he has a piece called “Raining Cats and Dogs,” and in the Tango Collection he has a piece called “According to Love.” It is important to note this as Andrei has a great youthful sense of humor and part of his being is his jubilant personality. A lot of the imagery in his paintings also has a humorous touch as well, going through these collections take note of his playfulness with his subjects. This book is all about the representation of Andrei’s work through time and each of the collections were carefully organized chronologically to view a glimpse into the beautiful world Andrei Protsouk has brought to life with his painting and as a reflection of his life during those times.

Renaissance Collection 1994-1998 Detail description

Detail Description

D

id you know?

Andrei’s influence from the Dutch Masters. Rembrant, Vermeer (Glass of Lemonade)

“I

wanted to bring everything we learned about the old dutch renaissance masters, technically, and mix their ideas with mythology to create new paintings with people, such as couples enjoying themselves in a romantic way.” - Andrei on the Renaissance Collection.

His earliest collection in the united states was the Renaissance collection. The collection comprises of couples enjoying themselves lavishly in a pseudo-renaissance theme. Protsouk interplays the ideas the renaissance masters by transplanting modern ideas with an archaic theme. He mixed greek mythology with what he had learned about the dutch masters such as Rembrandt. He redefines the ideas of the renaissance with a modern motif.

Glass of Lemonade.

“Glass of Lemonade” Renaissance Collection medium Size Description

34

This piece transcends the viewer in a world where the Renaissance co-exists with the modern world. The renaissance did not have martini glasses served with a lemon twist. Nor did they dine on shrimp cocktails as they do today.

This is the touch modern imagery in andreis imagination of the renaissance in his world. The painting depicts a couple enjoying lemonade with still life adorned hats. The dutch renaissance was one of andrei’s biggest influence artist such as rembrandt, Abraham van Beyeren and Jan Davidsz. de Heem.

Especially, the latter two, who have painted lobsters and fruit incorporated in their still-lifes. Andrei’s homage to the renaissance masters is the wardrobe his subjects are wearing such as the ruffs and the still-lifes on the hats with lobsters, fish and fruit. The patterns on their clothing resemble the decorative elements of the clothing during the 1600-1700’s he remembers the dutch masters painted during the renaissance. His personal style has a very modern decorative feel to it as well. The painting has great texture to represent his own aesthetic to the theme.

35

Painting Title Collection medium Size Description

36

Painting Title

Collection medium Size Description

Painting Title Collection medium Size Description 38

Painting Title

Collection medium Size Description 39

“Stroudsburg Forever” 1997-2000 The last painting of the Renaissance Collection

Q 40

uick Facts:

18 Feet Long 350+ Portraits 3 Years to Paint 41

Undine Collection 1998-2000

U

ndine - Noun - means a female spirit or nymph inhabiting water.

Painting Title Collection medium Size Description

T

he mythological interpretation of Undine’s relates undoubtedly to Andrei’s studies of the classic masters. In addition, his own infatuation with crustaceans and sea creatures has always been a centralized subject as you admired in his Renaissance Collection. There in, the women and men were adorned with seafood still-lifes on their hats. Furthermore, Protsouk loves the idea that water is represented as a female element in greek mythology. Therefore, he interpreted and created his own mythological creature the female shrimp mermaid that he calls “Undine”. Borrowing from the mermaid, Andrei’s synthesis of a new creature in his world of painting adds a novel subject to his figurative style. He portrays his Undine in a sensual manner, suggestive with a corset looking top, as if she could almost take off the tale and reveal a human woman. Her playfulness of the corset strings adds sensuality to the subject. Take note of this playfulness in his painting titled “Undine.”

This has been a long time subject of his painting and drawing. The Undine Collection is a fusion of Andrei’s renaissance collection, the crustaceans of the hats still-lifes and his new venture of nudes portrayed as a centralized subject.

The Undine collection is synthesized into something even more original and surreal that inevitably sparked a new beginning in Andrei’s artwork and ultimately a journey into the world he imagines.

Tentacles of Love Collection 1998-2000

D

id you know?

Andrei Protsouk’s love of the calamari appetizer inspired the Tentacles of Love Collection.

A

ndrei will be the first to tell you, “The most unexplored part of the world is our ocean,” therefore, Andrei’s infatuation with the mysteries of sea creatures did not stop with the Undine collection. His curiosity led him to learn about the mystical nature of cephalopods, specifically the Octopus. His infatuation with this creature and the nature of the tentacles started after his curious introduction to the calamari appetizer. After this personal discovery, Protsouk explored the octopus stating, “I just started to be infatuated with the different shapes and colors of these creatures.” Protsouk felt like the octopus was a natural aphrodisiac even when alive. He wanted to to portray the tentacles as that embodiment and bring the creature to life with nude women. The nudes such as “The Purple Octopus” portrays the octopus tentacle as a fashion accessory such as a fur adorned around a woman, albeit a living accessory. The tentacles embrace the woman in a sign of strength and protection and representative of her beauty, wonder and the mystical nature.

The curves of the tentacles also represent the curvilinear nature of a woman’s body and as a compositional subject and the tentacle’s embrace accentuates those of the nude’s features.

44

45

Gladiator Games 2000-2004

B

elieve it or not, Andrei’s inspiration came from the feature motion picture “Gladiator” in 2000, but unlike how one would think.

B

elieve it or not, Andrei’s inspiration came from the feature motion picture “Gladiator” in 2000, but unlike how one would think. He watched a follow-up documentary after the movie’s release and discovered that women played an important role as gladiators during the Roman times. This idea inspired Andrei to paint the Gladiator Games Collection. One would immediately notice the sensual designs of the armor for the woman. In contrast to the movie, Protsouk represented his female gladiators adorned beautifully, exuding femininity and sensuality instead of violence and fighting. His idea of gladiators is obviously drastically different than that of Ridley Scott’s. He wanted to show a more tame version of gladiators where everyone is in love and adorned in the armour as a woman would wear sensual lingerie. The Gladiator Games Collection is more about the “games” being a sensual playfulness between the man and woman exhibiting an interesting juxtaposition of gladiator fighting and human relationships. In real life gladiator fighting violence is the leading role in a Roman gladiator event, conversely, in Andrei’s paintings the defining elements of the Gladiator Games Collection is sensuality and playfulness. These are the ideas that gouge deeper insight into Andrei’s art, in this instance, the gladiator series. Andrei interprets the literal world differently and creates his own imaginative world around the subjects he paints. The Gladiator Games Collection is a perfect example of how he can create a new world out of something we are familiar with and paint a new meaning.

Romantique Collection 2004-2008

A

ndrei’s premier and most successful collection spanning nearly two decades had started in 2000-2001. This collection is an extension from the renaissance collection. Andrei began to delve into a more modern setting. He wanted to create something vibrantly new. As one can see the elements he brought over from his developed lines in the Tentacles of Love Collection and the Gladiator Games Collection he fused the enjoyment of bourgeois in his own interpretation. Woman and man dancing, drinking glasses of wine while couples are embracing each other and their martinis.

Furthermore, he added more vibrant colors. “Pearls of Love” is the most premier painting of the Romantique collection. This sold out edition paved the way for Andrei’s future. This theme became the focal point of his artwork in the early 2000’s. You can see the elements of his previous collections the use of textures from the Renaissance collection now more tame and calculated. The lines and curves have now become more refined from the Undine Collection and Tentacles of Love Collection. He took the sharp angles and playful positions of his lines from the Gladiator Games collection to synthesize something completely new. During that time in the artworld, Andrei capitalized on these themes. Rarely were there figurative paintings depicting subjects doing everyday things with a humorous and playful manner as Protsouk did in his Romantique Collection. Protsouk exhibited in over 20 shows a year during this time period and attended the major conventions such as the Art Expo every year in Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas. This was a major stepping stone for Andrei’s work and his collectors. Protsouk refined his “Fine Line” technique everyone sees and loves today. This also defined him as an artist and his style could be noticed by anyone even the most amateur art viewer. In addition to these revelations, this created a new atmosphere for Andrei’s work with an even more relatable playfulness of his subjects. His lines and how they are interwoven into his subjects makes for an interesting and refreshing viewing experience.

Breathtaking Collection

I

n the same timeframe as the Romantique Collection, Andrei, simultaneously began working on the Breathtaking Collection. This was more or less an extension of the Romantique collection but rather it focused on the act of kissing between couples as the centralized subject. Protsouk wanted to perfect the perfect kiss with one line. He was always a big fan of Picasso and Matisse’s drawings and the use of their clever line. Furthermore, it is more of Andrei’s homage to artist Gustav Klimpt’s in his painting the “The Kiss.” Protsouk wanted to create his own linear identity with the Breathtaking Collection. As you notice the studies of his kisses, pay attention to the line connecting the man and woman together. Protsouk wanted to do so using one line to combine the man and woman in a seamless kiss, fusing the man and woman together. Andrei studied many drawings of many artists to combine the two together and the countless hours and drawings that it took Andrei to perfect this kissing can only be measureable in the numerous studies he made during this time period. The centerfold of this Collection can be none other than the painting “Fever.” Take notice how Andrei uses the lines to combine the man and woman together in the most intimate and passionate kiss. With the success of the Romantique collection and the momentum Andrei generated, the Breathtaking Collection seconds the Romantique Collection in success and reception. Another notable work in this collection the stunning “L’Amour sous L’Ombrelle” which touts the success of Andrei’s “Pearls of Love”. The Romantique and Breathtaking Moment Collections are truly the best exemplifications of his fine line technique and the use of line. As you notice the way he constructed the line and the fusion of the man and woman together, this penmanship comes from his classical education at the Imperial Academy of Art. Protsouk always wanted to portray the beauty of love through his use of line and drawing. He wants his audience to feel the love and fever in his painting “Fever”.

Tango Collection

I

t goes without saying that the Tango theme compliments Andrei’s style.

Protsouk was first exposed to tango dancing by some of his closest friends who happened to be instructors of the dance. Andrei is constantly seeking inspiration in the world around him and was invited to participate in Tango dancing events frequently by his friends. From the very first time, he knew this would become an ongoing motif. Furthermore, the beauty of the dance and it’s constructive nature inspired Andrei, especially, the foot movements and the positions of the dancers. He attempted to recreate these elements in his tango paintings focusing on how the dance accentuates and compliments his now more refined and developed fine line technique. The composure of the dancers in a singular and synchronized movement can be seen in the likes of “According to Love” one of Andrei’s most memorable pieces of his Tango Collection. Here you can see the dancers in a passionate movement and the accordion player is connected to their dance much how the relationship of music interplay with the couple’s dance. Andrei wanted to portray this piece in such a way to exemplify how the love, beauty of the dancers and music have a relationship as strong as the dependence on themselves in the dance.

In addition, if you look at the colors blacks, white and reds make for a powerful contrasting combination that attempts to replicate the sudden, powerful movement to the music that is the centerfold of the tango dance. It is hard to not be able to see the uncanny correlation in the use of his angular lines and powerful message they exude onto the viewer. These are the emotions Andrei tries to express in all of his paintings about love and relationships. This message is sometimes the clearest in Andrei’s Tango Collection.

Matador collection

A

ndrei Protsouk’s inspiration from Pablo Picasso is sometimes uncanny.

He always loved the works of Picasso. Protsouk especially finds Picasso’s bull and matador periods the most intriguing. He was always admired the simple yet explicit drawings of Picasso. Protsouk wanted to create his own matador and bull collection with his own interpretation of the theme.

A newer take on relationships and love, Andrei tries to articulate the relationship between the bull and matador in his own style and candor. His painting the “Matador” was one of his most successful pieces to date. In 2015, Andrei’s artwork was recognized to have serious credibility and investment potential on Great Britain’s Channel 4 show ‘Posh Pawn’ where it was singled out by an expert and sold for a staggering sum. This piece is also one of the Andrei’s greatest feats as well. If you also notice the Matador’s cape you will notice an homage to Salvador Dali’s “Matador.”

Gender Game s

T

he Paradise Collection is Andrei’s hybrid collection where the development of his “Fine Line” technique is sometimes unified with his previous collections. For example, in the piece “Paradise Latte,” it takes hold of the Romatique Collection’s centralized couples theme and romanticism.

In “Paradise Cocktails,” Andrei has more influence of his earlier pieces from his Rennaisance collection with a still-life motif. Furthermore, in pieces like “Madame Butterfly” and “Bird of Paradise” Protsouk draws from his Undine collection or centralized femininity theme. This is one of Andrei’s ongoing collections as he is constantly contributing new pieces to it. One of his latest pieces, “Madame Butterfly” and “Birds of Paradise” were created 2014-2015 but the pieces Paradise Cocktails and Paradise Latte were created over 10 years prior in 2004-2005. This collection is one of the best examples of Andrei’s that exemplifies the ongoing contribution to a collection and one where the viewer can see the progression of his current “Fine Line” technique.

Collection

Paradise Collection

T

he Paradise Collection is Andrei’s hybrid collection where the development of his “Fine Line” technique is sometimes unified with his previous collections. For example, in the piece “Paradise Latte,” it takes hold of the Romatique Collection’s centralized couples theme and romanticism.

In “Paradise Cocktails,” Andrei has more influence of his earlier pieces from his Rennaisance collection with a still-life motif. Furthermore, in pieces like “Madame Butterfly” and “Bird of Paradise” Protsouk draws from his Undine collection or centralized femininity theme. This is one of Andrei’s ongoing collections as he is constantly contributing new pieces to it. One of his latest pieces, “Madame Butterfly” and “Birds of Paradise” were created 2014-2015 but the pieces Paradise Cocktails and Paradise Latte were created over 10 years prior in 2004-2005. This collection is one of the best examples of Andrei’s that exemplifies the ongoing contribution to a collection and one where the viewer can see the progression of his current “Fine Line” technique.

Jazz Collection

L

iving in the Pocono mountains, especially if you are an artist, it is hard to not be influenced by the Jazz movement in Delaware Water Gap. Andrei was inspired to create the Jazz collection where it was first exhibited in the Antoine Dutot Museum and Gallery in Delaware Water Gap in celebration of the 40 year old Celebration of the Arts and Jazz festival. The centralized theme of enjoying cocktails and listening to jazz music drew Andrei to the Jazz collection. Protsouk being a jazz lover and listener when he paints, wanted to create pieces that portrayed the passion in this music genre.

Being friends with some of Jazz legends such as Bob Dorough, Andrei saw the passion these musicians had in music and wanted to exemplify it in his own portrayal of this romantic music genre. His most notable pieces in the collection are Red Sax, Jazz Couple and Jazz Nights. The collection consists of mainly smaller watercolor and mixed media works on paper but was a very receptive limited edition on canvas series. The unique pen lines in this collection exemplify Andreiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful use of line and its constructive nature across a different medium, paper instead of canvas.

Gourmet Wine Collection

W

hat better way to set the romantic mood than a glass of fine wine?

Andrei’s most extensive collection spanning nearly two decades like the Paradise collection. The Wine collection is also a series where one can take notice of Andrei’s progression in his style. Starting from some of his earliest pieces “Glass of Red” and “Glass of White” to some of his most latest works such as “Chablis” and “Malbec,” one can see the transition back to the singular female motif. Andrei uses the uniqueness of different wines and their properties to name his paintings such examples as “Chateau des Pape” and “Chateau des Coccinelle”. Protsouk’s playful approach to painting women enjoying their wines with the constructive nature of his lines. Andrei wants to exhibit the uniqueness of each wine and then translate the notes onto his canvas. Using colors and texture Protsouk tries to emulate the act of woman drinking wine to the wines respective qualities.

Cities of Romance Collection

P

aris, Venice and London are some of the world’s most romantic cities.

Protsouk interpreted their sights with the playfulness of couples enjoying their romantic location. Andrei wants to represent these locations in their most flattering poise. The architecture and the cities’ activities such as riding a gondola, dancing around paris and couples romantically enjoying themselves is the centerfold of the travel experience that Andrei tries to represent. This theme is something anyone who travels the world can relate to.

“Voluptuous Venice,” “Free Ride,” “Paris” and “Love Birds” are some of his most successful pieces in the Cities of Romance collection. In these works, the Eiffel tower could interweaves with the couples, the gondola could fuse with the facade of San Marco’s square and a beautiful woman could be rising out of the waters in Venice. There truly is no barrier to Andrei’s imaginative world.

Andrei draws his inspiration from his personal travels and his imagination.

This is one of the most revealing collections about how Andrei sees the world around him. It not only shows the romantic side of the couples endeavors but also the beautiful role of the architecture and sightseeing experiences in traveling the worlds most beautiful destinations. The collection often intertwines previous collections such as the wine collection and the singular female figure theme such as the piece “Manhattan” and “Voluptuous Venice” where the woman is becoming of the city of New York and Venice, Italy.

Cell Phone Collection

M

y Cellphone Collection sets itself apart from Andrei’s other collections in that the nature of the relationships portrayed in Protsouk works changes. In this collection, the subjects are being pulled apart by the world’s biggest distraction, the electronic device. Protsouk adds, “The cellphone was created with the purpose of connecting people together but it seems it just disconnects people.” His subjects are seen holding their phones and tablets being fixated on them rather than their own relationship or the world around them. This collection, is more or less, a social commentary about how important the human relationship is with technology and how it can actually take away from the experiential world around us. The best metaphor of this can be seen in the piece “Selfie” a homage to Rene Magritte’s infamous self portrait, “the Son of Man,” in Andrei’s painting the apple is substituted by the modern device taking a selfie. His other most noticeable pieces in this collection includes “Tweeter,” “Textpresso” and “Roaming Alone.”

This is Andrei’s most recent collection and holds some of Andrei’s most clever and playful depictions of today’s biggest distraction impacting relationships around the world, the device.