| "Anatoly Krynsky,
I think, is an artist in the only sense that counts. That is, he
is a sensitive and gifted human who first sought out the best art
education available in his native Russia, and who has struggled over his
career to express his personal vision of the world, within his very
considerable technical resources.
There are some things he is not.
He is not a self-indulgent natural genius whose every daub transcends
criticism. He is not trendy. He is not Pop, nor anything
like it; he is not a man of the 90s, in the usual sense.
But he is a better man of the 90s
in the sense that matters most: the history of art, especially 20th
century modernism, animates and validates his timeless vision. He
is a conscientious craftsman whose art is honed to a keen edge, and
whose images and ideals are universal in the Western tradition.
His work doesn't reflect the here and now of current Western culture.
Thank whatever gods! His aims are higher than that; he has too
much respect for art. We need more artists who take the same
road."
Henry
Vermillion is a painter. He was born in Texas and now lives
in Mexico. He has been a regular contributor of art
criticism to various American and Mexican newspapers. |
