Mikhail Zhirmunsky Presents an Unfamiliar World

In Mikhail Zhirmunsky’s whirlwind multimedia pieces, technique and subject come together to conjure mystery.

Zhirmunsky paints innocuous scenes, such as peaceful farmhouses seen through the trees, or a simple silhouette of a chair. However, he treats them with radically energetic brushstrokes, otherworldly colors, and even disparate materials. In this way the artist both creates and mines the tension involved in using a style completely incongruent with the picture’s content: one informs the other, and the viewer is left with the deeply provocative sensation of seeing an unfamiliar world. Among the media Zhirmunsky mixes and matches are paper, cardboard, cloth, acrylic, oil, distemper, and gouache. His collages are deliberately imperfect, showing the ragged edges of paper and giving the image a Frankenstein-like stitched effect. His marks are wild and raw; the whole work shows the fervor of creation. Zhirmunsky describes his goal as being “to create art which simultaneously evokes horror and euphoria.”
Zhirmunsky was born in Ivanovo, Russia and today lives in the Kaliningrad region. He has exhibited and been published in multiple books in his home country.

Exhibition Dates: March 28, 2014 – April 17, 2014
Reception: Thursday, April 3, 2014, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, Chelsea, New York

Event URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Mikhail_Zhirmunsky.aspx

About Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea’s fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery’s expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization’s specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.