Medieval Cities.

These fused glass works are re-creations from the Nuremberg chronicle illustrations. This is one of the first printed books made in the year 1493. It has numerous beautiful illustrations of European medieval towns and cities. 

Sunset in Medieval Town. 2014. 
Fused glass. Glass powder drawing. 18 x 27 cm

Original: 

I made another one as a decorative plate giving it a practical use.

Meeting Place. 2014.
 Fused glass. Glass powder drawing. 25 x 25 cm

Original:

Medieval grotesques.

This is a series of fused glass works which are based off the illustrations from a 13th century manuscript called Queen Mary Psalter (from the British Library - Royal 2B VII).

These are drawings done by Queen Mary Master. All of them are "bas-de-page" drawings, but to me they deserved center stage. 

Lovers. Fused glass. 2014. 22 x 14 cm.  (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 138v)

Men fighting against a dragon. Fused glass. 2014 ((BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 186v)

Grotesque-knight.  Fused glass. 2014. 21 x 16 cm (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 141)

Musician. Fused glass. 2014. 16 x 10.5 cm (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 192v)

Knight and snails. Fused glass. 2014.  20 x 15 cm (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 148)

Musicians. Fused glass. 2014 (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 193)

Grotesques fight with each other. Fused glass. 2013. (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 136)

Musicians. Fused glass. 2013 (BL Royal 2B VII, fol. 193v.) 

Leo. 2011

Back in 2005, I visited Cloisters in New York for the very first time. I came across a 13th century fresco of a lion. This fresco reminded me of someone whom I owe my developmental progress as a person. I worked under his supervision for many years including the time when I worked as a geologist in the Russian Arctic. He had a unique charisma, a unique alloy of energy, a willingness to succeed, a hard character and a special kind of charm. His name was  Leo A. Savostin. He was a person with a quite astounding biography and he lived a remarkable life. This work is my tribute to him.

What happens when you come into contact with a completely unknown environment? You don't know how to behave, act or what to expect, you know nothing. Yet you possess an inner strength, charisma, a willingness to win, to go on... You have your personality.

What I did, was I gave my 13th century lion "Leo" a time machine. All of a sudden he is swept to the modern world. Now he is stuck here forever. What to do?

In my mosaic there is a powerful contrast between a 13th century lion "Leo" and a very intense and bright pattern. You can see him walking with a goal of getting out. The walls start to crumble before him. Where they lead, nobody knows, but "Leo" will succeed anywhere.   

The colors used in this mosaic were the main challenge. I wanted to create a very dynamic, very contrasted and a extremely modern environment. Not just Black and White, but insane! The colors chosen put a heavy yet energetic feel on the surroundings of "Leo". This 13th century lion was meant to look very much like the fresco in Cloisters yet at the same time retaining the look of a real person.

This mosaic required a lot of saw work to create the delicate pieces of "Leo". This is my very first glass mosaic. I used a special transparent glue to attach the pieces to the glass base and afterwords grouted with black grout. This mosaic can be seen with light coming through and without it.  

Size 45 x 60 cm. 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2011.