the turquoise ether magazine’s mission is to publish independent critical reviews of promising artists from over The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Turquoise #8 — Alexandra Cane (Russia)

Russian art has long and rich history. Every new period brings metamorphoses to it, though its significance remains the same. Lately, I have been lucky to discover another remarkable Russian artist, Alexandra Cane. We met at the creative workshop where she was one of the special guests and gave a lecture about historical relations between people and art. And I was totally fascinated by the powerful messages she incorporates in her works. Video art is the new black, indeed.

One of her series of works tells a story about ageing. And this is more than just a reflection of reality. The video artist interprets key aspects of the theme and uses a lot of symbols, especially in her work “Dances on Glass”. Cane manages to mix different types of well-known traditional art: sometimes it is dance, sometimes it is painting, or photography and music. She successfully combines empirical and emotional approaches to obtain the most powerful impression. For example, her video art “You Raise Me Up” includes music and painting. The images remind me of the nineteenth century Romantic paintings. Its narrative tells a story about growing up and getting old. She explores the thin line between these notions. And maybe this is the best description of her artistic style: Cane’s artworks always exist somewhere in between. I guess she just doesn’t want to be limited by any boundaries.

Alexandra Cane demonstrates a very specific vision, although her approaches change depending on creative goals and ideas. It looks like art flexibility, which is a great quality for an artist. It reminds me of the approach of an artist from a different area. I am talking about David Bowie, who once said that every true artist should constantly change and evolve. And, frankly, I must agree with him.

I reckon that in some way she reinvented the approach to working with visual materials and sound. It does not look boring or too difficult for understanding which gives me a hint that she wants to connect with a wider audience. This reminds me of early Soviet artists who tried to make accessible art for ordinary people. And I must agree that the intention to be understood is essential for an artist. Her images look familiar and, at the same time, come out somewhere from unconsciousness. She undresses the main concept to its core leaving only essential details and telling the story quite simply.

Probably, this is the kind of art people need most right now. It’s quite common nowadays to enhance understanding of the notion “Art has a female face”. If so, perhaps one of these faces is Alexandra Cane. I would love to follow her creative path and see more of her works in the future.

Author ✍️ Anton Medvedev for turquoise ether magazine