– Alexey, tell us how the idea of the exhibition came about? And why does it have such an unusual name?
Alexey Ilyin: The name was invented by me - I was looking for a word that could succinctly and at the same time not too “head on” to generalize the stories that most interest and attract me. And the very idea to exhibit the works was suggested to me by my friend Mikhail Senatorov, who runs the PAPER gallery. This space is regularly used for all kinds of presentations and short-term exhibition projects, and at some point Mikhail asked why not become the hero of their next project. This is how it all began. In the process, of course, it turned out that preparing an exhibition was by no means the easiest task, but in the end everything worked out: the works were selected and framed, each of them found the right place in the gallery, a catalog was prepared and published.
Can you tell us a little more about the subjects that attract you? How long have you been drawing?
Alexey Ilyin: I have been drawing, it seems, as long as I remember myself. I graduated from art school and painted very actively before entering the Moscow Architectural Institute. Later, when the intensive work began, drawing receded into the background for a while, but I never gave up this activity to the end. And at some point, the understanding came that this skill must be consciously continued to be “pumped over”, since the work of an architect implies only sketching, that is, such a purely technical drawing. Several years ago, I was very interested in the topic of lighthouses - structures that today are almost no longer used for their intended purpose, but serve as a very expressive reminder of the harsh era of the development of navigation. There are especially many lighthouses located in Norway, and it was from this country that I began my immersion in the topic.
How many lighthouses have you drawn already?
Alexey Ilyin: Probably about 30. About 15 of them are presented at the exhibition. In addition to Norwegian lighthouses, the exposition includes lighthouses from Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Holland, Spain.
And all these are historical buildings? Or are relatively modern lighthouses also in your collection?
Alexey Ilyin: Basically, these are lighthouses built in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. It was at that time that the composite Fresnel lens was invented, making the light of the lighthouse the brightest and most visible from afar. Of course, not all lighthouses can boast of expressive architecture - so it is only natural that I choose which ones to draw. When I first started doing them, I had to search through literally tons of information in search of an interesting object. Now this task has become much simpler: a special site has appeared, which contains all the lighthouses in the world.
In Russia, as far as we know, there are also lighthouses
Alexey Ilyin: Yes, and quite a lot! My dream is to get to them and draw. The problem is that any lighthouse, by definition, is located in a rather hard-to-reach place. And if in the same Norway the road and tourist infrastructure is so well established that it does not pose a problem, but it is necessary to prepare more seriously for a trip to the Russian hinterland, including technically, and, unfortunately, there is not always enough time for this.
As the exposition in PAPER shows, in addition to lighthouses, you will not be left indifferent by other high-rise buildings
Alexey Ilyin: In any city I visit, I am primarily interested in its panoramas. What the skyline looks like. And it is clear that high-rise dominants always attract the eye, and in many ways form the rhythm and character of the urban landscape. If it is a historical city, then these are bell towers, domes of cathedrals, palace towers or more modern multi-storey buildings. However, this topic is interesting to me, rather, as an architect. As a draftsman, first of all, I still focus on lighthouses - a topic that no one has deeply explored before me (at least by means of graphics). However, the exhibition really does contain different subjects: at first I wanted to make a separate exposition with lighthouses, but I quickly realized that it would look somewhat monotonous. Thanks to my family - they helped me mix the plots and make an interesting and, I think, rich mix on the topic "HIGH".
– What technique do you mainly work in?
Alexey Ilyin: Now I am very passionate about watercolors. But in watercolor, I usually add a watercolor felt-tip pen, which allows me to make the line somewhere very clear, but somewhere, on the contrary, completely conditional. Plus, I often work with pencil and pastel. And I started with tempera, I did some works in oil - and they are also presented at the exhibition. But now the watercolor has overpowered everything.
This year you participated and became one of the laureates of the "ArchiGraphics" competition. What did this experience give you?
Alexey Ilyin: This was my first experience of participating in a drawing competition. I don't even remember how I found information about him, but when I read it, I immediately decided to participate. Including because it turned out to be quite simple: it was enough to upload photos or scans of your work to the site and that's it. I uploaded two works - and they both made it to the final. And then one of them - the watercolor “'s-Hertogenbosch, Holland. 2016 "won a special jury prize in the category" Drawing from life ". Of course, the victory is very pleasant, I will not hide it. Especially considering the high level demonstrated by the finalists of the competition, it is pleasant and honorable to be in such a company. And the winning work itself, by the way, can be seen at the HIGHLY exhibition.
