Vladimir Kush is a Russian painter who studied at the Moscow Art Institute and is now living in the U.S. He works in a vein of fantastic art obviously influenced by Surrealists like Dali and Magritte, but with a distinctly different emotional context.
His paintings have something of a visionary mystical quality and many of them feature recurrent themes like butterflies, sailing ships, fruits and other natural forms, and visions within cloud formations.
His images often deal with interesting combinations of visual elements. Sailing ships are masted with stalks of gladiolus, their blossoms unfurled as sails. Giant butterflies catch the wind on another ship (above), or form the blades of fantasy windmills. Giant mechanical fish and dragonflies and a monumental rhinoceros undergo maintenance. The rising sun is revealed to be the yolk of a giant egg or the pearl of an oyster. A half pear is envisioned as a lute, and a half apple as a butterfly. Through many of the works, beautifully stylized and textured clouds roil and tumble revealing visions of seas and harbors or taking on forms like hot air balloons.
Unfortunately, the images on Kush’s own web site are too small to get a real feeling for his paintings. Fortunately, his work is represented on the web on the sites of galleries that carry his prints or originals.
There is a nice selection with large images on the Reflections Gallery, and another selection with somewhat smaller images on the Art Center Gallery. There is a particularly nice selection of images featured on the Dark Roasted Blend blog, some of which are linked to even larger versions on Flickr.
There are print collections of his work, but I’ve had trouble establishing their availability (it may be primarily through galleries rather than traditional book sources). One is called Metaphorical Journey and seems to be pricey ($200) as a used book on Amazon. On the books page of Kush’s site two other titles are shown, The Bronze Drops of Time and Journey to the Edge of Time, which is apparently new and more readily available.
Journey to the Edge of Time isn’t a collection, per se, but a coffee-table science fiction book, arranged as diary with many of Kush’s paintings as illustrations. The authors are Oleg Kush and Mikhil Kush, though I don’t know their relation to Vladimir.
Link suggestion courtesy of Karl Kofoed
What an awesome blog. Loved the Nancy Depew you posted a while back, the Sheban and the Kush this week. I’ll be checking in regularly to see what other treasures you post.
I absolutely LOVE your paintings. They bring something to the convas that I only wish I could verbally express. Keep giving the world your beautiful impressions, we can all benifit from…….. God Bless!
I saw your paintings on a recent trip to Maui and I was so touched. They are so beautiful, wonderful and full of mystery. They make me smile and so happy!!!
I LOVE IT!!!
I wish my house was full of them!
On a recent trip to Las Vegas I was captured by an imagination that rivaled even the magnificients of Ceasars Palace and perhaps most of the other structures that make up the strip. Most would say that is a pretty bold statement. Just one look and I was in trance taken away to some distant mistical land. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Kush for bringing Vladimir into the world for perhaps he alone would show a lucky few who appreciate the style and skill of such a unique talent. To be so lucky to have a house full of V.Kush works on every wall , WOW I need to get a better job. Custom framing copliments and preserves fine art, thanks to W.J.Fitz…….Best regards where ever you are!!!!!!!
Fantastic, loving, very interesting and atractive your paintings, Vladimir!!! I perceived you also lide butterflies… and musical instruments… I hope the magic or Art can take also more love to the human hearts. Blue kisses!
gostei de vc gostosão dá certinho comigo
gostei muito das suas obras e princilpamente de vc
suas pinturas são muito bonitas e excelentes começando pelo pintor
I love your work. You are amaizing. You are my favorite because you know how to combine in a perfect way real things with imagination. English is not my first language that’s why is a little dificult to me to express what your paintings inspire me, but I can not find even in my own language an adjective that match exactly with my admiration for you and your paintings. Your art is exquisite and marvelous. I really thank God to allow people like you to come to this world. One of my dreams is meet you. I hope I be able to do it.