Mykola Bilous
WHERE IS DADDY? I WANT TO EAT
15.10 - 30.10.2009
“About the human ability to receive“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х190сm
“Look, where he is?“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х190сm
“As party leaders spoke at a conference“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х190сm
“Do you like it here?“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х190сm
“Yes“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Good“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Where's Dad?“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Your dad climbed up into the attic“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Just like a little boy“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Are there spiders up there?“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Spiders this big?“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm
“Where is Daddy?I want to eat“, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 140х100сm

Mykola Bilous
WHERE IS DADDY? I WANT TO EAT
15.10 - 30.10.2009


Mykola Bilous is one of those Ukrainian artists, who is out of any styles and trends, who represents and develops his own artistic language. Moreover, Bilous is the only Ukrainian artist, who masters cinematographic aesthetics in the field of figurative art.

“Mom, where is dad? I am already” – is the third project by Bilous that has motion picture as a background. His previous show “How the city grew” was exhibited in Zaporozhe a week before. There artist had recreated the newsreel in color. But, in current project, Nikolay has placed social problematic.

Obviously, artist is interested in form, not in subject. However, the movie, which was the basis for paintings, should be mentioned here.

“Bipedalism” [Priamokhozhdenie] is a film by Russian director Evgenii Iufit that was screened for the first time in a small cinema in 2005. People used to talk a lot about it, comparing with Borotko’s “Heart of a dog” and “The Mirror” by Tarkovsky. But, according to Bilous interpretation, “Bipedalism” has unexpected feel.

“Bipedalism” does not promise a happy end. Professor of biology settles in a country house, where in a basement there is neglected laboratory in which his father had been making genetic experiments. After some time, the main hero begins to lose his mind, and falls into the world of personal reminiscences.

Iufits movie uses aesthetics of silent movies, German expressionism and French surrealism, and reminds set of changeable slides that are divided by artist into colored pictures, which are made in familiar for Bilous style. The artist focuses our attention on optimistic and emotional moments – childhood reminiscences of the main hero, and around relationships between his wife and daughter. Monumental angles remind of Rodchenko, especially in a picture where a woman carries a child. This scene is a pure visual art, where only color and form mean something. And if there are any associations possible – the viewer should search for them only in personal childhood.

Iufit does not use in his pictures straight color as well as Bilous. In both cases we see deformed reality that changes our perception. And if “Bipedalism” is minimalistic and scary film, the new paintings of Bilous are vivid and vital, and pass on the feel of an 80ies.

Мария Хрущак