Interview with Tamara Michel
Reflecting on your artistic roots from Ukraine and your studies in Moscow, how do these culturally diverse environments shape your thematic choices and narrative voice within your artworks? What specific elements from these cultures have manifested most prominently in your technique or subject matter?
My artistic development was formed under the influence of both, eastern and western European, cultures. The pulse of life of culturally diverse metropolitan cities like Moscow and Vienna allowed me to get close to world art master pieces and international famous artwork.
My love for impressionism was born visiting numerous museums of the Russian capital, while studying I was often in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts attending regularly exhibitions. After moving to Vienna I was inspired later by Austrian artists as Gustav Klimt and focusing much in my own artwork on Austrian landscapes, churches and architecture.
My Ukrainian origins are reflected through my passion to paint flowers, diverse land- and seascapes, while the time passed studying in Moscow has learnt me valuable drawing and painting skills like the Aquarell technique.
Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 60 x 70 cm
Since establishing your artistic career in Vienna, how have you integrated the city’s rich historical and artistic heritage int your own unique style? Can you provide examples of how Vienna’s cultural landscape has influenced specific works or techniques you’ve developed?
The essential impulse for my creative development was ignited in Vienna, having moved to this city I had more time and freedom to focus and develop an authentic artist style and my painting technique. I didn’t miss the chance to paint churches in Austria with Aquarell colors from the nature. I also managed to learn icon painting in Austria, and to use it in practice. In 1999, I had my first personal single exhibition in Vienna.
Over your three decades of evolving artistry, could you describe a few key milestones that you feel significantly catalyzed your creative growth? How did these moments lead to a tangible shift in your artistic approach or philosophy?
A main stage of my artistic maturation was mastering the oil painting technique, a skill enabling me to broaden my horizon for nuances and possibilities to reproduce the desired artwork, using oil colors and oil painting techniques. Oil remains my favorite mean for painting art. At the initial preparation stage for each painting I anticipate a euphoric inspiration looking forward to be satisfied by its realization.
Your innovative blending of oil painting techniques with watercolor methodologies is quite distinctive. What inspired you to merge these mediums, and how do you navigate the technical challenges that such a hybrid technique entails?
Using Aquarell technique in oil painting was a natural result of year long extensive practice and experience with watercolors, later with oil. See my painting „Sunrise at Sea“: Aquarell technique used with oil colors.
Living in Moscow, in was excited to visit churches to see iconographic art exposed there, as in the time of the Soviet Union one couldn’t just visit holy places as churches and do religious rituals. I was lucky enough to learn in Vienna later the iconographic painting technique and create myself this kind of art. This new skill got visible also in other paintings with detail to the painted symbols, painted with acrylic colors on canvas as in my paintings „Fruit Table“ and „Cherries and Wine“.
As an artist who has witnessed significant global and societal changes over the years, what role do you believe art plays in reflecting or even influencing social and cultural dynamics? How does your work aim to engage with or comment on contemporary issues?
Art is taking a major role in reproducing the scenery of actual ongoing events and developments, aligned problems, bothering many people. Art can enlighten the view on actual developments and situations helping to more objectively anticipate and judge the happening giving a more complete and profound understanding and basis for decision-making. In my work, I try to touch upon topics that are important to me like in my painting „Cry of Soul“, in which bitter tears of mourning for the dead are shown. In my painting „Choice of Paths“, the issue of the right choice of life is rated, a choice deciding often upon the faith and need of human beings.
Your artistic style encompasses both figurative and impressionistic elements. How do you maintain a balance between capturing the ephemeral quality of impressionism and the detailed focus of figurative art in a single piece? Can you discuss a specific piece where this balance is particularly evident?
In my opinion, the use of different painting styles is a natural process of creativity. An example for the harmonic combination of impressionistic and figurative art style is my painting „In the Forest“: The overall impressionistic forest background is agitated by the presence of two subjects in the figurative style. The same combination is depicted in my artwork „Game with Fish“: the impressionistic background of water is spiced up with some figurative elements.
Game with Fish, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
Considering your extensive experience exhibiting across Europe, what do you perceive to be your most impactful contribution to the contemporary art scene? Are there particular themes or messages that you aim to propagate through your exhibitions?
In my art you will find topics reflected such as the elusiveness of beauty and uniqueness of nature. I am also trying to involve transience as a theme into my artwork, see my painting „Hourglass“. Related to this, I develop the importance of the right choices of life style and life paths as in my painting „Choice of Paths“: the responsibility of human beings to make their right choices and the necessity to weigh options when making decisions is reflected.
Seascapes are taking a special position in my creation, in many different versions and at different times of the day, f.ex. sunrise or sunset, full moon or new moon. See my painting „Deep Blue“.
As well, I am developing the topic „the balance between material and immaterial“. See my painting „Holy Message“: A vulture is chasing the white dove of peace trying to intercept the holy message intended to be handed over to humanity. Every actions is accompanied by a reaction. In this regard, the role of correct assessment of events and the need to listen to the inner intuitive voice of higher energy grows.
Holy Message, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
The painting „Holy Message“ is reflecting the idea that one must keep in touch with the inner voice of intellect, the inner voice of your soul, the voice of god and angels.
Can you walk us through the emotional and intellectual journey you undertake when transitioning from the initial concept of an artwork to its final execution? What are the critical decisions you face during this process, and how do you resolve them?
The initial euphoria of a new idea for a painting weakens within the process of creating and perfecting the artwork. The freshness of the specific artwork gets lost. I like artistic artwork that keeps its ignition of the creative initiation, not yet overburdened by correctional attempts to get it right. Paintings satisfying the artist in their first attempted process of creating a unique artwork have more effect on the viewer, carrying a stronger direct impressive force. Using Aquarell technique allows to achieve such result.
With the variety of mediums at your disposal, from watercolors to acrylics, ho do you decide which medium will best express the vision you have for a particular piece? Is there a philosophical or aesthetic framework that guides these decisions?
The choice of means of reproducing an idea or design is based and depends on the specific content: if I did a sketch from life or nature, I mostly chose watercolors. Lately I satisfy my spontaneous creative urge using my own photographies as a basis for many oil paintings, which seems very convenient to me, it enhances my direct approach to create art if I feel like. To convey the idea, I use large formats of oil on canvas, f.ex. on a large canvas, just a flower looks as impressive as a combination of flowers, see my painting „Colorful Poppies“.
Poppy field, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
Given your unique perspective as an artist who has straddled multiple cultures and artistic traditions, how do you see your work influencing or inspiring the next generation of artists, particularly those who might be dealing with their own cross-cultural experiences?
Its very difficult to really assess its own influence, but when creating a picture, I certainly think about the viewer and his evaluation of my work and I try to more often introduce an element of message into my work, f.ex. in the painting „In the Forest“ and „Together through the Forest“: the idea of becoming together stronger while mastering difficult situations in life is brought forward as a reflective element.
