Olga Slobodkina-von Brömssen - Russia

Artwork information : 6

Grates (Series 3), Color art photo, 40 x 60 cm, 2017

About the artist :    

I was born on Nov.26, 1958, into the family of renowned Soviet scientists in Moscow, Russia. 

I was first trained as a pianist and then as a linguist, a teacher of English and German as well as a translator and interpreter.

 I started my professional career teaching at the Maurice Torez Institute of Foreign Languages.

When democracy came to Russia, I worked as an interpreter for film and theatre in Russia, Britain and the USA translating for many movie and theatre stars.

In 1987 I took part in The National Singing Competition “The Festival of Pop Music” and won the 4th place.

In 1992, I started working for the Moscow Bureau of Newsweek Magazine and in 1994 began writing stories on Russian art for English-language publications (over 200 stories).     

I did my first solo show of art photos in 1999 at the Library of Foreign Literature. I also presented my hand-written book of poetry "There is a way of the earth and a Way of the Wings" with authentic photographs and a hand-written letter to me, a critical essay of my poetry, by the Nobel Prize winning poet Joseph Brodsky. 

The book was a UNESCO project and participated in the International Conference "The Book as an Object of Art" (copies of the book were purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London).

Since then I’ve done many solo shows of my art photography, participated in International Exhibitions of Russian artists at home and abroad as well as in International Art Festivals abroad.

The best art critics in Russia Natella Voiskunskaya and William Meiland wrote positive critique about my photo art (on request). 

 My artistic credo: “Through the abstraction that I see in nature I’m trying to convey various spiritual conditions of man.”

In the past 9 years I have been doing a historical social project on the YOUTH ADVENTURE CLUB movement in the Soviet Union, which was an alternative to the Young Communist League, and wrote a book about those times working with about 20 authors, members of the Club, and photo archives of several thousand photos.

I received a free site from ViewBug.com and awards - Judge Favorite, Peer Awards For Outstanding Creativity, TOP CLASS for the photo in the Contest Faces of the World, a badge The Right of Passage, Absolute Masterpiece, Superb composition, Superior skill, All Star, Top choice, Curator’s Selection and some others.

I wrote my first poem at the age of 5 and since then have written several thousand poems in English and in Russian, stories and 2 novels. I’ve also written music for about 100 songs using the poems of English poets. I translated fiction into Russian starting with Rilke and Shakespeare and ending up with D.H. Lawrence and Penelope Lively.

Membership in organizations:

Creative Union of Artists of Russia, International Federation of Artists at the UNESCO, Russian Organization of Contemporary Authors, Union of Journalists of Russia, International Union of Journalists, Eurasia Movement, World Art Foundation (USA).

Olga Slobodkina-von Brömssen was awarded the life-long title of The People's Artist of The Eurasia Movement for her contribution to evolution.

Art photos and color graphics by Olga Slobodkina-von Brömssen have been purchased by elite design studios in Moscow, and are also in private collections in Russia, Ukraine,  the USA, Belgium, France, Italy, in the Museum at the Kara-Dag Biological Station in Crimea and in the V.V. Mayakovsky Museum in Moscow.

Exhibitions of Olga Slobodkina-von Brömssen with poetry recitals were broadcast on Central Television and cable TV, she gave interviews for “The Mayak” and “Moscow Speaks Radio”, articles about her poetry and exhibitions were published in Central newspapers and magazines. A number of documentaries have been made - her solo shows and book presentations with the author's poetry recitals.

My songs:

http://art-rosa.ru/files/open/aid-51?fbclid=IwAR3l6IRM3iJIxOnxkEW9-Rl1cShNZ40LJGTRep9e_fCv9rGXlonvhL_cTRk

List of exhibitions on request.

e-mail: olga_slobodkina@mail.ru

Artistic statement :

In my photo art, there are several directions – phantasmal realistic pictures, pieces of architecture, old photos (family albums), films (series of photo takes, which look like shooting sheets) and, most importantly, abstraction.

In my abstract series, which I take from nature, I am trying to express my philosophic view of life and my spirituality. They are various conditions of my soul at different moments of time. 

Technically, they can be multi-pieces compositions or single ones. Thus winter roads with ordinary traces of car tires, combined of 2-3 pieces, turn into the roads of our lives, which can be joyful or sorrowful. However, there is always Light giving us hope.

I do not consider myself a photographer. I always try to create art using my camera – oil paintings, pastels, graphical works, engravings etc, be it realistic of abstract.

I’ve done many solo shows in my home town Moscow, Russia, and participated in group International Art Festivals and exhibitions at home and abroad.

(list of shows on request)

I wrote my first poem at the age of 5. Now I have over 5000 poems in Russian and in English as well as over 50 poetic travelogues.

I’ve written over 200 stories on Russian art in English and published them in English language newspapers and magazines,

My page in the State Russian Internet Library:

http://lit.lib.ru/s/slobodkina_o/

http://lit.lib.ru/s/slobodkina_o/about.shtml

My page at ViewBug.com

https://www.viewbug.com/member/olgaslobodkinavonbromssen

https://www.facebook.com/olga.slobodkinavonbromssen