Folk art vs. art Interview with Fatima Suleymanova

THE PROJECT “DIALOGUE OF CULTURES”
"FOLK ART VS. ART»

Interview with Fatima Suleymanova
Fatima Suleymanova is an art historian and critic, head of the Department of scientific researches and exhibitions work of the North Caucasian filial of the State Museum of the Orient art.

- If we consider concepts of" folk art "and "art”, one of them implies production according to ancient technologies with standards of folk arts and crafts, and the second – a unique creation, made to realize an author's ideas in an original way. Is that right?
 
F.S.: By the way, a lot of people misunderstand concepts of "folk art" and properly "applied arts" separating them.  In fact, folk art is a branch of applied arts. Folk art emerged in the stone age. And distinguishing types of applied arts, we can present them as follows. First, it's an urban art craft, then rural art craft which has formed indeed national folk arts and crafts and which is called folk art today. And third is an art industry. There are all branches of applied arts. Thus, the whole living environment and its objects are objects of applied arts.
What is characteristic for folk art and applied arts?  This is, first, a duality.  So, on the one hand, they are objects of everyday life and have their certain function. And, on the other hand, they are art objects. Thus, if you visit our museum in the hall of modern visual arts, you couldn’t use these works in any way. You can only enjoy and admire them. Probably, telling in simple language, it becomes quite clear the folk art has to have some concrete functional task. It can be used at home and in the same time enjoy it. In difference of modern art which you cannot functionally use.
For another site of folk art, there is its collective character. There is the fact it’s created by a certain team, by people. It’s traditional since the beginning; it has history of one certain kind of applied arts. It’s characteristic, of course, ornament and patterns are changing, some technological methods too are in change, but its functions remain in same position which was in the origin. First of all, there are clothing, ceramics, then, jewelry for clothing, weapons. In addition, they remain the same for centuries, millennia.
We see ourselves that is happening with contemporary art. This also applies to authorship; this clearly isn’t a collective creativity.  A certain person is behind every art object. Probably, there are main characteristics distinguishing traditional folk art from modern art.
However, I have to note, sometimes people confuse concepts of "applied arts" and "folk art”. Nevertheless, it’s clear t today in the scientific world, we try to talk about modern decorative and applied arts. And folk art is, as we have already found out, a traditional art.
There is very good we are discussing this theme today because many people don’t understand it. I believe it’s a very important topic today.

- Continuing this theme, in the North Caucasian filial of the State Museum of Oriental art you have constantly organized exhibitions of various types and levels: exhibitions of children's drawings, exhibitions of famous Russian and European artists. Every time you prepare these expositions, you choose a certain approach. What is the difference between approaches when you are doing folk art exhibitions and modern art expositions?

F.S.: Of course, the difference is big. Objects of folk art and objects of ancient art require a special approach. This is, first, an approach to present qualitatively this object. If the modern art requires only an artistic hanging, here we have to find for every object its place. Then we have to decide how expose this object historically and esthetically. Thus, it’s a difficult process at which there are participating both a curator of exhibition who bears the main responsibility for exhibition and an artist-designer who thinks over every detail in order to create a competent and informative exposition.
As for modern art, the artistic method is mainly used here. Of course, such expositions are also difficult to construct. But for exhibitions of folk art, this is used a special approach, an approach to ensure protection for a museum object. For example, when we hang a felt object, we specially put a grid, so it does not stretch in hanging. Shawls also require a special certain method of hanging, because it may be stretched with time. And this museum approach to the exhibition objects is different from simple exhibition approach which is wrong used sometimes in exhibition halls.

- In present, you have an exhibition in the museum, where, we can say, there are presented objects of applied arts. There is the exhibition "Consonance" of works of artists from Kabardino-Balkaria Milana Khalilova and Ruslan Mazlo. And before you had the wonderful exhibition "Faces of the past in the present" which presented at the same time three artists: artist-designer Madina Saralp and two original painters: Zayna al-Said and Imara Akkisova.  Tell us if the creation of these exhibitions demands knowledge of culture and traditions of the Circassians for better representing of art objects? Or authors mainly decided for themselves?

F.S.: You know these expositions differ from folk art exhibitions. Surely, you have seen yourself that mainly these artists used the traditional approach in their work.  But, in fact, it’s a new look at folk art. Of course, the question about problems of adaptation of folk art has been put at the end of the XIX-th century. For many years, scientists have been trying to understand what kind should be the contemporary folk art. For example, how to distinguish real folk art from kitch? Sometimes we see it in some t-shirts depicting elements of traditional clothing. And it’s completely a different thing when we talk about the real art, such as Ruslan Mazlo’s works. Surely, his mats are traditional; he is keeping the ancient technology. However, he has new principles of work. So, he uses other methods of making mats. But his main approach is manual labor, and the color solution of his mats is determined by a natural method. For ornament, somewhere it’s keeping, but somewhere it takes some different structure. It becomes more complex, so, there is already a dynamics of time.

- Thus, we see a new art based on folk art and it keeps some traditional elements, but this is an author's vision.

F. S.: That's right! And, of course, here exhibiting requires new approaches. Here we see at the last exhibition (the exhibition "Consonance") Ruslan Mazlo and Milana Khalilova actively use video materials in their exposition.  And in the project "Faces of the past in the present", Madina Saralp also complicates the concept of presenting her works to show a touching to traditional elements of the past through the present, looking in another way at problem of traditions.  Her exhibition intertwined paintings, graphics, photos, and collage, and this makes this presentation of her collection of national costumes and works of other authors – participants of the exhibition - more interesting and integral. They look harmonious and in one design, in one common style.

- In the museum of Orient art in Maykop, there are worked permanent exhibitions: "From crafts to arts", "Modern art of the North Caucasus peoples" and "Exposition of Yuri Stash "In the world of myths and reality. Through design to the world"".  Are objects of these exhibitions comparable to each other? Or should we take them separately to examine history of their creation? What do you think from the point of view of art history and critics?

FS: Of course, all these expositions are different. We will speak from the point of view of methods of construction of these exhibitions. If we talk about the exposition room of folk art there we use purely traditional methods of exhibition construction. There are the methods created in the time of Soviet school. For the exhibition of ancient art "From crafts to arts", here curators have tried to take another method. What is their difference?
If the old method implies presentation of a museum exhibit and all around it, the new method of exhibition construction is, first of all, an immersion of a person in exposition, so, it’s a relationship between a human and an exhibit.  In new expositions, we also pay a great attention to the artistry of imagery. So, we created a fictional story about history of appearance of Riton in Adyghea with the romantic image of one Greek poet, expelled from Greece to the Caucasus.
Then, children and adults can see the complete catalog of archaeological excavations of recent years that were found in Adyghea by Caucasian expedition of the State Museum of Oriental art,  and now the best of these items are exposed in our exhibition. We have in the exposition a touch-sensitive screen especially for this purpose. The visitor can approach and see them if he wants to know more information about each of exhibits presented here. Then for children, the exhibition curators Vladimir Erlikh and Georgiy Godizov elaborated special games on primitive crafts for understanding how a human has passed from a simple craftsmanship to art. I think probably that's interesting in this exhibition. It attracts more attention because it’s more active, it’s interactive. This is its difference! Although the exhibitions were constructed by the same artist-exposition designer Olga Pletneva. She’s honored worker of culture of the Republic of Adyghea, one of the best museum expositions designer in Adyghea. But here the approaches are different.

- For several months, the museum organizes drawing lessons and master-classes on gold embroidery. How art and folk art are combined under one roof?

F.S.: First of all, it’s related to concept of our museum, the original concept, which means we must, first, to find, study and promote arts, both modern art and ancient art, applied arts and crafts of the North Caucasus peoples. And, of course, we are interested in everything: master-classes in gold embroidery which are given by the charming teacher Safiyat Panesh. It has so happened we could to ask her to conduct these workshops. Surely, we are very happy because they are very popular among the Russian population. Young girls come, they want to learn how to do it and to do all these items for themself, their family and then make it for masses. And it will become a tradition.
For master-class of drawing, the spouses  - artists Pavel and Natalia Martynenko conduct it. These are great painters. We believe their presence in our filial of the Museum of Orient also is a great success because they come from Krasnodar. And children like the technique of woodcut which they teach them. This is unique! Where else can they take advantage of this sophisticated equipment and get pleasure that they get from interesting communication with artists and real art? Because they show how these drawings are made on wood, and so forth. As I know, even adults, parents of children, who also come in lessons, get great pleasure from these master-classes. I mean, it's a family program.

- So, we have to thank the head of the North Caucasian filial of the Museum of Oriental art and, probably, the head of the Museum of Orient art, because they support all your programs. And does the Museum of Oriental art present here its exhibitions which you consider unique and necessary in our region?

F.S.: Due to the fact we are the filial of the State Museum of the Oriental art, we have opportunity every year, even twice a year, to admire the art of the countries of the Far and Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. We also saw India-Indian exhibition "Bihar house". This is a wonderful exhibition of folk art "Madhubani" which is famous over the world. Then there were real Japanese prints of the XVIII-th century. This is a unique trip into Oriental art for province. Then we really enjoyed the exhibition, prepared by our colleague from Moscow, art historian Anna Pushakova, it was called "Hiroaki Miyayama. Genji Monogatari." This is a modern artistic response to the famous novel Genji Monogatari - an ancient treasure of Japanese culture, combination of classic and modern arts. 55 chapters of the novel and 55 paintings depicting flowers. Each flower carries its poetic mission; it was such beautiful diving in famous work of art. This is all thanks to the Museum of Oriental art! Then, on New year's eve, the Museum of Oriental art proposed us special projects on applied arts.  For example, the exhibition "Dragon and Phoenix", dedicated to year of Dragon.

- Do you also cooperate with the Russian Geographical Society, or does it organize exhibitions in the museum?

F. S.: Yes, they made a few projects thanks to our Director Nafiset Kushu who actively supports all their initiatives. Noting their creative abilities, we offered them to make a joint project. And last year, the exhibition "The world of the Caucasus nature" took place here.  It aroused a big interest among viewers of Adyghea. It was great, on two floors. And here there were presented photos of several geographical societies of the South of Russia, our photo club "Lagonaki" with head Arkady Kirnos. And, by the way, I would like to note this was the place where people could see how different were approaches of creative people and professionals - geographers. And on the ground floor, the Union of painters of the Republic of Adyghea presented its full exhibition which also consisted of paintings, drawings and sculptures.  Perhaps, this exposition can be called a pamphlet of arts, a combination of art and nature, and it was significant we were the first in the country and we opened with this project in January the Year of Ecology.... There was a very informative project!

- And final. Do you plan some exhibitions on folk art, applied arts and crafts in the museum? Of course, the Museum of Oriental art provides expositions, and you do a lot yourself, the Union of Adyghea’s painters has its exhibitions. And what about applied arts and crafts exposition?

F.S.: We dream to realize one project which requires, of course, special costs, both financial and physical. But we want to prepare it in very serious way.  It will be called "Clothing of the North Caucasus peoples". So, it will be a project that could show the commonality of cultures of our North Caucasian peoples and their differences. I believe it would be such beautiful and wonderful project, pride of our work. We have been working for more than 30 years. Probably, we are deserved to have such beautiful exhibition about which they really could say: "Oh! The Caucasus is there!"

- We thank you very much!  Really, we hope to see and enjoy this exhibition!

We thank very much the North Caucasian filial of the State Museum of the Orient art.