The works of Seraphim Alexandrovich Pavlovsky, whether it be easel painting or monumental paintings, mosaics, sgraffito or stained-glass windows, are recognizable always and everywhere. The themes, images, material and manner of depiction change, but something remains that constitutes the essence of only this artist. Its main distinguishing feature is the rare immediacy of the artist's reactions to events and phenomena that attracted his attention. A graduate of the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops, who went through an excellent school of professional training with wonderful teachers: K. Istomin, V. Favorsky, L. Bruni and P. Kuznetsov, who thoroughly studied the history of art, an expert on many secrets and subtleties of the technique and technology of painting craft, S. Pavlovsky, at the same time, throughout his life retained the need to write «out of a heart's desire» even for commissioned works. Isn't that why he is so faithful to the same motives: flowers, the natural world, female images? They move from picture to picture, without repeating themselves, discovering new colors and shades of mood, state.
The world of his feelings is bright and pure. His favorite colors are white, blue, pink ... Rare bursts of dark strokes, spots or lines only emphasize the luminosity of the canvases. And even when Pavlovsky wall, in solid materials, for example in mosaics, then here he remains primarily a painter. His mosaic at the Dobryninskaya metro station in Moscow does not hurt the eye with the brightness of the colors. He preferred the luster of smalt to the discreet beauty of natural stone, softly shimmering with the finest nuances of color. Along with painting and sgraffito, mosaic remained one of Pavlovsky's favorite materials, probably because of its closeness to the nature of painting.
Between the early works of the artist and one of the last, created by him in architecture, paintings in the reading room of the Lermontov Library in Moscow. The path of half a century - time does not disappear in them without a trace, we recognize it in the style of the artistic language and other signs, but these are traces not of aging, but of change: Pavlovsky changed along with time. To a lesser extent, perhaps, than other artists, and this is another characteristic feature of his nature. There was an accumulation of experience, mastery of mental maturity, and the ability to perceive the world as if for the first time remained unchanged, with all the spontaneity and freshness of feelings. A rare property that usually disappears with age. And that is probably why it is especially expensive.
Finally, I must say about one more feature of this artist. His irrepressible pursuit of knowledge of the laws of artistic creativity. Aspiration, which over the years has become a need, which became part of his art, which determined much in his practical activity. In 1954 Serafim Aleksandrovich organized an experimental workshop to develop new technologies of monumental art. In 1956 he teaches material technology at the Moscow Higher School of Industrial Art (formerly the Stroganov School). In 1966 he worked on the manuscript of the book «Materials and Technique of Monumental and Decorative Art». Writes articles, gives lectures, experiments in material ...
Interest in the professional problems of creativity is inherent in many of Pavlovsky's peers from those who went through the Vkhutemas school. But he turned out to be, perhaps, the most consistent and purposeful in this hobby. The results of this work of his, schematic tables, texts, colors and prototypes in the material made up a significant part of the artist's creative baggage. Showing the difficult, sometimes painful process of creative search, Pavlovsky teaches an understanding of the language of art. In his work, he appears as a subtle artist, a calculating master, a tireless seeker of the laws of harmony and beauty, a person devoted to art in his heart.
based on ArtPanorama materials
