Description
‘Catherine’ by Olga Ponomarenko
Artist: Olga Ponomarenko
Title: ‘Catherine’
Medium: Oil on Watercolour Paper Mounted on Wooden Board
Dimensions: 3″ x 2.5″
Framing: Framed (Frame Size: 4.3″ x 4″)
Year of Creation: 2020
Artwork Will Ship From: USA
About the Artwork:
“My miniature painting ‘Catherine’ depicts a rather small creature, as Royalty. I employed the fashion of 17th century court portraiture and combined it with the image of an ordinary rat. I hope that the odd juxtaposition of the two opposites, exclusive and common, will echo the complex (complimentary) duality of human existence.” – Olga Ponomarenko
About the Artist:
Olga Ponomarenko was born in Russia and her education in art started at the local art school, where she learned academic techniques in drawing and painting. After her immigration she continued her art education in the United States. She graduated with a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design and with her MFA from California State University.
Taking advantage of the Postmodernist freedom that broke the boundaries between High Art and Kitsch, Olga dived in to exploring Imaginary Realism and contemporary Pop Surrealism through her paintings. Among her varied influences are 15th thru17th century masters, Surrealism, animals, mythological creatures, forest, fairytales, dreams, sci-fi movies, confections, celebrities, feminism, etc.. She mostly works in oils, but occasionally she enjoys working with water media.
In her recent paintings Olga often depicts animals devoid of any malice or aggression. She depicts them in an appealing humane manner with the aim to highlight their vulnerability.
Since 2012, she shows her paintings at a variety of local and international venues. Her work is held in collections across America and overseas.