CREATIVE MINDS | the dynamics of life || 69
Everything has a beginning. Let us go back in time. When was your first solo art exhibition? My first solo show was in Union of Architects in St. Petersburg when I was working as an interior designer in the Lenproect organization. I was about twenty-five years old.
In 1966, you created the first professional mime company in Russia. It was a novel genre in the country. What inspired you to study pantomime? My inspiration came from the famous mime Marcel Marceau. All my following work in pantomime resulted from this inspiration. Marceau exuded high energy and was the train that started the movement. He gave a strong push.
How did you get started as an inventor?
From my childhood, I loved to break things to look inside. I have a photo of me when I was six months old holding in my hands a budilnik, and old type of clock, and trying to break it to look at the construction inside. When I was studying for my diploma at the Academy of Fine and Industrial Arts in St. Petersburg, I invented a light foldable table for summertime. I have photos of those tables. The table could be adjusted to three different heights and positions without turning it around on itself, as you had to do with the existing models in France at the time. I did not patent this one. I had no idea how to go about this process.
What are you currently working on? Who is involved in this project? At this moment, I make purely practical work, such as building a screen for my performance in White Eagle Hall
I am sure it will be as creative as everything you do. How many projects can you handle simultaneously? I keep in my head about ten to fifteen projects at once.
I am always looking for the best solution to each equation.
How does your mind work? Spontaneously and analytically
What helps you organizing ideas?
I meditate. Every morning, before getting up, I access the visualization state of my mind. For that, I have to be in my bed. Lying on my back with my eyes closed, I bring my
past, present, and future together. During that time, I " put on the table of my thoughts " all that I need to do and line everything up in order. I don’ t get up if I am not ready, meaning if I do not have several answers to my questions.
You have friends around the world. Do you like surprising them with gifts? In today’ s world, people are hard to surprise. I love to give my artwork as a gift; I think it is the most valuable gift artists can give.
Did you ever have difficulty promoting a great idea? If so, what were the barriers? I have found that the system makes it difficult to bring an individual idea to life. It costs a lot of money to obtain a patent, and after you do obtain one, it has a short life. Submitting a prototype so companies will consider your idea also requires money.
What are three things that are most precious to you? Time, time, time.
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