Vladimir Potapov

Mikhail Selishchev is a Russian freelance artist working in techniques of enamel art

I

t took some time before Mikhail Selishchev realized what his destiny was to be. Mikhail tried many art forms earlier. He even studied at the Moscow Arts College, testing himself in monumental art and, by the way, achieving a success. Nonetheless Mikhail finally made his choice and that was decorative enamel.
Why exactly enamel? What is so special about it?
"I intended to devote myself to doing fresco, mosaic and stained glass. I even was an intern in Latvia", Mikhail says. "Besides, I painted pictures. But one of my friends told me about enamel. And that was very exciting. Everything that I could not achieve in painting became reality precisely in enamel. All was so new, so interesting! The material itself is very attractive. It is bright, rich, lush and sparkling and it gives a chance to experiment. And, of course, there is fire: the fire has the final say and an artist maintains a constant dialogue with it".

Games & Toys, 29x31, 1994 Enamel, copper, wood

The enamel captivated him so much that Mikhail even decided to move to Rostov the Great, the oldest Russian city where ancient traditions of this craft are still preserved.
The art of decorative painting on metal articles with fireproof white or colored enamel paints was developed to perfection in the Russian kingdom in the 16th and 17th centuries. Arms, tableware and utensils, church items were decorated with enamel paints. The art of enamel miniature paintings flourished in the 17th century, when it developed in Petersburg, Moscow and Rostov the Great. Portrayals played a very important role in this art. Starting in the 18th century Rostov’s craftsmen specialized mainly in small icons, insets in church books and utensils. Probably because of this similar themes can be traced in some works of Mikhail Selishchev as well (Dreams of the Dark Ages, Guardian Angel).

Guardian Angel, 58x40, 1995 Enamel, copper, wood, candles

In the 19th century the range of topics was noticeably expanded by Russian enamel artists with secular themes, which were often accompanied by vegetation ornaments. Rostov’s craftsmen began to show the creative initiative when copying and remaking paintings of Russian and West European artists, using the freedom of imagination in their own original compositions. Might it be so that precisely this inner freedom attracted Mikhail to the Rostov school of craftsmen?
"Yes, of course, there is a desire to widen traditions of this school, to try combining the enamel and a tree, for example", says Mikhail Selishchev when sharing his thoughts. "Historically, the enamel is just a thing, not a canvas. This is an object and this is a scope. I think that the enamel art will go on developing precisely in this direction", he notes.
"As far as the development of technologies is concerned, first, it is safety: there are attempts to avoid using lead. Then, there are new paints, which are ever more effective. Third, there are different ways of putting paint on the base: if mainly a brush was used before, now there are sprayers, sieves, brooms", Mikhail continues.

Dreams of the Dark Ages, 39,5x28, 1998 Enamel, copper, wood

"If one is to compare the traditional Rostov enamel and the modern one, it becomes obvious that they are two absolutely different things having in common just one element. And that is the material, although the material itself is understood differently. The culture of the Russian enamel was perfected by centuries. A certain canon was formed, a violation of which was unacceptable. But for modern enamel the reverse is true: a search for new ways is regarded as of paramount importance and precisely any repetition is unacceptable. That is why the matter of mutual influence of craftsmen should be discussed with care. And the traditions should not be oversimplified, they should be given a broader understanding".

Bird’s Nest, 65x67, 1999 Enamel, copper, wood

Mikhail Selishchev creates works requiring a vast space as well as an interior. The combination of such seemingly incompatible materials as metal, wood, stone with enamel gives his works a fresh ring opening up new horizons for the art technique (Cycle of the Moon, Bird’s Nest, Games and Toys).
The gallery of the artist’s works in Rostov the Great is in the Khors House of Arts, close to the Rostov Kremlin, the imposing ancient building. The gallery, which also serves as his studio, was opened in 1995. Since then it has been visited by many thousands of admirers. Selishchev’s works are on display in museums of Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Kecskemet (Hungary), Manderscheid (Germany). They are also kept in private Russian and foreign collections.

Cycle of the Moon, 1994 Enamel, copper, wood, stone

Mikhail Selishchev travels a lot and often participates in symposiums of foreign enamel artists. On his initiative international symposiums on enamel are now held annually in Rostov the Great as well. This way the historical center of Russian enamel with its age-old traditions gets ‘a fresh influx’ of ideas, projects and creative concepts. Many enamel artists, who are well known in the world, come to Rostov the Great not only to socialize but also to get an inspiration in this wonderful land.
"Inspiration is a divine mercy. It is something close to love and it comes from above How? It is hard to tell", concludes the artist. "You try to express your inner state through images, through the plastic arts. When you work, you may like something that you do. But after you have finished the work and after some time has passed, your opinion changes, often to the contrary. That is why it is difficult to know in advance what the final result will be. The art of enamel requires both inspiration and mastery".