Elena Ringo

“Making Art Universal“

 

 

 

 

 

 Transformation © Elena Ringo

Where were you born?

 I was born in Moscow, in the center of this big city.

What was your childhood like?

 

My childhood was not so happy. We lived in a small room in so-called communal apartment like most Moscovites lived. We did not have many necessary things which most people now take for granted.

 However I loved painting and that helped me to survive.

What did your parents do for a living?

My mother was a scientist, mathematician, my father was a physicist and my stepfather, who adopted me, is too. No one from my family was artist. I developed interest to arts at the very early age. I studied drawing and painting looking at the illustrations in the books.
 I had a strong feeling of beauty and since then I am striving to achieve it.

Did your family have any influence on your becoming an artist?

Kind of. My mother always encouraged me and tried to find good art schools for me.

Who was your first art teacher?

When I was five my mother took my artworks to a House of Scientists, where at that time existed art studio under the guidance
of an artist Balashenko Anatoli Petrovitch. All the students there were adults with a serious interest in painting. Having looked at my drawings Balashenko was impressed and he became my first art teacher.

Where did you study after that?

When I was ten I was accepted into a very prestigious art school, called Surikovsaya, located opposite Tretyakov Gallery. The young artist students were regularly exposed to the masterpieces of the great artists at Tretyakov Gallery. My friends and I were awe-struck by the paintings in the Gallery. Over the course of 7 years we studied both from models and from the great masters. These were years of intense effort and learning and advancement in the school of high realism. The school was an elite institution, a place where studied mostly kids of artists, writers, political figures.
Education was challenging, we had every day 4 or five hours of painting or graphic studies. The level of education was very high.
I am sure that there is no such art school elsewhere, it is as unique as for example the Ballet School of Bolshoy Theatre, which prepares the best dancers in the world.

Window  © Elena Ringo

 

Who was the most influential artist?

We were surrounded by of the works of Soviet artists that mirrored a programmed optimism and were seemingly far from the  the reality of our daily lives. Not their names, but the names of masters such as Velasquez, Rubens, Vandyke, Titian, El Greco, Repin, Vrubel  instilled in me love to  art. Paintings of these masters played a major role in my development as an artist.

Looking at your early works, it is difficult to believe that they were created by a mere student.
Who was the most influential teacher in that school?

I cannot name one. The most influential teachers are old masters.

Katajanokka © Elena Ringo

 

 Did you study art at a university?

Yes, I did. I studied at the Architectural Academy that had five years of art courses.

What was the name of the school?

Moscow Architectural Institute.

Did you have any instructors that have influenced the way you work today?

Yes, an artist named Juri Korolev. He is a world-renowned painter and he was a director of Tretyakov Gallery at that time.
I studied privately under his guidance. After graduating from art school, I took classes with him for 3 years and he taught me the way of the old masters. We focused on portraits and I believe it is from this that I developed my use of colors.


When did you move To Finland?

In 1994.


How did you make the transition from realistic work to the surrealistic paintings you paint sometimes  now?

Winter  © Elena Ringo

I have done many portraits and landscapes in my life and I still do some portraiture now, but I  somehow started painting a different reality.
I began to surrealise reality - my work is not purely abstract. It was something that just came from my hand and was subconscious. This way of painting developed slowly and I’ve found it to be a unique and comfortable approach for me.

Were there any artists that you looked up to while you were developing your style?

I didn’t have any living artists that I would call role models.

 Have you always had the intention of becoming an artist?

No, I was doing some other things in my life. I tried different creative occupation on order to express myself in a better way. I was performing in the circus,
publishing a magazine. Nowadays my life is dedicated to painting.
I want to stay in the art field because it is in my heart.

What galleries are currently representing you?

I am represented by Helsinki Art Association and Artist Universal Art association which I founded and manage.

Why did you found International Artist Association Artist Universal?

I am sure that life of an artist is not easy. I think that we together can do more than working alone. We will organize group shows, artist in residence programs, and just make friends with each other.

 

Why did you give it the name Artist Universal?

 I want to unite artists working in the different fields - painters and photographers, sculptors and graphics. I want to unite people of all nationalities, races, working in all parts of our world, making art Universal. Our only criteria is artistic talent.

Do you show your art on the Internet?

Yes, and I must say that MySpace has been very helpful. I am very happy that I have been able to meet people who like my art and who think the same way. I  think MySpace is very good for promoting art and making contacts.

Have you had solo exhibitions ?

Yes, I’ve done both group and four solo exhibitions.

What gives you inspiration?

Many things - nature, music, art of old masters, love, memories. I try to paint such pictures, which I myself can put on the wall of my house and feel comfortable living surrounded by them.

www.elenaringo.com

www.artistuniversal.com

Selfportrait  © Elena Ringo