Sergei Volkov

Sergei Volkov's oeuvre makes reference to a broad spectrum of artistic styles, ranging from Socialist Realism to Op Art. He also deploys the iconography of posters and public signs, both of which had an important presence in everyday life in the Soviet Union. However, his works divorce these signs and symbols from their original context. As Volkov explained, "In my works, the forms are simplified to a considerable extent. I preserve things that don't cause any excitement, for example posters or visual advertising.  They have penetrated so deeply into our lives that they no longer attract us in any way. But it is precisely these forms and shapes that I make use of, all these signs, symbols, patterns that have lost their original meaning."