About author

Oleksandr Miroshnikov was born in the town of Nikolayev, Lvov region, on 6th August 1962, married, raises two kids, is keen on hunting, fishing, underwater hunting, photography.

"Galytsky Faberge"

There are two ways of artists’ perfection skills: addressing other prominent artists’ works, and recognizing the nature of one’s own creative way. Each time, crossing these ways brings the artist to a new height.

With the very first glance at stone-cutting compositions by Miroshnikov, one recalls names and works of recognized masters; first of all, Ñarl Faberge.

The Faberge name is, as is customary to say now, a promoted brand that is associated by the majority with the imperial Easter eggs. Faberge’s revolutionary idea to carve statuettes of people of varicoloured semiprecious minerals, resulted in creation of quite a number of statuettes. The number of copies scattered all over the world ranges in estimates of 50 to 80 items. They are as rare as the Easter eggs. The disputes about artistic value of these works continue till nowadays. Some art critics adduce Faberge to serious accusations in kitsch, while admirers of his works vote in solid numbers for the master’s rarest carved statuettes in auctions known worldwide.

Ukrainian by origin, Vasyl Konovalenko (1929-1989) is the only recognized master whose name is mentioned in view of an unceasing interest in stone-cutting Faberge statuettes. Some people consider that, in complexity and intensity of work, he has surpassed famous works of the court goldsmith. One can agree or disagree with that, but it is hard to deny that Konovalenko, being a theatre artist, was the first to bring to stone-cutting art the concept of genre, composition and plot.

While the flower series ("Snowdrops", "Strawberries", "Springtime") and brooches show the author’s own view of stone beauty, and are a tribute to stone-cutting traditions of acknowledged craftsmen, the most involved genre compositions ("Misfire" and “For live bait") represent  the author as a courageous artist, drawing apart  frames of school founded in Carl Faberge workshops.

Stone-cutting traditions of Faberge and ideas of Konovalenko, are developed by Miroshnikov foremost through a variety of materials, colours and composition-saturation with fine details. Many of these details, as well as individual fragments, are impressive by themselves (precise fine copies of guns with optical sight made of tourmaline, trophy duck on hunter’s belt, miniature fisher’s tackles and spinning, and so forth).

Each composition draws attention by stone-cutting mini-still lives, generously decorated with various precisely made of different materials “eatable” and “uneatable” details.

While still lives are just fragments in the above-mentioned compositions, in “Petty thief” the whole plot is concentrated around stone-cutting still life. Plasticity of quartz cat, and broken rock crystal glass, each convey the feeling of lasting action.

Light humour present in every plot composition gives the impression that the work piece was easy to complete. But only those familiar with secrets of the craft understand how tremendous and laborious was the work required to create even the most “negligible” detail.

Miroshnikov’s works reflect his passion for the characters and the terrific energy and expressive nature of the author: naturalist, passionate fisherman and hunter. That is why in his works he pays so much attention to animate nature and its inhabitants.

Skilfully-performed compositions, “Beetle” and “Magpie-the-thief,” arouse sincere admiration. The pose – tumbling of the head and bright sparkling opalescent eyes of "Magpie-the-thief"— put a plot into this work: cautious magpie, either squatted to re-hide or looking around, going to steal a gracious necklace.

Complex naturalist or romantic ("Monte Ñristo Grotto") plots are created by the author owing to high skills, application of different fine and stone-cutting techniques, including Russian and Florentine mosaics (the picture "Kingdom of flora" and table "Sunny day").

Remarkable is the fact that complications which face each master of stone-cutting art while processing hard minerals do not limit Miroshnikov’s artistic fantasy and ideas. For each detailed performance the author selects its colour and tone by corresponding mineral. While the painter searches colours in mixing the paints, a master of stone-cutting searches needed colours in nature; in this case it is necessary to beforehand foresee possible tones that might appear after the processing. This requires experience and a solid knowledge of mineralogy.

So, who is Oleksandr Miroshnikov? Mineralogist? Jeweller? Master of stone-cutting? Sculptor?

The answer comes by itself after a careful look at his works: he is a master-virtuoso with his own view of the world of stones, and his own unique style; an artist who found his own way in stone-cutting art, overcoming one height after another.

Materials and techniques synergy

During the last two years, Oleksandr Miroshnikov’s creative searching has been concentrated on different materials and the techniques for combining them. Experiments in this direction are not his only goal but also means for precise implementation and artistic goals-solving. These searches reflect a common tendency in art of the 90’s – a tendency for approaching, and mutual penetration of fine and decorative arts.

Working in genre terms, using synergy of different materials and techniques, O. Miroshnikov tries to create a new image structure, reaching the “three dimensional painting” effect. Resulting in usage of semiprecious stones and enamels, and the combining of artistic metal sculpture form and fine plastic, the works of O. Miroshnikov gain expression and beauty. In his “Night hunter,” applying the unique author’s technique, the author conveys the feeling of a forest at night. For implementation of “Shyshkin” motives in “Thirst for life” composition, he used 10 000 (!!) needles for fine-working the pine’s details. The Vienna bronze traditions, in combination with fine plastic, transform into Lviv motives of “The old town”. In genuine national plot of ”Dniestr Mermaid” composition terrific brilliance is achieved due to the newest author’s technology of three dimensional rock crystal stream reproduction.

Aiming for accomplishing the artistic ideas, in each of his works the master searches for his own compositional and colour solutions, becoming proficient in combining sculpture and fine techniques, thus moulding his original composition style.

The artist needed almost half a year of persevering diligent labour and 50 thousand technological operations to make 10 thousand needles turn into picturesque pine crown in “Thirst for life” composition.

Watching stream photo fragments, it’s difficult to imagine this is a result of human mastery and perfect artist’s techniques, not of nature. In his sculpture composition “Kupala” for the first time author’s technique that is absolutely innovative in this art genre, is implemented. Invented by Miroshnikov the unique technique of water elements reproduction opens a new page of figurative direction in decorative art.