Abstract art in Armenia

History of Armenia,
creativity of Armenian masters

Greatness of Armenian Art

Ever since the wars that tore it apart years ago, Armenia has been a small country. Throughout history, many people have set their sights on conquering this rich territory and enslaving the exuberant population therein. That said, Armenia continues to be a land with a unique history, a fairytale-like epos and a strikingly distinctive culture.

Stones and ceramics have been preserved in the incomparable specimens of Armenian paintings and sculptures. The walls of Etchmiadzin, the Ereruyk Basilica, the Tatar Monastery and of other temples carefully preserve exquisite ornaments, reliefs and bass-reliefs which, to this day, reflect the imagination of humankind. Armenian paintings are rich in ornaments that depict animals, plants, the history of Christianity and everyday life scenes.

The emotion and strength of the imagination of artists have transformed ordinary stone walls into story-telling works of art.

After a time, icons began to appear in Armenian creations. Miniatures that depict religious imagery in the illustrations of books stand out, even now, in terms of their vividness and picturesque imagery.

The creativity of the Armenian nation is not limited to religious subjects. Since the emergence of mounted paintings, pictures with a Soviet content began to be more common. In the 19 th century, Armenia gave the world the gift in the form of the great artist-marinist Ivan (Ovanes) Aivazovskii. His maritime themes which depict the beautiful Caucasian landscapes and everyday life scenes (displayed in more than 6000 canvases) are filled with the radiance of the lavish sun and spill out from his brushes.

Another example of creativity can be seen in the famous Armenian rugs. The roots of this element of Armenian creativity predate Christianity. It is no secret that the rugs in Armenia have a special status which is near to esoteric. Even the ornaments depict symbols of God, glory, protection, sacrifice and success. The cross and crucifixion symbols show off multifaceted swastikas and stars with many points depicting delightful images of the World and of God.

God and the World are everlasting images that stand alongside humanity. These symbols have been used especially in the contemporary abstract creations of Armenian painters, such as Arship Gorki, Gagik Manukiyan, Minas Avetisiyan and others. Through lines and colours, abstractionists express their perspectives on the whole concept of creation. The complex world of humankind and creation manifests itself in the smooth juxtaposition of shades and tones in vivid colours; as if the rugs of the ancient masters (or contemporary abstract paintings) are saturated with sacred concepts.

Similarly, in the ancient frescoes and miniatures, contemporary paintings of Armenia have remained, over the centuries, as depictions of a fine artistic emotions and the unification with nature.