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MAIN!
I’d better say “The most main”,
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addressing it to customers and managers who appeal to me with proposals.
I do want them before dialing my studio’s telephone number to read this page. How relations with the customers are built up, how the process
of preparation proceeds, and the most important, my attitude to the process on all the stages starting with my “Hello! Listen to you!..”
In general I want these people to know beforehand whom they deal with.
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So… MAIN!
From the interview to the portal “Event-forum” and correspondence with the magazine “Discovery”
- Artur, sand show is more and more often used in corporative events, business actions and private parties. Can we talk about sand show
as a kind of art?
Of course, as art is made by man and if he is a talented creator it’s in his power to make work of art whatever he does. So sand show can be
a real art in one’s hands or a set of technical tools in other’s.
To sand animation a difficulty is in the youth of genre: in the world there are 2-3 masters and a few pupils. That’s why nowadays it’s easy
to sell fake to spectators reacting on exotics. I’m sure, time will put it all to places. And the process is going on. Organizers of events
as a rule are professionals this good taste, they know well where they can economize and where not.
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- What plots are interesting to you personally? Where do you take them from?
I really enjoy commercial orders. Yes, yes, that’s it! And it is not because of money.
Such orders as a rule have very narrow boarders: some business tasks, marketing things and so on… And to me it is the biggest interest! As
it is challenge to me as to artist and director. And a very serious challenge: to find, discover in the task something bigger. To find and
show the mission and depth of their work which the businessmen themselves may not suspect… In general, “to make the world better”!
- Is the visual line of the show discussed with the customer? Or the customer doesn’t influence on what will be reproduced on sand
and screen?
As a rule the customers treat to process with understanding and trust. And if on the preparatory period while discussing tasks we have got
mutual understanding, the customers don’t try to influence the result. As to me I understand that every person wants to be as minimum
informed about what’s going on. That’s why I give the client information about the process of work. |
- How long do you prepare each performance? Tell about the process of preparation.
The process lasts for two-three weeks, it happened to be longer. All are really working days, which are difficult to cut down (though it
happened). Sand doesn’t bare fuss. As it doesn’t bare falsity and violence. And if it doesn’t trust the artist, the theme or concrete
images, nothing on the earth can make it work with soul and inspiration.
That’s why process is always different.
More often the work is as follows:
There is a request. I meet the customer, we communicate, look each other’s eyes. To me it’s important to understand what exactly is
respected from me, and to the customer is important to see what a man will be on his event and understand if he is ready to trust me.
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Than, for few days I collect the information, study, sit in Internet, dive in the theme. On this stage it’s important to me to understand
the main components. And when it happens, the script is born easily. A time of hard working days comes: searching of images, imprints, then
searching of transformations: how exactly, in what angle, with what speed and quantity of sand one image will go in another and why… At the
same time a search of musical background is made. Practically all tracks I use at the performances are finished and assembled from different
parts for a concrete sand composition.
After the line of images and transformations is ready, is started “tramming” of every picture individually. Here to the stage come anatomic
atlases, photographs, drawings (about a hundred of different sketches and studies are left after each order). And finish the process
run-through of all the composition with the accompaniment. All is recorded to the camera. I watch the shot material, look for weak places,
unconvincing details, uncertain movements… Correct them. Run-through again. That’s actually all. I’m ready for performance.
The process can be compared with the preparation of sportsmen to competitions: it’s important to me to come to the performance on a “peak of
form”.
- There is vogue on everything. What plots are in fashion in this genre?
I have a feeling (to my sincere and deep regret), that in fashion gradually becomes a technique of sand animation itself. That is it’s not
important what is the plot and content of the work, but much more important is stake on exotics: “Wow! It’s drawn by sand!” And that is 100
per-cents way down. For a real artist a material is secondary. He chooses the material according to content: that very only true instrument
which will the best help him to bring beauty and emotions to audience. And nowadays a material itself becomes fashionable. It is lack of
respect to material and to spectators and to oneself as to an artist. It’s sad.
- You say you gather information on the theme. And what about a concrete person’s birthday, as you performed on such
celebrations?
Yes.. And here the task is another: as every person is a whole world, that’s why in addition to the information that organizers give me,
it’s very important to gather “peculiarities”. Every age we have memorable episodes – those that recollect without rating their value and
scale. “Peculiarities” that live in soul and you remember them… It can be whatever: from colour of grandmother’s shawl to an aluminium
tankard in construction team. And it is very important! As it is an event! And they equally with deeds and achievements make our human life.
Besides as a director I understand: you can’t touch heart with the biography. You can impress with biography, excite respect… But
“peculiarities” touch soul. And if peculiarity is “real” – it will outweigh a half of biography…
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Artur, you often say that work with sand influence on world view and attitude to life. Can you give an example from your own experience?
Sand is a lively mobile and changeable material and that is its wisdom and philosophy.
Sand taught me to treat time differently. It explained to me that everyone is equally short-lived, the question is only in what we measure
it. Are my works long-lived? Usually my performance lasts about 9-10 minutes, for this time few scores of images change each other and then
entirely disappear. In other side if I made something real during this time, if I touched your feelings – you take it with you, recollect
it, undergo it again and again… And that is another measure of longevity of my work…
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- And how you can solve business-tasks by means of sand show?
With the help of metaphors, plots and images, which touch deep and at the same time simple well-known to each man feelings and emotions. By
these very channels I bring the main idea to audience. I’m sure that it is more effective than all possible slogans, appeals and
explanations, addressed to men’s mind.
In connections with this it’s important for every business-task to have real big IDEA, going behind the boarders of business as getting
profit.
Fortunately people who understand it address to me. And I am thankful to them.
What reaction of spectators do you see after you put the last dot in your show?
In one side the reaction is classical and active: clapping, grateful exclamations…
In other, every time it seems to me that audience want to sit in silence couple of minutes more, somehow to fix, form inside all that was
experienced during that few minutes of action, eyewitness of which they were.
And they applaud rather automatically, being at the same time somewhere far from here: some in dreams, some in childhood, some with a
beloved person…
And that is a real MIRACLE… Really! And this can’t be bought for any money.
I am very glad I deal with this.
Thank you.
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