People around are always wary of something that they do not understand, or of something that does not fit into their own ideas about the universe. Human rumors very quickly hang labels - “she lives in an ivory tower” (read: completely divorced from reality), “he builds castles in the sand” (read: devotes himself to pipe projects) and so on and so forth. And if a person, throughout his entire conscious life, has been professionally engaged in painting and suddenly, collecting brushes, paints and canvases, closes the workshop with a key and devotes himself to matter much more unsteady than everything that was before ... Arthur Kirillov is the owner of a unique talent in our time and a unique profession. He works in the genre of sand animation or Sand Art, if in English. In the United Arab Emirates, Arthur was on the eve of the 38th anniversary of the founding of the country at the invitation of DXB Production, which really wanted to demonstrate his work to people who were brought up by the desert, and for whom the eternal sands are not just a place to live. For the Emirates, the desert is all life, from birth to death. This is more than the climatic zone and geographical location. But back to the artist.
We were lucky to meet with Arthur Kirillov, and after talking with him I had the impression that I still had no time to ask about everything.
Quote from the page of the author's website Arthur Kirillov:
"Sand Art - a unique ART. The artist paints with sand on the glass surface of a special table, highlighted from below. Using a video camera and a projector, his actions are transmitted to the screen. Unique masterpieces are created by the hands of the master, replacing each other in front of the audience" ...
I wish it were that way. In order to meet this phenomenon on the Internet, on video, or, with luck, in a live performance, you meet exactly with ART ... "
Arthur, how, when and why did you become involved in a form of art like Sand Art?
You know, I specially created my website, which today is recognized as the best in the world in this art form, so that people who first encounter sand animation can get acquainted with all the basic information - where does Sand Art come from, who in the world does it, and get answers to many other questions. In fact, until the 1990s, I was a freelance artist, I was engaged in painting, I worked as some kind of design orders, projects. And then, somehow very sharply, and I don’t even know why, everything stopped. In a few days, I collected all the materials and left the workshop. Fifteen years passed after that, during which I did not do anything related to art. I was a clown, I had my own business, I invented, organized and owned a workshop for the production of non-standard products from glass, metal and plastic. Not at the level of art, but at the level of advertising and promotional events. Then I worked for an adventure company worldwide. Well, and much more. And my last place of work - I headed the sales department in the event organization company. But somehow, through our office, the partners brought someone who was engaged in sand animation, and for a few days his glass table remained in our office. All these few days I stayed at work until the morning, and a week later quit. A week later, I rented a workshop, made my own table and began working with sand. I was sure that all my work ended in the 90s, but it turned out that it simply postponed for a certain period and, fortunately for me, returned. In my work today, I have found and find, perhaps, something that I lacked in traditional art.
Why are there not so many people in the world who are engaged in sand animation?
There are a lot of artists in the world, but to be engaged in sand animation to be just an artist is not enough. For this genre, one person should combine a lot of everything. The ability to draw? Yes, but that’s not the point. Although, the further, the more I understand how I miss many drawing skills. The most demanded books by me today are anatomical atlases. From them I study the correct position of the hands with a particular gesture. If I do not know how the hand lies correctly, then in the sand I definitely will not show it. Because I need to depict a sand picture with just two movements of my hands. That is why I am talking about a whole complex of qualities that should be in a person.
At first, I really did not understand why there are so few artists like me. Then I understood. The first thing that is important is a technical artist who is well versed in drawing techniques and has a great desire to continue to study his business. For example, many say to me: "Your hands are so good." Of course, considering that I have been drawing and studying these hands from morning till night for many years. But it is interesting to me, although I still do not know much. Second, sand animation is not a set of pictures, these are certain states that replace each other. And this is directing, and figuratively. Not like in a movie or when shooting a movie, but such an animated direction. This is the fundamental difference between Sand Art and classical animation - the inability to show movement. I can change the state that appears in each specific picture. In the next picture, which are replaced as a slide show, there will be a completely different state. I lead on them the audience.
And the third component is live performances. I specialize in them. That is, a person can come up with something chic and draw it perfectly, but when you go out into the hall, you stand in front of the audience and understand that many eyes are looking at you now, then it is necessary to fully open up. Behind you there is nothing, before you, too, nothing but a glass table and a handful of sand. Music sounds, and you understand that the audience is waiting for your show. Here the animator has no right to make a mistake. For such live performances you need to be a brave enough person.
Tell me, Cyril, is it true that speaking on December 2 to the audience in Abu Dhabi, you depicted the first president of the country, Sheikh Zayed, that the audience was speechless?
I don’t know if the sheikh really turned out to be so similar to me, but people say yes. I did not initially set myself the task of drawing Sheikh Zayed so that there was a portrait resemblance. Although, having studied the topic, I was imbued with great respect for this person. In fact, before that I did not even know what kind of person he was and what he had done for his country and his people. But if I succeeded, then I am glad about it.
Cyril, what kind of sand do you use in your work? Do you need a specific grade or type of sand?
It is very individual. I personally work with river sand. I have a good and obedient one, if I speak with him correctly. Sand - he's alive. Other artists choose for themselves some other varieties. I travel a lot around the world and try to track everything that appears in the field of sand animation. And no matter how pathetic it sounds - I'm looking for my peers. Unfortunately, they are not yet available. Firstly, new artists are not particularly willing to go into this type of creativity, for the reasons that I mentioned earlier. And secondly, those who appear are initially set up to make money at any presentations and events. Moreover, this trend has developed not only in our country, it is also abroad. Nobody wants to do Sand Art seriously as an art, thereby lowering the bar for themselves.
Quote from the page of the author's website Arthur Kirillov:
“Sand is almost water, this time, it flows, it takes various forms (not always expected) ... It’s his nature and that’s what fascinates him. You can’t force him! You can only love him, accept him for who he is, help him to prove himself, to reveal his natural qualities and hope for reciprocity ... for a relationship .... And then he himself ... will begin a dialogue with you about art. This is SAND ART. "
Maybe here a certain role is played by human psychology? It is common for an artist to keep his work. And how can you save work from flowing sand? After all, sand animation is the seconds that each image lives on ...
For me, the movement is important. The fee, for example, is secondary to me. Not that I don't need money, no. It’s just that I constantly set new tasks for myself, challenge myself. And those that are interesting to me. If I do not find these challenges, then I refuse to speak.
It turns out that every new public appearance is a new challenge to oneself? Of the events in which you have already taken part, which ones are most memorable and successful for you?
To date, the situation has developed that those Russian and international production agencies that contact me consider me to be the best in my genre. And they, without hesitation, pose before me such tasks that I sometimes don’t know how to approach. And they calmly await the results. Therefore, every new show is, yes, a challenge.
As for the memorable events, there were a lot of them. But, here one of them now for some reason occurred to me. I performed at a private evening. The invited audience was very famous, glamorous, as they say now. And by the way, the organizers, inviting me, said who exactly will be among the guests. To which I replied that I, in general, was not in a party, and such things as publicity were not of particular interest to me. I am more prone to philosophical reflection. But, the truth, the composition for this evening was called "Glamor".
I’m already used to the fact that during my speeches people begin to get lost in time and space, that they have a kind of reboot. Moreover, it doesn’t matter if I speak to a dozen people or to an audience of many thousands. Yes, even during my shows, I usually drive not very well-educated photographers or cameramen who climb into my arms and interfere with my work. And then I suddenly notice that in the middle of the speech, a little girl of about seven came close to my table. But I must say that my table is quite high, and most likely, few of the guests even noticed that she stepped on the stage, since all attention is usually directed to the screen. And this little girl began to draw something in the sand on the corner of my table with her finger. I even froze for a second. Because I realized that, probably, at this moment something most important is happening, which is more important and more valuable than all my speech, and the whole party, and the guests. And no matter what happens, I can’t say anything to this man, and even less so, to drive him away from the table. So we together with her to the end and finalized.
By the way, since you already mentioned glamor, what does this word mean, in your opinion?
Translated from Celtic glamor - it is "enchantment". And, in my opinion, this word is very suitable for us, modern people. I know exactly what it means. Glamor is a candy wrapper. This is the wrapper that sells anything. And, unfortunately, in most cases, people don’t care what’s under the candy wrapper. At the same time, both a really good and tasty "sweetie" and complete bullshit can be hidden under a candy wrapper. But today the main thing is the value of candy wrappers. This is glamor.
How carefully do you select the musical component for each new show?
I choose music very carefully, because musical accompaniment is about forty percent success. Most often this is a classic, but it can be anything. Very good along with Sand Art sounds "modern classic" with the use of new arrangements, some electronic instruments. I had never been fond of music before, but my new work made me addicted, and my computer is almost 80% full of it.
Quote from the page of the author's website Arthur Kirillov:
"Sand is a living material, mobile and inconstant and this is its wisdom and philosophy. Sand taught me to treat differently in time. He explained to me that everything is equally short-lived, the only question is: what do we measure it ... Art creates a man. And if he creates a talented creator, it’s in his power to create works of art, no matter what he does. In this regard, a sand show in one hand can be a real art, in others - a set of techniques. "
But there is no feeling that here it would be possible to hold out a little, but is it better to find a genius composer who could transmit everything as it should in his music?
This feeling arises every time I prepare for a new program. All the time I find myself thinking that this or that composition does not fully cover the topic. In general, it doesn’t happen for me to take one melody and work for it. All the time you have to mix the sound yourself. It often happens that the entire visual component is ready, and you hang up with the music. In my speech in Abu Dhabi, for example, I used four different musical compositions. And before the last new year I tried everything, and suddenly before the performance I put on the music of Tchaikovsky and Grieg in symphonic sound. So cool happened. Very often I take movie soundtracks. It is interesting to work with them. For the Russian presentation of the new Jaguar car, I took tracks for seven or eight films, and this for the composition lasting only 4, 5 minutes.
How busy is your work schedule and is there time to relax?
It happens in different ways. Now, in my opinion, the schedule is nowhere denser. I don’t have a well-groomed program, like musicians did - they made an album and went with it to cities and towns. I have to do something new every time. And, despite my status and the universal recognition of my work, only two years ago I started doing sand animation. Although one friend of mine, with whom we have been friends since the age of five, once said: "It doesn’t matter what you can do, it’s important how you lived." I agree with him. It is extremely important to understand what you can and want to convey to people through your creativity. What experience do you have behind your back. Earlier in the countries of the East they taught the art of calligraphy. For five years, a man studied, and then for ten years he was forbidden to pick up a brush and a pen, sending him to engage in completely different matters - trade, anything else. Then he returned and again began to work. And, as a rule, he became a great master.
Well, the last question. What do you think of the Emirates, and did you like to play here?
I did not have time to look at the country, and the most vivid impression I had was from the local audience. I rarely have such performances. Of course, I understand that many have never seen this or did not even know that this type of art exists. But I was in shock. People applauded for my every move, hooted, perhaps, they just didn’t shoot in the air. Already on my first move, when I fell asleep sand, I heard "Oh!". Then on the screen the mountains appeared - "Wow!". The eagle flew - just a howl. I was even afraid to continue. And when the portrait of Sheikh Zayed appeared on the screen, the hall roared. It was a resounding success. So, I liked it here. In any case, it is logical to come to countries such as the Emirates with sand. Here they understand its nature and essence. I’ll probably come here more than once.
Then, thank you very much for the meeting and conversation. Until we meet again in the UAE.
