DASHA PETROV
Drawing, painting,
printmaking or carving – any way of making an image - is
my way of understanding the Universe around and inside
me. By education I am an artist, but Art for me is the
means to an end. When I make an image I merge with my
object, be it observed from external life or something
perceived internally. By drawing it I become one with it
and I understand its internal movements. Sometimes my
image undergoes hundreds of variations before this
internal movement is captured correctly. Understanding
the way things move is similar to knowing their secret
names – their energy signature in space-time. I found
that the ability to discern these “signatures”
consciously is very beneficial for one’s life. If you
can know and isolate the signature, you can call it into
your life when you need it. Or, if it is not required
anymore, separate this signature and remove it. A
visually recorded signature of a particular space (like
a space of one’s personal power, for example), can take
one back into that space when one needs it the most.
Following a tradition of shamanic journeying in my work,
I connect to a space the way a dreamer would. I enter
it, recording my experiences as I go. I bring the
feeling of the space with me, and it stays with the
image as a sort of a doorway back into the intimate
experience of the space itself.
Connecting to a being that represents a certain
movement, I can solidify that experience on the page. A
painting, encoded with the warmth and ecstasy of a
dance, for example, will bring that warmth into a
person’s life and make that person remember and
re-experience his/her own passion.
I work in many different physical mediums, depending on
the character/signature of an image that is coming
through me. If it is something quick in its nature,
mercurial and full of movement, or something that
requires a powerful light, it can become a monotype,
which is the most fluid and immediate. An oil painting
will be suitable to a much slower, more body-oriented
“signature” - oil paint brings a viscous, blood-like
quality to the work. A woodcut for me feels like much
more of a frozen pattern – a relationship of ultimate
Light and Dark. Sometimes the image needs to be carved
in three dimensions in order to inhabit the physical
space. Carving is an extremely physical act, in which I
move matter aggressively. Carving is the slowest method
and takes a lot of planning, patience and trust. It is
excellent for the anchoring of the energy patterns. And
this carved matter permanently holds the signature of
slow deliberation and trust. I find that matter will
always support us, so having a carving in one’s space is
very reassuring and stabilizing.
Sometimes you want to have something specially done for
you. I gladly accept commissioned work. If you want to
charge your space and you have specific size or thematic
ideas, or illustrate your new book or other printed
projects, please contact me at dasha@triplevision.net.
I offer my works to you – follow the signatures wherever
they may lead you. My art work is only a starting point
for you. Ultimately, unraveling it, you will find your
own destination.
