The Contemplative Visionary Art of Oleg Korolev
“Beautiful rhythms come when fear is gone and affection leaves. Perception is clear when the mind is calm, and becomes pure and virgin, when dualities are overcome. Consciousness returns to its Source… Son returns to his Father.”
Oleg Korolev
Oleg Korolev (born 1968) has emerged as one of the most interesting and accomplished visionary artists of the present time.
A natural mystic, Korolev depicts rich archetypal vistas that evoke layers of deep spirituality, carrying the light of divine energy into the sphere of visual art.
Paintings of Oleg Korolev are represented in private, corporate and government art collections of Russia, Europe, North America and Australia.
Oleg kindly agreed to participate in an interview to discuss his artistic practice and experience with the painter Ernst Fuchs.
Daniel
When did you decide to be an artist ?
Oleg Korolev
I have never decided it. I always drew and painted. It is my natural inborn state.
Daniel
What spiritual influences find their way into your work ?
Oleg Korolev
Well, this is complicated question, because usually the influences are higher than a realizing of the fact of the influence.
To put it simply, I am Christian and have respect for the Internal part of the teaching, like Hesychasm. For maybe 12, 13 or more years I have studied various kinds of theology, philosophy and psychology, so for sure these influences can speak for themselves, reflecting in my paintings
Daniel
Many people attribute religion as the cause of war. What are your thoughts on this ?
Oleg Korolev
Only an external religious approach can be a reason of a war. Internal mystic schools see the world as an illusion ( maya) and a divine play ( lila 
.. or as it is in Christianity : “this world is evil one” ( means it is an illusionary world of the social relations). An Illusion can not be changed ever “to the better”, because it actually doesnt exist, but a perception of the givenness can be changed, so the Ultimate reality will manifest Itself.
So Internal meditative schools see all differently and usually never take part in “this world vain passions”… though their adepts act in the outside, even participate in the wars only when the Spirit moves them, but not because of some political, patriotic, moralistic or other reasons.
Daniel
One thing that interests me is how you paint. How you approach your compositions. Do they arise through contemplative activity. Do you draw them all out and paint them, or do they arise as you work with the paint ? Do they come from dreams and visions, or though aiming to evoke the highest sentiments that you can ?
Oleg Korolev
Well, I think that all things manifest themselves starting from the abstract and unspeakable in the noumenal, subjective to the phenomenal objective reality. A painting follows the same principle. An individual artist directs an attention to some subject, age, place or a person, sending an energy and activating the information in the consciousness.
Prodigal Son
Images appear as a reflection in the mirror.., and the stronger the concentration on the noumen, the clear the image as a phenomenon, the brighter the impression and a realizing of it. An artist contemplates the realities and sees not necessarily the essences, but better to say a contemplator sees “how to be” the essence. A visual manifestation comes spontaneously, and here the less from the artist, from his ego, the better for the Art.
But when we mention ego neutralisation, using our “spiritual knowledge” taken from books, we have not to cheat ourselves. The point is we approach all the incoming information only be means of all our consciousness layers. We have influences of all previous generations, from our genetics, gender, nationality, religion, culture, education of all sorts, political preferences etc. , which still exist.., stay with us and built our self reflection.
In the Absolute all these relative things cease themselves,( Colossians 3;11 Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.), but before the Absolute condition all the consciousness levels remain and rejecting them by some thinked-up reasons, we do not neutralize them , but only suppress to a subconsciousness space. That is why a not mutilated Art must contain all influences of all the previous generations, from genetics, gender, nationality, religion, culture, education of all sorts, political preferences in that measure, in which they really present.
All these must work, and energy must go through all of them and manifest all the personal consciousness compounds, only this will bring an artistic truth. Otherwise if an artist still has not reached a personal level of an ultimate enlightenment, where “Christ is all, and in all” and where “cannot be Greek and Jew”, but by some ideological reasons tries to show in his art that he has no any influences from which his person (gender, nationality, religion, culture etc) consists of, than his art will not be authentic and pure, it will false, but he himself, suppressing all these, will get a neurosis. So in Art almost always must be reflected a gender, nationality, religion, culture etc of the artist, even an artist as meditator individually stay transcendent.
Returning to the art production, I can say that at first spontaneously making sketches ( I call them “irresponsible sketches”)., on some sheet of paper, I do not think about them as about “piece of art” or something which relates to it. This is just something non-realized.., sometimes the images appear and I just try to let to the flow to manifest itself on a paper surface and the less I control them the more authentic and pure they may come of. Later, using the sketches, I work with a painting further, more and more going to the objective artistic criteria, not avoiding a dialectical way.
Apophatic Summertime
Daniel
Your experiences with Maestro Fuchs, did you find this valuable
Oleg Korolev
I participated in the St.Egyds chapel murals project of Maestro Ernst Fuchs in Klagenfurt, Austria. Formally, I studied the famous “Mische” technique, but since according to my diploma I am an Art teacher myself, and by myself I can learn various techniques, so to study some technical issues in a time when Maestro Ernst Fuchs is one of the most greatest living masters in the world, would be a great mistake.
All that I studied from Maestro Fuchs has a different level of education. Ernst Fuchs is a unique person, who has reached unique levels. What there is to be learnt from him is how to be such a unique person and how to reach the unique levels.
Actually he is just an object for a contemplation, and object for a meditation. He teaches by his presence, his emanation. To cognize a master we have to listen him by all our essence. He is like a sort of a magical music, it is necessary to come to such an inner silence where the melody can be perceived and understood.
As for the other outer technical things, yes he is a brilliant painter and illustrator. It is pleasant and even aesthetic spectacle to see how he holds his brush and works with it. I find a communication to such a master not just “valuable”, but a precious gift of the divine.
Daniel
Thankyou for sharing something of your incredible craft with Lila.
_______________________________________
Many thanks to Oleg Korolev for spending time helping to put this together,
and granting permission for his outstanding images to be shown on Lila.
To see more amazing paintings by Oleg Korolev go to http://www.koro-art.com
Hi, my name is disman-kl, i like your site and i ll be back
Michael by Oleg Korolev | Lila
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Just seen your work. I have had some similar visions, not as well collated as yours but still very simular. Thankyou for sharing.