Artem Babinov
Little Death at Sunrise
Soft pastel on paper
30" x 22"
Website: dormibid.com
Instagram: @faint.blue
About | Artem Babinov is a Russian-born American artist based in Cambridge, working primarily in drawing and oil painting with a focus on figurative representation. He has previously shown work in a group studio during SoWa’s first Friday events in Boston and is currently pursuing a BFA at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design. Drawing influence from 20th century figurative artists like Joan Semmel and Lucian Freud, Babinov’s work depicts human figures caught in intimate moments and settings, removed from any outside presence. His work is autobiographical, aiming to present the viewer with an idealized vision of memories and events, contributing to a sense of manufactured sentimentality. For Babinov, artmaking is a bridge that connects the viewer to the inner world of the artist’s feelings and experiences, and a powerful way in which one can come to terms with oneself and emotionally heal.
Little Death at Sunrise is part of a series that initially set out to serve as contemplation over a significant romantic relationship and coming to terms with its painful end. An exploration of personal intimacy and subtle homoeroticism, each work is a romanticized version of actual moments and snapshots, reflecting how we tend to remember sweet memories of our relationships. The use of soft pastels contributes to a sense of tenderness, while the color blue serves not just to create a feeling of melancholy and longing in the drawings, but also touches on the idea of being a queer man. Growing up in a small Russian town, Babinov remembered that calling a man “blue” was a derogatory way of calling him gay, so in a sense this series also serves to reclaim the color, embrace queerness and view it as something beautiful rather than something to be ashamed of.
$1,700
Little Death at Sunrise
Soft pastel on paper
30" x 22"
Website: dormibid.com
Instagram: @faint.blue
About | Artem Babinov is a Russian-born American artist based in Cambridge, working primarily in drawing and oil painting with a focus on figurative representation. He has previously shown work in a group studio during SoWa’s first Friday events in Boston and is currently pursuing a BFA at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design. Drawing influence from 20th century figurative artists like Joan Semmel and Lucian Freud, Babinov’s work depicts human figures caught in intimate moments and settings, removed from any outside presence. His work is autobiographical, aiming to present the viewer with an idealized vision of memories and events, contributing to a sense of manufactured sentimentality. For Babinov, artmaking is a bridge that connects the viewer to the inner world of the artist’s feelings and experiences, and a powerful way in which one can come to terms with oneself and emotionally heal.
Little Death at Sunrise is part of a series that initially set out to serve as contemplation over a significant romantic relationship and coming to terms with its painful end. An exploration of personal intimacy and subtle homoeroticism, each work is a romanticized version of actual moments and snapshots, reflecting how we tend to remember sweet memories of our relationships. The use of soft pastels contributes to a sense of tenderness, while the color blue serves not just to create a feeling of melancholy and longing in the drawings, but also touches on the idea of being a queer man. Growing up in a small Russian town, Babinov remembered that calling a man “blue” was a derogatory way of calling him gay, so in a sense this series also serves to reclaim the color, embrace queerness and view it as something beautiful rather than something to be ashamed of.
$1,700