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Capturing history, telling
a tale, describing an action, and creating memorable characters
were all once primary purposes for which an artist applied
paint to canvas. But somewhere along the way narrative ceased
to be a central concern for the great modernist painters,
and storytelling all but disappeared from the scene. However,
fortunately, though sporadically, an ambitious modern day
painter will once again take up the challenge, and even
more occasionally, will actually succeed. For the narrative
form to be effective in painting, the stories that are told
must successfully engage our curiosity; it requires an intensely
shared interest in the tale of the figures who are depicted
in the paintings. And so it is in the works of Vladimir
Cusack, whose sensitivity and creativity come through intelligently
in his marvelously detailed paintings.
Born and schooled in Russia, Cusack completed
art school and then earned a degree in electronics. He worked
in the Bukhara theater, Uzbekistan, moved back to Russia,
and in 1995 moved to Australia taking only two paintings
with him. There he started a new life, learned a new language,
and began painting once again.
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