Dimitri Tolstoï / Ginger / photography, lambda print covered with plexiglas

SEASON 2 of “Still” life… not exactly
April 12 - May 9, 2008

“Humans are aware of their godliness and rightfully so, for God lives in each of them. Humans are also aware that they are pigs, and with reason, for there is a bit of pig in them as well… but they’re dangerously wrong to mistake the pig for a god” Leo Tolstoy

After numerous petitions from fans and art collectors, ART ROUGE GALLERY is delighted to present season 2 of ”Still” Life… not exactly a unique art exhibition by Paris based contemporary photographer Count Dimitri Tolstoï, great grandson of legendary Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. The collection will be on display from April 12 to May 9, 2008 in the very much acclaimed Art Rouge space in Miami’s famous Wynwood Art District. Located exactly at 46 NW 36 St, the space is just one block west from the new Midtown Mall. The coordination of the opening reception - which will take place on April 12 from 7:00 to 11:00 PM - will be in charge of celebrated event producer Alan Solis, owner and director of URBAN ICONS. The guests will be able to enjoy Tolstoï’s edgy art within a cool atmosphere with great music and cocktail.

The emotion generated by Dimitri Tolstoï art photographs is born of the union between two very distant and yet equally genuine realities. He brings together several images to create an entirely new one. This unusual combination fuels an immediate emotional response, evoking extraordinary associations and raising intriguing questions.

Like the Greek mythological poet Orpheus, Dimitri Tolstoï tries to resist death by facing it head on. Though he cannot destroy it, he artfully “sticks his tongue out at it”; successfully mocking it and making us smile with his great sense of humor. The “piercings”, like post-mortem exorcism, attempt to penetrate and unveil the mystery of death. A rooster’s foot, taken from a Voodoo ritual symbolizing the clutch of death, becomes flirtatious only by applying a sensual color of nail polish on the claws; playing down in this way the terrifying aspect of death’s grip and giving it a more humanize side. Through this final pirouette… the seduction is complete.

For more information about the exhibition please contact Art Rouge Gallery via info@artrouge.com or call 305-448-2060.