Nikolai Kormashov and Olav Maran share an equal role in the history of the modern Estonian art. Both are indisputably leaders of their generation, whose experimenting bravery gave an impulse to several arists. Their importance and meaning starts to show to a greater extent in the course of time and while comparing with Jüri Arrak and Leonhard Lapin, who were exposed at previous Haus Galerii auctions, they are now and again set as predecessors. In case of both Maran and Kormashov were can talk about one of the most important turns that has been witnessed by the Estonian art history of the 20.century. The late impressionist style of the pre-war period was replaced by totally different approach of the beginning of the 1960ies. From this period and from Maran and Kormashov we can start counting the beginning of the renewal of the painting language. While talking about renewers of the artistic culture, Kormashov most probably leaves the most picturesque impression as he has remained true to painting. When the experiments of Olav Maran took him to collage and using of photos, then Kormashov moved borders within the art of painting. A number of his paintings have by today become chrestomathic examples of the artist’s ability to find modern, but extremely skilful challenges. It really seems that Kormashov entered the local artistic life as a fully ready author, who was able to pass frivolous experiments “at every cost” and was also able to avoid oppressing examples. Kormashov is always fresh, new and sophisticated. His stylised figures and still-lives of innovated form reflect the artist’s brilliant ability to play and discover.
Nikolai Kormashov’s “Natüürmort ikooniga” (“Still-life with an icon”) is an extremely characteristic example of what happened with painting after the arrival of modern winds. Kormashov does not put up with the roles of the maker of true copies or the creator of sublimated landscapes. In his works he moves farther, getting under the surfaces and touching carefully the core of things and being that can not be removed. Objects on his still-lives possess only the most important key-words and meanings. Instead of getting drowned into details, Kormashov is able to bring out the essence of things, which is of the utmost importance – the unavoidable. All the rest is for him useless decoration.
“Natüürmort ikooniga” is from one side a superb example of classics of the Estonian modern art of the 20.century, from another hand it is a remarkable work while keeping in mind Nikolai Kormashov himself. His painter’s glance has always been called “fresh” and this is justified. In the local artistic picture he is a rare example, bringing out “the Russian soul”, but at the same time remains the handler of recognizable Estonian painting traditions. An icon, which has been placed into ordinary surroundings, gives his still-life one more dimension, adding to the painting innovation also a deeply spiritual and thoughtful shade. Because the essence must be captured.