Created By
Konstantin Bessmertny
Oil on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
At its heart, "Be Fabulous" dazzles with a dynamic interplay of historical gravitas and contemporary commentary. The painting centers on a stately 19th-century figure, unmistakably evoking the spirit of Mikhail Bakunin. The name “Bakunin” and the date “1881 London” recur throughout the composition, referencing the pivotal International Anarchist Congress that took place in London that year, where Bakunin was a star and a driving force of revolutionary thought. Dressed in period attire, the subject exudes the confidence and intellectual presence of a true radical, grounding the viewer in a moment of profound historical significance. Surrounding this central figure, the canvas bursts with a collage of hand-drawn sketches, enigmatic slogans, and visual puns. Phrases like “BE FABULOUS,” “MUCH CRY LITTLE WOOL,” and “L’AVANT GARDE” float amid diagrams, arrows, and playful nods to art history’s rebels. The cool, misty blue background acts as a stage for these elements, inviting viewers to unravel the layers of meaning. Bessmertny’s signature blend of satire and homage is on full display, as he draws connections between the spectacle of historical icons and the performative nature of modern identity.
Featured at Volta Basel by Artbridger as part of the BK SIGG COLLECTION "Technically Collecting," Bessmertny’s "BE FABULOUS" is a tour de force of painterly wit and conceptual depth. This monumental canvas is a riot of color, iconography, and sly humor-a visual tapestry that both seduces and challenges. At first glance, "BE FABULOUS" dazzles with its exuberant composition and lush surface. But linger, and the painting reveals a labyrinth of references: from art history to pop culture, from the follies of consumerism to the eternal quest for meaning. Bessmertny’s deft hand and irreverent eye transform the canvas into a stage where the fabulous and the farcical collide. It’s a work that embodies the spirit of "Technically Collecting"-questioning, celebrating, and subverting the very act of collecting itself. At first glance, "BE FABULOUS" captivates with its exuberant composition and lush surface. Linger, and the painting reveals a labyrinth of references: from art history to pop culture, from the follies of consumerism to the eternal quest for meaning. Bessmertny’s deft hand and irreverent eye transform the canvas into a stage where the fabulous and the farcical collide. It’s a work that embodies the spirit of "Technically Collecting"—questioning, celebrating, and subverting the very act of collecting itself, while reminding us of the enduring power of revolutionary figures like Bakunin and the moments that made them legends.
Created By
Konstantin Bessmertny
201 x 200 cm | 79 x 79 in
2013
