Alexander Kaletski
Oil on canvas
152,4 x 121,9 cm

Alexander Kaletski’s work is known for his imaginative play with the medium. During his first years in the United States, he used cardboard boxes as canvases, which later became his trademark. Here, the artist paints canvas as a carpet with a repetitive pattern, atop which a man raises a glass and a bottle. Sitting down at a table with a pink cloth and a single candle, his surroundings are plain and limited. He is gazing towards the audience, breaking the fourth wall, as if inviting to sit at the table. The simplistic, playful technique is representative of Kaletski’s aim to break from the dogma of Russian Socialist Realism. The term blue hat is often used for people with a spirit of leadership. While we don’t know if this is what the artist refers to, if it is, it undoubtedly suits the values of Lakeside Capital.