We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Victor A. Syrnev ("VAS").
The Maestro from Kyrgyzstan. "Syrnev is sincerely convinced that an artist should have an arsenal of creative techniques, that is, have knowledge of his materials in a measure which permits him to make his own, perhaps modest, technological innovations. Look at Victor’s work: the metal now shines, trembles, and vibrates with life. It plays the role of a severe artifice and an airy inspiration. Now it absorbs the light; now it reflects it. Of course such freedom in transformation of one’s material is possible only by profound knowledge of its possibilities. Syrnev’s creations presuppose not only love and empathy, but also a sharing of knowledge and feeling, a joy of mutual urgency, a shared secret dedicated to knowledge itself. Victor knows a great deal about symbols, signs, numbers, precepts of the traditional masters and creators of jewelry and amulets. But he is not less knowledgeable about contemporary methods of appreciation of form and color. For Victor there opens a whole domain of communication with the viewer on the basis of artistic intuition and psychological perception". Ada Safarova / Moscow
Victor A. Syrnev Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Victor A. Syrnev.
Designer Interview of Victor A. Syrnev:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
VAS : I've always enjoyed tinkering something, cut out of paper and glue funny compositions cut out of wood of different shapes. I did a toy by myself as carved whistle, helped my mother to sew on a manual sewing machine. But it was not moving towards the goal, and just enjoy the pleasure of working with the material and handicrafts.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
VAS : This is my creative studio, in activities which, in different forms, involving several people. We focus on the art-metal. Creating jewelry and objects. Sometimes my objects are called the sculpture, but to me they are all the same objects. They are a continuation and development of jewelry, massive access to the interior space.
DI: What is "design" for you?
VAS : Improvement of society through the improvement of the environment.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
VAS : Creating jewelry, you mean understanding the scale. But we always see the man in the some space. Following the man and offering him jewelry, you start trying on jewelry objects and interior. If you retain an understanding of form and composition, but changing the scale, there is a creation on a new scale. For me, jewelry and jewelry for the person for the interior most welcome.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
VAS : One day I came upon a reprint of the book "Complete Course of Palmistry" by Professor Y. Kestler, published in 1911. It was written a fascinating, figurative language, and painted with great detail the value of all the lines, characters, figures on our hands. I liked the description so I made a collection of objects ornaments attached to them, and a description of the significance of these figures. The audience responded enthusiastically to this information. Examined his hands, looking for signs, asked to tell more. But I do not support this information, I just broadcast the text and pictures from the book.After quite a long time I returned to the subject of palmistry. But now this has changed the nature of jewelry. Based on the lines of the palm and marks a particular person to create a personalized piece of jewelry. It is supplemented with stones, pearls, coral, - according to the interests and wishes of the future owner. This ornament is another function. Handprint is one of the elements of the interior. Thrown together with the imprint becomes the object that introduces a whole new flavor in this space. One item has double function. Brooch, as personal adornment, and the object of the interior, where the brooch is not removed in a box or safe, and set in a frame on the wall with a hand print. The first work in this direction was taken in 1999.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
VAS : The first work was an openwork silver ring.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
VAS : To create a jewelery I think the most attractive is precious metals. But this does not preclude from allure materials which has less noble. One day I saw a commercial printing machine zinc type with which printed newspapers. It immediately became clear what interesting ornaments can be made from this material. There was a large collection of jewelry with zinc plates. I returned twice more to work with a cliché, but now they were aluminum plates.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
VAS : In the process, when you are sitting behind the bench and working through a consistent idea. At this point, the idea continues to evolve and mutate. The material with which you work, also enters into dialogue and offers opportunities. You just need to note down ideas that come to these minutes.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
VAS : Performance of the material.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
VAS : I feel Joy.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
VAS : Satisfaction, I think.
DI: What makes a design successful?
VAS : If it is understood.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
VAS : Original Idea and technique of execution or performance.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
VAS : To Create !!!
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
VAS : I think, it’s developing step by step. Everyday You can see something new )
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
VAS : There was an exhibition of my work in the gallery of Michael Zobel (Konstanz, Germany) In November 2012. And an exhibition in the Kyrgyz National Museum of Art, in Bishkek In May 2013.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
VAS : The surrounding nature, the impressions of travel and visiting exhibitions and galleries, studio colleagues.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
VAS : I rely on my idea of harmony and beauty. But who leads my hand and where the new ideas come from - I do not know.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
VAS : Kyrgyzstan – is a country which has grown from a nomadic culture and has retained many of its quality today. Migrate, it means to move from place to place. We settled people, are saying: "The two moved equals one fire." Nomad cannot lose everything because of the move. Therefore, the home of a nomad yurt, all utensils organized and existing about century and have been adapted for fast acquisition and compact move. It is a design of the highest quality. But this is story. The modern design of the Kirghiz, I think, all the achievements are yet to come.
DI: How do you work with companies?
VAS : I choose what they produce, taking into account of their quality and my expression and ideas.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
VAS : Any creator - is always a person. And the company is important to have personal contact with the designer and trusting attitude toward it. This attitude makes the flight of designer relaxed and free.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
VAS : Virtually the entire process takes place in the head. When I get new ideas or new compositions, I try to write them down to keep the starting point. These notes are a bank of ideas that are waiting in the wings, or they realized soon.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
VAS : Maroon tea pair, MS Association of Kuznetsov, 1890.Chinese bronze composition "A dog and a bird," the 18th century.Saved from my childhood a little copy of "Wolf, Romulus and Remus nursing."Bookcase with stained glass and inlay on little doors
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
VAS : Early morning is devoted to correspondence, working with text, for information. Day of work in the studio. meetings. In the evening, the bench or work with sketches.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
VAS : To do their job with love.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
VAS : For me, creativity delivers incomparable joy. And everything that fits into the concept of creativity, can not spoil a single moment of my life.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
VAS : Presents to society only things that give me pleasure.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
VAS : The Ability to implement their ideas in the material.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
VAS : It is a very big list of different things. I use everything which is comfortable for me to do the best I can.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
VAS : Indeed, sometimes "hit a wall" and do not find a solution. Putting aside for a time, in the direction of the work and do other what - that power, without your intervention, continue to storm the impregnable heights. You took the time out, and they continue to search. Once new thoughts come to visit you. This "offer" could come at any time of the day, sometimes at night.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
VAS : I do not have such a number. Sometimes there is a quick solution. Sometimes stretched like rubber.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
VAS : How do you charge?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
VAS : Working in the studio of my colleagues, joint exhibitions.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
VAS : The first person in several countries of the East and the West, and people of the business, culture and the arts.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
VAS : Sometimes there are unexpected proposal. Bishkek city administration has ordered for the Wedding Palace large chandelier. It was not even a chandelier, a large composition with the lights on. Size 16 meters x 6 meters x 3, 5 pm The idea behind the composition, carries the meaning and feeling, concentrated in the bridal veil bride. Chandelier - is Bridal Veil, flying over the world and to preserve this world. These proposals seek to make yourself and take a completely new solution. A state of the search for new solutions is creativity.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
VAS : Now I’m planning large and important project for me. I want to to tell about my childhood and my homeland, the Urals, and touch the history of the Russian state through the language of jewelry of art. All this will happen this year.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
VAS : In the implementation of my ideas I have some help in a different form, from my regular partners.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
VAS : I have already told about in the 36th line."Now I’m planning a large and important project for me. I want to to tell about my childhood and my homeland, the Urals, and touch the history of the Russian state through the language of jewelry of art. All this will happen this year."
DI: How can people contact you?
VAS : My website and e-mail makes it easy. You can get in touch with me from anywhere: vic.syrnev@gmail.com; www.victorud.com
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
VAS : Thank You.