Natasha Yudina. 18+
Холст, масло
55 1/8 x 70 7/8 in
“Children under 16 not permitted”. This is something we would often see on movie posters in the recent past. Usually it meant that a movie contained “bedroom scenes”, which is what they were called back then. This line obviously sparked intense interest in the movie, both in those who were older than 16 and in the younger crowd, even if those scenes were quite innocent.
The name of this exhibition by Natalia Yudina, an artist from Tomsk, upholds the traditions of the Soviet and post-Soviet moral system. 18+ is a series of genre scenes – bedroom scenes in the literal meaning of the word. Canvases 180 х 140 cm in size borrow the names of erotic movies of the 1980s and 1990-s: Two-Moon Junction, Sogno (Dream), Senso ’45 (Black Angel)…
Natalia Yudina explains:
“Why have I given so much attention to beds? Because right here and now, at Gridchinhall, the bed is my current artistic interest. I chose a bed because my own home cannot boast of a very diverse interior, because I have seen so little of the world, because it is something that is always before everyone’s eyes, and because, like Aivazovsky’s sea, it is so easily and quickly changeable. Essentially, contemplation of one’s own bed is much like meditation and trembling before the power of nature. I can spend hours examining my bed every morning...”
Nowadays designations as “18+”, “12+”, and even “6+” are everywhere – in cinemas, media, theatres, radio, and TV. This often borders on the absurd. Are the bedroom scenes of Natalia Yudina only for the “18+” crowd? Formally it’s not very likely that they would receive such a label. But her paintings are so sensuous, seductive, and intimate that, if they don’t deserve to be forbidden completely, access should at least be limited.
This exhibition welcomes all guests, both those who are 18+ and those who are 18-
