Lora Verhovsky | Revival

There are several reasons for such an imposing and solemn name 'Revival', which I gave to the collection of my leather artworks.
Leather has always been one of my favorite materials.  My desire to observe, to learn and to try something new brought me to the books and museums of decorative art. There I saw ancient samples of decorative art - book covers, jewelry caskets, decorative upholstery for carriages etc - made in a complicated technique of leather mosaic (known as "Leather Intarsia"). This technique was used by Italian and French artisans in 17-18th centuries, but is almost forgotten today because of its complexity and the great amount of labor involved. 

My impression was so powerful, that it evoked insuperable desire to "revive" this ancient technique and to apply it to contemporary themes and forms. Thus my collection of leather artworks, on which I have been working for several years, was born. Here I use natural leather, suede and lacquer instead of paintbrush, paints and canvas, creating a novel, unique expression. I fully believe that other works like these simply do not exist. 

The magic warmth of leather, the velvety feeling of suede, the self-confident elegance of lacquer, and their eroticism - all this creates a feeling of “presence”, while the leather’s texture and its ability to radiate sensuality and intimacy have such an enigmatic attraction that it is difficult to refrain from touching the picture. 

Digging in the storehouse through the heaps of leather, much of which, aside from future handbags and shoes, will be thrown away because of defects and mildew, I wanted to give a second life to this rejected leather, to "revive" it into something new, to grant it a continued existence 

And at last, the most important – "revival" of my passionate desire of creativity. I wish that the beauty and originality of handiwork, despite the amount of labor involved, will not lose its uniqueness and individuality in our super-civilized and hasty 21st century.
Lora Verhovsky

Lora Verhovsky:

Artist, Designer
Member of Israeli Proffessional Artists Association

1944    Born in former Soviet Union
1971    Graduated from Latvian State Academy of Art
1976    Immigrated to Israel

Gregory Ostrovsky - Art Critic, Doctor in Art History.

Not each artist, even undoubtedly talented, succeeds to create its unique style, to say its own Word in the Art. For this are necessary: courage of pioneer, persistently laying ways into the unknown, freedom of creative self-expression and independence of the figurative thinking, risen above the pragmatism of standard norms and criteria, and , finally, limitless dedication to its cause, fantastic diligence, originality of the mature and processed artistic idea.

All this is gathered in Lora Verhovsky's works. The artist creates the most unique, large and beautiful leather pictures, not only contemplative, but also tangible-sensual. Nothing like this has ever been done before.

Moreover, singularity of creative experiment and its productivity allocate to the artist a place in a context of the modern avant-garde, updating and expanding a range of the decorative and fine arts of the beginning of  21-st century.

Lora Verkhovsky is the graduate of the Latvian State Academy of Art, And it has strengthened her ability not only to possess congenital deep and refined perception of Beauty, but also to transfer it, presenting in the most various materials, their features and restrictions, to find the unique way to convey this beauty to the spectator, giving us unexpected and surprising impression.

Lora itself tells about it emotionally, poetically and at the same time extremely precisely and adequately: "... Magic feeling of Leather warmth, velvety feel of Chamois, self confidence in it's elegance of Lacquer, eroticism - all this create a feeling of "presence", while Leather texture and it's ability to radiate sensuality and intimacy have such an enigmatic attraction that it is difficult to contain the desire to touch the picture"

Amazing ability to see and to imagine the future artwork in the separate pieces of leather and suede, in their colors, structure, and often in their defects – from all this the Miracle begins - the Miracle of transformation of usual material into the Material of real Art.

Lora Verhovsky has created its own style, bright and unique which has connected imagination and reality into the something new, something that has never been seen before. Having accepted 'the game's rules', which were offered to us, we cannot be released from under its magic authority any more. Having crossed monosemantic plausibility, Lora creates the world in which rule the fantasy and imagination, graceful stylization and courageous, but always justified, deformation. And in each work virtuosity and elegance, feeling of a measure and taste, freshness and originality of the creative idea.

The world in Lora's artworks is diverse and colorful - exotic first spring flowers, which are so decorating our life, soft landscapes and abstract compositions, original interiors and not ordinary sensuality, tragic destiny of Mary Stuart and the 'dry' map of Israel, which revives to the life and becomes 'warm'.  Very much intrigue the stylized silhouettes of the Cats so caressed by love, the Horses and the Butterflies, the Crocodiles silently storing the centuries secrets.
All it makes amazing unique impression owing to feature of the Material and ... the Talent.
Each significant work of art is implanted in today's time. Retrospective into the past gives the prospects and ideas for the future, which is always associated with the progress, technology and modernization, but:  "I would like" - the artist says, - "that the Beauty and the uniqueness of the "work by hands" would not be lost in our super-civilized and hasty 21-st century". 

Dr. Gregory Ostrovsky