Petr Shvetsov
Tex Mex

july 26 - August 31, 2019
​​RO2 ART | Downtown Pop-up
​1508 Commerce St. Dallas, TX 75201 

July, 2019
​Ro2 Art | Dallas, TX

Ro2 is proud to present Tex Mex, a solo exhibition featuring  works by Russian artist, Petr Shvetsov. The show will run from July 26 through August 31, 2019. There will be an artist reception held on Friday, July 26 from 6-8 PM at Ro2’s Downtown Pop-Up located at 1508 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201.

Petr Shvetsov’s first solo exhibition at Ro2 Art is a collection of paintings of Tex-Mex cuisine rendered as a ‘glitched’ depiction of the iconic dishes. From tacos and tortas to rice and beans, Shvetsov’s food portraits convey the warmth as well as the fleeting gratification one receives upon encountering the cuisine. Interested in the connections between food and culture as well as the role food can play in formulating  a cultural identity, Shvetsov creates his paintings to exhibit our obsession with food. Even when overdone, Tex-Mex is always rich and welcoming much like that of Shvetsov’s native Russian cuisine. His portraits juxtapose the hearty meals with harsh black backgrounds, having various hues of paint pulled across the surface. He describes his series as an homage to Dutch painting which he deeply admires. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

 I worked on the series "Tex-Mex" during my residency at Tarrant Community College in Fort Worth, Texas 2019.  For any artist, an important aspect of participating in an arts residency is becoming acquainted with local culture and people.  In my opinion, food is one of the key elements that formulates our cultural identity.  What we eat and how we eat is one of the most important factors defining our identity.  I am also interested in food consumerism in contemporary society around the world -- how people become obsessed with what and how they eat.   All the photographs of food on Instagram and Facebook draw attention to this new international obsession.  The series "Tex-Mex" continues my investigation of the relationship between food and culture.  Previous series have focused on local food in Russia and Vermont.  This series is also an homage to classical Dutch painting, which I deeply love and admire.

ABOUT THE ARTIST 

Peter Shvetsov divides his time between St. Petersburg, Russia and South Royalton, Vermont, and works in different media including painting, sculpture, and large scale installations. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Russia, the U.S., and Europe and his work can be found in the collections of the State Russian Museum, New York Public Library, British Library, Saxon State Library (Dresden), Institute of Contemporary Russian Culture (Los Angeles), University of CA Library (Santa Barbara)