Vladimir Viktorovich Popovich was born in Michurinsk in 1962. He met his first teacher, Arkady Vasilyevich Plotitsyn, at the age of 10 at an art school at the House of Pioneers. Arkady Vasilyevich did not talk much about his technique and methods of drawing, he focused on creativity, ways to truly see the world around you and what to pay attention to.
Vladimir’s studentship (eight years in total) passed in Moscow. He had dreamed of geology from his youth, so he completed his education as a mine geologist at the Geological Prospecting Institute. He dedicated decades to this profession and working in it gradually led him to the main cause of his life. Searches for uranium in Kyzyl Kum, prospecting for gold in Northern Kazakhstan are just a part of the places he visited during his career.
In Stepnogorsk, Vladimir began to study how to work with stone. Even before that, the master’s artistic skills were used in many areas, mainly in design. In Stepnogorsk, however, he had an excellent stone-cutting workshop at his disposal, where he could practice the technique of processing minerals. At first, Vladimir’s attitude to the material was purely practical — he treated it like ore. But then he felt a passion for beautiful stones and realized that he can do something with them. He started with making cabochons, and then gradually learned the techniques of cutting and polishing stones. He came up with the idea to work on gems when his friend, Alexander Bezzubov, presented him with a drill, which Vladimir initially used to engrave glass. Later he discovered the catalog of antique intaglios by O. Ya. Neverov. The Heron by Dexamenos of Chios published there made such a strong impression on him that even today he calls it among the masterpieces of glyptics that had had the greatest influence on him. The carved rock crystals of the Renaissance became another revelation for Vladimir. Then he realized that he could “hear” the stone. The desire to make the stone’s sound harmonious, even stronger and louder, is still driving the master.
Further events and meetings contributed to the acquisition of experience, both life and professional. The jewelry workshop in Tambov he was invited to by a former classmate became a school of modeling and cutting for Vladimir. In the Moscow stone-cutting workshop Vikart of Viktor Kuzmishchev and Elena Koroleva, he got acquainted with micro-plastics and micro-mosaics. Elena Koroleva became his first teacher in stone carving. And yet, Vladimir cites his joint creative work with Vladimir Malyasov as the most significant period in his life, as well as acquaintance and fruitful cooperation with Alexander Tenzo, which continues to this day.
As for the creation of intaglios, Vladimir aims to enhance the light inherent in transparent stones. He describes his creative method as “the path from meaningless to divine joy of being.” A whole world, a whole macrocosm is enclosed in a stone. And if we put an image there, then it must be true. It is necessary to reveal the essence of the stone — what was originally laid in it. The truth is embedded in it, and it needs to be understood, revealed and transmitted as far as possible. This is an attempt to link our being with eternity.
Jacopo da Trezzo, an outstanding Italian carver, said that “the creation of large cameos from agate, which is stronger than steel, takes as long as the construction of a Gothic cathedral.” Vladimir Popovich creates his compositions on topaz, beryl, sapphire and diamond, which are much harder than agate. He manages to achieve inexplicable precision in his delicate work with these natural materials. Vladimir’s works are performed on transparent stones; their sheen and pure shades give unique beauty the final look of an object. In a small space, limited by the size and, more importantly, by the depth of the stone, Vladimir creates multidimensional compositions with captivating plots. These “paintings carved in stone” are joyful and solemn, funny and thoughtful, inspirational and whimsical, and are always full of mystery.
