Artist Dmitry Platonov: on the verge of research, creativity and restoration

The subject of our interview is Moscow-based artist, restorer, teacher-researcher, member of VTOO "Union of Artists of Russia" – Dmitry Platonov. We talked about the subtleties of working with glass and stained glass, creating authentic interiors and teaching at the university.

When did you decide to become an artist?

I became interested in visual art in childhood. I clearly remember my first artwork. It was a summer morning at the dacha, and a spider with big legs climbed onto a large board. My older brother sketched it for art school, and my parents also suggested I draw the spider. I took paper and pastels and drew it as best as I could. That autumn my parents brought me to the Krasnopresnenskaya Children's Art School to show my works to my brother's teacher. I passed the selection and entered the first grade in Olga Petrovna Mironova's class. She became my first teacher and guided me for ten years. During my studies I immersed myself in the art world and gradually came to understand what I wanted to do in the future.

Why did you choose to work with glass?

Several factors influenced my decision. Of course, my older brother played a major role in choosing my artistic direction. He spent a long time deciding where to apply and took various preparatory courses, but ultimately chose to enroll at the Stroganov Academy (RGKhPU named after S. G. Stroganov), in the Department of Artistic Glass. At the time I thought that if I entered an art university I would hardly have chosen glass — I might have become some kind of architect or engineer, since technical professions always attracted me. But at the end of eighth grade, when it was time to decide on further education, my parents suggested I attend preparatory composition classes with Professor Maya Semyonovna Yakusheva from Stroganov, who later played a key role in my creative life. I began studying with her on an individual program. For a year we studied and copied ornaments of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Gothic stained glass, learned the basics of the golden ratio, and the principles of composition and layout on the page. I was deeply inspired by the lessons and the atmosphere of the glass workshops, imagining myself creating stained glass windows. Because my brother entered the university two years before me, I saw the assignments given in the first years, understood the format of the studies and which subjects absolutely could not be neglected. Entering the artistic glass program, I knew what to expect from the education; during my studies I became a leader and class representative, helping my classmates with their work.

Where do you draw inspiration from, which artists impress you?

Probably my first source of inspiration was my brother. Our relationship always had a healthy competitiveness — we pushed each other to work. While studying at school I didn't have idols in the art world — I was only beginning to study art and develop my visual experience. It's important to say that all the teachers who guided me were my first inspirers and guides into the world of art — over time I began to perceive them as artists through the prism of their work.

What influenced your development and formation as an artist?

One of the turning points in my creative life was my master's studies. After finishing my bachelor's, I focused on technical developments and skills — there was little creative growth. In the master's program I experienced a creative upswing: I began generating ideas and immediately realizing them in material because I already understood the technological processes. At that time I worked in a glassblowing workshop under the guidance of my master instructor Sergei Martynov. He once made a thermometer for a friend by sealing an alcohol-containing substance in a capillary. At one point I thought of pouring water into that tube. They told me you couldn't do that, it would crack. But I took the risk and tried it. The experiment showed that glassblowing forms combine well with water. I began generating ideas and experimenting with this new technique, not yet fully understanding how to implement it in art objects. I ran into difficulties finding a movable metal frame into which tubes of water could be inserted so the water would slosh with motion. Over time I found craftsmen who could bring my idea to life, but different problems arose during the creation of the artworks. Sometimes I had to completely change an artwork’s composition and proportions in the process to achieve the desired effect.

During my studies I created the composition "Routine of Life." While I was a student there was an Italian competition for young artists under 35 — "Milano Vetro – 35." I sent this work and it made the shortlist of finalists. Then I had to send it to Milan, but I realized the piece couldn't even fit through our university door. Moreover, no transport company could handle it because its size exceeded normal dimensions and required special permits. It was my first professional competition and exhibition, but also my first professional mistake and miscalculation. I learned from those mistakes and created a new work taking into account the construction features, dimensions and shapes of the art object, and planned every detail from transportation to display. That work was able to travel to an exhibition in St. Petersburg on its own and return to me intact, even in subzero temperatures, considering the piece used glass and water. I developed instructions for assembling and disassembling the work. This piece also participated in the "Russia-XIV" exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, and in the large exhibition project "Researcher and Artist: Art in Expedition" at Zaryadye, organized with the support of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel and the Stroganov Academy. I am currently creating a new work of a similar construction for upcoming exhibitions.

Which competitions have you participated in?

One of my main achievements after completing my master's was the Stroganov Academy's nomination for the best diploma work from the Russian Academy of Arts, where I received a medal from Zurab Tsereteli himself. Then there was a nomination for the title "Best Graduate-Designer" of 2018 — an award organized by the Otlichno! festival. In 2020 and 2021 I was shortlisted for the Swiss Ambassador's Prize in Russia.

You work as an interior artist. Tell us about your significant projects.

In 2016 a woman named Luiza contacted me — she had been recommended to me as a glass artist. She turned out to be a decorator-artist for a large chain of Moscow bars and was responsible for their interior design and fittings. At first Luiza gave me ready-made sketches for film stained-glass windows — they were trendy then. Later I began creating cartoons from references for her and independently making stained-glass windows for various interiors. One of our major collaborative projects was designing the interior for Alexey Kozlov's Jazz Club on Maroseyka. We created a huge stained-glass window on the staircase — approximately 8 to 10 square meters of stained-glass glazing. I also made numerous cartoons for door stained-glass windows. Over time Luiza and I reached full mutual understanding; I invited her to the Stroganov workshops and showed that besides stained glass we also do sandblasting, diamond beveling, and various decorative finishes. For interiors in other pubs we used not only film stained glass but also "real" glass, sandblasting, bevels and diamond edging.

Our latest project with Luiza was creating interiors for The Black Swan pub in Kitai-Gorod — I restored original English doors and repaired about 12–14 leaded stained-glass panels. In 2022 the owners opened a second hall and decided to recreate the interiors of an old English church. Denis Bobkov — co-owner of Pub Life Group and "Bureau of Finds" — purchased an entire old English church building: the floor, organ, ceiling and stone windows with broken stained glass. Thus began my second major project of restoring and reconstructing stained-glass windows. I completely disassembled the antique windows, managed to preserve as much as possible of the authentic 19th-century lead cames and replaced the broken glass. According to restoration rules, we selected matching replacement glass that differs slightly from the originals so that it is clear these are restoration inserts. The work gave me huge aesthetic and professional satisfaction.

You teach at your alma mater. What main principles and methods do you use in your teaching activities?

Teaching was not initially my goal. When I entered the Stroganov Academy I did not see a clear future in this area and couldn't imagine what I would do. But year by year I became more involved in the profession and now can't imagine life without it. Over that time I gained a large body of knowledge and experience that I want to share. Currently I teach the courses "Fundamentals of Restoration," "Restoration of Architectural Monuments and the Architectural Environment (Glass)," "Composition in Material (Glass)," and "Design." In part it is easy for me to find common ground with students because I myself was a student not long ago. I always tell them how I started, what difficulties I faced during my studies, which works turned out poorly and why — honestly, without embellishment. I see how they get inspired and want to create. In my view the most important thing is not to do the students' work for them, but to observe and guide in time, share knowledge and experience. I also try to convey the importance of the process of creative search. Of course, often the first sketch is the most successful, but interesting ideas sometimes come through the search process.

Share your creative plans for the future.

The near-term goal is the defense of my Candidate's dissertation (PhD). My supervisor and I are now at the final stage, after which I plan to publish a monograph based on this work and continue toward a doctoral dissertation. I have two topics for further development, but I'll keep them secret for now. In addition, I have two creative projects underway — their creation processes have already started. I plan to participate in a youth exhibition at the Russian Union of Artists, and I continue working on an art object titled "Sun of Moscow," dedicated to my hometown and my favorite city. In the future I want to devote more time to creative work, continue teaching at the university, develop our department and the restoration division for artistic glass, attract more applicants and popularize this field. I would like to thank Editor-in-Chief Elizaveta Delorosa for the opportunity to give this interview and note that our collaboration has lasted more than ten years.

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