The Mariners

Andrey Ostashov • Series "2020"
Bronze, granite. 52?70, h = 105 cm

This version is written for a high-end art catalog, emphasizing the metaphorical and philosophical aspects of the piece.
This work represents a departure from the typical context of Andrey Ostashov’s characters, where a weapon is often a central attribute. Instead, it invites us into a world of fairytales and fantasy—waves upon which we sway like the vessel perched atop the female figure’s head. While other works convey a specific action or a readiness to act, this image embodies a state of pure harmony and equilibrium. This balance can be interpreted both literally—the cumbersome ship and bear she supports on her head—and figuratively, as a symbol of inner stability.
The subject does not face the viewer; she is introspective, her eyes half-closed and her face focused. Unlike his other heroines, she is fully clothed, her posture "closed" and turned inward toward her own meditation. A fascinating detail is the shape of the back of her head, or perhaps her hair styled to resemble a sea shell. This element signals her belonging to the world of fantasy, despite other factors attesting to her human origin.
The composition atop her head can be viewed as both a literal object and an abstract, invented element—a physical manifestation of the girl’s imaginary world. Designed as a unique finial or helmet, the ship with the bear transports us back to a world of stories and childhood dreams of travel and adventure. Consequently, this cool, concentrated, and withdrawn image gains a sense of warmth, softness, and childlike naivety.