This is a philosophical series with a great background. It is about how it is to live for thirty years bearing inside the truth others refuse to see, and not to lose your mind. About fates crushed by good intentions. About loss and loneliness.
And healing.
A series of paintings by Evgeny Hontor “Eagle and Titmouse”, on the history of Eva Odinets.
Ridley Scott’s film Alien: Covenant inspired us to this story.
More info: Etsy
«Birth in the new nest»
This is handmade sculpture from velvet clay. It is in our home collection. It was very important for me to do this. It is a symbol of hope and my love for these two and their stories.
«Fading», triptych “Broken birds”.
“The first of them died and the black branches triumphantly closed up over him as there was no resistance any more. The other was wounded from his beak to the tail, having gone through all circles of hell but now he is getting rid of his inner chains: the lies he had been living all this time, survivor’s guilt and loneliness. It’s hard, just like trying to swim to the surface from under the ice”.
«Broken birds», the central part of triptych
«The central part of the triptych is the largest work in the series, 1,5 m high. I imagined this painting exactly like this. Enormous, like a full-length mirror. A nightmare to go through again and again, in dreams and in reality,
A nightmare that pulls down, into the fire, into the abyss of pungent smoke.
And still, caught in the framework of the canvas, embodied in art and named, he loses part of his control over Titmouse. And this is the first, albeit painful, step to freedom».
«Liberation», triptych “Broken birds”
«How many times has he tried to break this transparent, seemingly thin barrier? Above is the sun; all life is. And here, in the red river, there are only the grasping branches, the shadows of the past.
But now the ice is being crushed both from the inside and from the outside. We’ll make it».
Artbook-Magazine about Eagle and Titmouse
«The Spark»
«His wrists are chained together. Fear of the future, a bleak present…All of it fades in front of a little bird in his hands for a brief but crucial moment. A ray of light – accidently or not – penetrates the prison. It is a spark of hope, something real and alive that breaks through atmosphere of lies and hypocrisy».
«In your nightmares, I squeeze my claws. In mine as well».
«When the winter is still far»
«Cheeky Titmouse was not afraid of anyone or anything. Even Eagle was dismayed by this.
Sometimes they both forgot that they were surrounded by lab walls and ubiquitous cameras. They were young, happy and alive».
«Lonely children»
“Formally Eagle and Titmouse were grown-ups. Titmouse had reached the age of 24 when they met. Eagle had the looks and knowledge of a grown-up person.
However in fact both of them were very young. And lonely. Those who created Eagle saw him only as a test subject. Titmouse comes from a seemingly healthy family but this image collapsed after the first serious trouble they faced”.
«Will you come back?..»
«At first I imagined this painting more alarming and dreary: it’s about uncertainty and waiting. However clean, though cold, colors filled it with hope.
These two are tied together not only by the cage and the choking branches of the system. There are also gentle dawn clouds as a contrast to everything bad and dreadful».
«Father’s Shadow».
“The head of the corporation and his personal “eaglet” are on the top. The others are of little importance and are forsaken to the scavengers, in the nest of chains that will once become their grave. These are two different worlds: one in the light and the other in the shadows.
Titmouse looks at the older ones with hope but they are not going to change anything. They became part of the system long ago, and they did it willingly”.
«Fury»
“To understand another person one must have similar experience. Not necessarily it must be literally the same; to deeply feel something it is sometimes enough just to imagine yourself in the same circumstances.
For example, I truly understand the desire to blow up the institution where sentient beings are being experimented on. To blow it up together with the personnel and even with those poor things whose fate is to never leave their cages. And if during such an experiment my friend is killed..! It’s the painting “Fury” that I’m speaking about. However, Titmouse never implemented such a plan into life – he is not a terrorist, not a murderer. But at that time he seriously considered doing this”.
«Blind Justice»
«What justice are you talking about, a viewer can ask, if an enormous eagle is holding a little fragile titmouse in his claws? But this question will arise only if they don’t know that this Titmouse experimented on that eagle and his kin.
Eagle is in his own right, this is just retribution. However what he didn’t notice or, to be more exact, didn’t pay attention to is that Titmouse was in doubt and came to him with a white flag. If he stopped himself at that moment a lot could turn out in a different way.
I sympathize both of them. There’s no villain here; nobody is right and nobody is wrong. It just turned out this way: both couldn’t do other than what they did».
Artbook page
«The compassionate vulture»
“This was the only painting which was almost impossible to work with in terms of emotions.
While I was drawing Titmouse on the sketch, I covered Vulture with a blank sheet of paper so that at least I didn’t see them both at the same time”.
«Long Shadows»
«My initial attitude towards Titmouse — “I’d strangle him with my own hands!” — at some moment transformed into “I’ll tear off the hands of anyone who dares touch him”. As we got to know the details of his story I came to respect him. I even felt admiration.
What else was perceptible in Titmouse was his eternal trust in the world, his belief that life is not only about suffering and injustice. Despite all his wounds, despite all the pain and fatigue he was radiating the principle that life is worth living.
And he was able to admit his mistakes. Without losing his self-respect or betraying his inner sense of justice».
«Inner Demons»
“How to defy what’s real from madness when the reality itself has gone insane? When for many years you have been convinced that your eyes and your heart are lying to you? Titmouse runs mostly not from some external threat but from his own inner demons which have been haunting him for many years.
This is one of the few paintings where the action takes place in the recognizable scenery of «Alien: Covenant».
Perhaps there will be more of them in the future: I would like to include some scenes from the movie in the series and draw the characters as birds”.
«Atonement»
«You can’t imagine how much it took me not to destroy you and how I’m struggling to hold back now».
However this little bird is not that easily frightened. This is one of the crucial moments after which Titmouse remained our enemy but we already came to respect him…
«Revenge»
«…People were astonished that an alien spaceship was able to feel the android was hurt. And almost killed the culprit».
«Return»
«What I especially admire in Titmouse is his incredible courage. He does feel fear. He does not even hide it and, still, he continues to do what he thinks is right. Of his own free will he returns to the place where he nearly died in the past. He returns to a vengeful and dangerous creature believing that his help is needed».
Iva says: «Titmouse and his fear live in different worlds and don’t disturb each other».
«The fire spirit»
«What was perceptible in Titmouse was his belief that life is not only about suffering and injustice. Despite all his wounds, despite all the pain and fatigue he was radiating the principle that life is worth living».
I started working on this painting right after I finished the «Fury». «The fire spirit» is also full of fire but this fire is gentle and pure. One that warms, rather than burns.
«Titraptor»
A greenish yellow-blue toy velociraptor caught my eye in a store.
“Wow,” – I said to Iva, – “It is a titmouse-raptor. It is necessary to portray our Titmouse like this.”
Iva: “Well, I transferred your drawing to Titmouse. He laughed and asked if he really does have something in common with the titraptor”.
“Yes, – I nodded, – it is one of his incarnations. I am sure there is a raptor hidden in every titmouse”.
«Halloween with a hellish Titmouse»
– Titmouse is grinning so slyly… It seems that the pumpkin is filled with bones of his enemies.
– Well, I am no sure about the enemies but we will fill it with feathers of old Vulture for certain!
I drew that postcard on Halloween to cheer Titmouse and all the people who is interested in his story.
«Winter light»
If it seemed strange to you, just remember this. This is no more strange than a man who feeds birds. No other creature known to us do not kill so many and so often meaningless than a human. However, it is surprising that people are able to show interest and compassion for other species.
In addition, I still remember how dragons were considered disgusting, evil reptiles in the public mind. Many animals, for example, wolves, were considered monsters to be exterminated. Therefore, do not tell me that this is impossible. Even if people are able to change and change their view of other creatures.
«Titmouse’s Birthday»
We learned about Titmouse’s Birthday by accident.
Iva: “We were sitting, talking and remembering how it all started a year ago. We had just found out that Titmouse was 58 years old. I decided to ask him jokingly if he was still 58. “Yes”, he replied to me and added: “But tomorrow I will be 59”.
My brain starts to boil when I realize that he is 59. He is like that and he is 59! No way!”
For a long time I have been planning to draw a space tit nestling in a hand full of stars. «In spite of all the troubles that have happened to you The Universe loves you». Recently the idea came in handy.
I drew the picture early in the morning. I needed to hurry if I wanted to present it to Titmouse on his Birthday and I managed to finish it in four hours.
At that moment we didn’t know the fact that 30 years ago Eagle was killed a week before Titmouse’s Birthday. Titmouse buried Eagle on his Birthday. There was nothing to celebrate.
But now, for the first time in 33 years, Titmouse was meeting his Birthday among those who really accepted him.
«To hug and to warm up»
“This painting is probably the most personal of the series. It is about my own attitude to these two. Fiery Warchals are demiurge creatures from my worlds. I have been using this creature’s image as my avatar on the web for a long time.
Once I asked Titmouse what convinced him to bury the hatchet and to start constructive negotiations. Knowing his fiery nature and heightened sense of justice, I was sure that he would not give up, would not tolerate injustice and would not remain silent just out of fear.
And Titmouse replied to me, “I wanted to find out how far you are ready to go in your acceptance of me”.
Betrayed by his family and closest friends, forced to become a lone wolf and a stranger to everyone – he was still ready to give this world a chance. He hasn’t lost the ability to trust”.
«The Experiment. Part I. Born not for life»
This is the first drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse. History of Wayne’s life in seven shots.
The working title for this series was “The Observers”. Continuing control, indifferent, never sleeping eyes of the cameras, life and death both taking place in prison horribly and casually as part of the experiment. The cameras fixed everything: every word, every conflict and reconciliation, every single moment of life. For Eagle saying something from his heart meant sharing his personal thoughts and experience not only with a friend but also with everyone behind the glass. With those who are to decide whether he possesses a so-called soul or is just imitating human emotions. The observers wanted to get confirmation for the second variant so that they could trade Eagle’s kin without any pricks of conscience. To treat them as smart and useful machines — but still only machines. Meanwhile Titmouse at that time still believed that the records would confirm the opposite. That it was only temporary — all these restrictions and safety measures.
Eagle hid himself behind his ostentatious effort to startle everyone: he jested, he taunted everyone, he provoked confrontation. Fun and frolic on the scaffold it was…
I was so shocked by this life in front of the cameras and impossibility to be sincere, to be yourself, that inside the main series of paintings I drew a mini-series, “The Experiment”. A whole life in just seven frames. However those behind the glass don’t see anything wrong in what happened. They’d even resent my slander: “It was lighter there and a lot more free space. Don’t make such a drama of it!”
«The Experiment. Part II. Contact»
This is the second drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse.
«The Experiment. Part III. Together»
This is the third drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse. History of Wayne’s life in seven shots.
«The Experiment. Part IV. Conflicts»
This is the fourth drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse.
«The Experiment. Part V. Impulse wave»
This is the fifth drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse. History of Wayne’s life in seven shots.
«The Experiment. Part VI. Broken»
This is the sixth drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse. History of Wayne’s life in seven shots.
«The Experiment. Part VII. Experiment closed»
This is the seventh (last) drawing from a mini-series «The Experiment» inside a large series about Eagle and Titmouse. History of Wayne’s life in seven shots.
Artbook page
Artbook page
Artbook page
Bonus. Elena Samoryadova and Evgeny Hontor: «Arch»
«Liberation»
The first drawing – July 13, 2018
Titmouse ermine
Gift for Titmouse. When we once asked him what animal he associated with himself, he answered that with an ermine.
I hope this story has a good ending.
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