By Bev Wax, Correspondent
Wed Dec 16, 2009, 12:09 PM EST
Dover-Sherborn - Irina Gorbman, president and founder of the recently
opened Fine Art Vision gallery in Dover, has a vision — to educate those
interested in learning more about the fascinating world of art.
The “art salon” was a former upstairs playroom in her home situated in a
quiet family neighborhood. Opening the door, one is immediately struck by the
beauty and serenity of the small space. However, Gorbman’s goal is not to be
just a “Newbury Street” type retail gallery. Her future plans include lectures,
art and master classes.
The collection represents academically trained European and Russian artists.
Their works are held in public and private collections throughout the world,
including the Library of Congress, the World Bank Collection, the National
Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institution as well as Russian and
European museums such as the Vatican Collection.
While Gorbman believes art can significantly “beautify living space,” she is
passionate about making art “more enjoyable, more engaging, more interesting.”
Previously the owner of a quite successful gallery in Seattle, Gorbman moved to
Dover with her family approximately a year ago. Before living on the West
Coast, she had also lived in Boston working for boutique high-tech consulting
companies.
She holds a master of arts degree from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,
Tufts University, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Moscow
Civil Engineering Institute. Her sister, Galina Botvinnik, said Gorbman began
taking painting classes and has come a long way from “being at zero in her
experience in arts in her younger years. She really has a lot of information to
share. She truly cares about her business. It is much more than a place to sell
art.”
Botvinnik often visits the gallery to feel the beauty that is present. She
compares as a complete opposite to a retail front that is often “cold and dead.
It doesn’t have the heart and soul” of the Fine Art Vision gallery.
Jane Gassko, who knows Gorbman from her Boston residency, attended the open
house held in late November: “She did a good job in the preparation of the
place. She turned the room into a beautiful, warm and bright space. I was
amazed when I first saw it. Her love for art shows in her gallery, her home,
and everything she does.”
Both women fully support Gorbman’s idea to make the gallery more than just a
place to sell art. According to Botvinnik, she has a bigger picture for the
gallery and is striving to make it into a sort of social hub for those
interested in art.
Gassko said it will become an education center for people like herself who
have no formal training in the field, but want to learn more about various art
forms and artists.
Tammy Ricker, a Dover resident with an education from the Museum of Fine
Arts, is already teaching an art class on Tuesday evenings. It is a basic class
to learn about composition, proportion and color mixing.
Gorbman plans to expand her offerings in January and February with lectures
and other types of classes, including children’s. She hopes her studio will
become a little niche for people to come and meet others who want to not only
view, but are also interested in discussing and learning about art: “For
diversification. To learn about art from different cultures, countries and
times.”
As an art consultant, she has a good eye for interior design, and a knack
for selecting the best artwork to occupy a space. She said “to develop a taste
takes time. You don’t go to one art studio. You go to museums to get a sense of
what you like.”
“We focus on academically trained artists. We have high quality art at
reasonable prices,” she added.
Gorbman was born and raised in Moscow, and thus has a sense of the prestige
and reputation of Russian artists. Her clients have come to depend on her
knowledge and sense of style as well. She works with those looking for art that
is “suitable for everyday life” along with collectors that are looking to art
as an investment.
Gorbman’s expertise is evident while explaining the paintings and sculptures
exhibited. These include paintings by Vaho Maskheli, who in 1990 was invited to
represent Eastern European artists at the Goodwill Games. He paints exclusively
in oil on canvases from small to monumental format.
A prominent display is from an Israeli artist, Orna Ben-Shoshan. “It is
metaphysical art,” Gorbman said. The artist paints what she saw in her dreams
or in a meditative state. Ordinary landscapes, figures or objects look
familiar, but “obey a different set of rules.”
Gorbman also represents Peter Schwartzman, whose works include urban
landscapes and a series of architecturally inspired compositions.
He is a graduate of Belarus Polytechnic Institute with a master’s degree in
architecture. Gorbman especially likes his mixed media pieces from Venice:
“They look very good in any lighting and have a good sense of harmony.”
In addition to the works featured at 12 Abbott Road in Dover, Gorbman has a
website, www.FineArtVision.com, with approximately 35 artists’ works listed for
sale. Detailed biographies are available. Works also can be sorted by more than
15 styles.
Gallery hours are by appointment. For more information, call 508-494-9772 or
e-mail Irina@FineArtVision.com.