Leather-bound book "Poems and Elements" illustrated by Peter Perevezentsev

The composition of this short anthology is subjective. Both the artist created the strokes for the composition and the compiler selected the poems for the four—volume book. Archaic art collides with modernity, thoughtful contemplation collides with impetuous expression. Don't look for a chronology or a textbook "table of ranks" here. You are in the realm of the Elements! The storehouse of Russian classics is inexhaustible, and our anthology invites you to an independent search...

In setting the order of volumes, we turned to the most visual scheme of the cycle of the Elements, among which there is no precedence, the zodiac circle. Thus, the astronomical year begins with the sign of Aries, dedicated to the Element of Fire.

The art of graphics includes many printing techniques, combined by the term "print" (fr. estampe). Etching is particularly distinguished by its freedom and variety of means of expression. The name of this group of techniques comes from eau forte, the French name for nitric acid. In an etching, the printed form is obtained by chemical etching. A drawing (stroke) applied by the artist's hand to the metal surface and etched with acid can be filled with ink to produce an impression (gravure printing method). Or it will remain white on the print, in the case of printing "high". Then the ink is rolled onto the entire surface of the printing plate, which is not affected by etching. Using high-quality printing, the artist deals with contrasting tonal masses, as if highlighting the drawing from the darkness. The honed rigor of the stroke is combined here with a mysterious, romantic play of light and shadow. It is in this rather rare type of etching that the graphic suite for the anthology "Poems and Elements" is made.