Youlian Tabakov belongs to that special breed of artists – most of his work is in set design and illustration, but he is not afraid to devote all his energy to exploring new domains.
Youlian Tabakov belongs to that special breed of artists – most of his work is in set design and illustration, but he is not afraid to devote all his energy to exploring new domains. A while back, his exhibition "Moments," which presented nude photographs of the Bulgarian actress Zlatina Todeva (Mama Zlata), caused public uproar. He entered the world of cinema with the documentary "Tsvetanka," which won him twelve international and national awards. He is also known for his directorial debut in the theater with an adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters. We find him in his usual state – working on several new projects with a smile on his face.
WHICH DO YOU PREFER – WORKING IN THE THEATER OR ON BOOKS?
I find myself preferring books more and more, though most of all I like working on my own projects. I have gotten tired of collaborative art, and I prefer to work in solitude.
WHAT IS PARTICULAR ABOUT WORKING IN THE THEATER OR ILLUSTRATING OF BOOKS?
This is a huge topic with many different aspects, but very briefly: in the theater, the set designer and his team create a specific environment using stage decor, and specific characters using costumes, and the goal of that is, or should be, supporting the director's interpretation of the play, its expression. In illustration (at least the kind of illustration I do), I try to hint – sometimes directly, sometimes less so – at fragments of the story, and my goal is to keep the reader's imagination pointed in a certain direction. In addition, the two art forms are similar in that they create a general visual-aesthetic framework for the presentation of a work, which then contributes to how the reader or viewer perceives and understands the work.
illustrations: The Nursery by Modest Mussorgsky, published by "Kulturni Perspektivi"
IS THERE A CHILD LIVING INSIDE YOU AND WHAT WOULD HE TELL US?
Probably yes, in so far as each of us has a child still living inside of us. Lately, however, I have been much more interested in the mature adult than the child, and I value my relationship with him more. When I'm in Bulgaria, I feel like I'm in a giant kindergarten where everyone pretends to be an adult. A bit like when we used to play doctor…
WHAT ARE SOME BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD THAT HAVE STUCK WITH YOU?
My favorites were the animal illustrations in my grandfather's encyclopedias, as well as some of the books with fairytales from all over the world – Indian, African, Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. My most favorite was and still remains A Walk in the Zooby Stancho Matevski, Raina Kutova and Rita Handjieva. I've never liked children's books with stylized illustrations.
WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?
I'm doing an art residency at the Paris Cité des arts from September 15 to November 13, then on November 18 I have a premiere at the Teater Giljotin in Stockholm with Someone Is Going to Come Homeby Jon Fosse, and on December 8 Two for the See saw by William Gibson opens at the Mažazis Theater in Vilnius. I'll spend the rest of December filming the documentary I am currently working on.
Illustrations: Block No. 4 by Zornitsa Hristova, Tochitsa Publishing House
BULGARIA OR ABROAD?
When it comes to work – definitely abroad, but not just anywhere, of course. Why? Perhaps the most important thing is that Bulgaria has not been inspiring me lately. Especially after the movie Tsvetanka, which I made with a few friends in 2012, and which exhausted the subject, at least for me. On the purely technical side: there is almost nothing about the work that is worth the HASSLE, so to speak; the extremely poor organization and working conditions, the fact that most members of the staff either don't do their job, or don't do it well, which means that I often have to do it instead of them. Or the staff does the work because it pays well, and the performance is at a decent level, but you can sense that they misunderstand the nature of the activity, that it is all mercantile, which I personally do not like in the least, even when everything gets done on time and the quality is acceptable or even good. Budgets are inadequately low and so is the pay, there is not enough respect for this kind of work and its final result, and the maintenance of the finished product is abysmal (the play often runs for years, and it is sad to see everything in pieces right after the premiere), you deal with inflated egos, ridiculous posturing and overblown confidence, and people lack an understanding of aesthetics or aesthetic criteria. Of course, this does not apply to everyone, and my heart aches when I watch talented artists who are forced to work under such conditions, or when I work alongside them. As for my free time – I spend more and more of it abroad. Why? Because the world is full of beauty and surprises, and it's waiting for us to come see it. Why limit ourselves?
WHAT IS THE VISUAL EQUIVALENT OF WORDS?
Everything that can be seen.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED FUNDING?
Maybe I would open an alternative restaurant.
illustrations: Dona's Tales by Vasil Nastev
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL?
Mongolia, Central Asia, South America, New Zealand, Oceania.
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