In many ways Nikolay Totev is an “unusual” artist, definitely one of the few representatives of “Art Brut” in Bulgaria. This art is also known as Outsider Art, a term coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for Art Brut (raw/rough art), a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture. Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane asylum inmates (wikipedia.org). Totev’s works like “Ring Dance”, referred to as “Welcome to the EU” by some, and “Portrait of a Cockroach” are extremely expressive, approximating Dubuffet’s works in caliber. Dubuffet characterized Art Brut as, “Those works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses - where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere - are, because of these very facts, more precious than the productions of professions.”
This is a great description of Totev’s works. The protest against norms and collective values attracts him. He does not want any part of the so-called “Culture” of the mainstream and does not want to contribute to it in any way. He does not strive for communication at any cost, especially in terms of commercial art. At the same time postmodern art collectors are very interested in his creations. Totev’s exhibit in Barcelona in 2007 narrows the gap between him and his prospective clients by means of the purest Art Brut forms. His exhibit in Antwerp in 2008 showed that this neo-orthodox combination places him in the free space between postmodern art and Art Brut, attracting the attention of the general public and public institutions alike. The exhibit in Sofia includes paintings, sketches and sculptures. It will run on February 16-March 20 at the GreenCat Gallery of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Sofia – 1 Bulgaria Blvd.
