"In my works everyone must find himself ",
said young caricaturist Ramiz Imanov
Caricature is one of the most interesting genres of art, with tangle of humor, satire, fantasy and the ability to experiment. Just remember the time of silent film when the actors, producers, and cameramen achieved all the thoughts, feelings and emotional experience by way of minimal effects - moving hands and lips, eyes expression and even a gait. In practice, that is the thing faced by artists-caricaturists. Their specific feature is the ability of exact transmission of the interest object's character. There are not so many experts of such genre in our country. Our interlocutor, despite his young age, has achieved considerable success in such kind of art.
Ramiz Imanov is the author of 600 caricatures, the list of his comic works is replenished each day. Since his childhood he loves drawing. Seeing such insuperable desire and diligence, his parents have brought him to a children's circle of creativity in the Palace of pioneers named after Y.Gagarin. And already at the age of eight, Ramiz Imanov entered Baku school of Arts N1. The genre seized him so much that when changing the school for a sports school of Olympic reserve and being engaged in dju-do, he did not quit drawing, and already then he tried to get engaged in caricature. Who if not teachers and schoolmates could become the first target of his satiric illustrations? Already in the sixth grade, Ramiz drew caricatures on all of them having added humorist quatrains. Later, when being a holder of master's degree at the University of Arts, together with his friend in the same year they created the student humorist newspaper "Art-Obstrel" (Art-Firing).
With the lack of experience for publishing newspaper and necessary technical equipment, the young people issued 120 copies of the publication, with the support of own enthusiasm. It was the initiative of the group of like-minded students which was not agreed with the university leadership. It is not surprise that right after the first issue, the publication of such newspaper was prohibited. However, every cloud has a silver lining. One issue of Art-Obstrel was enough to pay attention to Ramiz Imanov's quite brave ideas in the newspaper work. His illustrations with comical style have been published first in the pages of the AutoPlus magazine, then in "Press-fact", and now in "Bizim ASR" ?
- Ramiz, why do you prefer the genre of caricature?
- I have always held such opinion, that everyone should do what he is good at. Besides, there always lived a revolutionary spirit inside me. I remember the day of mourning - January 20th - at school, in a pointed manner I have taken off my red tie and threw it away. I was about to be punished for such action. Ridiculous laws of society were always strange for me. It is natural that all this should be finally poured out in something. Such genre of caricature was just that self-expression. Satire and humor are the powerful influence for any society, mainly for intelligency.
-What about your sense of humor?
Actually, most people consider me very dismal, though the people who are close to me know it is not so.
-There was a time when caricature had a huge popularity. Just recollect the numerous periodicals of the 20s, which did not represent itself without comic illustrations. In your opinion, is the genre of caricature actual today?
Some people take it wrong thinking that caricature is that style of creativity which is actual only in any certain period of time, and afterwards becomes unnecessary. Going back to history, the engravings of Albrecht Durer having a comical sense are still actual. I prefer working in style of associative caricature, i.e. without a presence of dialogues. As a result, many people, for example, treat the same work of mine differently. Shortly, my works give people the opportunity for flight of their ideas, imagination and comprehension of any work. I am sure, that my caricatures of three or four years' prescription will not lose their actuality today.
-What is this genre?
This is a specific way of influencing the society. In my opinion, any self-esteeming newspaper must have humorous illustrations on the credit side. Being the fourth authority, press's aim is to direct society in necessary course, and here caricature plays not last role, as it is humorous illustration that implements the entire part of information. I am sure this is the subject of today.
-What perspectives does the genre have in future?
I think, in the future such genre will integrate. Truly, today's caricaturists have too primitive goals. I mean that with the help of caricature they try to insult or humble concrete people, political figures. Actually caricature must carry a wider sense and meaning. Others prefer working anyhow, persecuting quantity and forgetting quality. Most people criticize my working out in detail. Up to now, I have never participated at any exhibition or review, and all this is because of my opinion that everyone should be critical toward himself.
-What about the situation with caricature in Azerbaijan?
Caricature in our country is at a very low level. It is possible to count specialists of such genre on your fingers. Besides, there is not official union of caricaturists in the country. However, some people dealing with caricature concentrate all their efforts around the journal "Kirpi", not noticing that there are many talented people wishing to work in this genre.
-As far as I know, some of your works are possible to find in the Russian site of caricature...
I have been long observing the internet-site www.caricatura.ru , where are represented famous masters of this genre. After a few weeks of correspondence, I have been given opportunity to place my works on the site aimed at integration of CIS artists. Here you can find 17 works of mine and reference to them. The most interesting thing is that other nationalities found something peculiar to them in my caricatures which contained implications close to my country's mentality. This means that the art of caricature must be international, for which I have been striving since the first days of my activity.
-What are you engaged in now?
I have presented my three works to a contest of caricaturists to be held in framework of the 3rd All-Republican forum of youth supported by ministry of youth, sport and tourism. That is the first contest of such kind in Azerbaijan. However, several artists from our country have submitted their applications for participation, that's why due to the lack of materials, the organizers had to distribute invitations all over the world. For today, about eighty works have been represented. In a nutshell, the republican competition grew into international. We want to believe that our artists will be noted at it, as it is like a support for development of national caricature. Besides, 1 June in Germany will be held international contest "All about pumpkins", where I am also going to take part at. In future, I plan to produce short animated filma in the genre of caricature. I am currently searching for new technology for animated cartoon production, as old technique is already labour-intensive for such project. So, I addressed the Lider TV design studio and hope that together we will be able to devise something interesting and new in the world of making of animated cartoon. The films will have no dialogues, in which I will continue the tradition of caricature I am dealing with. There was a time when I was categorically refused to place my caricature in some publications. People were not able to comprehend my creative work, saying that today's caricature should not have a satirical character and it must accuse society of political faults.
-Have you ever tried to create caricatures on our political figures?
I guess, each person has to find himself in my works. This creative work is based on the ideas of minimalism, when with the help of tiny effects the artist show the society's peculiarities: its current situation, morals and manners... Some people laugh at a very unremarkable, in my opinion, work among twenty. It means that all this is relative.
-Each artist has a muse...
All I do is dedicated to my wife.
"Our Century" newspaper materials 2002
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