Even though the name of the series is Tutankhamen, the paintings, as well as the inspiration for them, are neither about the pharaoh nor even Egypt.

Tutankhamen is a song by the Russian rock band Nautilus Pompilius released in 1994, during the hungry1990s in Russia. I translated the lyrics in a way how I understand the meaning of the song and split it into seven paintings. The first five collages are smaller in size (8×11 in framed), while the last two have a bigger format (16×20 in framed). 

I love playing around with words and images, wondering how this or that message, painting, book, or picture from the past can be seen and understood today, or what the new image of the same message would look like now. For the Tutankhamen series, I chose the aesthetics of Gustav Kilmt’s works. 

We all heard about ancient Egypt, its culture and mythology, their beliefs and traditions. When the Art Deco movement was blooming, many artists, including Klimt, were heavily influenced by the art and culture of ancient Egypt, which was rediscovered and popularized in the early 20th century after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. This fascination was fueled by a growing interest in exotic and mysterious cultures.

Tutankhamen, or King Tut, ascended to the throne of pharaoh around the age of nine and reigned until his death around the age of nineteen. He also was known as the Ruler of Upper Heliopolis and the Ruler of Maat (truth, balance, harmony, law, morality, and justice). And this connection, I think, lay as the subject of this very surrealistic and symbolical song. It may have many layers of understanding, including a message to all rulers. However, the main moral as I see it is “think FIRST and THEN do, and take responsibility for your actions”.

Tutankhamen 1

If you chose to drink with thieves watch your wallet to be secure.

The message of this phrase is very clear. We choose friends and that choice determines the consequences. The way people treat others, one day they will treat you, and it’s stupid to be surprised by the fact it happened. 

If we do something and blame that peers pushed us to do it, the questions is who are these friends?

In the central part of the painting, you can see a fragment from Beethoven Frieze painting by Klimt, depicting the monster Typhoeus’s daughters: Lust, Unchastity and Intemperance. They look like at the distance, so the viewer has a choice to join them and share his bottle or not.

Tutankhamen 2

If you chose to walk the muddy road your feet will get dirty, for sure. 

This statement is also clear and obvious, but people often forget about it and make little bad things or big crimes hoping that others will never find the truth. In my painting, I used a fragment from the Procession of The Dead painting by Klimt, where bodies move like in a mythological river to the Kingdom of the Dead. And there is a just-killed pigeon, whose blood fills the road. If you start a war, your hands will be full of blood. But you as a viewer still have a choice to step on this road or not.

Tutankhamen 3

If you choose to pull out your hair you can’t put it back on

Yes, there are many things that we can’t undo, fix, or send “sorry” instead. You can’t unsay the word, you can’t unbreak the dishes. This painting has a fragment from the allegory of tragedy by Klimt, showing false “sorry” feelings, and a lot of broken china dishes as symbols of things we can’t undo. When hundreds of thousands in wars got killed, injured, raped or seized, you can’t undo it. At any means.

Tutankhamen 4

And your head is always in charge of where to land your bottom

Of course, there are many reasons why we do this or that things. Sometimes, society or situation corners us and we have to do some things that go against our beliefs or norms. But, in fact, there is always a choice of what to do and what not to do. Alternatives may be miserable, but there is always a choice, and we should take responsibility for our actions, and not blame the situation or any other pressing factors.

For this picture, I chose a combination of different subjects. The main character is a woman in a very strange coat. If you look closer, you’ll recognize Judith by Klimt. Judith was a pious young widow from the Jewish city of Bethulia. She beheaded Holofernes, general of the Assyrian army that had besieged her city. Judith was able to enter the tent of Holofernes because of his desire for her. Overcome with drink, he passed out and was decapitated by Judith.

Judith is wearing a jacket full of newspapers, magazines and flyers symbolizing the pressure and noise coming from society. Even though the murder of Holofernes considers to be a brave act, because she saved her people from destruction, it’s still a crime that has to be punished. And there are always supported and surrounded by jackals, people without any true beliefs inside who do menial tasks for another. 

There is no point to blame the others or say that there wasn’t any other choice. We’re always in charge of we’re doing, even being under pressure of any circumstances.

Tutankhamen 5

“There is always only one truth”, said Pharaoh.

He was wise and his name was Tutankhamon

And here we got a link between Tutankhamon and the Truth. For this painting I used two different pictures by Klimt: Nuda Veritas (The Naked Truth) and Beethoven Frieze. The Truth looks fearless and she has nothing to hide. She is holding a mirror or truth. The sign of the original painting is saying: “Wahrheit ist Feuer und Wahrheit reden heisst leuchten und brennen”, meaning “Truth is fire and to speak the truth is to shine and burn”. 

Sooner or later the truth and justice will show up and put things on their places.

Tutankhamen 6

I knew one woman that was always leaving through the window
There were tons of doors, but she chose the window
She crashed every time, but she didn’t care, you know

This piece is bigger than the first five. It sounds surreal, but the meaning is quite transparent if the woman is Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess. According to mythology, Ma’at was created when Ra (the god of the son) arose from the waters of Nun (chaos). She was more than just a goddess. Her presence laid down the concept of the universe as an ordered and balanced world, which helped the ancient Egyptians develop a strong sense of morality, truth and justice. She was depicted with an ostrich feather on her head (which was used on the scale of justice) and long wings.  

And the fact that Ma’at had wings explains why she appeared every day and chose a window to leave. And here are the symbols from Gustav Klimt’s paintings: the naked truth, Ma’at and the Golden Knight – “well-armed strong one, to take up the struggle for happiness, impelled by motives of compassion and ambition”. All they together are winning over crimes and bad choices and nothing can kill the truth and justice.

Tutankhamen 7

If you knew her you would never have drunk with thieves
If you knew her you would never have thrown your hair like leaves

The truth with her mirror is above all violence and demons, so if you know that justice exists and when you face her, you wouldn’t act against humanity and kindness. Justice comes, sooner or later.
For this collage, I used old posters, Klimt’s characters and a sketch for The War painting by Henry Rousseau.