Diana Ivanycheva
Painting in Time: Time and Art in Andrei Tarkovsky’s Art Cinema by Diana Ivanycheva A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Slavic Languages and Literatures Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies University of Alberta ©Diana Ivanycheva, 2019 Abstract This dissertation is an attempt to explain how Tarkovsky uses paintings of famous artists such as Andrei Rublev, Pieter Bruegel, Leonardo da Vinci, and Piero della Francesca in order to address the question of cinematic temporality and spirituality in his films. The dissertation expands on what has already been written on the issue of spirituality and temporality with regards to Tarkovsky’s aesthetics. It focuses on how time is represented—or how the experience of time is represented—in the paintings shown in Tarkovsky’s films and how these manifestations contribute to the spiritual qualities of the cinematic medium. I argue that it is through this specific treatment of time seen as tightly connected to the paintings that Tarkovsky’s films acquire their status of spiritual cinema. By incorporating religious art and by focusing on the ideas of spiritual practice, such as contemplation, Tarkovsky explores the question of the transcendental, while tightly connecting it to our experience of time. This thesis coordinates critical theories on time, temporality, memory, autobiography, and nostalgia with film and photography theories, literary theory, and art history. The thesis is organized around four of Tarkovsky’s films in which paintings are used as an essential part of the cinema aesthetic. The first chapter focuses on the connection between time and spirituality via the use of Russian icon painting in Andrei Rublev.
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