Sergei Shnurov opened an exhibition of his paintings. — I am a great artist with a capital X

"Brandrealism Retrospective" - ​​an exhibition of paintings and installations by the leader of the "Leningrad" group, which will run in Minsk until mid-January. Immediately, a potential viewer thinks: what does its name reveal to us? Shnurov, in his characteristic sarcastic manner, answers: "The name must be complex in order to confuse the sucker." And so that this sucker, as Sergei says, would feel embarrassed for his incomplete secondary education.

The exhibition of the outrageous showman occupied two floors National Center contemporary arts (probably every Belarusian artist or the sculptor only dreams of such a thing).

The mocking moral of the exhibition is that modern man lives by brands and fully identifies himself with them. Apparently, this is why here you can see a portrait of Zemfira woven on a carpet by Ufa grandmothers, an iconostasis of Stas Mikhailov, Leps glasses on a glass (already or without vodka), Stepashka in a Darth Vader mask, a monument to a girl with an iPhone and other, according to the author, brands of the end XX- early XXI century.

Among the five dozen works there are pictures-frames from the clips of "Leningrad", which also parody the mass obsession with brands.

Exhibit

Bag

Drink in St. Petersburg

Brandrealism is a trend in art invented by the musician himself ten years ago. As conceived by the creator, it reflects the phenomenon of the existence of our contemporaries, who become thoughtless hostages and idolaters of statuses and brands (yes, including Shnurov himself). Many began to call the brand-Cord also an artist, although the ideas of his works are not embodied by him, but by a creative team, about which nothing is known.

Exhibit of the exhibition "This too shall pass!". TV presenter Vladimir Pozner is depicted behind the blinds, on whom Shnurov has a grudge after an interviewin his program

Painting "Shirt". It turns out that the idea is that the viewer opens true meaning pictures only if you turn it 180 degrees.

Before the opening of the Brandrealism Retrospective, a press conference was held at which Sergei Shnurov talked to Belarusian journalists. With him was the artist Vladimir Tsesler and, as the musician put it, he was also his friend and teacher. Attempts to figure out the true essence with their questions modern representative pop culture - sarcasm and trolling. In everything - just a game and a mockery.

“I’m like that magician who touches some nonsense and it turns into a work of art” (from the material sb.by).

“The search in the museum, the fluttering of feelings - all this is funny to me. Here stands a girl and peers into seascapes or meditating on Repin. Isn't it funny?" (from the material onliner.by).

Effortlessly, Shnurov and thus earns on his own brand. The price of a ticket to the exhibition is 20 rubles (and for them you could go to the Opera or Kupalovsky - and, perhaps, really experience the flutter of feelings that Cord does not believe in). For those who have visited recent concert group "Leningrad" - 10 rubles. Such a price for the time spent in vain by "exhibits" (as Sergey calls the audience of his exhibition).

"Chesnok" did not talk to the leader of "Leningrad", but found out the opinion about the exhibition of one of the "exhibits" - Alexei, whose youth and youth took place back in Soviet times.

“What is seen in the works of Shnurov? The desire to hang out, have fun, not think about culture" . And then he recalls his favorite artists:“Shishkin, for example, did not just draw. There are hidden symbols and meanings in his works. How important are the details! The same scarf in the portrait of Pushkin by Orest Kiprensky» .

Alexei refrained from reflecting on the creativity of the creator of brand realism.

“Velasquez, for example, set the further development easel painting. And what remains of Shnurov's activities, you will already see " .

I remembered the words of one of Shnur's songs: "Our people love all kinds of shit." But according to the musician, it is by accepting it in himself that a person is able to defeat him. How far he will surprise us, we will see with time. In the meantime, his videos are gaining new thousands of views. As long as it keeps doing mass art its not that mocking, not that philosophically outrageous stuffing, aggravating the situation of branding the world. So some of the "exhibits" (spectators) of the exhibition could critically designate the direction of Shnurov's art as nonsense (realism). It is only clear that it will not become a brand.

Victoria Gomza

The personality is scandalous and insanely popular in recent times. Together with the Leningrad group, he releases hits, millions of people watch his controversial clips, and every third person sings songs. Who would have thought that Sergey Shnurov paints pictures?

Shnur's childhood and youth

The leader of the Leningrad group was born and raised in St. Petersburg in a family of engineers. Since early years Shnurov was a fan of the luminaries of Russian rock - Shevchuk, the groups "Kino", "Secret", "Zero", and later became a fan of Western rock musicians. After school, Sergei Shnurov entered the Civil Engineering Institute in his hometown but did not finish it. In the early 90s he studied at the Art and Restoration Lyceum and at the Theological Seminary. After graduation, he changed professions: he was a watchman in kindergarten, made fences for graves, which, according to him, he really liked, was a designer in an advertising agency and a PR director at a St. Petersburg radio station.

Musical creativity

Since the beginning of the 90s, Sergey Shnurov began to work on musical projects. His first group, created in 1991, was called "Alkorepitsa" and performed compositions in the style of hardcore rap. A few years later, the team broke up, but a new one appeared - "Van Gogh's Ear", the style of which resembled electronic pop music.

The Leningrad group was born in 1997. It all started with a joke - friends just gathered to play on different instruments. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be fun and hooligan, and after the first concert in the club, the group was a success. In a group in different time there were from 8 to 15 participants, and the selected musical style they called it "alcoholic ska-punk".

A popular group releases albums, changes soloists, breaks up and reunites, but one thing unites it - bright personality Shnurov. He acts in films minor roles and in the role of a cameo, hosts television shows, starred in TV shows, but few people know that Sergei Shnurov writes paintings.

First exhibition in Moscow

Sergei Shnurov began to write pictures in the mid-90s, apparently, he had little fame as a musician and actor. Picturesque canvases exhibited in St. Petersburg. For the first time in the capital, his works were shown to the public in 2010 at the FineArt Gallery, which was facilitated by Sergei's friend, the artist. The exhibition was called "Brandrealism Exclusive" and presented 8 paintings by the musician to the public. According to Sergei, the gallery is small, so how many paintings fit there - so much he put up.

Later, Sergei Shnurov exhibited his paintings in many Russian galleries that deal with contemporary art. The cost of one picture of the leader, according to various sources, is about 30 thousand dollars or euros. In any case, the price level is clear, and the truth is somewhere nearby.

- photo with titles

In each picture, you can find and recognize either a symbol or a projection of a popular brand (from oil to religion). The paintings of Sergei Shnurov (photo below) are quite diverse and provocative. The painting "Act", which depicts the intercourse of two bodies, or "Do not steal", which depicts a kitten crushed to death by a Bosch refrigerator. It should be noted that the size of the canvases is significant, Sergey signs and dates his works.

Shnurov's parody paintings "In the Hermitage", for example, are also presented at exhibitions - this is an imitation famous artists, in a particular case - to Matisse, and the black rectangle at the bottom of the picture is a kind of "hello" to Kazimir Malevich with his "Black Square".

"Road to country M" - a path leading to the horizon in the middle of a red field. A light cloud or a ball of smoke hangs in the sky. In any case, it is quite difficult not to recognize the reference to the brand of cigarettes in the picture. The brand is recognizable, as on most of Cord's canvases.

The painting "Oil" is a panorama of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, torches in columns are burning on the sides, and the water is black due to the presence of oil in it, or this is oil. The aging moon in the sky is accompanied by a lone star - an obvious reference to the Arab countries, which have a significant supply of black gold.

Expert opinion

Art critics agreed that Sergei Shnurov paints paintings whose style can be called "brand realism". Shnurov himself invented and named this style. It is typical for brand realism that the brand, the trademark, and not the person with his experiences, comes first. AT modern world the worship of any trademarks is, unfortunately, quite widespread. Sergey Shnurov, in his usual manner, makes fun of this feature of people and says that he himself is a brand.

creative plans

Now the leader of "Leningrad" is preparing for the opening of a personal exhibition in his native St. Petersburg. According to preliminary information, the exhibition will take place in the museum contemporary art"Erarta", the exhibition will last from February 3 to April 9, 2017. Shnurov planned to open the exhibition in the summer of 2016, but for unknown reasons, the opening of the exposition was postponed to the winter of 2017. The working title of the exhibition is "Brandrealism Retrospective". On the this moment in the Erarta museum you can see Shnurov's painting "Shirt", which depicts a bright yellow product of a famous brand.

Representatives of the museum say that the content of the exposition has not yet been finalized. According to rumors, in addition to paintings, Sergei Shnurov will present other objects of his work. There is an opinion that the exhibition will be dedicated not only to Shnurov, but also to the history and work of his Leningrad group.

In the year of the 20th anniversary of the Leningrad group, its leader Sergei Shnurov made a real gift for his fans: the outrageous musician opened a personal exhibition at the Erarta Museum in St. Petersburg. Among the exhibits are paintings and art objects made in the genre of "brand realism": this direction was invented by Sergei himself 10 years ago. As part of the exhibition, Shnur tried to show people's dependence on famous brands and brands without which not a single day goes by modern man. The main exhibit of the exhibition, according to the musician, was his favorite brand - Sergey Shnurov himself.

"Brands are everywhere"

On February 9, the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art opens an exhibition of Sergei Shnurov "Retrospective of Brand Realism". The exhibition includes paintings and art objects that show the life of a modern person in the world of famous brands. The concept of "brand realism" was coined by the leader of the "Leningrad" group 10 years ago. According to the musician, in the 21st century, a person is surrounded not by pure phenomena, but exclusively by branded products, without which life is no longer possible: for example, people turn to the Wikipedia brand for new knowledge, and an expensive car or the latest iPhone becomes an object of dreams, and that’s it. emotions come down to brands only.

Sergei himself sees brands in absolutely all items. “They are in everything,” says the musician. - Putin, Russia, mother - all these are brands. For 10 years I have been shouting that Sergey Shnurov is also a brand. Everyone knows me."

The musician came up with the concept of "brandrealism" 10 years ago. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova

The idea to embody his thoughts on this subject in one exposition visited Shnurov for a long time. "Leningrad" has long ceased to exist in the media space without a visual range, - explains the leader of the group. “The visual accompaniment in the form of an exhibition has become a logical continuation of my work.” With the help of Instagram, Sergei chose several associates for himself, who helped him create paintings and installations. The musician himself calls himself an artistic director.

From Milonov to Zemfira

Shnurov showed the most famous Russian and foreign brands in his art objects. So, the musician depicted a can of Coca-Cola in the form of a coffin filled with sugar cubes. "Like" in in social networks is made in the form of male genitalia, and the installation "Russian End" appears in the form of three taps of samovars on a different background - white, gold and red. A separate part of the exhibition is dedicated to national music. The installation of an empty glass and dark glasses Cord called succinctly: "Leps-spel." Behind the door of the golden wardrobe hangs a portrait of Stas Mikhailov, the favorite of women of Balzac age - this is the art object "Iconostasis". Against their background, a huge knitted fabric stands out, on which Zemfira is depicted. “I knitted myself,” Sergey boasts. - I took the knitting needles in the business class of the plane and go!

The coffin in the form of a can of Cola is filled with sugar cubes. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova

Among the media people, Shnurov did not ignore Vladimir Pozner, in whose program the musician previously presented himself not with better side. Sergey placed the portrait of the TV presenter behind the blinds and called the object "And it will pass." In the center of the hall is an installation of the letters of Dmitry Medvedev's phrase: "There is no money, but you hold on." Some of the letters of the expression have already fallen on their side.

Shnurov decided to show his talent as an artist in several paintings presented at the exhibition. The heroes of the pictures of the leader of "Leningrad" were the heroes of the clips of the group, the deputy Vitaly Milonov and, of course, Sergey himself. In one of the paintings, Cord depicted his native Petersburg: on canvas, an overweight man in a bathing suit hovers over the historical center of the city. The picture is called "Light Hangover".

In the painting "A slight hangover" a man flies over St. Petersburg. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova

Beauty is not worth looking for

Shnurov asks the audience not to look for aesthetics or beauty at his exhibition: the musician set himself completely different goals. “Romance has remained in past centuries, and we live in the 21st century,” Sergey emphasizes. - I will not say why I created this exhibition, why it is needed: this is my internal instruction. I like this exhibition because it is mine. It's enough".

The leader of "Leningrad" expects to look at his creative work will come to a wide audience. For his part, the musician promises to try himself in new areas and continue to surprise his fans. Sergei is pleased with all the exhibits at the exhibition, without exception, but he refuses to comment on their meaning: “Everything I wanted to say, I have already said in my works,” cuts off Shnurov. Sergei does not have a favorite painting or installation either. “The exhibit is non-static,” the musician believes. - The main feature is reflected in the song of the same name: nothing is nothing, and everything can become that exhibit in the world of contemporary art. At this exhibition, the main exhibit is me!

Sergey Shnurov's exhibition "Retrospective of Brand Realism" can be seen at the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art until April 9. A visit to the exhibition is included in the price of a ticket to the museum.

The ex-leader of the Leningrad group and the leader of the Rubl group, Sergei Shnurov, opened an exhibition of his paintings in Moscow.

"Exclusive brand realism" is a creative concept developed and implemented by Sergei Shnurov as a protest against the development of the conjuncture and the influence of certain monopolists on the mass consciousness.

Each of the paintings contains either a symbol or a projection of a particular brand, from oil to religion.

Painting "Oil"

The Apocalypse is already near, - the 37-year-old restorer of works from wood of the 4th category Shnurov voices his author's manifesto. - If you have not decided yet and still drink kvass, then tomorrow it may be too late.

Shnurov was fond of painting for a long time and even exhibited in his native St. Petersburg, but his works have not yet been shown in the Russian capital. The exhibition includes eight paintings painted from the late 90s to the mid-00s. All of them are sold, albeit not cheap. For example, the canvas "Act" is estimated at 30 thousand euros.

“My friend, the artist Dmitry Shorin, has long wanted me to “light up” as his colleague in Moscow. And the gallery responded from his submission Fine Art. I just went with the flow and didn't put much effort into it. The exhibition is called Exclusive Brand Realism. It's about how people today worship trademarks of well-known companies. The gallery is small, so how many paintings fit, so many were hung, ”the musician explained "Rossiyskaya Gazeta".

"Act"

Sergei Shnurov. "In the Hermitage". 2005

"Do not steal"

"Fig"

"hut"

"Everyone knows that in the old days, when Sergei Shnurov was not yet the odious leader of the Leningrad group, he did not swear at every opportunity, and did not become part of mass consciousness, he was going to become a restorer, architect and theologian, and at the same time was fond of painting. But it is better, as they say, to see once.

The exhibition presents a relatively recent series of paintings. In 2005, Shnurov returned to his painting experiences and came up with an original concept of brand realism. What this means, no one except Shnurov himself knows, but according to him, “brand realism” is the replacement of true reality with an invented reality. That is, when a brand defines a person. A situation when a person's personality fades into the background, and a person's self-expression occurs through his commitment to a particular brand.

In practice, his pictures are quite diverse. There are quite provocative ones. For example, a kitten crushed to death by a refrigerator. He lies in a pool of blood next to a huge modern white Bosch machine. The canvas is called - "Do not steal." Or here is a panorama of the Strelka of Vasilyevsky Island. On the sides, rostral columns smoke like torches, and the water, if you look closely, is dark because of the oil flowing through it. Actually, this is not even water at all, but simply oil is. There are also frankly parodic things. For example, a rehash of Matisse with a speaking caption “In the Hermitage” or a black rectangle with greetings to Kazimir Malevich, as you understand.

But nevertheless, these canvases give out in Shnurov an intelligent and indifferent person. True, anyone who accuses him of these “vices” has every chance of being sent to a known address, unless, of course, he has the intention of buying a painting.

May 15 - June 20, Fine Art Gallery (Moscow) - Sergey Shnurov "Brandrealism Exclusive"

and finally, I really liked caritna"Cherevichki", ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina

p.s. no, i don't want heaven. it's just - small gas scarves hanging on a tree and glaring in the sun. lying is always easy, just pretending to be good, moving the arrows to external factors reality. instead of just saying. I don't want. or is it better not to throw out spontaneous phrases - yes, tomorrow, and then again come up with a bunch of excuses ... this tempers, this allows you to easily maneuver a moth on a trampoline, relating to all reality with gentle irony and with undisguised charm to play, already play, enjoying process and not thinking about the result, not to turn the earth and spread the clouds with your hands, not to be afraid of solid glass walls and the silence of night calls, but to treat reality easily .. do you want to ... please, do you want to? I am also for ... you can come up with a lot of games and interesting labyrinths on this basis ... you can .... where are we? in the music that we listen to at night, in the stars we look at while listening to this music, in our loneliness, which everyone strives to get into, and when they get there, get out?

you can get out for five minutes to find out who writes on your wall .... I don’t like the day, I’m an owl, I can’t stand the sun, but I love water, I hate calm and madly in love with the sea breeze))

draw me the sea, draw me

so that the ships set off on a long journey,

so that the wind of the chosen ones intoxicates,

and you did not believe in the theory of the chosen ones.

and she cursed the coin, did not believe in his dreams,

she was angry at the showers of water, and kept hitting the wall of ice.

years have passed since then, hot nonsense trail covered the sand,

only often everyone in the middle of the night dials: "hello, my dear friend"

without you, the bed is hard again, help me listen to the material, I'm lying, and I'm standing now,

well, hands dry for you ....

People who are closely familiar with the work of Sergei Shnurov know that music is not the only form artistic expression which he is using. The leader of "Leningrad" has another passion - painting. Erarta, the most informal museum in St. Petersburg, will soon open personal exhibition his works. The direction in which Cord works, he himself calls the coined term "brand realism", and his signature and most recognizable painting is "Shirt" with the emblem of Dolce & Gabbana. However, Shnurov is far from the only public person who skillfully handles a brush and paints. HELLO.RU presents a selection of 15 celebrities who could well become professional artists.

Text: / Photo: PA Images, Instagram, Legion-media, Personal archives, SplashNews/Gallo Images RUS

Prince Charles

Prince Charles while working on location, 1998

Prince Charles is an enthusiastic collector and gardener, philanthropist and traveler. However, not many people know about another hobby of the Prince of Wales - painting. Charles began to paint watercolors in the 70s, in impulses of inspiration and guided by his own intuition. Later, he managed to communicate and learn from the experience of real masters of their craft - British artists Brian Organ and Derek Hill. Sources close to the royal house say that the prince regularly takes up brushes during his days off, paints outdoors and finishes paintings in one breath. The first time the paintings of Prince Charles were presented to the public in 1977 at Windsor Castle. In 2013, Charles held an exhibition Life in Pictures, presenting 130 of his best watercolors, which depict the landscapes of the Balmoral and Sandringham estates, as well as paintings painted during his visits to Greece, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey and other countries.

"What I write is the state of my soul," says actor Anthony Hopkins about his work. Looking at his works - from gentle pastel paintings to figurative portraits in the "horror" genre, sometimes you are surprised that one person can possess such a range of skills.

For the past few years, I've been drowning in peace. I suppose people can observe this state of my soul, - Hopkins tells about himself. “However, in my youth I was a completely wild, loose boy. Van Gogh type. My life has been a real storm. And although Anthony Hopkins himself compares himself with Van Gogh, in his works one can trace more "Picassian motifs". By the way, it was this artist that he once (in the film "Live Life with Picasso" in 1996) had a chance to play in a movie.

Vanessa Paradis by Johnny DeppPortrait of Keith Richards Johnny Depp has been painting for over 30 years. Whether the first wife, the artist Lori Ann Ellison, had a hand in his formation in this craft is not known for certain. It can be assumed that if the union had lasted longer than two years, we would certainly have heard about their creative tandem. Depp's second wife, Vanessa Paradis, also became his muse, one of her most famous paintings he dedicated to her. There are other portraits in the collection of Depp's works, for example, Marlon Brando, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Patti Smith.

The work of Macaulay CulkinActor Macaulay Culkin's life has been one of chaos for the past 10 years - with drugs, rock 'n' roll and suicidal tendencies. Paintings are part of this chaos. Macaulay began to create in 2012, having formed the creative union Three Men and a Baby with fellow musicians.

Each of us had our own ways of expressing ourselves, and here we found that drawing together is fun. This process creates a special brotherly bond between us, and it's wonderful, - said Macaulay.

The canvases of Macaulay and his friends are full of colors: from fluorescent to dark dirty, some images are more like collages with meaningless and contradictory elements, however, a number of plots can still be guessed.

Lucy Liu painting

Most people know Lucy Liu as one of the "Charlie's Angels", but in a narrow circle she has the fame of a talented abstract artist. Lucy draws for a long time and exhibited a lot - however, not under her own name, but under the pseudonym Yu. Lin. A few years ago, Lucy first made herself known by arranging an exhibition of her work in London, and then releasing a book with her paintings.

For Jim Carrey, painting is a kind of psychotherapy. Most often, Kerry portrays people, but makes the figures and faces broken, distorted.

When I'm in creative process, whether it's cinema or painting, the world around me stops. Acquaintance with works of art- this is the same chance for the viewer to stop thinking and forget about anxiety,

He told himself.

James Franco was born into a family of artists and maybe that's why he doesn't take his talent seriously. "Mom thinks that I'm a good actor, and an average artist," Franco says about himself. Meanwhile, his work inspires others. So, one of Franco's paintings was acquired by Sharon Stone for her collection, and the director of the film "The End of the World" hung the entire room of the protagonist of the tape with Franco's psychedelic paintings.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Yellow Linda with piano is one of Paul McCartney's most famous paintings.Paul McCartney held his first exhibition 17 years ago, now he has dozens of them, and the geography of museums inviting him extends from Liverpool to Kyiv. The most notable work musician - Yellow Linda with Piano, dedicated to ex-wife Linda McCartney. According to the "Beatle" himself, at one time he could not even think about drawing due to his emotional tightness. He got rid of this complex by his friend, the American abstract artist Willem de Kooning. One day they were looking at the paintings together, and McCartney cautiously asked: "What is depicted here? The Purple Mountain?" "Actually, it's a couch." The friend's response, according to McCartney, made him understand that there is no "right" in art, and this helped him to release his creative urges.

Marilyn Manson's work
"The Great and Terrible" Marilyn Manson began to draw in his 20s, about the same time he began to sing. In connection with the development musical career, he slowed down a little, but did not even think of giving up painting - all the more, he saw it as a real outburst of his emotions and "demons". The first exhibition of Manson's work was held in 2002, in the next few years he held three more. Now psychedelic watercolor work Manson actively "walk" at auctions: prices for some paintings reach 50-100 thousand dollars.

Bob Dylan painting

This year legendary musician, writer and actor Bob Dylan was awarded Nobel Prize in literature, but not least he can be proud of his talent as an artist. Dylan wrote his first "watercolors" in the 60s, when he was lying at home, recovering from car accident. Drawings attracted the attention of the general public in the 90s, Dylan even released a compilation album Drawn Black. The first exhibition was held later - in 2007, for which the musician prepared about 300 new works. Art materials The materials with which Bob Dylan works are diverse: pastel, gouache, oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, and his style and manner are close to the works of neo-expressionists.

Tim Burton is not only a director, but also a great artist. His sketches (this is the genre he prefers) can be compared in gloom with his own films. By the way, Burton's film career also began with the creation of animation, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts, and then worked at the Walt Disney Studios as an animator and character designer.

Painting by Sergei Shnurov "Shirt"

As we have already said, a large exhibition of paintings by Sergei Shnurov will soon take place at the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art. In one of the interviews, the leader of "Leningrad" admitted: once, in "pre-musical" times, he was fed paintings - he made and sold copies of Dutch artists. He calls his current work brand realism, without going into the details of his own genre.

Renata Litinova

painting by Renata Litvinova

A talented person is talented in everything, this expression perfectly describes Russian actress and director Renata Litvinov. At business meetings, you can often see paper and a pen in her hands.

I love to draw very much. The next thing I like to do after directing is drawing. We need to find a teacher, take lessons in classical drawing. I saved this experience for my retirement, - Renata said in an interview.

Renata's favorite theme is women in retro style, as well as women, each in her own image. Many of Renata's paintings, as noted by her fans, look like self-portraits.

Diana Arbenina showed interest in drawing quite a long time ago. Once she started with graphic illustrations for her own poetry collections, then a short period of passion for watercolors followed. Finally, in 2006, Diana settled on the technique of painting in oils on canvas, without using a brush.

In my spare time from music former soloist"Guests from the Future" Eva Polna devotes to dancing and drawing. If she prefers to move in the rhythm of tango, then when she takes up the brush, she prefers landscapes. Someone will call the pictures of the singer "unprofessional", but we see the warmth and positive that they radiate.