Heart of Russia: Beyond Borders

Russian painters, past and present from both sides of the Atlantic, transcending the political divide.
This unique collection brings together original works of Russian painters of various backgrounds and styles
for the first time to the Bay Area art community. Each artist is an individual. Each has a story of struggle
and beauty. Yet all of the exhibited artists share a common Russian heritage and acknowledge their debt to
Russian culture for inspiration. The exhibition provides a fascinating glimpse into visual artists working in
Russia during the Soviet and post-Soviet regimes, as well as a foray into the work of migrs who
continued their creative careers once settled in the United States and other parts of the world.
Historically, Russia has been recognized for its artistic tradition. In the latter half of the 19 th century, Russia
underwent a renaissance in its visual arts. Through support of wealthy benefactors, a community of
Russian artists was established that later became known as the Russian School. This period created an
environment through which the Russian School emerged as one of the more respected institutions forging
new pathways of artistic expression. From its original roots of Russian Realism and, in part, based on the
influence of the early 20th Century European painters (French Impressionists, Cezanne, Modigliani, Van
Gogh, Matisse, Braque, Picasso) Russian art expanded into various pre-revolutionary Avant Garde
movements such as: Expressionism, Cubism, Constructivism and other non-subjective Abstract styles.
migr Art
Emigration from Russia started before the 1917 Revolution. This wave of emigration began predominantly
with the Jewish population of Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland and Belorussia. Having
experienced lack of equal rights, poverty and pogroms (limiting the Jewish way of life predominantly to
ghetto settlements), this segment of the population left Russia in search of a better way of life. Among the
Russian migrs of the early 20th Century were such famous artists as Mark Rothko, Vasily Kandinsky,
John Graham, Max Weber, Arshile Gorky, Nikolai Fechin, Mark Chagall, the Soyer brothers and many
others. This exhibit features works by two emigres of this period, the twin brothers, Raphael and Moses
Soyer. The Soyer family came to New York in 1912. While their father was a teacher of Hebrew, during the
day the brothers did manual labor jobs and painted during their free time in the evenings. Both became
later well-known in the 1930s for their WPA-era realistic style and Socialist themes. Both were influenced
by the classical American School of George Bellows and Robert Henri.
This collection also features a rare sketch drawing of another famous Russian-born migr, Pavel
Tchelitchew. Tchelitchew was born to an aristocratic family of landowners and was educated by private
tutors. He had studied with avant-garde painter and stage designer Alexandra Exter in Kiev before leaving
Russia for Berlin and Paris (1920s), where he became well known both as a painter and as a designer for
Diaghlevs ballet. In Paris, Tchelitchew became acquainted with Gertrude Stein and other notable artists of
that time period. His first U.S. show was of his drawings, along with other artists, at the newly opened
Museum of Modern Art in 1930. In 1934, he moved from Paris to New York City with his partner, writer
Charles Henry Ford. From 1940 to 1947, he provided illustrations for the Surrealist magazine View, edited
by Ford and writer and film critic Parker Tyler. Among Tchelitchew's well-known paintings are portraits of
Natalia Glasko, Edith Sitwell and Gertrude Stein and the works Phenomena (19361938) and Hide and
Seek (194042), currently owned by the New York Museum of Modern Art.
In the 1970s, a new wave of Russian immigrants arrived in America. Anti-Semitism and the general
atmosphere of stagnation of the Soviet Union resulted in a massive Jewish exodus to the West. America
held the ideal of freedom for many of the families that immigrated. Serge Kogan and Boris Tyomkin, two
contemporary painters featured in this exhibit, were brought to the U.S. as children in the late 70s. Their
new homeland afforded each an opportunity to pursue independent careers and develop their artistic
visions. Evident in their work is a strong influence of both their Russian roots and the assimilation of

American culture. Each artists style builds on the traditions and influence of the Russian School and many
of the paintings reflect the soul of their birthplace. Yet their work also reflects the influence of their American
environment in which they were brought up and provides the viewer with insight into the migr experience
and more broadly into the creation of the American melting pot culture, distilled as it is from its
multifarious strands.
Non-Conformist or Underground Art of 1960s and Beyond
Following the 1917 Revolution and, most notably, during Stalins totalitarian regime, the Socialist
government used art for its own agenda and political goals. Social Realism was the official governmentsponsored movement that many artists had to rely upon to receive commissions for their work. Artistic
expression was thus limited to a handful of pre-determined subjects. As previously described, many
Russian artists were forced to flee Russia at this time for a variety of reasons. But, many stayed behind
and were forced to toe the line or face the consequences. One such featured artist, Ilya Tabenkin,
experienced first-hand the Stalin repressions of the 1930s. He was arrested in 1934 for the seemingly
innocent act of sending the gift of some paints to a fellow art student who had been jailed for political
reasons. For this act of nave generosity, Tabenkin spent six months in Moscows notorious Butyrka jail,
after which he was sentenced to three years in a prison camp in Kazakhstan, where he labored on the
construction of one of Stalins industrialization projects. Despite these difficulties, Tabenkin considered
himself lucky to have survived. Following his release, he continued to paint and received notoriety in the
1960s when alternatives to Social Realism began to be tolerated.
Following Stalins death (1953) and during the so-called Khrushevs Thaw of the 1960s, a reactionary
current developed in the art world, the so-called Non-conformists or the Underground artists emerged in
the Soviet Union. Underground or forbidden art could be defined as art created outside of the official
system of the Soviet Union. These, mostly dissident artists, although not easily defined under one
movement, all sought individualistic expression in response to the Soviet reality that surrounded them. Not
until the fall of the Soviet Union did many of these Underground artists become first known to a Western
audience. Presented at the exhibition are representatives of the early Russian Underground movement of
the 1960s (known as the Sixties Group or in Russian), featuring such notables as
Dmitry Plavinsky, Vladimir Yakovlev, Anatoly Zverev and Vladimir Yankilevsky. In addition, the collection
brings together contemporary Russian artists of the post-Soviet era of the 1990s and beyond. Nina
Zhilinskaya, Aaron Bukh, Evgeny Ginzburg, Yuri Ryzhik, Vyacheslav Grachev, Vera Elnitskaya, Lev
Povzner, Valery Svetlitsky, Oleg Lang, Moses Feigin, Annamuhammed Zaripov and others are all artists
that have labored under the Soviet regime and have emerged in present-day Russia as contemporary
representatives of the Russian tradition. Despite the official Soviet censorship, these artists have
maintained their individual styles and were able to express themselves. They rejected the regulations of
official art and stuck to the purity of their vision. Over the years, these artists have participated in
numerous exhibitions around the world and have become highly acclaimed in their homeland, with many
having their artwork in national museums, galleries and private collections.
Transcendent Nature of Art
For the American public, this exhibit affords a rare opportunity to acquaint themselves with various styles of
Russian art dating from the early 20th Century to present day. Whether in Russia or America, from their
individual perspectives, styles and techniques, each artist has captured the essence of the subject. The
paintings represented are not merely a visual imitation of the physical reality that surrounds us. Instead,
evident in each artists work is a sense of mystery and a spiritual energy that is reflective of the artist and
his environment. However, this exhibit does more than provide a visual feast for todays most discerning art
connosseur. Given todays ever chilling political headlines, this exhibit provides a timely reminder that it is

only art that enables us to transcend biases, borders and politics to recognize (even for a moment) that the
heart of Russia is universal to all humanity.