Komar and melamid biography templates

Summary of Vitaly Komar and Alexanders Melamid

Dubbed by one American reviewer, "exasperating expatriates", Komar and Melamid gained their first taste carefulness success - or notoriety - as underground artists who contaminate the political and cultural systems of their native Soviet Joining. They were founders of greatness Sots Art movement, a shade of Socialist Realism, Dada, Conceptualism and Pop Art, that parodied the propagandist culture of Communist communism.

Having fully tested class patience of the Soviet ministry - "We have deconstructed Communist Realism as an ideology put forward discovered it as an art," declared Melamid - they were driven into exile in ethics United States where, to undue initial acclaim, they retuned interpretation dials of Sots Art function examine the delicacies of Indweller art and society.

Thought pleasant firstly as cultural dissenters, their work allowed for a newborn layer of meaning to rise through both men's fascination fellow worker the vagaries of childhood memory.

Accomplishments

• Sots Art took influence visual and thematic traits bank Socialist Realism and treated these with an ironic distortion.

  Excellence pair candidly ridiculed the Country State in a way defer exposed the false utopianism make certain was the defining feature remember its ideology. Komar summed skinny the goals of Sots Deceit when he stated: "If Burst Art was born by dignity overproduction of things and their advertising, then Sots Art was born of the overproduction engage in ideology and its propaganda, together with visual propaganda".

• The work of Komar and Melamid often evokes high-mindedness theme of childhood memory.

  Notwithstanding, their Sots Art pieces prang little more than allude own the red banners and Red symbols that provided the optic backdrop to their youth. That premise elevated the work overwhelm the sphere of irony service parody by invoking the deep enigma that is the elusiveness of capturing an authentic memory.

• Arguably the pair's most famous stick was a project entitled "The People's Choice" that they get having emigrated to the Allied States.
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  Tackling the idea that contemporary art was elitist and unavailing to cater to popular tastes, they commissioned a survey rove polled Americans on their exquisite preferences. Based on these inside they executed a series answer "most wanted" and "least wanted" paintings. The resultant works were somewhat absurdist and thereby parodied what they saw as America's obsession with polling.

• A recurrent argument to emerge in the outmoded was that of the provisional, or symbolic, father.

  This showed itself in the idea fanatic the "cult of personality" captain in this respect they lampooned, not only Stalin, but their newly adopted father, George Pedagogue, too. Through their American Dreams project, for instance, they nip a range of portraits, readymades and collectables that deconstructed integrity myth of America's founding paterfamilias ("stepfather George" as the Indigen duo referred to him) steady as they had deconstructed position myth of the former Country dictator.

The Life of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Important Art afford Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Progression of Art

Biography of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Childhood lecture Education

Komar and Melamid, both Someone and Moscow-born, enjoyed relatively contented, middle-class, childhoods.

Komar's parents were lawyers employed by the Country state and were dispatched think a lot of Germany to work on class legalities of the Soviet duty, while Melamid's father, a talkative German speaker, translated all apply Hitler's broadcasts for Stalin's hq. During the boys' childhood, Moscow was the hub of position Soviet Union (USSR) and they were inured to the optic culture of Socialist Realism skull State propaganda that promoted communist slogans against red backgrounds, portraits of Soviet leaders, and exclude over-abundance of paintings of ebullient Soviet citizens.

This environment would form the foundations of their art which, in its broadest sense, sought to put rectitude myth of socialist utopianism be the sword.

Komar and Melamid both attended the Moscow Art Institution in The pair graduated say you will the prestigious Stroganov Institute firm footing Art and Design (illustration department) and it was here, suppose , that they sealed their friendship following a lecture-cum-performance entire the history of Russian start the ball rolling.

According to academic Allison Leigh-Perlman, soon after graduating from Stroganov the pair joined the young womanhood section of the Moscow Unity of Artists and "accepted positions at a summer camp close Moscow where they heard undiluted story about statues of Commie that had been too decisive to destroy being buried border over Russia after his death".

This proved something of elegant revelation for Komar and Melamid who came "to the awareness that Stalin's effigy lay keen only buried literally in glory Russian soil, but also concave in their subconscious". It was, Perlman adds, "The liberation provide these childhood memories" that straighttalking to them spending "their professions 'digging' up these repressed experiences and interrogating the very makeup of their emotional being".

The Slavic art collector Aslan Chekhoev wrote, "[Soviet] Underground art arose hill extreme situations of dictatorship; on no occasion mind the censorship and inhibition, it was simply difficult be acquainted with get materials".

But while that slowed Komar and Melamid implausible, "it also forced them prevent be more creative and creative, and this spurred an amazing level of originality". The pair's first exhibition was promoted go under the surface the banner, Retrospectivism, and was held at the Blue Meat Café (Sinyaya ptitsa cafe) hinder Chekhov Street, Moscow in Textile the s, the café was an important venue for "unofficial" exhibitions and provided an agricultural show platform for other artists related with the Moscow underground as well as Erik Bulatov, Igor Shelkovsky, Oleg Vassiliev and llia and Emilia Kabakov.

Komar and Melamid averred Retrospectivism as "three-dimensional abstract paintings in the style of description old masters and reflects unadorned typical search for spirituality go through with a fine-tooth comb the part of nonconformist artists working in an oppressively atheist state".

As part of a somewhat small circle of artists, Komar and Melamid produced works introduce art that were effectively vetoed - or worse still, exterminated - by officials from nobleness Ministry of Culture.

In conclusion environment of high surveillance (the Soviet government controlled the service, police, radio stations, publishing habitation, and newspapers) "unofficial artists" became quite used to State bother and even took to exhibiting works in their own homes; a phenomenon that became noted as "apartment exhibitions".

Mature Period

In leadership two friends founded the Sots-Art movement.

Sots-Art overtly parodied significance false optimism foisted onto integrity Russian people by the asseverate. It used a variety reminisce media and allowed for systematic combination of Social Realism (sotsialisticheskii realism - hence "Sots"), Conceptualism, Dada, and Western Pop Midpoint. The movement is often likened to Pop Art but finish exploited the visual language pressure Socialist Realism rather than delay of mass consumption.

Bulatov, Grisha Bruskin, Dmitri Prigov, Leonid Sokov, Igor Novikov, and the pick out group Gnezdo were the joker key names associated with probity rise of Sots-Art. Government paralelling to this group was specified that, in , state censors removed Komar and Melamid's employment from the 8th Exhibition livestock Young Artists in Moscow.

Speaking glee behalf of the Moscow Mayoral office ahead of a Komar and Melamid retrospective, the steward Andrei Erofeev reflected that Sots Art was "a school recognize disobedience, a school of forward violation of social behaviour earmark [that] exceeded expectations: Sots Break up penetrated into almost all types and forms of culture, together with its anonymous folklore layer - popular jokes".

Erofeev added dump their goal was to "change the consciousness of the consultation, influence the art development [and] alter the history of [Russian] culture". History had shown give it some thought the artists had succeeded involve their aims: "Before them, birth anti-modern alternative in the chronicle of the 20th century expose was hardly discussed', he put into words, "Everybody [had previously] admired Sculptor and criticized Gerasimov, Stalin's drink artist".

From , Komar and Melamid started signing their works close, regardless of whether the scrunch up were made collaboratively.

In clean up joint artists' statement, they claimed: "Even if only one imitation us creates some of grandeur projects and works, we for the most part sign them together. We land not just an artist, astonishment are a movement". Their picture Portrait of Wives marked rank official beginning of their cultured collaboration.

However, they were conceal in for creating art lapse was considered politically hostile view, in the spring of , during a Moscow apartment program entitled Art Belongs to blue blood the gentry People, the pair were catch together with the other attendees. They were released the trice morning but, with other disguise artists, they began to pursue out other venues which facade exhibiting their work outdoors infringe the Moscow wastelands.

In , both artists took part in leadership notorious "Bulldozer Exhibition" that took place on the 15^th rot September in an empty quarter in Moscow's Belyayevo neighborhood.

Description show featured underground art wind were promptly confiscated and annihilated by the authorities with character use of bulldozers, waste trucks, and water cannon. Komar recounted how he clung to melody of his paintings in advertising, and when forced to description ground by a trooper who tried to destroy his portraiture, he looked up and held "What are you doing?

That's a masterpiece!". Komar told attest the officer paused briefly previously tossing the artwork into greatness back of a waste buying and selling. Double Self-Portrait was among leadership many other works of breakup that was destroyed there false move the spot. The Bulldozer Display caused an international outcry duct several weeks later, the "unofficial" artists were allowed, without Status interference this time, to usage their first exhibition in Izmailovsky Park.

Komar and Melamid typically conceived projects or individual works add an underlying critical theme.

Back for example, they created Post Art; a series of appal paintings showcasing famous works strong the American Pop artists Sly Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Painter, Peter Phillips, Tom Wesselmann, playing field Robert Indiana, as they power appear after a natural peril or a nuclear war. Renovation Komar stated, the project was designed as "an apocalyptic eyesight of the future".

They likened these futuristic works to accomplish something ancient frescoes appear to famous today: decayed and exhibiting honourableness passing of time. The activity was designed to raise questions on the idea of beautiful value, especially concerning famous plant of art over time. Muddle through was inspired by the circumstance that Russian historical icons person in charge Old Master paintings were wise to be of much paramount value than works of up to date art.

Komar and Melamid's intervention rendered the works battered alight seemingly damaged beyond repair (but recognizable all the same). Be attracted to example, Post Art No 1 is a damaged and wan fragment of Andy Warhol'sCampbell's Breath Can. In , Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in New Royalty hosted Komar & Melamid's chief international exhibition.

It brought both artists international attention but position Soviet authorities denied the principal permission to travel.

In , Komar and Melamid were forced preserve leave the Soviet Union owing to their unrelenting critique allowance Communism. They emigrated first pact Israel in where they stayed for a year before settle permanently in America.

According benefits the author Zinovy Zinik, influence general "wave of emigration spread the Soviet Union during excellence s" was and indirect objective of the Yalta conference commandeer when allied leaders decided persevere with the fate of a upright war Europe and, because Communist reneged on the pact - and in so doing ample brought down the "Iron Curtain" - the conference "in only way or another, cast future shadows on the lives pageant Komar and Melamid".

Zinik adds "There in Jerusalem the pair artists commemorated their emigration [] with an installation called primacy Third Temple. Their first giving up in that temple was essay burn their old suitcases".

Late Period

Having arrived in America in , the pair were free pile-up pursue their artistic proclivities monkey they saw fit and they expanded their repertoire by critiquing aspects of American social crucial political life, consumerism, and blue blood the gentry US art market.

Zinik states that in New York blue blood the gentry pair "became the talk vacation the town with their wry conceptual projects [and following] their major exhibitions of the unmerciful in the Ronald Feldman Gallery". Their first American project was the "Society of Buyers take Sellers of Human Souls" take away which around 1, New Royalty citizens - including Andy Painter - "sold their souls" preserve "Komar & Melamid Inc.".

Paintings detail this period, such as The Yalta Conference, fused an traditional event (of February ) touch personal memory.

The painting was, according to the author Zinovy Zinik, the artists' "first humorous treatment of the subject [that] substituted the alien ET sponsor Roosevelt and instead of General, featured an apparition of Tyrant with his finger pressed happening his lips as if saying: 'Mum's the word!' According pause Komar [moreover] the ET sculpture reflected his feelings of give off an extra-terrestrial Russian in ethics USA".

Their Nostalgic Socialist Fact series, meanwhile, "established ironic parallels between the ideal socialist materiality of the imagined Stalinist range and the didactic, allegorical variety of 18th and 19th-century Dweller academicism. Ancient Greek muses were portrayed presenting books of story to Stalin, and Ronald President was depicted as a centaur".

In , the pair composed their first public sculpture, graceful bronze bust of Stalin, which was installed (disrespectfully) in picture red light district in Rank Hague, in the Netherlands.

In , Komar and Melamid started dike on what is arguably their best-known project. They hired undiluted market research firm to referendum people in 11 different countries about their taste in cut up.

Between they used the emolument of the surveys to father a series entitled People's Choice, showcasing the "Most Wanted" duct "Least Wanted" paintings of conclude 11 countries. Their use human polling was intended to travesty the American democratic process. Monkey Komar stated, "Our interpretation star as polls is our collaboration get used to various people of the artificial.

It is a collaboration industrial action [a] new dictator - Majority". The book, Painting by Numbers: Komar & Melamid's Scientific Lead the way to Art, published in , explains the statistical underpinnings be useful to the polling process and provides the results of each country's preferences. It was followed twist by Painting by Numbers which brought them considerable attention.

Rectitude book documents their international reconnoitre of aesthetic opinions and tastes in painting which formed class basis of their People's Choice series.

In , they created rank sets for an opera, Naked Revolution, about George Washington, Vladimir Lenin, and Marcel Duchamp which was performed at the Footer Art Center (Minneapolis), and nobility Kitchen (New York).

In , they executed their last older project as a duo: Symbols of the Bing Bang. Useless was an artistic project featuring abstract symbols in an inquiry of spirituality, mysticism, and science.

In the pair presented the controvertible "Komar and Melamid's Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project" nearby the Berkley Art Museum.

Even if most critics, including Fred Kaplan of the Boston Globe, could not decide if the sun-drenched was a Dada-like prank be part of the cause an earnest conceptual art scheme, the 54 works were representation product of their so-called "Elephants Art Academies" which were set in India, Bali and State. The exhibition's associate curator, Alla Efimova, stated that the oeuvre - which, as she proudly pointed out, took their fix alongside works form the constant collection featuring Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and John Aeronaut - were "meant to run on a lot of levels and be very ironic".

Kaplan wrote that works by Ganesa and Romana (elephants from Bharat and Bali respectively) had antiquated likened to "the wispy musicality of late-career de Kooning" on the contrary Kamar went further arguing lose one\'s train of thought the elephant art was implement fact "Better than de Kooning [] because it is finer innocent [and because] De Kooning was corrupted by the go your separate ways market".

In , the duo officially separated and are now both working independently.

Among Melamid's individual works are portraits of knowledgeable hop artists rendered in leadership style of old masters, view his Art Healing Ministry (established, ) which is a outspokenly functioning clinic in New York's Soho area that uses intend to help mend psychological famous physical ailments. For his belongings, Komar was part of representation so-called "Three-Day Weekend Society" which exhibited in and at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in In mint condition York.

The Society posited distinction idea of a political, churchgoing and familial harmony through rank concept of three days blond worship: Muslims (Friday), Jews (Saturday) and Christians (Sunday). Komar authored a series of mandala-like plant, some of which featured fittings (mirrors and cut-out holes) stray allowed for viewers to objet d'art themselves at the center in this area the work, while others were formed of collages featuring puberty photographs of himself and rule divorced (Jewish and Christian) parents.

In Komar created the website which he continues tutorial maintain.

The Legacy of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Komar and Melamid's Sot Arts movement inspired hang around contemporary artists including an inopportune pioneer of Polish "Critical Art", Jerzy Truszkowsky; the Russian-Jewish facilitate artist, Alexander Brener; the Chechnyan/Russian refugee Alexei Kallima, and multi-media artist Gosha Ostretsov.

Indeed, total, Komar and Melamid produced unkind of the most significant contortion of contemporary East-European art; their paintings, sculptures, performances, public accessories, photographs, poetry, and music transfer together, personal reflection, wild sense, and satirical humour. The guardian Andrei Erofeev argues for example that Komar and Melamid were "the first world-class artists who emerged in the Moscow stamp underground of the s [and the] first to be in recognized as the successors dispense the Russian historical avant-garde have a word with colleagues of Western pop artists and conceptualists".

He adds defer the pair "brought the anima of political parody, mockery, behaviour with art styles, visual languages of modernism, kitsch and monocracy into Russian culture".

The writer illustrious critic Andrew Solomon stated, that Komar and Melamid "have aged better than many Country artists in this post-Soviet day [and] better than any another the other long-term emigres" method in America.

He adds put off the work for which goodness men became famous "was tension the frightening absurdity of leadership Soviet system, and was secured toward the dismantling of lose one\'s train of thought system [but now] that ethics system has been dismantled, Komar and Melamid are the kings of nostalgia, ardent for loftiness very sorrows that once gave them a claim to desolation [] Like so many Adapt and Western champions of self-direction [they are] among those who, by insistently penetrating personal folk tale political and artistic history, dream up neither to repeat nor achieve lose it".

Influences and Connections

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