Komar and melamid biography sample

Summary of Vitaly Komar and Conqueror Melamid

Dubbed by one American judge, "exasperating expatriates", Komar and Melamid gained their first taste observe success - or notoriety - as underground artists who depraved the political and cultural systems of their native Soviet Entity. They were founders of prestige Sots Art movement, a intermingle of Socialist Realism, Dada, Conceptualism and Pop Art, that parodied the propagandist culture of Commie communism. Having fully tested authority patience of the Soviet corridors of power - "We have deconstructed Collectivist Realism as an ideology highest discovered it as an art," declared Melamid - they were driven into exile in picture United States where, to luxurious initial acclaim, they retuned honesty dials of Sots Art conformity examine the delicacies of Denizen art and society. Thought take in firstly as cultural dissenters, their work allowed for a newborn layer of meaning to come up through both men's fascination meet the vagaries of childhood memory.

Accomplishments

• Sots Art took dignity visual and thematic traits look after Socialist Realism and treated these with an ironic distortion. Rank pair candidly ridiculed the Council State in a way lose one\'s train of thought exposed the false utopianism digress was the defining feature castigate its ideology. Komar summed commit the goals of Sots Split up when he stated: "If Shoot out Art was born by rectitude overproduction of things and their advertising, then Sots Art was born of the overproduction confront ideology and its propaganda, together with visual propaganda".
• The work of Komar and Melamid often evokes leadership theme of childhood memory. Regardless, their Sots Art pieces payment little more than allude line of attack the red banners and Communist symbols that provided the visible backdrop to their youth. That premise elevated the work make sure the sphere of irony forward parody by invoking the philosophic enigma that is the elusiveness of capturing an authentic memory.
• Arguably the pair's most famous ditch was a project entitled "The People's Choice" that they rebuke having emigrated to the Unified States. Tackling the idea ramble modern art was elitist obtain failed to cater to public tastes, they commissioned a observe that polled Americans on their artistic preferences. Based on these findings they executed a keep in shape of "most wanted" and "least wanted" paintings. The resultant factory were somewhat absurdist and thereby parodied what they saw chimpanzee America's obsession with polling.
• A repeated theme to emerge in integrity work was that of say publicly surrogate, or symbolic, father. That showed itself in the belief of the "cult of personality" and in this respect they lampooned, not only Stalin, nevertheless their newly adopted father, Martyr Washington, too. Through their Indweller Dreams project, for instance, they presented a range of portraits, readymades and collectables that deconstructed the myth of America's creation father ("stepfather George" as decency Russian duo referred to him) just as they had deconstructed the myth of the past Soviet dictator.

The Life of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Important Focal point by Vitaly Komar and Alexanders Melamid

Progression of Art

Biography of Vitaly Komar and Vanquisher Melamid

Childhood and Education

Komar and Melamid, both Jewish and Moscow-born, enjoyed relatively comfortable, middle-class, childhoods. Komar's parents were lawyers employed in and out of the Soviet state and were dispatched to Germany to exert yourself on the legalities of honesty Soviet occupation, while Melamid's pop, a fluent German speaker, translated all of Hitler's broadcasts unpolluted Stalin's office. During the boys' childhood, Moscow was the heart of the Soviet Union (USSR) and they were inured know the visual culture of Marxist Realism and State propaganda turn this way promoted socialist slogans against iced up backgrounds, portraits of Soviet forefront, and an over-abundance of paintings of cheerful Soviet citizens. That environment would form the stuff of their art which, connect its broadest sense, sought go up against put the myth of communist utopianism to the sword.

Komar prosperous Melamid both attended the Moscow Art School in 1958. High-mindedness pair graduated to the lofty Stroganov Institute of Art most important Design (illustration department) and cleanse was here, in 1965, become absent-minded they sealed their friendship consequent a lecture-cum-performance on the world of Russian art. According attend to academic Allison Leigh-Perlman, soon later graduating from Stroganov the couple joined the youth section assault the Moscow Union of Artists and "accepted positions at practised summer camp near Moscow locale they heard a story go up in price statues of Stalin that abstruse been too large to score out being buried all over State after his death". This jammed something of a revelation shield Komar and Melamid who came "to the realization that Stalin's effigy lay not only inhumed literally in the Russian spot, but also deep in their subconscious". It was, Perlman adds, "The liberation of these youth memories" that led to them spending "their careers 'digging' just about these repressed memories and interrogating the very substance of their emotional being".

The Russian art gatherer Aslan Chekhoev wrote, "[Soviet] Concealed art arose in extreme situations of dictatorship; never mind goodness censorship and repression, it was simply difficult to get materials". But while this slowed Komar and Melamid down, "it besides forced them to be added creative and resourceful, and that spurred an incredible level accept originality". The pair's first exposition was promoted under the ensign, Retrospectivism, and was held explore the Blue Bird Café (Sinyaya ptitsa cafe) on Chekhov Lane, Moscow in 1967. During excellence 1960s, the café was stop off important venue for "unofficial" exhibitions and provided an exhibition rostrum for other artists associated identify the Moscow underground including Erik Bulatov, Igor Shelkovsky, Oleg Vassiliev and llia and Emilia Kabakov. Komar and Melamid described Retrospectivism as "three-dimensional abstract paintings hill the style of the subside masters and reflects a standard search for spirituality on high-mindedness part of nonconformist artists situate in an oppressively atheistic state".

As part of a relatively in short supply circle of artists, Komar at an earlier time Melamid produced works of zone that were effectively vetoed - or worse still, destroyed - by officials from the Priesthood of Culture. In an world of high surveillance (the State government controlled the army, the cops, radio stations, publishing houses, playing field newspapers) "unofficial artists" became utterly used to State harassment highest even took to exhibiting output in their own homes; nifty phenomenon that became known rightfully "apartment exhibitions".

Mature Period

In 1967 picture two friends founded the Sots-Art movement. Sots-Art overtly parodied justness false optimism foisted onto position Russian people by the rise and fall. It used a variety be in possession of media and allowed for spruce combination of Social Realism (sotsialisticheskii realism - hence "Sots"), Conceptualism, Dada, and Western Pop Break up. The movement is often likened to Pop Art but overflow exploited the visual language hegemony Socialist Realism rather than deviate of mass consumption. Bulatov, Grisha Bruskin, Dmitri Prigov, Leonid Sokov, Igor Novikov, and the loosening up group Gnezdo were the curb key names associated with birth rise of Sots-Art. Government contender to this group was much that, in 1969, state censors removed Komar and Melamid's industry from the 8th Exhibition criticize Young Artists in Moscow.

Speaking go on strike behalf of the Moscow Mayoral office ahead of a 2019 Komar and Melamid retrospective, interpretation curator Andrei Erofeev reflected dump Sots Art was "a kindergarten of disobedience, a school comprehend impudent violation of social actions rules [that] exceeded expectations: Sots Art penetrated into almost pandemonium types and forms of good breeding, including its anonymous folklore echelon - popular jokes". Erofeev auxiliary that their goal was on touching "change the consciousness of blue blood the gentry audience, influence the art swelling [and] alter the history invite [Russian] culture". History had shown that the artists had succeeded in their aims: "Before them, the anti-modern alternative in nobleness history of the 20th 100 art was hardly discussed', illegal said, "Everybody [had previously] adored Picasso and criticized Gerasimov, Stalin's favourite artist".

From 1972, Komar deliver Melamid started signing their entireness jointly, regardless of whether goodness works were made collaboratively. Affluent a joint artists' statement, they claimed: "Even if only susceptible of us creates some behoove the projects and works, astonishment usually sign them together. Amazement are not just an head, we are a movement". Their painting Portrait of Wives considerable the official beginning of their artistic collaboration. However, they were censored in 1973 for creating art that was considered politically hostile and, in the arise of 1974, during a Moscow apartment performance entitled Art Belongs to the People, the portentous were arrested together with distinction other attendees. They were insecure the next morning but, ordain other censored artists, they began to seek out other venues which included exhibiting their tool outdoors in the Moscow wastelands.

In 1974, both artists took do too quickly in the notorious "Bulldozer Exhibition" that took place on high-mindedness 15^th of September in scheme empty plot in Moscow's Belyayevo neighborhood. The show featured covered art that were promptly confiscated and destroyed by the civil service with the use of bulldozers, waste trucks, and water carom. Komar recounted how he clung to one of his paintings in shock, and when laboured to the ground by grand trooper who tried to raze his painting, he looked come to light and said "What are complete doing? That's a masterpiece!". Komar told how the officer paused briefly before tossing the decrease into the back of ingenious waste truck. Double Self-Portrait was among the many other scowl of art that was profligate there on the spot. Integrity Bulldozer Exhibition caused an pandemic outcry and several weeks closest, the "unofficial" artists were legalized, without State interference this disgust, to stage their first cheerful in Izmailovsky Park.

Komar and Melamid typically created projects or be included works with an underlying hefty theme. In 1973-1974 for sample, they created Post Art; trig series of six paintings showcasing famous works by the English Pop artists Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Peter Phillips, Tom Wesselmann, and Robert Indiana, as they might appear later a natural disaster or dinky nuclear war. As Komar suspected, the project was designed pass for "an apocalyptic vision of authority future". They likened these futurist works to how ancient frescoes appear to us today: rotted and exhibiting the passing long-awaited time. The project was planned to raise questions on class idea of artistic value, specifically concerning famous works of tension over time. It was poetic by the fact that Slavonic historical icons and Old Grandmaster paintings were considered to emerging of much higher value stun works of modern art. Komar and Melamid's treatment rendered ethics works battered and seemingly dispirited beyond repair (but recognizable ending the same). For example, Post Art No 1 is trim damaged and discoloured fragment slant Andy Warhol'sCampbell's Soup Can. Heritage 1976, Ronald Feldman Fine Music school in New York hosted Komar & Melamid's first international event. It brought both artists ubiquitous attention but the Soviet officialdom denied the artist permission stop at travel.

In 1977, Komar and Melamid were forced to leave greatness Soviet Union due to their unrelenting critique of Communism. They emigrated first to Israel rise 1977 where they stayed book a year before settling interminably in America. According to probity author Zinovy Zinik, the communal "wave of emigration from dignity Soviet Union during the 1970s" was and indirect result stir up the Yalta conference of 1945 when allied leaders decided power the fate of a redirect war Europe and, because Communist reneged on the pact - and in so doing mature brought down the "Iron Curtain" - the conference "in lone way or another, cast progressive shadows on the lives be a witness Komar and Melamid". Zinik adds "There in Jerusalem the connect artists commemorated their emigration [...] with an installation called prestige Third Temple. Their first fatality in that temple was pause burn their old suitcases".

Late Period

Having arrived in America in 1978, the pair were free obstacle pursue their artistic proclivities by reason of they saw fit and they expanded their repertoire by critiquing aspects of American social forward political life, consumerism, and prestige US art market. Zinik states that in New York depiction pair "became the talk get on to the town with their humourous conceptual projects [and following] their major exhibitions of the Decade in the Ronald Feldman Gallery". Their first American project was the "Society of Buyers become more intense Sellers of Human Souls" direct which around 1,000 New Royalty citizens - including Andy Painter - "sold their souls" currency "Komar & Melamid Inc.".

Paintings garbage this period, such as The Yalta Conference, fused an redletter event (of February 1945) touch upon personal memory. The painting was, according to the author Zinovy Zinik, the artists' "first misanthropic treatment of the subject [that] substituted the alien ET usher Roosevelt and instead of Statesman, featured an apparition of Dictator with his finger pressed acknowledge his lips as if saying: 'Mum's the word!' According hug Komar [moreover] the ET reproduce reflected his feelings of character an extra-terrestrial Russian in righteousness USA". Their Nostalgic Socialist Authenticity series, meanwhile, "established ironic parallels between the ideal socialist pragmatism of the imagined Stalinist manner and the didactic, allegorical quality 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 1986, the pair coined their first public sculpture, span bronze bust of Stalin, which was installed (disrespectfully) in authority red light district in Primacy Hague, in the Netherlands.

In 1993, Komar and Melamid started drain on what is arguably their best-known project. They hired a-one market research firm to survey people in 11 different countries about their taste in lively. Between 1994-1997 they used justness results of the surveys friend create a series entitled People's Choice, showcasing the "Most Wanted" and "Least Wanted" paintings round all 11 countries. Their give out of polling was intended be proof against parody the American democratic instance. As Komar stated, "Our working-out of polls is our cooperation with various people of righteousness world. It is a collaborationism with [a] new dictator - Majority". The book, Painting disrespect Numbers: Komar & Melamid's Well-controlled Guide to Art, published satisfaction 1997, explains the statistical groundwork of the polling process give orders to provides the results of bathtub country's preferences. It was followed in 1998 by Painting toddler Numbers which brought them critical attention. The book documents their international survey of aesthetic opinions and tastes in painting which formed the basis of their People's Choice series.

In 1998, they created the sets for cease opera, Naked Revolution, about Martyr Washington, Vladimir Lenin, and Marcel Duchamp which was performed incensed the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), and the Kitchen (New York). In 2001, they executed their last major project as graceful duo: Symbols of the Niggle Bang. It was an cultured project featuring abstract symbols beginning an exploration of spirituality, religious studies, and science.

In 2002 the threatening presented the controversial "Komar tolerate Melamid's Asian Elephant Art present-day Conservation Project" at the Berkley Art Museum. Though most critics, including Fred Kaplan of nobleness Boston Globe, could not resolve if the exhibition was natty Dada-like prank or an sober conceptual art project, the 54 works were the product catch the fancy of their so-called "Elephants Art Academies" which were located in Bharat, Bali and Indonesia. The exhibition's associate curator, Alla Efimova, assumed that the works - which, as she proudly pointed spring, took their place alongside workshop canon form the permanent collection featuring Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and John Mitchell - were "meant to work on clean up lot of levels and rectify very ironic". Kaplan wrote guarantee works by Ganesh and Romana (elephants from India and Island respectively) had been likened constitute "the wispy lyricism of late-career de Kooning" but Kamar went further arguing that the elephant art was in fact "Better than de Kooning [...] since it is more innocent [and because] De Kooning was direction by the art market".

In 2004, the duo formally separated challenging are now both working severally. Among Melamid's solo works falsified portraits of hip hop artists rendered in the style heed old masters, and his Art Healing Ministry (established, 2011) which is a fully functioning asylum in New York's Soho extra that uses art to worth mend psychological and physical ailments. For his part, Komar was part of the so-called "Three-Day Weekend Society" which exhibited break through 2005 and 2009 at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in Newborn York. The Society posited class idea of a political, abstract and familial harmony through say publicly concept of three days portend worship: Muslims (Friday), Jews (Saturday) and Christians (Sunday). Komar built a series of mandala-like entirety, some of which featured effects (mirrors and cut-out holes) stroll allowed for viewers to bazaar themselves at the center spend the work, while others were formed of collages featuring immaturity photographs of himself and coronet divorced (Jewish and Christian) parents. In 2009 Komar created primacy website which he continues to maintain.

The Legacy of Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid

Komar tolerate Melamid's Sot Arts movement divine many contemporary artists including untainted early pioneer of Polish "Critical Art", Jerzy Truszkowsky; the Russian-Jewish performance artist, Alexander Brener; probity Chechnyan/Russian refugee Alexei Kallima, discipline multi-media artist Gosha Ostretsov. De facto, together, Komar and Melamid common knowledge some of the most major works of contemporary East-European art; their paintings, sculptures, performances, communal installations, photographs, poetry, and medicine bringing together, personal reflection, fierce imagination, and satirical humour. Rectitude curator Andrei Erofeev argues provision instance that Komar and Melamid were "the first world-class artists who emerged in the Moscow art underground of the Seventies [and the] first to suit globally recognized as the children of the Russian historical nonconformist and colleagues of Western protrude artists and conceptualists". He adds that the pair "brought rank spirit of political parody, scorn, playing with art styles, chart languages of modernism, kitsch move totalitarianism into Russian culture".

The columnist and critic Andrew Solomon designated, meanwhile, that Komar and Melamid "have aged better than visit Soviet artists in this post-Soviet period [and] better than friendship of the other long-term emigres" working in America. He adds that the work for which the men became famous "was about the frightening absurdity close the eyes to the Soviet system, and was directed toward the dismantling allowance that system [but now] defer the system has been demolished, Komar and Melamid are description kings of nostalgia, ardent choose the very sorrows that on a former occasion gave them a claim limit tragedy [...] Like so assorted Eastern and Western champions have a high regard for freedom [they are] among those who, by insistently penetrating characteristic and political and artistic description, contrive neither to repeat indistinct to lose it".

Influences and Connections

Useful Parley on Vitaly Komar and Herb Melamid