catalogue art-2 Gallery-AnK арт-2 каталог
 


  Маскарад - комбинированная техника, пастель, бумага
Masquerade - combine technique, paper 60х80

I made this artwork in 1982. It was heave soviet time in Russia.

Now I have different perception of reality, and I don't think I would
make a work like that now. I have other themes that interested me.

At that time however I wanted to illustrate the phrase, the saying
"All world is a theater". The idea of this work is - masks we all are
wearing. Some see these masks and trying to take them off, open up
their faces, the others don't care. And all of this ix mixed up. Like
a Brownian movement. And this is the world of Masks. Constant theater.
Under one mask is hiding another one, and so on… Well, this seems a
bit dark. But the clown can add a bit of irony to it and laughter.

When I tried to exhibit this work, all kinds of stories were
happening.

Once I was schedule to exhibit it in 1983 in Moscow in the Museum of
Literature. I send the work to the Museum. One day before the Grand
Opening this work was taken down. The Director and some sort of
Committee took it down and hid it. The employees of the Museum almost
went on strike. Miraculously the work made it back to my studio.

In the other case, the work was taken down from the exhibit again, but
then it was Oked, but under another title. Committee members were
telling me: "We know what you are hinting on".

Another story wasn't connected to political reasons. Maskarad was
exhibited at one library in Russia, and the hot water pipe got broken,
and hot water was all over the exhibition hall. It happened at night.
In the morning the employees of the library were fishing for my art
works trying to save them. Maskarad was floating in water. But I was
very fortunate - some people there knew what to do in this kind of
situations (even though I don't think they had a real experience in
that). And my art works were saved. However some restoration efforts
were applied.


Эта работа была сделана в 1982 году,
когда еще в России во всю процветала советская власть.

И когда я пытался ее выставить, то с Маскарадом
происходили разные истории.

В 1983 в Москве в одном литературном музее
сотрудники попросили, чтобы им я дал
для выставки эту работу. Ее им я переправил.
Но за день до открытия директор и какая-то
комиссия сняли и спрятали Маскарад.
Сотрудники чуть не устроили забастовку.
С трудом удалось вернуть мне Маскарад.

В другом случае, ее снова сняли с выставки, потом разрешили,
но под другим названием и долго мне грозили пальцем
и говорили, что они знают на что я намекаю.

Еще одна история уже не связана с политическими запретами.
На одной персональной моей выставке, где был Маскарад,
прорвало ночью отопительную трубу и кипяток хлынул в
зал. Это произошло ночью.
И утром сотрудники увидели, как некоторые мои картины плавали
в кипятке, в том числе и Маскарад.
Но мне повезло - там оказались люди, которые знали
что делать в таких случаях (хотя я не знаю
бы ли ли у кого такие прецеденты). В общем картины удалось спасти.
Но все все равно пришлось провести некоторую реставрацию.

Вот такие истории.