BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: How a bicycle ride and Lenin's Tribune connects Bank Street Brewhouse with Our Lady of Perpetual Hops.

OLPH. Photo credit.

Our Lady of Perpetual Hops, the new brewery planned for Floyds Knobs, has passed its initial regulatory hurdles. The article explaining this comes far below, but first you must abide my telling you why the preceding depiction of OLPH took me back a decade or so. 

The early 2000s were my peak in terms of bicycling. One of my regular loops included Utica Pike in Jeffersonville (opposite JeffBoat), where this architectural feature captured my attention. As far as I know, it remains there.

By the time 2008 rolled around, planning for Bank Street Brewhouse was under way. We were interrupted by the recession, but pressed on and decided on the former location of the "day-old bread store" in downtown New Albany.

I'm not sure exactly when I was shown this drawing by Lazar Markovich Lissitzky (El Lissitzky), or who brought it to me (Mose Putney, perhaps?), but my curiosity was aroused. Lissitsky's "Lenin Tribune," a Constructivist moving speaker's podium, immediately hijacked certain brain pathways and became connected with the Utica Pike architecture.

At the time, we were determined to buck the downtown trend, whereby most of the entrepreneurs wanted to be ensconced in "historic" buildings. Not us; we'd take the modern one. In my mind's eye, I could see a grafting of Utica Pike with Bank Street, with the vertical part looking more like Lissitzky's podium.

I'm hoping you can see how the OLPH sketch prompted these recollections. Just imagine the podium facing in the direction of New Albany's City County Building, not unlike a minaret. I'd have been the muezzin of sorts, and it would have been the finest bully pulpit ever.

Nothing came of all this, as our time was far better spent trying to keep the new company solvent. But it was a wonderful fantasy while it lasted, and when I wrote about Lissitzky at the Potable Curmudgeon blog in late 2008, it elicited one of my favorite comments ever.

Good beer and Russian avant garde art? This blog is better than any porn site I've ever found.

Speaking of art, a link:

Reds, whites and truths: A century after the Russian revolution, a showcase of its art (The Economist)

At the Royal Academy, a sinister history lurks beyond the frame

 ... “Revolution: 1917-1932” covers the same 15 years as Punin’s show. The period has suffered some neglect. The myth goes that in the years after the Bolshevik revolution, bland socialist realism stomped on the avant-garde. In fact, after the revolution but before Stalinism tightened its grip on culture, there was a frenzied gasp of creative brilliance. Artistic, technological and political innovations clashed and co-existed. Kazimir Malevich turned the geometry of suprematism to figurative portraits of peasant farmers. Pavel Filonov would use the kaleidoscope fragments of his “formula” paintings to depict tractor factories. Buildings designed by El Lissitzky riffed on the crooked perspectives of photo-montage, and on the uncompromising functionality of industrial machinery.

Okay, okay. Here's the OLPH article.

Floyds Knobs brewery receives initial county approval, by Danielle Grady (Encyclopedia of Tom May)

FLOYDS KNOBS — Owners of a planned brewery in Floyds Knobs that will meld beer and essential oils received preliminary approval after addressing resident concerns about traffic, noise, flooding and more at Monday night’s Floyd County Plan Commission meeting.

Our Lady of Perpetual Hops, somewhat controversially named after the New Albany church and school, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is a brewery and restaurant planned for 3815 Paoli Pike.

The restaurant's team, Rob Pappas (who comes from a Catholic background), along with Mark Cox, Kyle Richmer and Greg and Tanner Wortham — all Southern Indiana natives — hope to open the brewery in spring of 2019 on a 10 acre lot that Pappas bought in 2009.

On the Floyds Knobs property, the owners are planning a two-and-a-half story restaurant/brewery building with a stage, a garage door that opens to an outdoor area and the ability to brew 210 gallons of beer at a time ...

Bolshie art, and how El Lissitzky got under my skin, though I couldn't afford to keep him there.

El Lissitzky.

My curiosity was aroused when I saw the name of Lazar Markovich Lissitzky. For a while in 2008, his "Lenin Tribune" (above; a Constructivist moving speaker's podium) was a big influence in my thinking about the design for Bank Street Brewhouse.

That's because I was determined to illustrate that when almost every other entrepreneur wants to be in a "historic" building, I'd take the modern one.

Little came of all this, as we had plenty of other bills to pay. But it was a damned fine fantasy while it lasted.

Reds, whites and truths: A century after the Russian revolution, a showcase of its art (The Economist)

At the Royal Academy, a sinister history lurks beyond the frame

ALTHOUGH it marks the centenary of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, the true inspiration for the Royal Academy’s new exhibition is 1932. In that year, a vast retrospective entitled “Fifteen Years of Artists of the Russian Soviet Republic” took place in the Russian State Museum in Leningrad. Curated by Nikolai Punin, an avant-garde luminary, it was meant to be the zenith of the radical artistic current that had been growing in Russia for decades. Instead, it was a swansong. Within years, many of the thousands of paintings featured would disappear into hidden store cupboards, trampled beneath the inescapable march of state-backed socialist realism. Punin himself, accused of “anti-Soviet activity”, was to die, starving, in a desolate gulag north of the Arctic Circle.

“Revolution: 1917-1932” covers the same 15 years as Punin’s show. The period has suffered some neglect. The myth goes that in the years after the Bolshevik revolution, bland socialist realism stomped on the avant-garde. In fact, after the revolution but before Stalinism tightened its grip on culture, there was a frenzied gasp of creative brilliance. Artistic, technological and political innovations clashed and co-existed. Kazimir Malevich turned the geometry of suprematism to figurative portraits of peasant farmers. Pavel Filonov would use the kaleidoscope fragments of his “formula” paintings to depict tractor factories. Buildings designed by El Lissitzky riffed on the crooked perspectives of photo-montage, and on the uncompromising functionality of industrial machinery.

New exhibitions at Masters of Soviet Art ... and big news from the proprietor, A. Gamborg.

"I just saved Angela Davis from the Moscow rains and winters. A big girl. Made in the 1970s, and she has been outside for at least 10 years. Just needs the hand of a gentle restorer. We shall overcome ... "

Over the years, I've repeatedly doffed my ushanka in the general direction of Allan Gamborg. It's hard to believe 27 years have passed since I first met Allan, Kim Andersen and Kim Wiesener during the rambunctious summer of '87. These three Danes of the apocalypse have been artfully weaving in and out of my travel narratives ever since, as during this famous escapade (in Allan's own words):

For example, I still think of the evening in that Belgium beer place (2000?), where all got complete rat-assed and the party just dissolved in utter chaos.

Ah, those were the daze.

Allan has lived in Moscow for at least 15 years, and somewhere around his third or fourth career in the workaday world, he assumed yet another identity: Purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search feature with "Gamborg," and view previous postings at NAC. The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy Allan's web site, Masters of Soviet Art.

This time around, there's a significant addendum: Allan's getting married, and quite soon. In fact, it might have been possible for us to attend one of the weddings, but logistics wouldn't bend. So, all the best to Allan and Irina.

There'll be time, down the road, when we'll all coincide once more.

---

Dear Friends,

We have a series of new exhibitions on the web:

THEMES

Anti Colonialism Posters

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/thematic-shows/252-anti-colonialism-posters

In the 20th century, the USSR represented themselves as the foremost enemy of colonialism and imperialism, and thus politically and materially supported Third World revolutionary organisations who fought for national independence. These countries included Cuba and South American countries, many African countries, as well as South East Asia. We show a series of posters stating that point of view.

He Who Does Not Work Shall Not Eat ! (Кто не работает, тот не ест !)

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/thematic-shows/251-he-who-does-not-work-shall-not-eat

A famous slogan of the Soviet Union, part of the overall campaign to develop Socialist behaviour in the Soviet Population. The origin is from the bible: “He who does not work, neither shall he eat” is a Biblical aphorism derived from II Thessalonians 3:10. According to Vladimir Ilich Lenin, “He who does not work shall not eat” is a necessary principle under socialism, the preliminary phase of the evolution towards communist society. The phrase appears in his 1917 work, The State and Revolution. Through this slogan Lenin explains that in socialist states only productive individuals could be allowed access to the articles of consumption. We show here a series of works from 1963 by various famous poster artists interpreting that theme, for example by Viktor Govorkov, Veniamin Briskin and Valk.

ARTISTS

KONSTANTIN GNEUSHEV  (BORN 1922) 

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/artist-portfolios/250-konstantin-gneushev-born-1922

Konstantin Grigorevich Gneushev was born in Gneushevo, Orel. As a boy he went to a specialised art school. In 1938 he entered the MIPIDI, Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Art. In 1941 he volunteered for the army, and served on several fronts: He was seriously injured in 1942, and he received several distinguished medals for his service. After the war and several years of hospitalisation, he entered the Stroganov Institute, where his main teacher was the famous Pavel Kuznetsov. Other teachers were Aleksander Kuprin, Sergei Gerasimov, and Egorov. Konstantin Grigorevich's favourite media since the 1960s is the pastel. His style is light and full of life, showing a direct link to French impressionists. That was also noted mockingly by Alexander Kuprin during a students' exhibition at the Stroganov Institute. Gneushev was always very fond of sports. This can be observed in his numerous pastels and oils of the 1960s, depicting gymnastics, ice hockey, fencing, and swimming.  In the 1970s he was enchanted by the world of ballet and opera. In the mornings and the afternoons he would go to the theaters, most often the Stanislavsky, and paint the ballerinas and the corps de ballet during rehearsals and before the show. The circus is one of his passions. In his vintage years, Konstantin Grigorevich is painting mainly landscapes and still-lives, all in his favourite media - pastel. In his landscapes the sun always shines.

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Hans Christian Andersen Fairytales, illustrated by Nika Golts

Ганс Кристиан Андерсен, иллистрации Никы Гольц

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/book-illustrations/254-hans-christian-andersen-fairytales-illustrated-by-nika-golts-1925-2012

A series of original illustrations to Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales by famous Moscow book illustrator Nika Golts. On show are illustrations from The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess on the Pea, The Emperor's New Clothes, Little Ida's Flowers, The Money-Box, The Little Match-Seller, The Tinder-Box, Ole-Luk-Oie - The Dream-God, The Brave Tin Soldier, The Red Shoes, Soup from a Sausage Skewer, and The Shepherdess And The Chimney-Sweep.

Difficult Verses (Elena Blaginina) - illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya, 1960

Трудные стихи (Елена Благинина) - Марина Успенская, 1960

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/book-illustrations/253-difficult-verses-elena-blaginina-illustrations-by-marina-uspenskaya-1960

Original Illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya to the children's book from 1960 "Трудные стихи" (Difficult Verses) by Elena Blaginina. Publishing house: Detgiz. Printed in 70.000 copies. Price was 1.60 Roubles.

Enjoy the shows !

"Rich Inner Substance" at io9.

Rob and Karen pointed me to this collection of Soviet anti-alcohol posters at io9, of which there are so many that we might establish a new wing of the Red Room.

The first image at the site ("Life as a sober and an alcoholic man") strikes me as pre-Soviet in character in its depiction of bearded peasants. Perhaps my favorite is the one shown above. It strikes me as an accurate representation of my life as a professional drinker.

It's time for digital Soviet art.

My friend Allan Gamborg updates readers about his new web site. I just concluded twenty minutes lost among these visuals, and Allan is to be praised for providing this experience. Here's the text of his e-mail.

---

Dear Friends,

I am happy to announce our new and improved website with more excellent art, and a much improved user experience, where we put more focus on your visual experience of the art.

Please visit the site here:

http://www.digitalsovietart.com/

Also please note also the most recent web exhibitions:

Famous Soviet Brands

Soviet Fashion Design

Alyonka (Аленка) – 1957 Illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya

Slava Zaitsev – Sketches for clothes designs  - famous Soviet haute couture

Western European Fairytales by Russian Book Illustrators

Two new exhibitions at the Gamborg Gallery.

From time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg. He's Danish by birth, a longtime resident of Moscow and a citizen of the world.

Allan has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search here at NAC, use "Gamborg" as the search term, and see previous postings.

It's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art, and you need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries. As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and for allowing me to share his latest links.

Dear Friends,

We have two new exhibitions on the web:

THEME – Soviet Fashion Design in the 1950s-1970s

A series of Soviet fashion designs from the Moscow textile Institute by artists Slava Zaitsev, Irina Trofimova, Natalia Zhovtsis, Irina Kulakova, Boris Derzhavin, Tatyana Nikiforova, and Ninel Ryndich.

ARTIST – Tatyana Alyoshina (1955-1981)

Late 1970s pastels and lithographs of the Russian village, the Soviet circus, Commedia dell’Arte,  and old Russian Fairytales.

Enjoy the shows !

Another round of exhibitions at the Gamborg Gallery.

Regular readers know that from time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg, Danish by birth, and a longtime resident of Moscow. Allan has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search feature with "Gamborg," and see previous postings. The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries. As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting.

Dear Friends,

We have a series of new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Socialist Leningrad - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=427

Leningrad was a very popular theme amongst Soviet artists in the 1940s-1970s – depicting the Moika, Fontanka, Smolnii, and the places where Dostoevsky’s characters were lurking. Here we show a selection of works by Natalia Gippius, Naira Akopyan, Mikhail Rojter, Lipa Rojter, Mikhail Natarevich, Evgenii Gavrilkevich, Klara Vlasova, Galina Dmitrieva, Svetlana Ryazanova, Vadim Volikov, Aleksei Tretyakov, Boris Derzhavin, Boris Uspensky, Dmitrii Dmitriev, and Ivan Tsarevich.

ARTISTS

Lipa Rojter (1916-1993) - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=428

We show a large selection of 1940s-1960s works by famous Moscow graphic artist. The topics cover sports, agriculture, the Exhibition of Economical achievements (ВДНХ), Komsomols at work, Mayakovsky, the Russian village.

Viktor Penzin (Born 1938) - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=429

Viktor Penzin was born in Penza, and studied at the Moscow Polygraphic Institute from 1953-58. He is one the most famous contemporary graphic artist, known for his series of works dedicated to oldRussia and illustration to classical Russian tales. He is now active in Moscow.

Igor Nikolaev (Born 1938) - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=430

Well-known Moscow artist, painting mainly abstract art.

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Moscow Architecture, 1956 illustrations by Roman Zhitkov - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=431

A series of illustration to the book "Московское Зодчество" (Moscow Architecture), 1956, by M. Snegeryov. Publisher: Московский рабочий

The Violin (Скрипочка), 1956 illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya -http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=432

A series of 1956 illustrations to the book "Скрипочка" (The Violin) by L. Kvitko. Publishing house Detgiz 1956, 1957, 1958. Each year printed in 500.000 copies. The price was 30 copecks.

Enjoy the shows !

More new exhibitions at the Gamborg Gallery.

Regular readers know that from time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg, Danish by birth, and a longtime resident of Moscow. Allan has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search feature with "Gamborg," and see previous postings.

The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries.

As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting.

Dear Friends,

We have a series of 6 new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Soviet Food, Markets & Restaurants

http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=364

A series of works showing the way food was prepared, sold and served from the 1920s to the 1970s in the Soviet Union.

GAI-Soviet Traffic Police

http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=420

This exhibition shows a series of works with GAI - traffic police, from the 1940s through the 1990s. The artists Olga Tuchina, Adolf Demko, Marina Uspenskaya and Evgenia Endrikson are represented.

ARTISTS

Evgenia Endrikson (1907-1994)

http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=419

Evgenia Mikhailovna Endrikson was born Zurich, Switzerland, where her parents lived after leaving Russia, having participated on the losing side in the 1905 revolution. The family returned to the Soviet Union after the 1917 revolution, and she studied at the VKHUTEMAS art school under Kupriyanov and Favorskii 1924-1930. After graduation, she worked as a graphics illustrators for the journals “Pioneer” and Druzhnye Rebyata”, and in the 1930s designing posters for “Izogiz”. In the 1940s Evgenia Mikhailovna worked for the famous childrens’ jounals “Murzilka” and “Pioneer”. From the late 1940s and thorugh the 1950s she worked mainly as a book illustrator of childrens’ books. During the late 1950s and 1960s she worked on a series of gouaches and lithographs based on classical Russian folk tales and fairytales. In the 1970s she prepared a large series of gouaches and lithographs, inspired by the famous Mayakovsky poem “Vladimir Ilych Lenin”.

Vyacheslav Pavlov (Born 1934)

http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=421

Vyacheslav Ivanovich Pavlov is a famous Moscow graphics artists, specialising in etchings and engravings. From 1951 to 1959 he studied at the Moscow Stroganov institute specialisnig in murals, and he became a member of the Artists' Union in 1963. In the year 2000 he was awarded the title of the Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

The Wolf and the Seven Kids, illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya

http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=422

Illustration for the Russian Folk tale "Волк и семеро Козлят" - "The Wolf and the Seven Kids", published in two books (1.000.000 copies and 100.000 copies) 35 copecks, by Detskaya Literatura and a set of 10 postcards (50.000 copies), published by Sovetskii Khudozhnik in 1957, price was 1 rouble.

My Grandmother’s Sea, illustrations by Evgenii Meshkov - http://russianart.dk/exhibition.asp?e=423

Illustration for the book "Бабушкино море" by S. Georgievskaya, issued by the publishing house Detskaya Literatura, in 1973 and 1980.

View the new exhibitions at the Gamborg Gallery.

Regular readers know that from time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg, Danish by birth, and a longtime resident of Moscow. Allan has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search feature with "Gamborg," and see previous postings.

The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries.

As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting.

---

Dear Friends,
We have a series of new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Olympic Sports

A series of artwork showing the Olympic games in Soviet Art.

Anti Smoking Campaign
A series of Soviet posters and artwork propaganding against smoking.

ARTISTS

Boris Derzhavin (born 1921)
Boris Aleksandrovich Derzhavin studied at the Moscow textile insitute in the early years after the war, and later he became a teacher of graphics on the 1950-1960s at the same institute. Both his oils and his gouaches show that he was not educated in the classical socialist realism of the time, but with more freedom of expression.

Nina Shirokova (Born 1934)
Nina Ivanovna Shirokova was born in Tarusa, in a family of a carpenter and a teacher. She was always fond of drawing, and from her early years she took private classes in drawing. From 1956-62 she studied at the Moscow Textile Institute (MTI), which she favoured particularly because of the controversial non-conformist teacher Eliy Bilyutin.She specialised in textile design. Amongst her professors were Pochitalov (painting), Aleksandr Ivanov (graphics), and Aleksandr Dubinchik (drawing). Before and during her studies, she took private classes in painting from VKhuTeMas artist Konstantin Lekomtsev, where she also made friends with his wife, famous Moscow artist Natalia Gippius. During the 1960s she held different positions in relation to industrial and interior design, for example her design of the ideal Soviet one-room flat in 1963 and the interior of Aeroflot planes in 1964. In the later 1960s she did a series of scarfs and textiles at the Schyolkovo textile manufacture. During the 60s and 70s she regularly visited the studio of Eliy Bilyutin, who was famous in the period for his teaching of non-socialist realism methods of drawing and painting (formalism). Her personal works of that period are strongly inspired by Bilyutin and by the style of the non-conformists. Thematically, she paints landscapes in bright and powerful colours, still-lives, as well as nudes and portraits. She is a highly skilled and inspired draughtsman, with a simple and bold line. Her favourite media are pencil, gouache, tempera and watercolour. Nina Ivanovna’s works are a bright example of the artistic freedom that many former students of the Moscow Textile Institute were able to take advantage of. They were not educated according to, and consequently not artistically limited by, the dogmas of the Socialist Realism. Her personal works were very rarely shown publicly in the 1960s-2000, particularly the works painted in her Bilyutin period. Nina Ivanovna now lives in Moscow.

Galina Ivanova (1937-2009)
Galina Ivanovna Ivanova was born in Moscow in 1937. In 1959 she graduated from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute named after V.P. Potemkin. She participated in her first exhibition in 1961, and in 1967 she joined the Artist Union, the graphics section. During the 1960s and 1970s she travelled extensively in the Soviet Union, depiction the old cultural centres of Russia, and the ancient churches. During the 1970s, she printed a large series of images of the old Moscow, around the Patriarch's Ponds and the Garden Ring. Her favourite media were lithography and watercolour. In particular her lithographs are very recognisable, in her personal soft and pastel-like style.

Vera Orekhova (1907-2007) -
Vera Andreevna Orekhova studied at the Famous Moscow VKHTUMAS art institute in the late 1920s, amongst here teachers were Gerasimov, Rodionov and Konchalovsky. Her favourite media are watercolour and lithography, and she is famous for her images of Moscow in the 1940s-1970s, and of her wonderful still-lives, inspired by the French impressionist and post-impressionist school.

David Borovsky (1926-2004)
David Borovsky was a prominent graphic artist, active in Leningrad. From 1945-1952 he studied at Repin State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the USSR Academy of Fine Arts under K. Rudakov. His graduation work was the series of illustrations Maxim Gorky. He began exhibiting in 1952 and participated in major art exhibitions in the USSR. Borovsky illustrated books for Goslitizdat, Detgiz and Iskusstvo publishing houses. His most known works in book illustration are: Compositions by I. Turgenev (1954-55), Mountain Nest by Mamin-Sibiriak (1955), Who Lives Well in Russia? by N. Nekrasov (1960), etc. Borovsky created the series of color lithographs: Leningrad Choreography School (1955), V.I. Lenin (1957) and works in book illustration, a series of colour monotypes (1961-1963). He produced a famous series of lithographs depicting the workers of the electricity industry.

Dilyara Varlshina (Born 1937)
Dilyara Khalilovna is a well-known Moscow graphic artist, specilalising in linocuts and lithography. She finished the Moscow Polygraphic institute in 1971, and in 1977 she joined the Artists' Union, the graphics section. In the early years after graduation she worked in the theatre doing stage designs and costumes, and later she started working with Moscow publishing houses as a book illustrator. The favourite theme is sports, and many of her prints depict cycling, voleyball, fencing, and gymnastics.

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Master and Margarita, illustrations by Mihai Brunea
A series of illustrations to the famous novel Master and Margerita by Bulgakov. The main character wakes up after a heavy night of drinking and finds himself in the company of Voland the devil, who moonlights as a foreign consultant. The book was issued in Kisnyov, Moldova in the 1980s.

From Morning to Evening (С утра до вечера) – Illustrations by Evgeniya Endrikson
A series of original illustrations to the book "From Morning to Evening" (С утра до вечера) from 1945 by Evgeniya Endrikson. The book was printed right after the war, with lack of paper and printing facilities, so the illustrations should comply with those requirements, i.e. it should be black and white, and with simple detail.

Summer In the Kolkhoz (Лето в колхозе) – Illustrations by Evgeniya Endrikson
A series of original illustrations to the book " Summer In the Kolkhoz " (Летом в колхозе) from the early 1950s by Evgeniya Endrikson.

The Childrens’ Bus (Детский автобус) - illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya
A series of original illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya for the book " Детский автобус " (The Childrens’ Bus), by Zinaida Aleksandrova. Published by Detgiz in 1957, in 310.000 copies. Price was 2 roubles.

Enjoy the shows !

New exhibitions at the on-line Gamborg Gallery.

Regular readers know that from time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg, Danish by birth, and a longtime resident of Moscow. Allan has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists. You can use the handy Blogger search feature with "Gamborg," and see previous postings.

The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries.As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting.

---

Dear Friends,

We have a series of new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Nudes in Soviet Art
Artists in the Soviet period spent most of their time working on commissions from the state or state enterprises. However, in their private artistic lives, nudes often was a favourite theme for the artists. This exhibition shows works by artists Roman Zhitkov, Boris Sholokhov, Konstantin Lekomtsev, Natalia gippiu, Konstantin Gneushev, Marina Uspenskaya, Galina Shubina, Irina Vitman, Boris Uspensky, Veniamin Briskin, Boris Rybchenkov.

Gouache Posters commissioned by the Communist Party, by Veniamin Briskin
A series of unique gouache posters by Veniamin Briskin. The posters were commissioned by the Central Committee of the Communist Party. They have all been signed and approved by responsible persons, on behalf of the Central Committee. Later they went into production, and were printed in 50.000 copies.

ARTISTS

Adolf Demko (born 1940)
The exhibition shows 1980s lithographs of Moscow in the very early perestrojka days. Adolf Ivanovich Demko was born in Moscow, and in 1965 he the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. He is a member of the Artists' Union since 1975. Since graudation his favourite media has been lithography, and his favourite topic is the streets of Moscow - particulaly evening cityscapes. He is a Merited Artist of Russia (заслуженный художник), and in 2005 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of the Fine Arts.

Lidya Sukhova (1927-2001)
Well-known Moscow muralist (монументалист) and poster artist.

Sergei Datskevich (1917-1977)
Famous poster artist, mainly known for his classic posters of Soviet films of the 1950s and 1960s, for example "Служили два товарища" and Kalina Krasnaya (Калина Красная).

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

The Moscow Metro, 1954 illustrations by Roman Zhitkov
A series of original artwork for illustrations to the book “The Moscow Metro” (Московский метрополитен), by famous book illustrator and graphics artist Roman Zhitkov.

The Old Man and the Sea (Старик и море), illustrations by Vadim Volikov
Original artwork for illustrations to a 1960s Soviet edition of the famous tale by Ernest Hemingway, by artist Vadim Volikov.

The First Step (Первый шаг), illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya)
A series of original illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya for the book "Первый шаг" (The First Step) by Silva Kaputikyan, issued in 1972 by publishing house "Detskaya Literatura" in 1.800.000 copies.

The Wind (Ветерок), illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya
Illustrations to the 1964 book "Ветерок" (Wind") by Georgii Ball, Detskaya Literatura. Printed in 150.000 copies. Price was 17 copecks.

Enjoy the shows!

Latest exhibitions at the on-line Gamborg Gallery.

Regular readers know that from time to time, I reintroduce my friend Allan Gamborg, Danish by birth and a longtime resident of Moscow, who has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists.

Use the handy search feature with "Gamborg," and see previous postings. The format's usually the same, and it's always worth a few minutes to peruse the art. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries.

As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting.

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Dear Friends,

We have a series of new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Artists’ Double Lives in the Soviet Union
In the Soviet Union many artists led a double life. On the one hand, they earned their state commissions and a right for a decent studio to work, and on the other hand they painted according to their personal interests and passions. This exhibition confronts these two sides for a number of artists of the Soviet period. We show the artists Sergei Nikiforov (monumental socialist works vs church frescos), Roman Zhitkov (book illustrations vs landscapes), Boris Sholokhov (industrial themes vs. portraits), Mikhail Rojter, Nikolai Tereshenko (political posters vs landscapes), Boris Dyatlov (monumental communist murals vs landscapes), Vadim Volikov (political poster vs landscapes), Veniamin Briskin (political posters vs landscapes), Boris Uspensky (political posters vs ballet).

Russian Folk Tales
Soviet artists often depicted the classic Russian folk tales, for example “Brother Ivanushka and Sister Alyonushka”, “The Crane and the Heron”, “Vasilisa the Wise”, “The Little Hump-Backed Horse”, “The Fox and the Hare”, “The Tower Room”, “The Bean Seed”, “The Flying Ship”, “The Frog Prince”, “The Turnip”, “The Three Bears”. We show works by artists Evgenia Endrikson, Natalia Gippius, and Dmitrii Dmitriev.

ARTISTS

Dmitrii Minkov (1908-1998)
Well-known Moscow graphics artist and book illustrator. Worked with industrial themes, mainly with illustration and drawings from the coal industry, including the Donbass.

Konstantin Lekomtsev (1897-1977)
Konstantin Lekomtsev studied at the famous VKhuTeMas institute. Amongst his teachers were Geramisov, Kardovskii, Falk and Fyodorov. In the early 1930's he taught at the Perm Art College, where he met his future wife Natalia Gippius (1905-1995). They later worked together on various graphic arts and lithography projects at the famous VKhuTeMas Institute in Moscow. In the early 1930's he mainly painted genre landscapes, inspired by the Russian avant-garde. In the late 1930's he adopted a form of "soft" socialist realism, to be seen in a series of genre portraits. He is famous for his portraits of the 1950's in the classical Russian realism style. During this period he painted many children and young people.

Pyotr Ossovsky (Born 1925)
Pyotr Pavlovich Ossovsky studied at the Surikov institute under Gerasimov. Famous landscape and genre painter, as well as graphics artist. In 2005 he became a member of the Academy of the Fine Arts.

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Go - I Don't Know Where, and Bring Back - I Don't Know What
Original watercolour illustrations from 1949 by Evgenia Endrikson to Russian folk tale in Aleksei Tolstoy's retold version: "Поди туда - не знаю куда, принеси то - не знаю что" (Go - I Don't Know Where, and Bring Back - I Don't Know What)

Fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen
Original watercolour illustrations from 1954 by Marina Uspenskaya to famous Danish storyteller. The book was issued in German.

Lace from Vyatsk
Original gouache illustrations from 1982 by Marina Uspenskaya to book by Stanislav Romanovskii "Вятское кружево", issued by Detskaya Literatura.

Enjoy the shows !

More new exhibitions at the on-line Gamborg Gallery.

From time to time I reintroduce blog readers to my friend Allan Gamborg, who has enjoyed much success in his "second" (third? fifth?) career as a purveyor and advocate of Soviet-era art and artists.

Not only has he been able to make a living as a dealer, but his work has exposed to the world numerous underappreciated artists who may have been forgotten had not Allan taken an interest in them.

As in the past, permit me to thank Allan for his boundless hospitality and to share his latest posting. You need not be a Commie to enjoy the links to Allan's on-line galleries.

---

Dear Friends,

We have a series of new exhibitions on the Gamborg Gallery on the web:

THEMES

Soviet Car Industry
A series of watercolours, drawings and lithographs showing the assembly line during the 1970s at various Soviet car plants, e.g. Avtovaz (Lada), Moskvich, and Kamaz. Artists featured are are Lyudmila Bobrovnikova, Nikolai Schumkin and Mikhail Rojter.

ARTISTS

Svetlana Ryazanova (1927-2005)
Well known Moscow artist. The exhibition shows her original gouache postcard designs, and a series of her expressionistic and colourful Southern landscapes.

Pyotr Maiorov (1914-1994)
Oil painting with a wonderful light, by one of the major artist of the city of Voronezh of the 1950s-1960s

BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

Harvest (Жатва) (Lipa Rojter)
Illustration to the book "Жатва" (Harvest) by Galina Nikolaeva of 1950. The book won the Stalin prize in 1951.

The Grimy Girl (Девочка чумазая) (Marina Uspenskaya)
Illustrations by Marina Uspenskaya to the book from 1961 by Agnia Barto.

Enjoy the shows !